Image source :
Dr Foster Smith

Dog and cat lovers have it easy all the time. They have portable carriers in all shapes and sizes to transport their furry friends whenever they need to go anywhere - until now that is.

Dr. Foster and Smith have come up with a sling bag that is actually a portable bird cage to easily transport your bird - to the veterinarian or the park - and keep him close, safe, and secure. It's a hands-free, vest-style bird carrier with padded shoulder straps and quick-clip waist strap for comfort. So you little birdie gets to enjoy the ride as well, the carrier has a durable mesh fabric front that allows good airflow and visibility for your bird. Zippered opening at top and bottom allows access. I'm sure you're wondering what happens when your little feathered friend decides to go right? Well there's a nifty removable bottom tray that catches messes and wipes clean easily. There're even a 1/2" diameter beveled perch and two toy hanging loops for those long trips when birdie can get bored and need some recreation! But before your start thinking is this is just the thing to show off your pet eagle or vulture, Dr Foster and Smith Travel and Outdoor Bird Carrier is designed only for small and medium size birds, such as parakeets, conures, canaries, finches, budgies, and lovebirds.

After reading about this product, I wonder when someone else is going to come up with a sling bag carrier to lug their pet boa constrictor or creepy crawly tarantulas around to show off to the world!

If anything at all, this bird carrier should appeal to every bird lover simply as a great conversation starter! There are more ways to make money than you think.

Quotes from : BusinessWeek
Images via : Eternal Image & BusinessWeek

It's a good time to deal in death. The first baby boomers are entering their mid-60s, and the death rate in the U.S. is expected to rise from 8.1 people per thousand in 2006 to 9.3 in 2020, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Yet the traditional funeral industry is hardly healthy: The Federated Funeral Directors of America, an accounting firm for independently owned funeral homes, found that in the past 20 years, its clients' profit margins have been cut nearly in half. Some 44% of funeral home directors, up from 28% in 2006, blame the increasing popularity of cremations and alternative burials for sinking profits, according to consulting firm Citrin Cooperman. Some funeral homes have responded by offering themed funerals, such as backyard barbecues, while others diversify by hosting weddings and other events.

Clint Mytych, founder and CEO of Eternal Image (ETIM), was running a luxury car rental company in 2002 when it dawned on him that he'd like a car-themed funeral, and a casket shaped like a 1967 Ford Mustang (F). But not only could Mytych not find his Mustang casket, he didn't find anything that he thought had any personality at all. "I mean, nobody says, I am so excited about the Batesville #22 casket' because it's made of their favorite wood," says Mytych. He saw an opportunity in idiosyncratic funeral products that would reflect the customer's personal taste. In 2006 his Farmington Hills (Mich.)-based company introduced the country's first licensed urn—a twisted bronze spire topped with a cross, licensed from the Vatican Library Collection. Mytych has since signed licensing agreements with the American Kennel Club, Major League Baseball, more than a dozen universities, and most recently, CBS Corp., for the rights to the Star Trek brand. His urns cost about $800, compared with $3,000 for a traditional marble one.

Two more entrepreneurs who have found a niche in providing a twist to funeral services are Joseph Joaquin and Nick Drobnis :

So there you have it. There is NO limit to what you can do to make money. Find a need and fill it and the world will find their way to your doorstep.

In this niche, the WORLD is your market because sooner or later, EVERYONE is going to need the services of a funeral home/entrepreneur.

Images via : Turtle Kiss

I stumbled onto this little item a wee bit too late, but it's still interesting so here goes.

Koopa is a turtle. A very creative turtle - depending on how you look at it. Koopa's owner has a nifty way of making money on eBay. With cleverly selected blends of paint and careful positioning of Koopa the turtle, eBay seller turtlekissdesigns has managed to make a tidy sum selling unique artwork on the auction site. In this case, Koopa's artwork closed with the winning bid at $1025.

turtlekissdesigns also produces delicate paintings using her feminine body parts which you can also see on her profile page (the link above).

There are lots of ways to make money on eBay. Lots of them are offbeat like these. But when I look at turtlekissdesigns' artwork, I realize that it's not just about plonking blobs of paint and rolling all over it to create some zany abstract art. Her strength is in her delightful choice of colors.

I suddenly have this urge to use Ginger (my cat) as a paintbrush and make like Picasso.