Waste Less Living is Living True

Waste Less Living is living true. Just as some outdoors people happily complete a multi-day backcountry journey while leaving nothing more than footsteps and taking no more than memories, some people are focused on living their everyday lives in the same manner. These people, the waste less livers, want to make their impact by leaving no impact on the environment.

As more and more of us have been forced by the economy and the other large forces to look deeper at the ways in which we live our lives, it is good to know that others have made the same journey and are doing what they can to lead simple, taintless lives. Anyone simplifying his or her life should turn to these folks for guidance and inspiration.  

Waste Less Living is an organization that works to help people and organizations such as schools, businesses, and events be eco-friendly and leave little more than footprints as they go about accomplishing their missions. Clients of Waste Less Living soon find that it is possible to run their organizations with zero-waste and sustainability in mind. Waste Less Living does this by focusing on its mission to “improve the health and quality of our environment through sustainable lifestyle habits beginning with the practices to reducing waste” to: 

1. Minimize waste going to the landfill

2. Reduce our reliance on petroleum-based disposable products

3. Promote the use of environmentally and socially responsible product alternatives

4. Educate the consumer about the environmental affects of waste generation

5. Educate the consumer on the proper use and disposal of compostable products

Rhythm Engineering Uses Innovation to Provide Traffic Solutions

The mission of Rhythm Engineering sounds simple: to deliver traffic that brings loved ones to their destination faster and safer. However, coming up with actual solutions is rather difficult. The process requires innovative minds, state-of-the-art technology, expertise, experience, and professionalism. To make sure that they deliver impeccable client service, Rhythm Engineering integrated all of these elements into their workflow.

But what exactly does this growing business do? Rhythm Engineering has a background in traffic and transportation engineering, providing new technology for traffic signal device timing, and multi-agency traffic network design. One of their most famous innovations is InSync, a device which has reduced stops at traffic signals by up to ninety percent.

Before Rhythm Engineering came up with InSync, it was estimated that seventy to ninety percent of traffic signals in America are poorly timed and cause unnecessary delays. With InSync, the old technology used in these traffic lights was transformed into high-tech, traffic-moving machinery. With this improvement, fuel consumption is reduced by at least twenty percent and emissions are lowered by thirty percent.  InSync is not only cost-efficient, but eco-friendly too.

Rhythm Engineering is now the seller of the most in-demand adaptive traffic control system in the United States. The company’s CEO, Reggie Chanda, was a former traffic engineer who took matters into his own hands when he got frustrated with the tools available for him to perform his job. With an open mind and a team of talented individuals, Chanda was able to turn the company into one of the top seven small, innovative businesses in 2010. Rhythm Engineering was also identified by the state of Kansas as a growth company with the ability to impact economy.

Rhythm Engineering’s success is an example of how entrepreneurship can help society improve in significant ways.

Songkick

Some of the most interesting businesses today are involved in music and Songkick is one of them. Songkick has achieved a remarkable feat in the industry; it has managed to buck the trend and post substantial profits in an industry that has been ravaged by piracy, music downloads, and online streaming services. The company shows that the internet can be used as an effective tool for growth rather than a threat to musicians and recording studios.

The concept behind Songkick is simple. It assembles concert information such as upcoming shows, ticket prices, and original reviews by fans. The site has an impressive community of people who want to talk about music and their concert experience. Aside from its 1-million-song database (which is enough reason for most people to hang around), the site also updates users about their favorite artists, festivals, and venues.

New information is always fed into Songkick by the major 29 ticketing companies. If you are a Windows Media Player or iTunes user, it can also analyze your collection and give you relevant information on upcoming shows, its venues, and access to videos. All these features have helped the company achieve phenomenal growth in just a few years.

It also helps that Songkick has attracted some of the best talents in the tech industry. Dan Crow, who co-founded three success Silicon Valley startups including Blurb, has decided to join the company. Crow has also worked for Google as the Team Lead for search and mobile. He was one of the proponents who helped developed Google’s search apps for the Android, Windows Phone 7, and Blackberry. 

Tubeify

Although Tubeify is still a relatively new company, it has already generated a lot of buzz around the web because of its innovative combination of Billboard, Last.fm, and YouTube. The website is founded by Tomas Isdal, who is a PhD student from the University of Washington. Currently, Tubeify is an invite-only service, but many expect it to be open to the public as soon as the infrastructure is in place.

Now, you may wonder, why use Tubeify when you can just go to YouTube? Well, it’s simple. This company provides on-demand service and streams your favorite music continuously. Some even call it the “better YouTube” for music-lovers. The company also uses the technology provided by Billboard. Essentially, current tracks can play without stopping as you search for more songs. There’s also no need to jump from one window to another.

If you still need more convincing, Tubeify actually has a “lazy” playlist. It is  basically created from your search results. The songs you compile can be shared to various social networks. At this stage though, this function has yet to be fully-operational. Improvements are still being made on the site but once it is launched to the public, you can definitely expect a top-quality music service that will make you forget all other music sites.

Tubeify clearly has a lot going for it. With some of the best music streaming services getting sued left and right, there’s room for a service like this.

Solne Collections: Promoting Green Living Since 2004

Lin Merage founded Solne Collections in 2004 with the goal of bridging the gap between environmentally conscious consumers and quality, eco-friendly products at affordable prices. A company dedicated to support of the green movement, Solne Collections endeavors to bring balance to the Earth through careful use of nature’s byproducts and educating the public about environmental issues.

Products offered by Solne Collections include an extensive line of clothing, bedding, and linens for babies and children up to the age of 12. For babies, the company sells completely organic goods ranging from apparel and car seat covers to toys and books. To complement these products, Solne’s online store also hosts a number of articles relating to child safety and the importance of avoiding potentially toxic materials.

For adults, Solne Collections’ online store offers a variety of fair trade, nontoxic, and recycled fashion options. Available products for women include full ensembles, jackets, handbags, dresses, undergarments, and much more. For men, Solne incorporates fitness and style with green living and boasts items including hemp backpacks and bags, eco-casual clothing, sleepwear, and active wear.

Under the supervision of CEO Lin Merage, Solne Collections has become a pioneering force in the movement toward sustainable business and living. For builders looking to reduce harmful environmental impact, the online store also contains a Home Renovation section; future products in this category include paint, flooring, countertops, reclaimed wood, and recycled materials. As a major provider of a vast range of eco-friendly products, Solne Collections’ online store proves a valuable resource for the environmentally conscious consumer.

Retirement for Teachers

The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association – College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF)  is a non-profit investment company providing retirement funds for individuals in specific fields such as: academic, research, medical and cultural. The company, listed on the Fortune 100 Financial Service Company list, currently serves 3.7 million employees and manages $453 billion in assets. While you may be aware of TIAA-CREF, as a teacher or work in one of the other fields the company serves, chances are the average individual has never even heard of them.

TIAA-CREF prides itself on selecting stocks and mutual funds that exhibit steady growth rather than riskier investments that may be up one day and down the next. It allows individuals a certain amount of control over their investment and allow a multitude of investing options, such as 401(k) and 403(b) accounts. The company, which got its start in 1918, is headquartered in New York City, currently employs more than 7,000 individuals in over 70 offices across the country.

In 2011, TIAA-CREF ranked 87^th on Fortune magazine’s list of the 500 largest corporations in America indicating it is a fairly large, if widely unknown, corporation. Since teachers, researchers and other employees working in these fields typically do not earn high-dollar salaries, it is great to see there is a company dedicated to helping them plan and save for retirement. Since the company allows individuals to control their investments, it allows those who can afford to be a bit riskier go for a higher return on their investment while allowing others to maintain slow and steady growth on their investment portfolio. 

ParqAdvisors Delivers Customized Long-Range Financial Planning Solutions

Based in Beverly Hills, California, ParqAdvisors offers life insurance and estate planning solutions for high-profile enterprises, executives, and individuals. With a clientele that includes well-known business leaders, athletes, and entertainers, the firm specializes in quality products that mitigate investment risk and streamline estate and earnings taxes. In addition, ParqAdvisors presents clients with the benefit of dedicated service by such industry leaders as Steven Wolt, who joined the firm in 2011 after a long tenure as one of the top producers at MetLife, Inc.

A leader in the insurance and annuities business for more than 17 years, Steven Wolt develops customized insurance strategies that safeguard the assets of ParqAdvisor’s clients while at the same time optimizing their financial flexibility. The approach allows clients ranging from high net-worth individuals to directors on a corporate board to realize the best returns on investments while remaining open to new opportunities as they may arise.

In years past, life insurance and estate planning proved to be fairly rigid endeavors. People in many instances chose a policy after having children or reaching a specific career or financial goal. Once determined, the original plans endured for years. Today, however, new insurance products and methodologies necessitate constant re-evaluations to ensure that financial, estate, tax, and insurance arrangements are fluid and meet the ever-changing needs of each client. Experts in assessing existing or proposed programs and adjusting them for ideal value and outcome, executive members of the ParqAdvisors team such as Steven Wolt monitor the constantly evolving field of life insurance and new regulations and rules that could affect or improve standing policies.

Unlike large firms in which clients often fall into categories delineated by risk, net worth, location, or other factors, ParqAdvisors maintains a personal understanding of the specific goals of each client. While large-scale or minor events may impact a number of clients, ParqAdvisors and team leaders like Steven Wolt scrutinize all possible results for each client and make recommendations accordingly. By utilizing this tactic, each client receives advice that advances their long-range objectives.

ParqAdvisors serves clients across the United States. Call the firm at (424) 253-7400 to learn more about their innovative methods of creating security and wealth.

Kiva

Matt Flannery and Jessica Jackley started Kiva in 2004. Kiva is an internet website where you can give money for as low as $25 which will be pooled to reach a specific amount that will be used in a microfinance loan.  In the website you can choose the borrower you want to lend to.  There are a list of borrowers with their pictures and a short write-up about the borrower and the intended use of the loan. Most of the borrowers come from developing countries.

Kiva sends the money to an accredited microfinance institution (known as Field Partners) who will lend the money to the intended borrower. The microfinance institution charges interest for the loan since this is a business transaction and the lending institution has to survive. Once the loan is repaid by the borrower, the money is paid back to you through PayPal.  You do not get interest on the money you lent out, after all your intention is to help and not to make a profit. Kiva is also sustained by funding from other sources, so all of your money goes to the loan and not towards Kiva’s operational costs.

Kiva has its critics. Some say the presentation is not correct since the Field Partner had already made the loan to a borrower while the amount is still being raised by Kiva. So the money that is eventually given to the Field Partner may go somewhere else. There are also stories of fraud by Field Partners. While it’s something that every institution tries to guard against, it does happen.  Fraud happens even in large banks like UBS where a billion dollar fraud occurred right inside the bank, in London; not by an entity in some far-flung country. The world is far from perfect.

Kiva has a high 98.9% repayment rate.  What is nice about the $25 set-up is the amount is small if it’s not repaid. In fact people are willing to give $25 donations; here you have a 98.9% chance of getting all your money back.

If you want to know more about Kiva visit their site. You may even be inspired to lend $25!

Chegg and the Changing Textbook Market

Students don’t have a lot of money; in fact, universities are constantly strapped for cash and practically begging alumni for money.  Nevertheless, the education sector remains enormous; there are more than 18 million undergraduate and graduate students in the United States today – approximately 6% of the US population.  On top of tuition fees, these students are encumbered by a number of other costs, including student housing, food and entertainment.  What's worse, many of the companies that make money in this space do so by charging exorbitant fees for items that are in high demand such as housing, and precious few are working to save students money.  One of the companies to take a crack at this market is aiming at one of the most frequently heard gripes from students – textbooks.

There is an almost $6 billion market for textbooks in the United States and individual texts. Textbooks – especially for courses in the sciences – rarely come cheaply, even when one can find them used.  The dilemma students are faced with is that at the same time they must pay for (increasingly expensive) classes, whilst spending a significant amount of cash at the outset of a semester for books that will only be relevant to them for a few short months.

The innovation of Chegg is to take advantage of the gap between when the textbooks are produced and when they stop being useful to students – if students can rent textbooks instead of purchasing them, they can save significantly.  This model also allows textbooks to be distributed to multiple students efficiently before the next revision is published.  Chegg began as a service solely at Iowa State University in 2005 as a classifieds directory, but the service continued to be developed and in the Fall of 2007 was released as a rental service.  Chegg is offered at over 6,400 Universities and Community Colleges in the United States.  As part of its green initiative, Chegg has also partnered with American Forests to plant a tree for every textbook that is rented, bought or sold.

Although Chegg was founded by Osman Rashid and Aayush Phumbhra and was funded initially on Rashid’s credit card, to date Chegg has secured almost $220 million in venture funding and has rented its two millionth book in 2010.  Books are typically shipped out of a Shepherdsville, KY warehouse and may be rented by the term (quarter or semester).