Are You Willing to be a Crowdfunder?

Our economy is in bad shape. Companies are laying people off. People can't afford things they used to be able to afford. Worried yet?

Even as a 23-year-old I see this around me. Friends not being able to find a job and parents constantly scared about their job security has become a common trend.

Our wonderful solutions: Tax the rich. Cut taxes on small businesses. Start killing off our population. Maybe.

In today's society more people are starting their own businesses. While this can be effective, it is extremely challenging to get the proper funding to start-up a company, manage resources, hire people and try to succeed. This is where crowdfunding comes in. You may have heard about the concept of people donating money to start-ups to support their business vision. Kickstarter.com has become a popular site for people who are interested in this concept. Since these donors are prohibited by the law to receive equity for their efforts, they can only receive small gifts such as concert tickets, DVDs and clothes.

A new bill gaining support through Washington, the Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act, may have dramatic impact on crowdfunding. While this bill does not allow cash to be given back to donors, it will allow companies to provide small stock options for people investing in them. Not only does this have the potential to explode as an idea, it can also spur innovation and help the economy. With start-up businesses succeeding, more jobs are offered, new technologies are developed and the economy grows.

How would you feel if you could be a stake-holder in Facebook, Groupon or any other company that has massively grown within the last decade? Are you willing to make some donations?

Read more about kickstarter.com and crowdfunding.

10 Things to Do in NYC Without Overspending

New York can definitely be an expensive city to visit (I learned the hard way this weekend). However, there are several things you can do to keep your wallet from emptying:

1) Central Park

Grab some food, walk around, go to the zoo, enjoy the view and get lost in Central Park. If you are feeling lazy and have 50 bucks on you, take a horse carriage ride.

2) Food

There are tons of famous restaurants in New York like

Katz Deli, Nathan's Hot Dogs and brick oven pizza joints. However, if you can find a good food cart (they are all over the city), for 5 bucks you will be full.

3) Rockefeller Center

For under 40 bucks you can go on top of the Rockefeller to see the city and take a tour of NBC studio. There a high chance you will see some celebrities too.

4) Staten Island Ferry

Instead of paying 25 bucks for a water taxi...pay FREE to get on the Staten Island Ferry and see the same Statue of Liberty and the city skyline.

5) Museum Mile

Almost all of the popular museums such as The Met, The Guggenheim and The Museum of Natural History have "Suggested Prices". This means you pay what you can.

6) The Multi-Neighborhoods

If you don't want to pay to get in a ca

b, take the subway or ride in a horse carriage, put on some comfortable shoes and walk around. On a nice day you can walk around lower Manhattan and see neighborhoods like SOHO, Greenwhich, East Village, Little Italy, Chinatown, the Financial District and Brooklyn Bridge.

7) Times Square

Bright lights, Giant TV Screens and foreigners. If you don't want to spend money, walk around Times Square and take pictures.

8) Greenwhich Village

Almost every bar has a happy hour that is cheap. If you want to spend a little bit of money go see a stand-up show at the Comedy Cellar.

9) Little Italy

Italian guys will stand outside the restaurants to pursuade to come in. For 10 bucks you can find some tasty pasta and a glass wine.

10) Chinatown

If you can get beyond the hanging roasted ducks and living fish that swarm around Chinatown, you can find some decent food. And some fake Rolexes as well.

Other Notables: Coney Island, Brooklyn, Please Don't Tell, Crif Dogs, The Sex Museum, Bryant Park, Grand Central Station and much more.

10 Great Apps For Your iPhone. What Are Your Favorite Ones?

With thousands of iPhone apps, it is hard to keep up with what is relevant for you. Fortunately, there are several apps that can make life a lot easier and keep you up-to-date with what your interests are. Here are my picks for some of the best apps for the iPhone.

1) Flipboard

If you read news, are active in social media, and don't have a lot of time on your hands, this app is a must have. Follow your favorite news sources and integrate your social networks into Flipboard to stay caught up in whatever is relevant and interesting for you.

2) HootSuite

Tired of managing multiple social media outlets? With the HootSuite app you can post the same content to multiple portals such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

3) Redeye

If you are a Chicagoan, you are familiar with the Redeye newspaper. This app not only brings you the news, but it also features a CTA tracker so know when to expect your next bus or train.

4) Camera+

For only $.99, Camera+ is one of the best cameras out there. You can use multiple editing formats to make your pictures stand out.

5) Camera Awesome

This is a brand new app that is very similar to Camera+. However, this app has a lot more features and most importantly - its FREE.

6) My Phone+

MyPhone+ lets you sync your phone book with your Facebook contacts. This brings photos and other information directly to your phone. Furthermore, MyPhone+ adds your friends' birthdays directly to your calendar.

7) Wallpapers HD

If you get bored with backgrounds for your phone, this app is good to have. There are thousands of backgrounds and categories to choose from to always keep your phone fresh.

8) Mint

Spending too much money? Can't figure out a budget? Mint syncs with your bank account and you can set budgets to keep track of where your money is going.

9) Kicksend

If you are ever sharing multiple pictures with someone you know that the iPhone only lets you send 5 at a time. Kicksend will allow you to share up to 100 pictures.

10) TV Showtime

Watch a lot of TV shows? TV Showtime will let you know when your favorite shows are airing and you can keep track of what you have seen and what you still need to see.

What are your favorite iPhone apps?