Metacafe helps viewers to quickly discover short videos online. They have an audience of 16 million unique visitors according to comScore Media Metrix, watching over 400 million videos each month.
They state that they mine the collective wisdom of their audience to filter and surface the most entertaining videos.
Their model, to obtain videos, is to pay those who upload the videos for the number of views they receive. However, the individual must meet their qualifications to enter the program.
They Raised:Metacafe raised $30 Million from Highland Capital Partners and DAG Ventures.
More at:http://www.metacafe.com/
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Spread For Web Conferencing
Spreed is for those people whose business need often conferencing online .Its 24 hours everyday will be available, Spreed is perfect for employee training, web presentations and demos, sales meetings, web seminars, desktop sharing, and live webcasts and collaboration. Use Spreed to manage conferences, to send out automated e-vites, to present slideshows and Powerpoint, use it for calendaring, for conferencing, use it to boost your productivity. Spreed requires no software or installation. It’s extremely secure and has 99.95% uptime. Meetings for up to three participants are free. Packages are available for single event seminars or conferences. Corporate customers are offered meetings and conferences without time limitations and dedicated meeting rooms.Benefit from spreed Web 2.0 Meetings and Trainings. Whether you want to hold a quick project meeting, train and present online, or support customers, you can do it all-simply and cost-effectively with spreed. With no up-front costs, no servers to maintain, and no software to install or support. With just a web browser you can start using spreed today.
More at:http://spreed.com/
More at:http://spreed.com/
How To Create Unusual Marketing Business Idea
FreeHand Advertising distributes free note-taking paper to students on their way to class. Each page is branded with the same type of horizontal ad you see on websites, only these are visible for at least the duration of a college lecture, and longer if students refer back to their notes (as they should).
FreeHand agents operate at 90 of the biggest college campuses in the United States, reaching up to 3,500,000 students in 32 states, including all major cities. Businesses can select which campuses they want to market to, for local or nationwide campaigns, or to a targeted demographic. Thorough post-campaign reports detail how many sheets were distributed and even include pictures of agents handing them out to students.
Ads can be used to gain visibility, offer coupons, or promote sales, grand openings or other events. Colored and recycled papers are also available, and larger images can be displayed as watermarks. With so many brands and marketers reaching out to this market, note paper is an innovative low-tech solution for grabbing their attention. And free love—giving away ad-sponsored anything—is generally appreciated by those on the receiving side, too. (Related: Free photocopies for students.)
Website: www.freehandads.com
Via-springwise
FreeHand agents operate at 90 of the biggest college campuses in the United States, reaching up to 3,500,000 students in 32 states, including all major cities. Businesses can select which campuses they want to market to, for local or nationwide campaigns, or to a targeted demographic. Thorough post-campaign reports detail how many sheets were distributed and even include pictures of agents handing them out to students.
Ads can be used to gain visibility, offer coupons, or promote sales, grand openings or other events. Colored and recycled papers are also available, and larger images can be displayed as watermarks. With so many brands and marketers reaching out to this market, note paper is an innovative low-tech solution for grabbing their attention. And free love—giving away ad-sponsored anything—is generally appreciated by those on the receiving side, too. (Related: Free photocopies for students.)
Website: www.freehandads.com
Via-springwise
What's the success of serial entrepreneurs?
Five years ago, Tom Scott and Tom First realized they would never have to work again. Friends from college, the pair had launched a juice brand called Nantucket Nectars from the back of their island boat and catapulted themselves -- the self-dubbed "juice guys" -- into the stuff of entrepreneurial legend as their beverage took off nationwide.
They sold a majority of their company to Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., and when Cadbury Schweppes PLC later bought the entire business for an estimated $100 million in March of 2002, both men were set for retirement -- and they were only in their mid-30s.
But there was no retiring in their futures. Today Messrs. Scott and First are both deep into new ventures that, for now at least, appear headed for success. Mr. Scott leads Plum TV, a New York-based company that operates local television channels in historic, affluent markets such as Aspen, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, and has had notable investors including Starwood Capital Group CEO Barry Sternlicht, singer Jimmy Buffett and former Viacom CEO Tom Freston.
Mr. First is in the midst of a new start-up: O Beverages LLC, in Cambridge, Mass., which markets a line of naturally flavored waters already sold in nearly 20 states through Safeway, Balducci's and Bristol Farms, among other stores. In between Nantucket Nectars and their current ventures, the two men started a beverage-distribution-software company that was sold to a publicly traded technology company.
"I'm a crazy competitive person, so there's no way I'm stopping," Mr. First says. "I like being in the trenches."
WSJ's Raymund Flandez speaks to New York entrepreneur Ari Meisel, 24, who has founded four companies -- including three before he was out of high school.
Voices of Experience: Perspectives on starting multiple companies from people who have been there as founders or co-founders.
Call them serial-preneurs. While some entrepreneurs struggle their whole lives to bring one idea or product to market, there's another breed: those who do it once, twice or three times more, disproving the notion of beginner's luck. In some cases, the brands and people are household names, such as Steve Jobs with Apple, Pixar and NeXT. But the ranks also are populated with lesser-known entrepreneurs who fly under the radar, hitting one start-up home run after the other.
"I really believe that some people are kind of entrepreneurial adrenaline freaks," says Wayne Stewart, a management professor at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C. "They really get their kicks by starting businesses."
In 2000, Mr. Stewart published a study with two other researchers looking for common traits among serial entrepreneurs -- which he defined as those who had owned and operated three or more businesses. Of the 664 entrepreneurs studied, only 12% fit the bill. But those who did scored higher in all three categories examined: They had a higher propensity for risk, innovation and achievement. They were less scared of failure. And they were more able to recover when they did fail.
Beyond that, many serial-preneurs bring tactical advantages from their first venture to apply the second and third time around. For instance, they recruit top talent from their original companies to subsequent ventures. They double-dip financially, getting money -- and connections -- from people who backed their earlier brainstorms. Several lean heavily on a trusted partner for financial, professional and emotional support in whatever endeavor they undertake.
More than anything, however, the greatest, and more crucial, challenge among repeat entrepreneurs is figuring out how to rekindle for future ventures the innocence, love and hunger that fueled their first enterprise. Despite hitting it big early with Nantucket Nectars, Messrs. First and Scott both struggled after the sale to find a business that inspired them as much as being the juice guys.
"A lot of the drive early on was the drive to not have to leave Nantucket, or write the resume, or go do anything else. We were hustlers," says Mr. First. Adds Mr. Scott: "What happened was that while approaching the things we love -- boats, water, weather -- we stumbled on juice. I've learned from this that it doesn't matter what I'm good at. It matters what I like."
What's the Motivation?
So why do some entrepreneurs who strike gold once continue to start over? A general contractor might launch a business because he has certain skills, and then stick with it until retirement. Or a banker will work her way up the corporate ladder, happy with the security of a paycheck and benefits, and retire once she has saved enough. By contrast, serial entrepreneurs' main job is the act of creation -- and thus they keep creating new businesses, often after they no longer need the paycheck.
"Most people can't understand why someone who made $10 million would do it again," says Seth Godin, who founded Yoyodyne, an interactive direct-marketing company bought by Yahoo in late 1998. He's now running a new online venture called Squidoo, a free tool that lets users build Web pages about any topic within a searchable community. "That's because most people don't like working, and they think it's irrational to keep working," he says. "But most entrepreneurs don't care about money; it's a tool."
For instance, Scott Jones was a multimillionaire by age 30, having co-founded the company Boston Technology, maker of a voice-mail system now used by many telephone companies world-wide. He retired, and learned how to fly planes and perform aerobatics, but was quickly bored. So he went back to work and has since co-founded Gracenote Inc., an Internet-accessible music database used by iTunes, as well as a robotic-lawn-mower company and a search engine that uses human guides in real time. Those years not creating, he says, were "the most unhappy years of my life."
Moreover, serial entrepreneurs harbor an unusual appetite for risk -- something they can inherit from their parents. Dan Bricklin, 56, has started four companies in his lifetime; his first Software Arts, was sold to Lotus Development Corp. in the mid-1980s. Mr. Bricklin's father was a small-business owner who ran a printing business, as did his grandfather.
Mr. Bricklin, who now runs Software Garden Inc. in Newton Highlands, Mass., says he feeds on the thrill of starting something new and untested. "It's like that sense of walking across a stream on the rocks -- sort of knowing where you're going, but sort of not." As for risk? "If you actually seen the ups and downs of a business, and your family isn't terrified, that makes it a lot easier to do yourself."
Likewise, Tim Miller caught the entrepreneurial bug at age 18 when he received about $500,000 after his father sold a company. Mr. Miller stashed that money away, planning to invest in his own company one day. Fifteen years later, he dipped into the fund to start a software firm called Avitek Inc. based on an idea his then-employer didn't want to explore. Mr. Miller recalls how family members fretted about the danger of going it alone, with his brother specifically questioning his judgment after he hired his fourth employee: How could he possibly put other people's livelihoods on the line?
"But it never truly occurred to me that I would potentially need to let any of them go at any point," Mr. Miller says, adding that he believes successful entrepreneurs "see opportunities where other see risk." He sold Avitek in 1999 for about $13.5 million, without layoffs, and is now running a venture called Rally Software Development Corp., based in Boulder, Colo.
The Value of Teamwork
Mr. Miller didn't succeed alone; he had a partner, Ryan Martens, who now works with him at Rally Software. Their compatibility is an asset whose value Mr. Miller finds hard to quantify. While Mr. Martens as the chief technology officer is deeply invested in software development, Mr. Miller is the business guy. "I think great leaders build teams," Mr. Miller says, "and those teams have some glue and they tend to stick together."
Whether by design or not, on second and third ventures, serials often surround themselves with familiar faces. Partly it's about familiarity and trust. Messrs. Scott and First both tapped ex-Nantucket Nectar employees for their newest ventures. They typically talk to each other several times a week, and Mr. Scott is an investor in O Beverages. "We've never doubted the other's total respect and having the other person's good interest at heart," Mr. First says.
Repeat relationships are also about expediency. Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin has run four companies, including two advertising agencies and a book-packaging operation. Now 46, she's the CEO of Tribe Inc., a $3 million Atlanta advertising agency that works with brands including Porsche, Home Depot and UPS, and peppered throughout Tribe's ranks are faces from her previous companies. "I think it is a huge shortcut to hire someone you already have a relationship with," Ms. Baskin says.
At age 77, Jack Goeken lays claim to having helped start a string of well-known enterprises: MCI, InFlight Phone, Airfone and several others. Now, he's deeply involved in a new start-up, Polybrite International Inc., a Naperville, Ill., company that produces a screw-in LED light bulb that will fit in normal lamps. His daughter Sandra, 49, has worked with him on every venture since MCI, and says one of her father's greatest strengths is "herding tigers" -- that is, finding entrepreneurial, and sometimes difficult to manage, individuals who can make a project happen, but then making sure they don't stick around too long.
Full Text:http://www.startupjournal.com/howto/successstories/200708221-bounds.html
They sold a majority of their company to Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., and when Cadbury Schweppes PLC later bought the entire business for an estimated $100 million in March of 2002, both men were set for retirement -- and they were only in their mid-30s.
But there was no retiring in their futures. Today Messrs. Scott and First are both deep into new ventures that, for now at least, appear headed for success. Mr. Scott leads Plum TV, a New York-based company that operates local television channels in historic, affluent markets such as Aspen, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, and has had notable investors including Starwood Capital Group CEO Barry Sternlicht, singer Jimmy Buffett and former Viacom CEO Tom Freston.
Mr. First is in the midst of a new start-up: O Beverages LLC, in Cambridge, Mass., which markets a line of naturally flavored waters already sold in nearly 20 states through Safeway, Balducci's and Bristol Farms, among other stores. In between Nantucket Nectars and their current ventures, the two men started a beverage-distribution-software company that was sold to a publicly traded technology company.
"I'm a crazy competitive person, so there's no way I'm stopping," Mr. First says. "I like being in the trenches."
WSJ's Raymund Flandez speaks to New York entrepreneur Ari Meisel, 24, who has founded four companies -- including three before he was out of high school.
Voices of Experience: Perspectives on starting multiple companies from people who have been there as founders or co-founders.
Call them serial-preneurs. While some entrepreneurs struggle their whole lives to bring one idea or product to market, there's another breed: those who do it once, twice or three times more, disproving the notion of beginner's luck. In some cases, the brands and people are household names, such as Steve Jobs with Apple, Pixar and NeXT. But the ranks also are populated with lesser-known entrepreneurs who fly under the radar, hitting one start-up home run after the other.
"I really believe that some people are kind of entrepreneurial adrenaline freaks," says Wayne Stewart, a management professor at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C. "They really get their kicks by starting businesses."
In 2000, Mr. Stewart published a study with two other researchers looking for common traits among serial entrepreneurs -- which he defined as those who had owned and operated three or more businesses. Of the 664 entrepreneurs studied, only 12% fit the bill. But those who did scored higher in all three categories examined: They had a higher propensity for risk, innovation and achievement. They were less scared of failure. And they were more able to recover when they did fail.
Beyond that, many serial-preneurs bring tactical advantages from their first venture to apply the second and third time around. For instance, they recruit top talent from their original companies to subsequent ventures. They double-dip financially, getting money -- and connections -- from people who backed their earlier brainstorms. Several lean heavily on a trusted partner for financial, professional and emotional support in whatever endeavor they undertake.
More than anything, however, the greatest, and more crucial, challenge among repeat entrepreneurs is figuring out how to rekindle for future ventures the innocence, love and hunger that fueled their first enterprise. Despite hitting it big early with Nantucket Nectars, Messrs. First and Scott both struggled after the sale to find a business that inspired them as much as being the juice guys.
"A lot of the drive early on was the drive to not have to leave Nantucket, or write the resume, or go do anything else. We were hustlers," says Mr. First. Adds Mr. Scott: "What happened was that while approaching the things we love -- boats, water, weather -- we stumbled on juice. I've learned from this that it doesn't matter what I'm good at. It matters what I like."
What's the Motivation?
So why do some entrepreneurs who strike gold once continue to start over? A general contractor might launch a business because he has certain skills, and then stick with it until retirement. Or a banker will work her way up the corporate ladder, happy with the security of a paycheck and benefits, and retire once she has saved enough. By contrast, serial entrepreneurs' main job is the act of creation -- and thus they keep creating new businesses, often after they no longer need the paycheck.
"Most people can't understand why someone who made $10 million would do it again," says Seth Godin, who founded Yoyodyne, an interactive direct-marketing company bought by Yahoo in late 1998. He's now running a new online venture called Squidoo, a free tool that lets users build Web pages about any topic within a searchable community. "That's because most people don't like working, and they think it's irrational to keep working," he says. "But most entrepreneurs don't care about money; it's a tool."
For instance, Scott Jones was a multimillionaire by age 30, having co-founded the company Boston Technology, maker of a voice-mail system now used by many telephone companies world-wide. He retired, and learned how to fly planes and perform aerobatics, but was quickly bored. So he went back to work and has since co-founded Gracenote Inc., an Internet-accessible music database used by iTunes, as well as a robotic-lawn-mower company and a search engine that uses human guides in real time. Those years not creating, he says, were "the most unhappy years of my life."
Moreover, serial entrepreneurs harbor an unusual appetite for risk -- something they can inherit from their parents. Dan Bricklin, 56, has started four companies in his lifetime; his first Software Arts, was sold to Lotus Development Corp. in the mid-1980s. Mr. Bricklin's father was a small-business owner who ran a printing business, as did his grandfather.
Mr. Bricklin, who now runs Software Garden Inc. in Newton Highlands, Mass., says he feeds on the thrill of starting something new and untested. "It's like that sense of walking across a stream on the rocks -- sort of knowing where you're going, but sort of not." As for risk? "If you actually seen the ups and downs of a business, and your family isn't terrified, that makes it a lot easier to do yourself."
Likewise, Tim Miller caught the entrepreneurial bug at age 18 when he received about $500,000 after his father sold a company. Mr. Miller stashed that money away, planning to invest in his own company one day. Fifteen years later, he dipped into the fund to start a software firm called Avitek Inc. based on an idea his then-employer didn't want to explore. Mr. Miller recalls how family members fretted about the danger of going it alone, with his brother specifically questioning his judgment after he hired his fourth employee: How could he possibly put other people's livelihoods on the line?
"But it never truly occurred to me that I would potentially need to let any of them go at any point," Mr. Miller says, adding that he believes successful entrepreneurs "see opportunities where other see risk." He sold Avitek in 1999 for about $13.5 million, without layoffs, and is now running a venture called Rally Software Development Corp., based in Boulder, Colo.
The Value of Teamwork
Mr. Miller didn't succeed alone; he had a partner, Ryan Martens, who now works with him at Rally Software. Their compatibility is an asset whose value Mr. Miller finds hard to quantify. While Mr. Martens as the chief technology officer is deeply invested in software development, Mr. Miller is the business guy. "I think great leaders build teams," Mr. Miller says, "and those teams have some glue and they tend to stick together."
Whether by design or not, on second and third ventures, serials often surround themselves with familiar faces. Partly it's about familiarity and trust. Messrs. Scott and First both tapped ex-Nantucket Nectar employees for their newest ventures. They typically talk to each other several times a week, and Mr. Scott is an investor in O Beverages. "We've never doubted the other's total respect and having the other person's good interest at heart," Mr. First says.
Repeat relationships are also about expediency. Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin has run four companies, including two advertising agencies and a book-packaging operation. Now 46, she's the CEO of Tribe Inc., a $3 million Atlanta advertising agency that works with brands including Porsche, Home Depot and UPS, and peppered throughout Tribe's ranks are faces from her previous companies. "I think it is a huge shortcut to hire someone you already have a relationship with," Ms. Baskin says.
At age 77, Jack Goeken lays claim to having helped start a string of well-known enterprises: MCI, InFlight Phone, Airfone and several others. Now, he's deeply involved in a new start-up, Polybrite International Inc., a Naperville, Ill., company that produces a screw-in LED light bulb that will fit in normal lamps. His daughter Sandra, 49, has worked with him on every venture since MCI, and says one of her father's greatest strengths is "herding tigers" -- that is, finding entrepreneurial, and sometimes difficult to manage, individuals who can make a project happen, but then making sure they don't stick around too long.
Full Text:http://www.startupjournal.com/howto/successstories/200708221-bounds.html
eXpresso brings you eXpresso Spreadsheet Communities, an interactive service which allows workgroups to upload, modify, and compare, and store
The Menlo Park, CA based corporation eXpresso brings you eXpresso Spreadsheet Communities, an interactive service which allows workgroups to upload, modify, and compare, and store their respective spreadsheets. eXpresso Spreadsheets bring several new options to the table which enhance Excel and empower its users. For example, the site’s chat function also allows you to host group chats in which you can exchange opinions and comments, and the “Alerts” function sends you a message every time your spreadsheet is modified or commented on by another group member. Best of all, eXpresso can be accessed anytime, anywhere, is free of charge, and no installation is necessary for those who are already Excel users.
eXpresso is led by an experienced team with decades of collective experience in data management, and enterprise software applications. eXpresso's team comprises Founders and Corporate Executives who have successfully developed and delivered award-winning business solutions for Fortune 500 companies.
More at:http://www.expressocorp.com/
eXpresso is led by an experienced team with decades of collective experience in data management, and enterprise software applications. eXpresso's team comprises Founders and Corporate Executives who have successfully developed and delivered award-winning business solutions for Fortune 500 companies.
More at:http://www.expressocorp.com/
DigitalBucket.net lets you collaboratively share information with co-workers, partners, suppliers, and customers from any Internet connection
DigitalBucket.net lets you collaboratively share information with co-workers, partners, suppliers, and customers from any Internet connection for maximized productivity—files, presentations, spreadsheets, and videos are just a click away. Use DigitalBucket.net as a secure repository for critical business data—and regain peace of mind. Access the information you need to work at peak efficiency—anytime, anywhere. Setup takes minutes—and there’s no software or hardware to buy, install, or manage. Unleash the power of DigitalBucket.net to take your business to the next level.
You can actually create new files and modify existing ones, and share them with friends, family, and business associates. You don’t even need to be registered with DigitalBucket to access and view files, so you can share your data with literally everyone. The application’s privacy controls let you decide who sees what, and when they see it. Registration is currently limited with the Beta version is still in its initial stages of development; though accounts are free, they are limited in space storage.
More at:http://digitalbucket.net/
You can actually create new files and modify existing ones, and share them with friends, family, and business associates. You don’t even need to be registered with DigitalBucket to access and view files, so you can share your data with literally everyone. The application’s privacy controls let you decide who sees what, and when they see it. Registration is currently limited with the Beta version is still in its initial stages of development; though accounts are free, they are limited in space storage.
More at:http://digitalbucket.net/
Mega MP3 Search Engine
Franceradio.net is a mega search engine which brings together at the same time Google, Yahoo! Live...and Altavista that permits the web surfers to extend the coverage of their search by gathering the chief search engines worldwide.The site synchronizes other large search engines in order to generate an enormous list of results. Currently, Franceradio is partnered with AltaVista, Yahoo!, and Google, although the search is by no means confined to just these companies. Each search result page displays not only a list of downloadable mp3s; it also produces several other relevant links (from Google Ads). For example, a query for “Rolling Stones” will give you a list of their songs which you can either download or simply listen to, plus several external links to webpages concerting tours and ticket sales, merchandise, biographical information, etc.
More at:http://www.franceradio.net/
More at:http://www.franceradio.net/
Bet On Your Opinion
BluBet is a representation of the important topics of the day.
BluBet is about collective wisdom. It is about human synergy - people with different complementary skills cooperating. Do you have a question you want answered or a topic you would like to see discussed? BluBet provides a simple and entertaining way to get opinions from literally millions of people.
Simply create a "bet" around your question and express your opinion by participating in the bet. As more and more users participate, your bets, and optionally your story, will rise up in the ranks on the BluBet site.
Are you ready to put your two cents (or in BluBet's case, BluBucks) on what you believe?
Create a BluBet account and you are rewarded
30,000 BluBucks to make your bids with. With each referral of a friend you receive 500 BluBucks. Win your bets and make your BluBuck fortune. Had a stroke of bad luck, don´t worry, if you lost all your money, 10,000 BluBucks will be put into your account, but your bankruptcy will be noted. So how does it work? There are two types of bets. There are polls, Who is the hottest Pussy Cat Doll? then the BluBet users vote. Or there are bets on events or question that have one outcome, Will the Cubs win the wold series? Will Facebook be bigger than MySpace in a Year? You can create a bet in any of the following topics; entertainment, technology, science, world news, business, sports, gaming, and personal. Ask the questions that interest you the most and see what people think.
more at:http://www.blubet.com/
BluBet is about collective wisdom. It is about human synergy - people with different complementary skills cooperating. Do you have a question you want answered or a topic you would like to see discussed? BluBet provides a simple and entertaining way to get opinions from literally millions of people.
Simply create a "bet" around your question and express your opinion by participating in the bet. As more and more users participate, your bets, and optionally your story, will rise up in the ranks on the BluBet site.
Are you ready to put your two cents (or in BluBet's case, BluBucks) on what you believe?
Create a BluBet account and you are rewarded
30,000 BluBucks to make your bids with. With each referral of a friend you receive 500 BluBucks. Win your bets and make your BluBuck fortune. Had a stroke of bad luck, don´t worry, if you lost all your money, 10,000 BluBucks will be put into your account, but your bankruptcy will be noted. So how does it work? There are two types of bets. There are polls, Who is the hottest Pussy Cat Doll? then the BluBet users vote. Or there are bets on events or question that have one outcome, Will the Cubs win the wold series? Will Facebook be bigger than MySpace in a Year? You can create a bet in any of the following topics; entertainment, technology, science, world news, business, sports, gaming, and personal. Ask the questions that interest you the most and see what people think.
more at:http://www.blubet.com/
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