Intervals is a new hosted project and time management service for businesses by Santa Barbara-based web design firm Pelago.
After creating an account with Intervals, you are given your own sub-domain for one of two domains .Intervals is nothing like the simple “to-do list” site you may be used to. The site includes many advanced features and settings you may not get with other services. Similar to other project management services, you can create tasks and assign them to other members of the project team. Time spent on each task can be calculated out into billable and non-billable hours.
Intervals also features a handy timesheet feature allowing for calculation of real time spent for all members of the project team for all tasks involved in the project. Intervals also tracks clients, and can handle multiple projects at once. The free membership only includes one project, all other levels are not free. Many different types of graphs are available to help your team manage its time more efficiently.
At first, Intervals may seem a bit daunting, but the interface is actually very intuitive and includes many features you would expect from a great time management service. If you are managing a large project with multiple members, multiple clients, or have to juggle time sheets and billable hours, I recommend Intervals. They’re one of the few services to give the popular 37signals’ Basecamp a run for its money.
More at:http://www.myintervals.com/
Saturday, July 14, 2007
PopShops is a new affiliate system that lets you create storefront widgets to place on your personal website or blog in order to make some extra cash
PopShops is a new affiliate system that lets you create storefront widgets to place on your personal website or blog in order to make some extra cash. The service is set to officially launch in the coming weeks.
With a reported 10 million affiliate products to choose from, PopShops offers variety and a long list of items that fit pretty much any walk of life. As the widget creator, you can choose by store or keyword to find the items you’d like to add. Your widget is fully customizable, from the number of items that show, to product description, size, color and more. What’s also helpful is the ability to save your template as a style sheet for future widget creations. Choose the embed code (Javascript, Flash, etc.) and place it on your site. PopShops also has plug-ins for a few blogs, including TypePad and Blogger, for easy insertion of your storefront widget.
PopShops lets you make money with its affiliate program from its associations with other networks, including Commission Junction, LinkShare, Red Galoshes and ShareASale. If you’re already member to one of these networks, you can use your existing affiliate badge number with PopShops to roll together the two accounts. PopShops offers basic stats for your storefront widget, such as page impression, but does not offer more inclusive tracking and reporting tools that could be helpful, even for choosing which products to add to your own widget.
Somewhat similar services include Starnum and Wize.
More at:http://www.popshops.com/
With a reported 10 million affiliate products to choose from, PopShops offers variety and a long list of items that fit pretty much any walk of life. As the widget creator, you can choose by store or keyword to find the items you’d like to add. Your widget is fully customizable, from the number of items that show, to product description, size, color and more. What’s also helpful is the ability to save your template as a style sheet for future widget creations. Choose the embed code (Javascript, Flash, etc.) and place it on your site. PopShops also has plug-ins for a few blogs, including TypePad and Blogger, for easy insertion of your storefront widget.
PopShops lets you make money with its affiliate program from its associations with other networks, including Commission Junction, LinkShare, Red Galoshes and ShareASale. If you’re already member to one of these networks, you can use your existing affiliate badge number with PopShops to roll together the two accounts. PopShops offers basic stats for your storefront widget, such as page impression, but does not offer more inclusive tracking and reporting tools that could be helpful, even for choosing which products to add to your own widget.
Somewhat similar services include Starnum and Wize.
More at:http://www.popshops.com/
Obopay, the company that lets you send money from your cell phone
Obopay, the company that lets you send money from your cell phone, has raised $29 million in its third round of funding. Led by Richmond Global Cellular, along with AllianceBernstein L.P., Citi, Societe Generale and others. Previous investors Qualcomm and Redpoint Ventures were also participants in this latest round.
With $17 million already raised by Obopay, the company is looking to take a strategic advantage point against the others in this space. Most of its competition could come from both Google Checkout’s and PayPal’s mobile payment option, which have been announced recently. Obopay’s most recent announcement was its AOL Instant Messenger integration, broadening the scope of options by which you can access and interact with your account. Many are looking to further integrate payment options into social networks, including MySpace’s own possible deal with Paypal, and the development of a PayPal facebook application.
More at:https://www.obopay.com
With $17 million already raised by Obopay, the company is looking to take a strategic advantage point against the others in this space. Most of its competition could come from both Google Checkout’s and PayPal’s mobile payment option, which have been announced recently. Obopay’s most recent announcement was its AOL Instant Messenger integration, broadening the scope of options by which you can access and interact with your account. Many are looking to further integrate payment options into social networks, including MySpace’s own possible deal with Paypal, and the development of a PayPal facebook application.
More at:https://www.obopay.com
Auctomatic, which provides tools for eBay Power Sellers
Y Combinator-funded Auctomatic, which provides tools for eBay Power Sellers, is expected to launch in the next few weeks. So far they’ve taken $400,000+ in funding, and other investors include Paul Buchheit, the creator and lead developer of Gmail. One of the founders, Patrick Collison, is an Irishman who landed a place at MIT: he’s now deferred his place and moved to San Francisco with younger brother John to focus on the auction service.
The site’s tools include listing templates, scheduling, bulk listing, image hosting and inventory management. As an eBay PowerSeller in a previous life, I can confirm that these tools are essential to anyone handling high volumes of listings: what’s more, PowerSellers are happy to pay for the convenience
More at:http://auctomatic.com/
The site’s tools include listing templates, scheduling, bulk listing, image hosting and inventory management. As an eBay PowerSeller in a previous life, I can confirm that these tools are essential to anyone handling high volumes of listings: what’s more, PowerSellers are happy to pay for the convenience
More at:http://auctomatic.com/
Finding The Right VC
Finding the right VC is a lot like dating–networking, friendly introductions and sheer luck all play a role. Discover how 3 entrepreneurs met their VCs and started lasting relationships that helped their businesses grow.
Smoothie-maker LightFull Foods was cooked up at 2-year-old Bay Area incubator Brand New Brands in May 2006. The San Francisco company received $6.1 million in venture funding last August from a half-dozen firms, led by Prolog Ventures in St. Louis. Other funders included Unilever Ventures, Burrill & Co., Mattson & Co., Palo Alto Investors and Great Spirit Ventures.
LightFull is headed by co-founders Lara Jackle, 37, a former Balance Bar marketing executive who is Light-Full's CEO, and Lynn Graham, 32, who is marketing vice president. LightFull's 90-calorie Satiety Smoothies--part of the hot "functional foods" trend--are sold in 1,300 grocery locations, including Dominick's, Safeway, Shaw's, Vons, Wegman's and Whole Foods Market. Nine months after the product hit store shelves, Jackle was forecasting more than $1 million in 2007 sales.
Entrepreneur: Lara, how did you get involved in LightFull?
Lara Jackle: It was a fortuitous story. I had an offer to move to Asia and head up emerging-market innovation for a big worldwide food company. A high-level career coach, Lori Ogden Moore, was helping me decide if this was the right move. She said, "I don't want to confuse your decision, but I know people who just raised a large [amount] of money and want to create the next generation of food products." She introduced me to Will Rosenzweig of Brand New Brands, and I became chief marketing officer of the incubator.
Prolog was an investor in Brand New Brands. [After LightFull was conceived at Brand New Brands], my original intention was to stay in the incubator [as an employee], but LightFull was so compelling, I ended up [leaving my job to take] it to market.
Entrepreneur: How did Prolog move from incubator funder to a funder of LightFull?
Ilya Nykin, Prolog managing director: LightFull didn't have an inside track. We needed to apply the same stringent criteria we apply to other investments. We were looking for the most breakthrough opportunities that address large unmet needs, that can be brought to market in a reasonable time and for a reasonable investment, and that have some scientific validity. This is the kind of company LightFull is. And Lara was the sort of leader we like to see: She has experience, energy, foresight, drive and vision.
Entrepreneur: Describe your relationship since the funding.
Jackle: We have a very active relationship. Ilya is a board member--we meet monthly on the phone and quarterly in person. As young women entrepreneurs, [Graham and I are] confident in our ability to market LightFull, but the investment community is male-dominated and can be intimidating. Prolog has been instrumental in helping us retain our independence and authenticity while we discuss possible investments from big companies.
2.
Ryla Teleservices & Frontier Capital
Kennesaw, Georgia-based Ryla Teleservices, which provides outsourced call-center services, landed $700,000 in funding in 2002 from SJF Ventures in Durham, North Carolina. Ryla has since grown from 21 employees to more than 350.
The 6-year-old company received just over $6.5 million in second-round funding in March, with Charlotte, North Carolina-based Frontier Capital as the majority investor. Founded by former D&B call-center manager Mark Wilson, 46, Ryla's president and CEO, and his wife, vice president and COO Shelly Wilson, 47, Ryla had $14 million in sales last year.
Entrepreneur: When did Ryla and Frontier first meet?
Mark Wilson: A little more than two years ago, when we were seeking growth capital. We were using a small consultancy [which has since dissolved] that provided [introduction] services to small businesses like ours.
Entrepreneur: So you essentially met on a blind date?
Wilson: That's right [laughs]. We were careful not to have our deal shopped around too much, though. I didn't want to talk to just anybody.
Entrepreneur: What exactly were you looking for?
Wilson: We wanted a partner that would let us do things in a creative, flexible way. Our approach, of being successful by developing people, requires patience. My experience with VCs is that not all are receptive to that; some are more focused on bottom-line issues.
Entrepreneur: What happened in the two years between meeting and funding?
Andrew Lindner, Frontier managing partner: Our model is to track a company for a while, which is exactly what we did. Ryla fit our stage and sector focus: We are a growth-capital provider focused on highly differentiated service businesses in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Mark got better and better looking during the "dating" period [laughs]. Seeing the dramatic growth in Ryla's top line, and expansion of gross margin, was one of those magic moments. He has no sales force and has grown from zero to $14 million in revenue pretty quickly.
Wilson: That [long time frame was] important to me. It makes me feel more comfortable that we took the time, and they know who we are.
Entrepreneur: Now that Ryla and Frontier have teamed up, how will your relationship work going forward?
Lindner: We look to be a valuable confidant to Mark as he grows his business. We hope to help from a strategic standpoint, figuring out how to scale [Ryla] into a bigger business, and to provide tactical support and coaching [on] all the day-to-day things required.
Wilson: Andrew is our board member from Frontier, but everybody that's part of Frontier has visited our center. I've gone to Charlotte on a couple of occasions as well.
Lindner: The plan is [monthly] board update/financial results calls and every-other-month face-to-face board meetings, for starters. We're coming down for an in-person, all-day strategy session as part of a 180-day kickoff plan.
Via-Entreprenuer Magizne
Smoothie-maker LightFull Foods was cooked up at 2-year-old Bay Area incubator Brand New Brands in May 2006. The San Francisco company received $6.1 million in venture funding last August from a half-dozen firms, led by Prolog Ventures in St. Louis. Other funders included Unilever Ventures, Burrill & Co., Mattson & Co., Palo Alto Investors and Great Spirit Ventures.
LightFull is headed by co-founders Lara Jackle, 37, a former Balance Bar marketing executive who is Light-Full's CEO, and Lynn Graham, 32, who is marketing vice president. LightFull's 90-calorie Satiety Smoothies--part of the hot "functional foods" trend--are sold in 1,300 grocery locations, including Dominick's, Safeway, Shaw's, Vons, Wegman's and Whole Foods Market. Nine months after the product hit store shelves, Jackle was forecasting more than $1 million in 2007 sales.
Entrepreneur: Lara, how did you get involved in LightFull?
Lara Jackle: It was a fortuitous story. I had an offer to move to Asia and head up emerging-market innovation for a big worldwide food company. A high-level career coach, Lori Ogden Moore, was helping me decide if this was the right move. She said, "I don't want to confuse your decision, but I know people who just raised a large [amount] of money and want to create the next generation of food products." She introduced me to Will Rosenzweig of Brand New Brands, and I became chief marketing officer of the incubator.
Prolog was an investor in Brand New Brands. [After LightFull was conceived at Brand New Brands], my original intention was to stay in the incubator [as an employee], but LightFull was so compelling, I ended up [leaving my job to take] it to market.
Entrepreneur: How did Prolog move from incubator funder to a funder of LightFull?
Ilya Nykin, Prolog managing director: LightFull didn't have an inside track. We needed to apply the same stringent criteria we apply to other investments. We were looking for the most breakthrough opportunities that address large unmet needs, that can be brought to market in a reasonable time and for a reasonable investment, and that have some scientific validity. This is the kind of company LightFull is. And Lara was the sort of leader we like to see: She has experience, energy, foresight, drive and vision.
Entrepreneur: Describe your relationship since the funding.
Jackle: We have a very active relationship. Ilya is a board member--we meet monthly on the phone and quarterly in person. As young women entrepreneurs, [Graham and I are] confident in our ability to market LightFull, but the investment community is male-dominated and can be intimidating. Prolog has been instrumental in helping us retain our independence and authenticity while we discuss possible investments from big companies.
2.
Ryla Teleservices & Frontier Capital
Kennesaw, Georgia-based Ryla Teleservices, which provides outsourced call-center services, landed $700,000 in funding in 2002 from SJF Ventures in Durham, North Carolina. Ryla has since grown from 21 employees to more than 350.
The 6-year-old company received just over $6.5 million in second-round funding in March, with Charlotte, North Carolina-based Frontier Capital as the majority investor. Founded by former D&B call-center manager Mark Wilson, 46, Ryla's president and CEO, and his wife, vice president and COO Shelly Wilson, 47, Ryla had $14 million in sales last year.
Entrepreneur: When did Ryla and Frontier first meet?
Mark Wilson: A little more than two years ago, when we were seeking growth capital. We were using a small consultancy [which has since dissolved] that provided [introduction] services to small businesses like ours.
Entrepreneur: So you essentially met on a blind date?
Wilson: That's right [laughs]. We were careful not to have our deal shopped around too much, though. I didn't want to talk to just anybody.
Entrepreneur: What exactly were you looking for?
Wilson: We wanted a partner that would let us do things in a creative, flexible way. Our approach, of being successful by developing people, requires patience. My experience with VCs is that not all are receptive to that; some are more focused on bottom-line issues.
Entrepreneur: What happened in the two years between meeting and funding?
Andrew Lindner, Frontier managing partner: Our model is to track a company for a while, which is exactly what we did. Ryla fit our stage and sector focus: We are a growth-capital provider focused on highly differentiated service businesses in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Mark got better and better looking during the "dating" period [laughs]. Seeing the dramatic growth in Ryla's top line, and expansion of gross margin, was one of those magic moments. He has no sales force and has grown from zero to $14 million in revenue pretty quickly.
Wilson: That [long time frame was] important to me. It makes me feel more comfortable that we took the time, and they know who we are.
Entrepreneur: Now that Ryla and Frontier have teamed up, how will your relationship work going forward?
Lindner: We look to be a valuable confidant to Mark as he grows his business. We hope to help from a strategic standpoint, figuring out how to scale [Ryla] into a bigger business, and to provide tactical support and coaching [on] all the day-to-day things required.
Wilson: Andrew is our board member from Frontier, but everybody that's part of Frontier has visited our center. I've gone to Charlotte on a couple of occasions as well.
Lindner: The plan is [monthly] board update/financial results calls and every-other-month face-to-face board meetings, for starters. We're coming down for an in-person, all-day strategy session as part of a 180-day kickoff plan.
Via-Entreprenuer Magizne
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