When we were in Michigan in October, I received a message on my cell phone from a teacher at an all boy’s academy in Ypsilanti, MI. The teacher, Lawrence, wanted me to speak to his class of 3rd -5th graders about being in business and entrepreneurship. I said sure, we would do it, so my brother Tom and I headed over to their school and met a great group of young men very interested in becoming businessmen. The school last year started with 5 kids and now has grown past 20 and we were very impressed with the job Lawrence was doing with his students. The video below is a talk I gave and questions the students in Ypsilanti had for us. After our talk, they actually started to do fundraisers to get themselves started in their own Italian Ice business.
Here is a link to their school if you want to help them out. DM

In the state of Washington, individuals who receive state support must be working, or on a pathway to employment. With her parents’ help, Lacey Jean Davis of Montesano, Washington, who is disabled by cerebral palsy, has become not just a valuable member of the workforce, she is an entrepreneur!
In fact, she was named the Entrepreneur of the Year at a Dinner in her honor in Michigan in October. The video below features her Dad, Larry Garman, speaking on her behalf.

Thanks for a great year in 2008 and here’s to an even better one in 2009!

Little Jimmy’s Italian Ice News Story from 1990 on CNN. I found this on some old VHS tapes last week and transferred to my camcorder and then computer. Little Jimmy’s Italian Ice is featured in this story regarding the USO and the First Gulf War.

A few more pics from todays action. The group ended up setting a school record for the project. They cleared $652.00 in sales for the week selling 2 scoops for a buck. 5 days at an hour and a half each day

If you go to my website you can see a video clip:  www.bullseyeconcessions.com

Jim Bull, PA

PS- 11/05/2008 The group did a reconciliation of their week long business project in class. Good news !! They found out they made $100.00 more than they originally thought.

Total profit for the week was $752.00 after paying for product, supplies, advertising at school and t shirts for all crew members. They beat the school record from 2007 by $162.00.

Little Jimmy’s Rocks

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Photography
www.jimbullphoto.com
Mobile Food Concessions
www.bullseyeconcessions.com
717-464-5381

This really has nothing to do with Italian Ice or anything- this is a playlist that I put together from Youtube that has some old Halloween cartoons that I remember from when I was a kid.  In fact, last night, I plugged my laptop into my TV and played these for my 8 yr old twins, and they enjoyed them probably as much as I did.  Let me know if you remember them as well.

My brother Tom and I will be flying out to Michigan next week to attend a conference in Jackson called disAbility Connections Awareness Dinner featuring Little Jimmy Italian Ice entrepreneur Lacey Jean Davis from the state of Washington.

I saw this in the Citizen Patriot Newspaper today and online here.
Seattle resident Lacey Jean Davis will share her story about having cerebral palsy and owning her own business at an Awareness Dinner for disAbility Connections on Oct. 15.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. at Gene Davis & Sons Catering & Banquet Center, 3575 Francis St.

Davis, 23, started Little Jimmy’s Italian Ice and has a plan in place to become less dependent on the Washington disability system.

The fundraiser dinner has a goal of raising $25,000 for disAbility Connections Foundation of Jackson County, according to Monica Moser, executive director.

The nonprofit has raised nearly $173,000 through this annual dinner since it was started 11 years ago.

Tickets for the dinner, silent auction and awards are $75 per person or $500 for a table of eight.

To make a reservation or for information about sponsorship opportunities, call Moser at 782-6054.

Guy flubs lines trying to sell Italian Ices

read more | digg story

Even though our customers are out there hard at work, they still have time to share with us videos and pictures of their adventures selling Little Jimmy’s Italian Ice where they live- Here are some more videos from our customers over the last couple of months-

AOL’s Digital City just came out with a list of their top 12 ice cream spots throughout the United States. Great list with most notably Little Jimmy’s Italian Ice at #8.

Click here Here for the AOL List.

Out of the 12 listed we are the only Italian Ice mentioned in the AOL list, so I guess that makes us #1 in terms of italian Ice- what do you think?

read more | digg story

Little Jimmy’s Customers in Action!

Having trouble watching the video? Click here!

Having trouble watching the video? Click here!

Lacey Jean Enterprises in the State of Washington Television Spot

Sweet success nets teen a cool $40,000 college scholarship

Columbus Ohio –When Michael Showalter’s parents asked him to earn money toward college, they had in mind an after-school job. But Michael started a small business, Guiseppe’s Italian Ice, which quickly turned a profit. He then used his business’s success story to win the McKelvey Foundation’s $40,000 college scholarship, awarded to student entrepreneurs.

Guiseppe’s Italian Ice operates out of pop-up tents, dishing up traditional Italian Ice to tired, thirsty fairgoers at festivals and outdoor events. Showalter buys the product from Little Jimmy’s Italian Ice in New Jersey, where it’s manufactured according to a century-old family recipe. “It’s healthier than most desserts, especially stuff that you find at a festival. One of the reasons I sell this brand is it does not have high-fructose corn syrup,” said Showalter. Popular flavors are lemon, blue raspberry, watermelon and cherry. From time to time, the menu also features pina colada, chocolate, grape and green apple Italian ice.

His enterprise, named after his father, began a year ago with an initial investment of $14,000. He recouped those startup costs handily, and in fact, broke even. Soon, Giuseppe’s began adding employees. With eight workers and two tents, Showalter has invested another $20,000 to expand his market–next year, Giuseppe’s Italian Ice will be sold in both Ohio and Michigan.
Showalter demonstrated true entrepreneurial grit, planning and executing a business that could have taken a lifetime to build, in just a matter of months. “It’s been real fun so I keep doing it,” said Showalter. “But it’s been a lot more work than I thought it would be originally, that’s for sure.”
Like most entrepreneurs, he is constantly expanding his funding horizon, and never shies from opportunity. The McKelvey Entrepreneurial e-scholarship could have been designed for Michael Showalter—it was created in 2006 to relieve the burden of debt many students face after graduation.
The Entrepreneurial Scholarship is offered by the McKelvey Foundation to high school students who start their own businesses or nonprofit agencies. The foundation’s founder is Andy McKelvey, who started his own first business selling eggs at age 14, and went on to found several successful businesses, the largest of which evolved into the online employment ad giant, Monster.com. The McKelvey Foundation currently supports over 600 students achieving a better future.
Showalter graduated from high school this year, and isn’t yet sure what his major will be at the University of Michigan. But he is sure about how he’ll earn his income–he’ll continue selling Guiseppe’s Italian Ice at festivals, fairs, and public events.

There are many more resources about entrepreneurial scholarships when you do a search in Google.

Here are some that I found rather quickly:

Young Entrepreneur Award

Mckelvey Foundation

Odioworks

DM

1. James Caan enjoying a Little Jimmy’s Italian Ice at his celebrity golf outing.
2. One of the Baldwins getting a Little Jimmy’s Italian Ice.  (Anyone know which one?)
3. Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard with a Little Jimmy’s Italian Ice in hand.

Blooper Video of myself trying to demonstrate how easy it is to sell Italian Ices.

DM

Our new website/blog is now live.  We will keep you updated here with fun stuff as it relates to Little Jimmy’s Italian Ices and life in a family business.  If you can, please sign up on our website (e-register) so you can receive info on starting your own Italian Ice business. In the meantime take some time and check out the pages in our site.  All comments and suggestions are welcome.

Welcome to Little Jimmy’s Italian Ices Blog- This is our first post!

This will be a starting point to introduce myself and my fellow co-workers, my mom, dad and brothers in our natural enviornment, that is, a family business.

My mom- Phyllis Moore (maiden name Philomena Theresa Mastrogiacomo) was born in 1942 in Elizabeth, NJ (home of Little Jimmy’s Italian Ice.)

My dad- Harry Moore (maiden name Harry Moore) was born in 1940 in Hazelton, PA (home of Jack Palance Oscar-winning actor) purchased the company from his father (Albert Moore, founder of Little Jimmy’s) in 1971.

Jeffrey Moore- second oldest brother is Chief Manufacturer of Little Jimmy’s Italian Ices and ardent Yankee fan.

Tom Moore - third oldest or second youngest, is a happy pug owner and a viral video fan.

Anthony Moore- youngest of the Moore clan, recently returned from Florida to help out with our growing business.

Dennis Moore (me), graduated Albright College in English Communications in 1985, is the proud dad of twins (one of each), and major movie and music enthusiast.