When your entrepreneurial aspirations seem a bit too far-fetched, take a look at this success story for inspiration. Ashley Qualls, 17, started a website at the age of 14 with $8 she borrowed from her mother. Now her site, whateverlife.com, is grossing more than $1 million a year and helping Qualls' family live more comfortably. Prior to the launch of her site, Qualls lived in a one-bedroom apartment with her mom and sister. Since starting her site, she's been able to purchase a four-bedroom home for her family and has hired her mother as her manager.

Qualls got the idea for Whateverlife when she noticed her friends personalizing their MySpace pages. She began creating and sharing designs for MySpace backgrounds through her site. Advertisers quickly began flocking to Whateverlife, and Ashley quit school to focus on growing her biz. These days, the website guru continues developing her site with the help of some friends she hired and has even turned down offers for her own reality series, saying she values her privacy too much to get involved in one.

According to Financial Times  (registration required), the U.S. House of Representatives voted to extend a tax moratorium yesterday. The ban was first adopted in 1998 to promote internet access and to stop the creeping local taxation in the early days of the net. Specifically, the ban prevents internet access from being taxed and eliminates discriminatory taxes treating internet sales differently than other types of sales. Despite opposition from state and local government, the moratorium will be extended for seven years and is considered a victory for technology companies. "While we continue to fight for a permanent measure, for the next seven years at least, the private sector can invest in e-commerce and broadband deployment without fear of discrimination," said Phil Bond, head of the Information Technology Association of America.

The Senate approved the legislation last week, and now President Bush is expected to sign it before the current tax ban expires on Thursday.

About 37 percent of small-business owners say growth is their company's single most important priority over the next six months. That's why OPEN from American Express and SCORE are pairing up to launch a "Small Business Speed Coaching Test Drive" to help enhance small-biz prosperity. The series will give entrepreneurs the chance to partake in 30-minute, one-on-one evaluations with experienced SCORE business coaches. Interactive workshops will also be held to help participants learn more about strategic business planning, effective marketing and business finances.

This seminar tour will make stops in Orlando, Phoenix, Atlanta and Chicago. The first seminar takes place in Orlando on November 8. More workshop information can be found online. Registration, which is free, is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

First, we told you about how swearing in the workplace can boost employee morale. Now, a study by University of Missouri-Columbia researcher Christ Robert has found that humor is another valuable tool. Robert, an assistant professor of management at the school's Robert J. Trulaske Sr. College of Business, found that occasional humor among colleagues can enhance creativity, office cohesiveness and overall performance. "Humor has a significant impact in organizations. It's not just clowning around and having fun; it has meaningful impact on cohesiveness in the workplace and communication quality among workers," said Robert. As for using humor in cross-cultural situations, Robert says not to avoid it, but to abide by some simple ground rules for understanding what kind of humor is appropriate for each situation.

For more detailed information on his findings, you can view Robert's analysis, "The Case for Developing New Research on Humor and Culture in Organizations: Toward a Higher Grade of Manure," featured as a chapter in Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management.

A long day at the office sitting behind your desk can leave you feeling tired, lethargic and inactive. That's why furniture-maker Steelcase is hoping to get you up on your feet for a majority of your workday with the Walkstation. Basically, the station looks like an ordinary desk on top, except that it features an electric height-adjustable work surface. Then, take away the typical swivel chair and replace it with a low-speed commercial-grade treadmill. It's the first in a new line of FitWork products offered by Steelcase's brand Details and was designed by Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic.

A Yahoo! blog post discusses the positives and negatives of the station, saying it would be great for casually surfing the web or reading, but not necessarily for blogging or writing e-mails. The machine, which costs about $6,500, though not too reasonable for at-home use, could be a great addition to a company gym. You can view a video on the Steelcase website to get a better idea of what it looks like.

Taco Bell's latest World Series promotion is just one example of how the company is thinking outside the box. As this Advertising Age article points out, Taco Bell hit a PR homerun with its promise to give away a free taco to everyone in the U.S. if a base was stolen in the World Series. In the series' second game, Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox accomplished the feat for taco lovers across the country by stealing second base in the bottom of the fourth inning. Last year, Taco Bell tied the same promotion idea to a left-field homerun, which never happened. So, this year the company looked for something more probable. "Every year we're looking for a way to raise the bar," said Taco Bell spokesman Will Bortz. "We started playing around with parts of the game where it would be natural to insert ourselves in and we started looking at stolen bases."

Overall, the promotion should end up being a good deal for the taco giant. Bortz said the chain is expecting "millions of Americans" to take advantage of the free taco deal today, when people can show up between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. for their free snack. Experts estimate the overall cost for Taco Bell's advertising was about $5.6 million, and expect their potential giveaway cost to be less than $1 million. But keep in mind taco lovers will have to buy a soft drink to go along with their crunchy taco, and you can bet the Bell will think of other ways to make the most of the long lines.

If your business was affected in the recent Southern California wildfires, data recovery company  DriveSavers wants to help. DriveSavers is offering $500 off data recovery services to victims of the disastrous California wildfires. The company says they can help recover digital photos, financial records, address books, passwords, personal files and other important data from your computer's burned hard drive. In addition, DriveSavers is offering additional discounts and support through their network of over 150 computer service providers in the region. "We’ve recovered thousands of burn-related hard drives that looked unrecoverable," said Scott Gaidano, president of Drive Savers. "By working with our network of computer retailers and consultants in the area, we can help people in this region get their data back."

If your computer has been damaged, DriveSavers recommends you give them a call at 1-800-440-1904 to find out how they can help you. In the meantime, follow these tips for the best chance at recovering your data:

• Do not attempt to power up a smoke-damaged or burned hard drive.
• Do not attempt to clean the hard drive.
• If the computer is wet from fire hoses, remove the wet hard drive. Do not use the drive; place it in a plastic bag with an airtight zip closure.
• If the drive is "sealed" in a melted computer, leave it intact and send the entire system to DriveSavers. 
• Keep in mind there may be live electrical cables at the site of your computer. Talk to your local fire official to be sure your area is safe before removing your computer drives.

Does your office celebrate the spookiest holiday of the year? If so, then your biz is in the minority this October 31. According to a new survey from  www.Vault.com, about 37 percent of employees say they celebrate the holiday with their co-workers, and only 27 percent actually dress up in a costume at the office. Of the respondents whose offices ignored the holiday, many expressed disappointment. Of course, it's a tough decision. If you do allow employees to don costumes, you risk the chance of workers showing up in risqué, indecent and possibly offensive outfits that would be more distracting than anything else. On the other hand, allowing costumes within reason could bring your team closer together. Or, there's always the compromise: Allow trick-or-treating from office to office, or bring Halloween treats to share during an afternoon office party.

If you're an e-tailer thinking about revamping your website for the holiday rush, you probably feel like you're running out of time. But not to worry, there are some quick and easy fixes you can make to get the most out of every customer who visits your site. Erin Presseau, strategic interactive manager for SilverTech, a website development and interactive marketing agency, has five top tips to get your site in the holiday spirit:

• Dangle a carrot. Give customers examples of how they can use your product to make their shopping easier. Prepackaged gift items are popular with consumers during the holiday season. Provide consumers with creative ideas about how to use your packaged gift suggestions to their advantage. For example, "Don't forget to thank teachers and coaches with this lovely candle gift basket."
• Optimize your site to grab free traffic. This method of advertising is virtually free and highly effective. Presseau says this is one of the most important quick fixes to your website you can make to increase holiday sales, since more than 60 percent of online shoppers will use a search engine to find a product this season. Choose appropriate keywords and insert them into URLs, page titles and content of your web pages to move you up in search listings.
• Countdown shipping days. Add simple notes and countdowns to your home, product and cart pages to remind shoppers how many shopping days are left and how soon they need to order to make sure their gift arrives in time.
• Guide consumers to jump "ship to shore" and not overboard. Be sure to provide customer service phone numbers and e-mail addresses, in addition to the location of your nearest stores, if you have any, should shoppers have technical difficulties while trying to process their order. Presseau says by providing important contact information, store locators, shipping and return policies within the pages of your shopping cart, you'll have a much higher chance of salvaging sales.
• Add promotions to receipt and confirmation pages. Promote universal products or seasonal items to your receipt and confirmation pages, which are the most printed and saved pages from any e-commerce site.

With wealth comes certain advantages and special treatment--even when talking about fire protection. That's because companies like Firebreak Spray Systems, which partners with the insurance company American International Group Inc., are offering personal fire assistance to wealthy home owners. AIG offers the service as part of its Wildfire Protection Unit only to residents in particular California zip codes including Malibu, Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, Menlo Park and certain Colorado resort areas. To receive the service, policyholders must pay premiums of at least $10,000 a year and own a home worth at least $1 million. Some residents are singing the praises of companies such as Firebreak after fires swept through their neighborhoods this week. "Just picture it. Here you are in that raging wildfire. Smoke everywhere. Flames everywhere. Plumes of smoke coming up over the hills. Here's a couple guys showing up in what looks like a firetruck who are experts trained in fighting wildfire and they're there specifically to protect your home," said one homeowner whose home was saved thanks to the service.

There are also other fire prevention businesses targeting the elite. Critics, including author Naomi Klein, say they're concerned businesses like these will lead to a "disaster apartheid" where the affluent are more equipped for emergencies.  

By the way, as a follow-up to the fire resources blog we posted on Tuesday, here's a detailed map you can use to determine fire perimeters down to exact cross streets, something the Google Maps don't offer. As a Poynteronline blog suggests, these maps can tell you, on a street-by-street basis, what has burned and what is still burning.

Small-business owners are instrumental to the U.S. economy, as the updated U.S. Small Business Profile demonstrates. According to the profile, small businesses added 1.9 million net jobs during the last year studied. "Small businesses are America's job-creating dynamo," said Dr. Chad Moutray, chief economist for the Office of Advocacy.  "Clearly policymakers need to consider their impact on small business when they are making policy decisions."

Other interesting findings include:

• Small businesses employed 50.9 percent of the nation's non-farm private workforce in 2004.
• In 2006, the U.S. had an estimated 26.8 million small businesses, of which 6.1 million were employer firms.
• Women-owned firms totaled 6.5 million and generated $940.8 billion in revenues in 2002.

By now you've probably heard about the devastating fires sweeping through California. Thankfully, the winds are finally dying down and firefighters are getting a better grasp on the remaining fires. Businesses across the country are pitching in to assist the many Californians displaced by the devastating flames, and one company is helping small-business owners affected by the fires. Synergy Workplaces  is offering free access to its Virtual Office space for businesses displaced by the fires. Their services will be available in four locations in Irvine and Laguna Niguel. Business owners can get back in touch with clients via Synergy's telephones and internet connections, and utilize their office equipment and support services. "We are opening our doors and services to any home based or small-business owner affected by the wildfires. It's the least we can do to help the community and ensure that local residents are able to protect their livelihoods and keep their companies running with as little disruption as possible," said Laura Kozelouzek, president and CEO of Synergy Workplaces.

If you've been affected by the Southern California blazes and would like to use Synergy's services, call (949) 936-2600 for registration and more details.

Asheesh Advani, Entrepreneur.com columnist and former president of CircleLending, has joined forces with entrepreneurial mogul Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin Group. CircleLending officially rebranded as Virgin Money USA on October 15, with Advani operating as president and CEO. Virgin made a majority investment in Advani's company in May. Virgin Money manages loans and mortgages between relatives and friends. "Our goal is simple--to provide a service that allows for more choices, a surer fit and ultimately, a better deal," said Advani. Branson agrees that Virgin Money will revolutionize the way people receive loans. "We are literally changing the face of money by empowering people to realize their hopes and dreams, all while keeping money within the family," he said.

Industry insiders have been waiting for it to happen, and on Wednesday, it finally did. Microsoft beat Google to the chase and announced it's investing $240 million for a 1.6 percent stake in social networking site Facebook. That put the value of the site at $15 billion. In the deal, Microsoft also won exclusive rights to sell third-party banner ads on Facebook. Downplaying analysts' descriptions of Facebook as a trend and not a long-lasting site, Kevin John, president of Microsoft's platforms and services division, said the user base should eventually reach 300 million members.

This year, the hot social network is expecting a profit of $30 million on $150 million in revenue.

Five hundred young women received a clear message that an entrepreneurial mindset isn't just for those aiming to start their own business at the First Lady of California Maria Shriver's Minerva Leadership Program  earlier this week.

Accomplished businesswomen, celebrities including Vanessa Williams, and Samantha Larson, the youngest person to ever climb all "Seven Summits," came together to discuss the professional and spiritual empowerment that comes from "being your own boss" every day of your life.  Among the topics raised were whether college should come right after high school and how long it should take to finish.  College seemed the most practical route after high school graduation, said Larson, but she ended up taking a year to train and climb Mt. Everest, which she did last year at age 18 and is now in her first year at Stanford. Senior executive vice president of Wachovia Corporation, Shannon McFayden, talked about how there is no shame in going through college a little slower to better afford it because, just like every entrepreneur, every woman has a different set of environmental and financial circumstances.

"I do think to be successful in whatever your chosen path is, having an entrepreneurial mindset makes all the difference in the world," McFayden said.  "An entrepreneurial mindset is thinking to yourself, I'm going to change everyday for the good, instead of letting things just sit and happen because it's somebody else's company."

The Minerva Leadership Program sessions were held at another one of Maria Shriver's projects, The California Women's Conference , where the young women heard from Nobel Peace Prize-winning social entrepreneur Muhammad Ynus, Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Thomas Friedman, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, the wives of five presidential candidates and many more. Video