Came,Out,the,Airwaves,amp,#58, DIY It Came Out of the Airwaves: Where to Find the Inspi

When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in

There's no secret to creating that "killer app" in business:Find a niche and fill it.If only that was as easy as it sounds! Some of us areentrepreneurial Isaac Newtons -- we get hit on the head byan apple in the form of a need we discover -- and we have avision of a way to solve the problem (and earn an incomewhile we're at it).My favorite example of this is the woman who invented the"Stroll'r Hold'r" - you know, that little cupholder you snaponto the handle of your baby's stroller. You don't know youneed one of them until you actually try to carry a drinkwhile pushing your baby around the mall... and when you seethis very simple product, you say to yourself "Why didn't*I* think of that?"Most of us need a little help -- I know that I do. And asmy universe has shrunk into a little circle consisting of myhome, my daughter's school and activities and the localsupermarket, I find I must do whatever I can to broaden myhorizons.But as is often the case for us parental units, the biglimiting factor is time. I used to have plenty for readingnewspapers, magazines, and books. (OK - I was single and hadno social life so I had nothing BUT time!) This is no longerthe case. Today I pick up the slack through my choice ofradio stations.Public Radio has been my savior. From the moment my alarmgoes off with the "Morning Edition" theme, to the eveningrush hour traffic (which I am often caught in after one ofMegan's karate lessons), I am tuned in to my local NPR stationand learning ... which is where I find inspiration for manyof the articles I write for my website and newsletter.But the thing that makes radio such an ideal medium (thefact that you can do other things while you are listening),is also its drawback (because you are focused on otherthings while you are listening). There are times when I missimportant facts, as my mind is just tuning in at the end.This is why I was delighted to discover that most of myfavorite public radio news and information programs are alsoavailable on the web. Here's a rundown of the best onesfor business:Marketplace: David Brancaccio's business broadcasts arefascinating, and might I say it: Entertaining! This dailyhalf-hour program does a wonderful job of explaining what ishappening in the financial markets, deconstructing complexstories such as Enron and Worldcom, and making sense of themysterious theories of leading economists.If that's all they did, it would be enough to help you makehome business decisions by knowing where the economy istrending. But Brancaccio and crew also give you what Ithink of as "human interest business" pieces -- theyregularly cover economic news from the perpective of Workand Family, the Arts, Health, and Technology. If your local public radio station does not carryMarketplace, you can hear it broadcast in full at theirwebsite. There you will also find archives of past featuresplus current headlines from the Economist and the Globalist. http://www.marketplace.org NPR Morning Edition and All Things ConsideredAll Things Considered is the granddaddy of the NationalPublic Radio network, having just celebrated its 30th yearon the air. ATC looks at the news of the day, airing everyafternoon (usually during drive time).It's not just a news broadcast. For instance, after runningthrough the news of the day, today's program includedfeatures on Amtrak, a "faerie festival" in Glen Rock, PA, aninterview with international financier George Soros, hotelsand motels which have decided that advertising themselves as"American Owned" is a good business idea (I wonder if that'strue and if it's something that can be extrapolated down toone of my home businesses?), and Cuban piano player RamonSosa. It's eclectic. And you never know when they willintroduce you to something that makes sense for yourbusiness venture (like that "American owned" thing).Morning Edition is ATC's "little sister," celebrating the20th anniversary of its debut this year. ME gives you thesame mix of news and features in the morning. Hear them both(as well as other NPR programs) here: http://www.npr.org The World: When my British in-laws came to visit they wereshocked at how provincial America's news coverage is,focused almost entirely on what is happening in the UnitedStates.There's a whole world out there, folks -- and the Brits areused to getting news on all of it from the incomparableBBC. Well, this radio show brings a little of thatcomprehensiveness to the good ol' US of A.Co-produced by "Auntie Beeb," radio station WGBH and PublicRadio International, "The World" is a fascinating mix ofnews and in-depth reports on events cultural, politicaland economic... in *all* the Earth's hemispheres. Iespecially enjoy their daily "Geography Quiz" (and amashamed at how rarely I manage to come up with the correctanswer!)If it all sounds a little dry -- trust me, it's not. Catchit here:http://www.theworld.org To the Point: This is talk radio at its best. I rememberwatching host Warren Olney when he was a reporter at some ofL.A.'s local TV news stations. But as TV news became moreabout ratings and less about substance, Olney retired fromthat medium and moved on to Southern California's largestpublic radio station, KCRW.This show got its start as an in-depth look at theconditions that led to the violence that followed the RodneyKing verdicts in L.A. A master at handling calls from peoplewith differing viewpoints, Olney has kept this program onthe air for 10 years, covering just about every issue ofimportance to the residents of Southern California. Olney has also been hosting this national version sinceOctober 2000, in which does the same for "hot-buttonissues" that face the U.S. as a whole.http://www.moretothepoint.com/ As operators of home businesses, many of us tend to closeourselves off as we focus on the needs of our families andour finances. While focus is good, it can result in a kindof tunnel vision that can prevent us from seeing that nextbig thing. Don't let that happen to you! If finding time to get out there, to read, and tolearn is a problem, you can fill in the gaps simply by turningon the radio. Article Tags: Radio Station