It's slipping under the radar with all the news out of Washington the last several days, but this week is the 48th Annual Small Business Week. And as we continue to look for ways out of the economic mess we're in as a nation, it's worth calling attention to the fact that small businesses play a critical role in our economy.
According to the Small Business Administration*, there are over 27 Million small businesses in America, and they account for 60-80 percent of the new jobs created in this country.
If you've read my posts recently, you'll know that I've started pulling my money out of the casino that is the stock market and started investing it in businesses I can believe in. That's why, in celebration of Small Business Week, I've just invested in The One World Futbol Project. And I urge any of you with excess capital sitting in the stock market to celebrate with me by moving some of your funds as I did this Monday into a small business.
The One World Futbol Project LLC (the "Project") manufactures and distributes the One World. Futbol -- a patent?pending, ultra?durable, non?inflated soccer ball that solves a fundamental problem of traditional inflated balls: when used in the harsh environments that prevail in poor communities, a traditional inflated ball soon goes flat and becomes useless, while the One World Futbol stands up to such conditions and keeps the joy of sport alive.
For retail sales, the Project uses a "Give One, Get One" business model, donating one ball for every one sold. The Project also sells the ball in bulk quantities directly to institutions, through corporate sponsorship, or through campaigns that mobilize members or supporters. Target institutional customers include U.N. agencies, regional multilateral agencies and NGOs, as well as the multinational corporations that are prime sponsorship prospects.
The ultra?durable One World Futbol maintains its shape and bounce by virtue of its structure and material -- not by being inflated. Unlike traditional soccer balls, it requires neither a pump nor a needle, never gets waterlogged, and continues to bounce even after it has been punctured. The One World Futbol is "Parent Tested, Parent Approved" and was named one of the "Top 10 Active Toys" of 2010 by Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. ("Dr. Toy"), and the Project was one of three finalists for the Special Jury Prize in the 2010 global Peace and Sport Awards.
If you can't find a business to invest in let me know and I will introduce you to the way I find opportunities.
Those of you sitting on the fence about starting a small business, you can celebrate Small Business Week by jumping off the fence and starting yours. Let me know about your business and I will publish it in my blogs and at my website.
You can also get advice about starting your business in my book "Raising Eyebrows: A Failed Entrepreneur Finally Gets It Right"
*As a side note, I am a big supporter of the SBA and was pleased to have my company Tweezerman nominated as Borrower of the Year in New York state back in 1994.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dal-lamagna/how-im-celebrating-small-_b_863272.html
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