“I remember the day the woman called up crying because she hadn’t been able to wash her hair in a few years,” said CC Verallo-Rowell, the North American operations manager of the hypoallergenic company, VMV Hypoallergenics. With the purchase of the brand’s shampoo, the woman finally found relief from years of a painful scalp condition.

“We really help people,” Verallo-Rowell said. “I don’t think it is very often you can say you make a difference in someone’s life, particularly in the beauty industry.”

This story is one of many from devoted customers of VMV Hypoallergenics, a 30-year old Asian-based skincare company that recently increased their U.S. presence with the opening of a flagship store in New York City.

As VMV Hypoallergenics believes the U.S. economy is primed with a sophisticated, educated demographic, they are confident the brand will appeal to customers who not only suffer from allergens or sensitive skin but also plan on targeting people who are looking for safe alternatives to harsh products.

“Niche brands require a developed market with cosmetic-savvy consumers who may be more skeptical of traditional cosmetics and looking for something new and for more clinical validity to claims. The USA is certainly this market,” said Kristen Owen, the marketing manager at VMV Hypoallergenics.

Still, VMV Hypoallergenics will face challenges as a niche, independent skincare business going against mega companies like L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, and Revlon.

“There is a lot of competition with the skin care category, both domestically and across the world. Companies like Estee Lauder and L’Oreal have a strong global presence and spend a lot of money on advertising and marketing,” said Sofya Tsinis, an analyst at JP Morgan.

Even so, the company’s 30-year successful run in the Asian market provides a platform to compete against the Goliaths of the skin care industry.

Founded in 1979 by Dr. Vermin M. Verallo-Rowell, a dermatologist and dermatopathologis in the Phillippines, the line came about after a chance encounter with a patient suffering from adult acne. Dr. Verallo-Rowell tinkered with various ingredients until she created a toner with phenomenal results. After much persistence, the patient not only convinced Dr. Verallo-Rowell to launch a skincare line but also wed him.

VMV Hypoallergenics now includes 400 products, including 92 shades of lipstick, available in eight different countries through brick and mortar shops and globally online.

The company boasts as being the only validated hypoallergenic company. Everything from the $105 Illuminants moisturizer cream to the $10 cleansing soap, is rigorously tested and rated on its VH-Rating system, one that measures allergy omissions and provides validation for their products.

“There isn’t a standard for hypoallergenic. We came up with the rating system specifically to distinguish ourselves as being validated hypoallergenic, because we are proved to be,” Owen said.

With the opening of its flagship store, the company hopes to capture more U.S. market share and bolster its 30% growth plan for 2012. Last year the company’s revenue amounted to about $8 million globally with $1 million generated from the U.S. This year the business is aggressively aiming for $10.4 million worldwide with $2.6 million coming from the U.S.

Hitting the U.S. market in 2010, the flagship store located on Broadway near Union Square is one of pristine clean lines, while offering a homey feel to its shoppers. The 1,700 square foot store is comprised of a store along with a VMVvenue for events and a treatment room for full-on facials or massages.

The ambience is welcoming as sales associate, or specialists, float around the shop, politely asking shoppers if they can be of assistance without appearing pushy but instead with a look of genuine concern. Flanked with words like heaven, bliss, and skin love, the walls of VMV Hypollergenics encompass all 400 products but done so in a simplistic manner, organized by categories based on needs and demographic.

Displayed neatly on the shelves are some of VMV Hypoallergenics’ best sellers, which include Know-It-All, a $40 virgin coconut cold-pressed oil, an $80 bottle of Re-Everything Eye Serum, a product known to help with antioxidant repair, and a $22 Superskin Toner, a gentle exfoliator that firms and brightens. The products are packaged in a glue-free box with an attached brochure ensuring all information is provided and concerns are answered.

The shoppers looking to find the magical cure for their aliments are allowed to test all products and a porcelain sink is center stage for the full trial experience.

The brand isn’t only concerned with skincare but has gradually expanded into the lifestyle arena by offering products like a specially formulated toothpaste free of fluoride, dyes, and flavor for people who suffer from perioral dermatitis, a rash around the mouth.

The shop on Broadway is only the beginning for VMV Hypoallergenics’ U.S. plans. It hopes to open five to ten stores in the next few years while growing in Europe and continually expanding in the Asian market.

As VMV Hypoallergenics is beginning to grab on to the coat tails of success, the independent company still faces challenges with stiff competition coming from brands like Kiehls and Origins, both sitting comfortably under the umbrella of multibillion-dollar groups Estee Lauder and L’Oreal.

A major obstacle independent skincare lines face like VMV Hypoallergenics, is the lack of exposure due to limited distribution channels and slim marketing budgets.

Joyce Greenberg, a partner covering health and beauty at the investment bank Coburn Greenberg Partners, recognies the difficult plight independent skin care lines are up against and believes finding new distribution channels is one reason 2012 looks to be another big year for mergers and acquisitions.

“Owners make acquisitions to gain additional, new distribution channels. Look at Shiseido. The only reason Shiseido bought Bare Escentuals was to gain access to direct retail selling. Before the acquisition, Shiseido had no meaningful presence on QVC or hadn’t been involved in infomercials,” Greenberg said.

Even though Verallo-Rowell acknowledges the desire to be bought by a larger company, she realizes VMV Hypoallergenics is not quite ready to embark on that route.

“One of the issues is that we are such a small brand. Not enough people know about us yet, so we kind of build it up by working with doctors and spas. It is actually a way to work from the bottom and build up,” Verallo-Rowell said.

Besides targeting a more specialized demographic for business-to-business channels, VMV will continue to focus on customers’ experience in the stand-alone stores.

“Having our own store not only provides a chance to bring customers into our environment and tell our story but also is the opportunity to make available all these products.” Owens said.

A second issue facing VMV Hypoallergenics is in order to have over a 100% increase in U.S sales in 2012, the company must convince loyal consumer to make the switch to its brand. Not only must the company get consumers to breakaway from their tried and true regimen but must do so on a minimal marketing budget.

“Right now we can’t compete against the companies with the big budgets that advertise in Vogue. We are looking for a more organic approach. Working with a hundred doctors is nothing compared to one ad in Elle,” Verallo-Rowell said.

Knowing they can’t go head-to-head with the big names, the company plans on focusing their strategy on local marketing initiatives along with digital advertising and social media. It will also continue to educate consumers both online and

in-person through detailed brochures, providing custom regimes, and releasing quarterly publications.

Besides exterior challenges, VMV Hypoallergenics has to battle a monster it created—the VH-Rating system. Because VMV Hypoallergenics bases its system on published lists of allergens, a list that changes every few years, the company must continually reformulate its products to adhere to its own standards.

“We are constantly reformulating as the new list [provided by North America and Europe] is published. We want to make sure we are as hypoallergenic as possible, and it’s not as simple as taking out an ingredient and putting another one in,” Owen said.

With 400 SKUs, the brand is already eliminating some products and clearancing out others.

It remains to be seen if VMV Hypoallergenics can convert from a niche brand to a household name in a competitive industry, but Verallo-Rowell remains optimistic.

“We are not a fad. We don’t use gold dust or bright pink. We aren’t trendy. We’ve been around the Asian market for thirty years, and we are in this for the long-haul.”

Recently, Entrepreneur.com published an article debating how much of a start-up should be science versus art.

In one corner of the ring, is Steve Blanks, a believer that starting a business is more of an art form. Entrepreneurs often go with their gut feeling, as a way to march on with their idea.

Sound a bit ridiculous? A bit too risky? Blanks believes that these gut instincts are the way of the future. He points out these instincts actually come from a lot of pattern recognition, a skill entrepreneurs develop from past experiences and information gathering.

Blank states once entrepreneurs go with their gut instinct, a survival mode kicks in where it is do or die.

In the other corner, stands Kay-Yut Chen, a scientist who thinks just going with your gut instincts can lead to disaster.

Chen argues the entrepreneur must step back and take a hard look at analytics. By taking a closer look at the science of numbers, an entrepreneur will not only be able to decrease their risk but also examine their limits.

Chen uses the example of customer options. Many entrepreneurs jump the gun and believe customers like more choices, when in fact they actually feel overwhelmed. Chen believes if you actually took a little to study how to manage risk, the probability of success increases.

Both Blank and Chen have valid points in their arguments. In an ideal world, Chen’s approach of analyzing every detail would increase your chances of a successful venture. In reality, Blank’s approach may be the more feasible one. Entrepreneurs don’t have enough hours in the day to get to everything and must rely, to some degree, on their instincts.

What are your thoughts?

The contest is open to any start-up business and is defined from anyone who has an idea to an actual operating business.

Besides looking for strong ideas with legs, the contest needs a person willing to talk on camera about the ups and downs starting a business, which will be posted on The New York Times Facebook page.

Carol Roth, the woman behind the contest, is a business strategist who has helped thousands of entrepreneurs raise funds in order to achieve their dreams.

The pitch needs to be catchy and touch on some main key points: the idea, target demographic, marketing strategy, and what makes your business special.

In case you don’t have a clue on how to pitch, check out the tips below or click on the link to watch the video.

1. Content: Keep your pitch to approximately two minutes and remember to mention the problem you are trying to solve, how your business is unique, and how you plan on making money.
2. Production: Make sure you taking into consideration all the aspects that it takes to produce a successful video: sound, light, and steadiness.
3. Confidence: Sell your idea!

Video Tutorial on How to Pitch Your Idea

The New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) kicked off this Sunday at the Jacob Javits Center with approximately 2,800 vendors looking to attract over 35,000 attendees.

The show is divided up into four categories that include: new, home, lifestyle, and handmade. Within the category division, NYIGF has split the categories into subdivisions: New York’s newest, accent on design, at home, baby & child, Ex-tracts, general gift, handmade designer maker, handmade global design, personal accessories and details, studio, and tabletop & housewares.

As I was enthralled by all the small business owners, I really was inspired by the vendors in the handmade global design division. Everyone I talked to was so proud of their business and dedicated to bringing goodness to the world.

“The most rewarding aspect is knowing how frustrating the process may be, the end result is positive,” Kelly Weinberger of World Finds said.

One of the companies, Push Pull Cambodia, creates handmade pillows, bags, scarves, and other goods by working with Cambodians and using the centuries-old ikat weaving technique to produce modern day products.

Push Pull Cambodia doesn’t only support the village with employment and fair wages, but they also go the extra mile to take care of their workers. For example, after Push Pull Cambodia thought some of the workers needed to get their eyes checked they took them to a doctor (many for the first time) and got them glasses.

Other social entrepreneurs I really enjoyed chatting with include World Finds, Mata Traders, Jenny Krauss, Creative Women, and Honduras Threads.

Many of the entrepreneurs love attending NYIGF because of the benefits of foot traffic, and it provides a welcoming environment for all sizes.

“The NYIGF is known for its diversity. It is a national show that welcomes both boutique owners and large catalog companies,” Weinberger said.

Image by Ron Dauphin via Flickr

Walmart just launched “Get on the Shelf,” a contest for new invention and product submissions where the public picks the winner.

In this American Idol-like competition, people submit their invention online by uploading a video demonstrating their amazing product.

The public votes on the best product in a two-round event, where the top three get to have their product showcased on www.walmart.com and the first place winner gets to also have shelf space in selected Walmart shops.

The initial voting round begins March 7^th and runs until April 4^th.  Once this round is closed, the top ten will be announced. From April 11-24, the voting period determines the top three winners.

So far, “Get on the Shelf” has garnered over 40 videos.  Some of the inventions submitted include The Little Green Money, a business kit for children; A Game Sports Drink, a vitamin fortified, hydrating drink; and Boo-Boo Cover-Up, a band-aid-less healing cream.

To view all the videos click here.

So, if you are a small business with big dreams now is the chance to get discover. Hurry, the deadline is February 22^nd.

Image via Wikipedia

In the running for 2011 best new start-up, Codecademy is a brilliant online FREE service that takes the headache out of learning how to code.

Created by Ryan Bubinski and Zach Sims, the duo saw a niche that needed to be filled—people dying to get a piece of Silicon Valley but not having the background to create the next million dollar app.

Founded just last October, the website offers an array of courses to get you introduced to the coding world—designing a dice game, learning conditionals, and many more tutorials. Codecademy is strictly about learning Java Script, but Bubinski and Sims are hoping to expand into other languages.

Not only does the interactive set-up provide an easy transition but Codecademy also makes it fun and competitive to learn what many believe is considered a mundane task.

The site allows people to track their progress, program websites, and learn with friends.

Plus, it offers Code Year, a one-year coding class that is supplemented with emails and homework. As of last December, 300,000 people have signed-up for the class, and Codecademy can add me as a member.

I jumped on the site and within less than a minute I earned my first badge by completing the task on the home page.

By combining gamification and short class lessons, Codeacademy is on the right track to become the 2011 best new start-up.

Related articles

• Codecademy raises $2.5M to make you a coding master (venturebeat.com)
• 2012: The Year of Online Learning. (aninosaintlife.wordpress.com)

Rob Bryn remembers lying above a sweater factory listening to the huge loom moving back and forth below him as he tried to sleep. Living there for years, Bryn witnessed the slow transition of living in an industrial zoned area with working factories to an area full of artists living in these vacant buildings

“I literally saw the last textile business leave this area,” Bryn said.

As the dying breed of manufactories shut down due to cheaper labor overseas, a new purpose arose for the massive rectangular prisms sprinkling the otherwise desolate northern Bushwick neighborhood.

Years ago, wanting to find a place to throw their pottery, chisel their sculptures, or paint their masterpiece, artists clamored to Bushwick looking for space, inexpensive rent, and proximity to Manhattan. They turned to the vacant factories, a place that no longer created goods but now created homes.

For many years, artists lived under the radar quietly growing a community full of painters, craftsman, graphic designers, and creative types.

It wasn’t until recently Bushwick was discovered by young professional, students, and families looking for a place to call home, as Manhattan and the surrounding areas became too expensive.

The inevitable gentrification occurring in Bushwick is providing a haven for small businesses along with a revived energy for the artists. But it is also creating tension between the new and old. With rental space scarce, demand high, and rents climbing; many artists are depending on a newly expanded Loft Law—enacted to protect tenants from landlord misdoing—to save them from having to move out of their beloved community.

The tension comes as the Bushwick landscape is changing to accommodate the new wave of higher-income residents with a boom in art, more upscale restaurants and bars, and new amenities taking over the area.

A few years ago only two galleries existed in Bushwick, English Kills and the now defunct Pocket Utopia, but Bushwick now has approximately 15 galleries in the neighborhood with the famous Chelsea gallery, Luhring, Augustine, recently sowing its seeds in Bushwick in a $2 million space.

With the ever-expanding opportunities, even more artists are seeing Bushwick as an ideal place for their creative juices.

Deborah Brown, an artist, has sat on the Bushwick community board for six years and believes Bushwick creates a unique feel for the community but also helps emerging artists gain traction without dealing with bureaucracy.

“Super place to be an artist. There are a lot of opportunities to get your work out there, to meet a lot of people without many boundaries or hierarchies. There is a really great spirit, which I think is really rare. I’ve been here 30 years and never seen anything like it,” Brown said.

As the art community continues to entice young professionals to set up camp in Bushwick, the demand for new businesses catering to their needs has grown.

As restaurants like Michelin rated Roberta’s serve up $16 Cheeses Christ pizza or Northeast Kingdom pours a Black Mission Fig Sidecar for $13, the rush to get in on the business boom is high.

Outside Michelin Rated Roberta's

Inside Roberta's

Relatively new on the scene, Henry Glucroft, owner of Little Skips cafe, believes the art community brings a coolness factor to his coffee shop but also provides a hub for creative juices.

Other amenities like gyms are catering to the new wave of young professionals.

Green Energy Fitness charges its members $79 to $99 a month for unlimited access to their super green gym offering a naturally heated yoga studio, an infrared sauna, touch screen computers, a juice bar with vegetables from their garden, and a two option flushing system. Besides offering the luxury of sustainability, Green Energy Fitness wants to bring the community together by hosting art shows, parties, and possibly a trade fair.

As gentrification is creating a larger and larger ripple effect, the cycle that crippled artists in Soho, East Village, and most recently Williamburg is starting to occur in Bushwick—the wave of young professionals looking to be near the creative scene could push artists out, as the cost of living is becoming too high.

These artists are hoping to combat the issue of displacement with the 2008 newly expanded Loft Law.

The law, originally enacted in 1982, was created to protect work/live space tenants, many who are artists, living illegally in vacant manufactured buildings under unprotected commercial leases. The law requires landlords to apply for an Interim Multiple Dwelling (IMD) number in order to begin the conversion process and bring their building up to code.

Vito Lopez, the Bushwick Assemblyman, advocated for the 2008 expansion. He wanted to put an end to tenants stuffing old newspapers in ceilings for installation, wiring their own electrical, installing their own plumbing, and a number of other hazards.

Besides the safety concerns, before the law was passed tenants had little rights in terms of rent stabilization because they were under a commercial lease. Landlords were able to increase rents on a whims notice and tenants usually obliged as they feared getting booted to the curb or possibly having their heat turned off.

Lopez is hoping the newly expanded law will bring peace of mind to not only tenants but also the landlords and city.

The main issue is even though the law has been passed, the rules have yet to be set by the New York City Loft Board. The limbo state the law is living in is creating a headache for all parties involved.

“It’s like a gigantic set of Christmas lights that we are trying to untangle, so we can get them all to work. We just need all the lights on,” Jett Drolette, a Bushwick artist, said.

During a recent get together with members of the New York City Loft Tenant advocacy group, Drolette, along with other artists, gathered to discuss the current issues pertaining to the stalled law.

Drolette, who resides at 467 Troutman Street, has been fighting for his, along with his cotenants, rights to stop arbitrary rent increases from his landlord. Even though Drolette admits there has been a lot of “blocking and tackling” with his landlord, he hopes his actions will allow him to continue to reside in his building.

“If I live there for another 20 years, I’m glad I’m doing what I’m doing,” Drolette said.

Tenant organizer Victoria Kravets of Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizen Council (RBSCC), a non-profit social service organization that helps both seniors along with other local residents, battles landlord issues on a daily basis.

“I just had a tenant call today about a $700 increase. The landlord had been harassing him by knocking on his door all day, texting, and calling him. It was relentless. The Loft Law will hopefully give them serenity,” Kravets said.

On the flip side, the landlords view the Loft Law with mixed feelings. Many are worried about the financial burden of the conversion. Others like Rob Herschenfeld, a landlord for many years, is thankful for the law, as he believes it provided much needed guidelines for conversion and thinks some greedy landlords oppose the law as it takes away from their lifestyle.

“It isn’t about the rent; it’s already is at market value. These people finance their lives by refinancing these mortgages. They try to wring every penny out of it [rent], which creates an adverse relationship with the people paying their mortgages. If you treat someone’s home like it’s your bottom line, there will be problems down the road,” Hershenfeld said.

The New York City Loft Board is trying to counter the financial investment by passing the 6-8-6 guideline, which allows landlords to increase tenants rent by 6%, 8%, and another 6% once certain milestones are attained.  They are also still deciding on an interim rent increase, one that would occur before these milestones are met.

Besides some landlords upset about the law, businesses are also feeling the pain. Diana Reyna, the councilwoman for the Bushwick area, strongly opposed the law as she believes it is creating job displacement for many of the low-income families depending on the manufacturing jobs.

Leah Archibald, the executive director of EWVIDCO, an organization that supports production, manufacturing, and industrial services in Brooklyn, explains how the manufacturing industry in the Bushwick area is suffering much more than other areas across New York City as landlords are able to earn a lot more per square foot from residents than industrial users.

“Overall, manufacturing is declining in New York but in Bushwick it is happening at a much more rapid rate. This demonstrates that it above and beyond the natural decline; there is something special going on here. It’s the residential conversion both illegal and illegal,” Archibald said.

Besides being out bid by tenants for space, many manufacturers are getting driven out due to harassment.

Tod Greenfield, explains how neighbor company, Boar’s Head, is constantly being fined by the police for idling trucks, as residents complain about the nighttime noise.

“The company employs 1,000 people who support 2,500. Someone illegally moves into a building next to you but now is legal in an industrial zone. These businesses are getting chased out. People need houses, but they also need jobs,” Greenfield said.

Outside Martin Greenfield

Inside Martin Greenfield

Bushwick has taken on a gritty glamour with artists creating a Bohemian lifestyle in an ever-fragile environment. As both the artists and the wave that followed wait to see if Bushwick becomes the next Soho or Williamburg, the gentrification impact will continue to evolve.

Kikuku Tanaka, an installation sculpture living in Bushwick for the last five years, is worried the art community is becoming too big for its own good and creating a dilemma for the artists.

“We want to make it a community and we want to stay here, but I think the growth is creating a problem. We are working on getting ourselves kicked out”

Recently Little Dudes and Divas, an online boutique selling infant and baby clothes, was profiled in The New York Times as a small business dealing with the trials and tribulations of being of being a small business competing against much larger companies like Babies “R” Us.

They state it isn’t easy, and I couldn’t agree more. For five years I was the owner of an online women’s contemporary clothing store, and I remember the stress that came alone with trying to compete with the Nordstroms and Shopbops (now owned by Amazon) of the online world.

As I believe and  Little Dudes and Divas explains the key to success is in the details.  Below are some tips from the article, which I believe will set you apart.

1. Carrying unique designers/items: Little Dudes and Divas discussed how they try for only the hottest items as a strategy to beat out the competitors. If you are able to get a hold of the latest high-quality product, do so. As for my e-commerce site, I would approach the strategy a little differently. I would often times speculate what the big competitors were going to carry and pick something else from the designers’ line. By doing so, I tried to create a niche by carrying very unique items.

1. Little Dudes and Divas also points out that they are accommodating to their customers by giving them special attention. They did so by taking time to email, listen to customers needs, and going the extra mile for them. Again, I found focusing on the small things a way to sett myself apart from competition. I would write personalized thank-you notes, gift-wrap everything, include a store magnet in the package, and provide very fast shipping. I can’t tell you how many people thanked me for it.

1. Lastly, Little Dudes and Divas discussed their marketing strategy to make sure they are connecting to the right customers. The store mentioned SEO and Google Analytics, which was a service I used often to track shopping cart abandonment, landing pages, and time on the site. The store also discusses social media, which is imperative for success. When I had my store it was not as prevalent as it right now but it sure is useful. Not only is it free, but interacting with customers in a social environment does wonders for your credibility.

One concept I am surprised wasn’t mentioned was a forum. I believe having a link to an online discussion board would really help bolster the connection with the customers and possibly increase sales.

What would you suggest for Little Dudes and Divas?

Tom Szaky recently wrote a New York Times blog about the need for start-ups to look at crowd-funding as a means to generate capital in today’s economy.

For those of you unaware of crowd-funding, is basically an online collective group of strangers pooling their money together to provide capital for a start-up.

Szaky touched on sites like Kickstarter, a crowd-funding site targeted towards the art community, as way to get your business of the ground.

As much as I am a cheerleader for crowd-funding and believe is a viable option for small businesses, I believe entrepreneurs need to take crowd-funding with a grain of salt.

1. Crowd-funding sites will only give start-ups their funds when the goal is met. So while your waiting for the Benjamins to roll in for your Top-Secret-Why-Didn’t-I-Think-Of-This-Before idea, someone could be trolling the web looking for the next big thing. So, be careful! Allowing the world to see your idea, may end up burning you.

• Best Bet: If you want to try crowd-funding, try to cater your idea towards a local niche where competition is less.

2. Time is Money. If you need something immanent or waiting will cause competitors to fly by you, crowd-funding may not be for you.

• Best Bet: As long as the project has an indefinite timeline or is a small milestone encompassing a larger one, you should be good to go.

3. Not being financially rewarded may turn off some people. Due to SEC regulation, crowd-funding does not allow the people who invest in your company to reap financial benefits. This issue could be a huge turnoff for many investors. On the other hand, many people may view a dog treat named after them worth the $50 they provide to the company.

• Best Bet: If in the tech scene, you may avoid going through crowd-sourcing, as it may get too complicated and also cause future investors to turn away. Also, keep your eye on a group of small business owners, StartupExemption, which is lobbying to eliminate SEC requirements for start-ups.

4. Doesn’t provide you the emotional support, other investment options do. If you have to bootstrap your way to your dreams or get an angel investor to help spread your wings, the personal involvement is much greater than capital flowing in from complete strangers, which could leave you unmotivated or off-track.

• Best Bet: If you plan on going down the crowd-funding route make sure your incentives add value to the investor. By creating an  attractive reward (other than equity), investors will more likely continue to follow your project while adding a little pressure for you to succeed.

Many are predicting crowd-funding will become a more mainstream option to raise capital. Even if there are pitfalls, entrepreneurs should take a hard look at it. As Sean Parker and Mark Suster believe the angel bubble is going to pop, VCs are hard to attract, banks are tightening their purse strings, and boot-strapping isn’t always possible, crowd-funding may be the only way to go.

On Monday, Business Insider launched its 20 Best New (as opposed to old) Start-ups for 2011.

The site boasts a lot of practical companies (Simple, Giftly) and one that doesn’t make any sense to me (Sphero).

Here is a list of my favorites:

• Lytro: Shoot Now, Sharpen Later: A new camera with $50 million backing lets consumers fix blurred images in post-production
• Betteworks: Another angle to cash in on the deal-of-the day model where bosses can use these deals as incentives or to say thank-you. Easy, practical and will make employees smile. Enough said.
• Fab. Well, because its fabulous. A flash sale site for home décor that allows consumers to snatch up amazing deals for around the house design.
• Codecademy. A site that promises to teach you JavaScript in an easy AND fun environment. Sold.
• SoJo. Short for Social Joy, this business model allows users to plant trees in a virtual game and for every tree planted, one gets planted in reality.
• Sphero. A company that has received $6 million in backing for a $129.99 robotic ball people can control with their phone? Really? Is this like the new pet rock?

What are your favorites?