Forbes looks at the rise of a business most people thought was dead - the independent video store.
Big video-rental chains have been kicking small shops in the teeth for years-which makes Christine Min's feat all the more impressive. Last month Min celebrated the first-year anniversary of her store, Get Reel Video, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Better yet, she is already in the black.
"We're more of an art-house store," says Min. "We sell 'indie' films, documentaries and foreign films-movies you don't find in Blockbuster or the other independent stores around here."
That is what strategy is all about. You have to figure out what you can offer that your competition can't. If they are niching it out, you should become the one-stop-shop. If they are aggregating everything under one roof, you should niche it out. Most industries play follow the leader, so if you are willing to experiment and try counterintuitive things, you can often stumble on surprising lucrative customer groups that no one else is targeting.
Links-Businesspundit
Friday, August 24, 2007
Hatch That is for a weekly entrepreneurial interviews
Hatch That is a weekly entrepreneurial conversation, delivered every wednesday fresh to your inbox.
They interview entrepreneurs from a wide range of industries to get insight into how they do their thing.Each Wednesday they dish out a new interview with professionals from all walks of life. This week’s interviewee happens to be Jarrod Brake, founder of Atmosphere DJ’s, an Australian company that’s in the biz of what else but music. Previous featured faces on Hatch include Noah Kagan from Mint, Jason Calacanis from Mahalo and Dan McComb from the social networking site Biznik. The weekly conversation can be delivered straight to your inbox; otherwise you can check out the RSS feed and follow a HatchThat on Twitter. Get the latest business news from people who are in the thick of it, all for free.
More at:http://www.hatchthat.com/
They interview entrepreneurs from a wide range of industries to get insight into how they do their thing.Each Wednesday they dish out a new interview with professionals from all walks of life. This week’s interviewee happens to be Jarrod Brake, founder of Atmosphere DJ’s, an Australian company that’s in the biz of what else but music. Previous featured faces on Hatch include Noah Kagan from Mint, Jason Calacanis from Mahalo and Dan McComb from the social networking site Biznik. The weekly conversation can be delivered straight to your inbox; otherwise you can check out the RSS feed and follow a HatchThat on Twitter. Get the latest business news from people who are in the thick of it, all for free.
More at:http://www.hatchthat.com/
The Litmos online training system keeps elearning simple by providing you with all the tools you need to create customised interactive online training
The Litmos online training system keeps elearning simple by providing you with all the tools you need to create customised interactive online training & assessment modules.
Training programs can be created using a variety of media: videos, flash, surveys, web pages, and assessments. The Litmos interface allows you to manage all your projects from one place. Dropdown menus allow easy formation of module formations. The Slide Editor lets educators incorporate movies, images and flash slides to make learning more engaging. You can create individual accounts for multiple trainers, if necessary. All Litmos license fees are pay-as-you-go and start at $24.95 a month for up to twenty users.
More at:http://www.litmos.com/
Training programs can be created using a variety of media: videos, flash, surveys, web pages, and assessments. The Litmos interface allows you to manage all your projects from one place. Dropdown menus allow easy formation of module formations. The Slide Editor lets educators incorporate movies, images and flash slides to make learning more engaging. You can create individual accounts for multiple trainers, if necessary. All Litmos license fees are pay-as-you-go and start at $24.95 a month for up to twenty users.
More at:http://www.litmos.com/
Precious Time is a personal assistant
Student-owned and operated Precious Time is a personal assistant, errand and concierge service just for college students. Students can become members by charging pre-paid accounts with a minimum of USD 50, and money is drawn from the account to pay for services as needed, plus a percentage for Precious Time's own profit. Services include placement and delivery of take-out orders from local restaurants, grocery shopping, house cleaning, flower delivery and booking tutors.
While a concierge service for college students may seem over the top, education at top colleges comes with a high price tag. So it’s not surprising that some students are willing to buy extra time by outsourcing domestic chores, so that they can fully focus on their studies. The concept could also do well on other campuses, and Precious Time hints at franchise opportunities on their website. What about concierge services tailored to other busy demographics who struggle to find the time for all the items on their ‘to do’ lists, like working parents or small business owners?
More at: www.precioustimeny.com
While a concierge service for college students may seem over the top, education at top colleges comes with a high price tag. So it’s not surprising that some students are willing to buy extra time by outsourcing domestic chores, so that they can fully focus on their studies. The concept could also do well on other campuses, and Precious Time hints at franchise opportunities on their website. What about concierge services tailored to other busy demographics who struggle to find the time for all the items on their ‘to do’ lists, like working parents or small business owners?
More at: www.precioustimeny.com
Get Loan By Just Text Messages
Finnish Ferratum just launched its short-loan service in the Netherlands. Customers can borrow EUR 100, 200 or 300 for a term of 15 days, by texting Ferratum their name, date of birth, bank account and address. If they've pre-registered, the money is in their bank account within 10 minutes. First-time customers have to wait 24 hours. Speedy loans come at a cost: Ferratum charges a hefty 25% processing fee. Which means that consumers who borrow EUR 300 today, owe the company EUR 375 in 15 days time.
In Sweden, Estonia and Finland, where a handful of companies have started offering similar services over the past year, ombudsmen have been pushing for regulation. While critics claim that it's unwise to offer people such effortless methods of sinking (further) into debt, one could also argue that consumers should be able to choose whichever form of credit works best for them. Though the rates smell of shark, the concept is definitely quick and easy ;-) One to look into if you're in financial services or telecom. And for those of you seeking an antidote to fast credit: layaway is back.
Website: www.ferratum.nl
via-springwise
In Sweden, Estonia and Finland, where a handful of companies have started offering similar services over the past year, ombudsmen have been pushing for regulation. While critics claim that it's unwise to offer people such effortless methods of sinking (further) into debt, one could also argue that consumers should be able to choose whichever form of credit works best for them. Though the rates smell of shark, the concept is definitely quick and easy ;-) One to look into if you're in financial services or telecom. And for those of you seeking an antidote to fast credit: layaway is back.
Website: www.ferratum.nl
via-springwise
Create Free Podcast
RunStream offers free accounts and with the free account you are allowed one feed and to track its statistics, if you need more than one feed, RunStream can provide you with an upgraded program starting from only $3 a month and even if you are looking to go all out and get the biger plan with domain mapping and up to 5 feeds, you can still get this service for $5 a month. If you wish to have more than 5 feeds a month, RunStream can help accomodate that, but the prices are not listed.
With so many people starting blogs and websites every day, there is obviously a market for RSS. With RunStream, the service is either free or extremely affordable and accessible for basically any website owner.
more at:http://runstream.com/
With so many people starting blogs and websites every day, there is obviously a market for RSS. With RunStream, the service is either free or extremely affordable and accessible for basically any website owner.
more at:http://runstream.com/
Oddbark Its Different
Oddbark is helping to create the social web by offering an easy to use, free online community service. It allows users to trade their items, meet others, find an apartment, find a job, share their opinion and much more! Oddbark has many unique features that other so-called Classifieds sites do not offer. Oddbark users can post voice ads using Supcast.com phone feature. It also has a special feature where users can receive responses to their ads via SMS (text messaging) on their mobile phones and allows registered users to post audios and videos. Oddbark also informs users when their ads expire, and is currently working on an online voice recording device so users can post voice ads using a mic, directly on the site.One of the few things that make OddBark.com differ from Craigslist is that registered users can upload music and video to the site to accompany the classifieds, this obviously can be very advantageous to the marketing of certain goods and services that couldn't be represented as well without that. Another interesting addition is that you can also make phonecalls to Supcast which will translate your message into text so you can actually post to OddBark via your telephone.
More at:http://oddbark.com/
More at:http://oddbark.com/
"G-Commerce" Play Games Free And Earn Money
The Egglad store, only G-Commerce portal on the web. Here you can redeem your Egglad Chicks to get discounts on huge range of products. The more Chicks you earn, the more discounts you can get on our products. You can get upto 100% discount and can get the products for absolute free of cost. Come and experience the new Gaming Commerce(G-Commerce) only at Egglad store.With egglad play online games for free and in the process of playing these games actually earn points that they can use to purchase other things from the site with. Its a nice way to earn goods right? Play some video games and in the process make some points to buy cool stuff. Seems like a no brainer for kids. The reason that the site is called EggLad, I assume is because the points that you earn are referred to as eggs and chicks, and they can be redeemed for goods sold on the site. Now if you want to buy products with cash on the site, they will facilitate that as well, but they pride themselves on bringing to us what they call G-Commerce (gaming commerce) where the points you earn buy you goods.
More at:http://egglad.com/
More at:http://egglad.com/
Free Press International
Free Press International is dedicated to all sovereign countries and people around the world.The site brings you stories about 9/11, Martial Law, freemasons, the new world disorder, mind control, police state, Yale’s Skull and Bones, Bilderberg, Bohemian Grove, Weather Control among others. If conspiracy facts are your cup of tea, then Free Press International should be your number one destination. They’re uncovering the real truth. The site is basically a blog style news aggregator whose backgrounds and themes can be changed based on your aesthetic preference.
More at:http://www.freepressinternational.com/
More at:http://www.freepressinternational.com/
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Stocks.us automatically filters, aggregates, and sorts financial news to provide a snapshot of the most important stock related news of the day
Stocks.us automatically filters, aggregates, and sorts financial news to provide a snapshot of the most important stock related news of the day. Up to 20 stocks are shown on the home page with links to articles or commentary at the original sources. Information is updated every 15 minutes. The home page resets each morning at 5:00 AM ET. Currently Stocks.us tracks all stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Nasdaq 100, and S&P 500.Links to the stories lead directly to news sources which include The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! Finance, MSN Money, Google Finance, Forbes.com, Reuters, TheStreet.com, CNNMoney.com, NYTimes.com, and many more. This site focuses on business in different sectors from banks to technology and financial groups. Main players include Google, Bank of America, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., Countrywide Financial Corp., E*Trade, Abercrombie & Fitch, and many more. Stocks.us is directed towards people involved in these companies or who have specific holdings in them. Not only is this site perfect for the professionals listed above, stocks.us is a great tool for non-professionals who are interested in how the business news and stocks are shifting. Consistent updates and pertinent links provide all interested parties with clear and direct stock information.
More at:http://www.stocks.us/
More at:http://www.stocks.us/
Online Video Monetizing Solution
In the world of internet no two days is same ,always something happening to engross us now new on list is..Online Video Monetizing Solution -- Make money showing brand name Ads in your video with Adotube's Instream Flash Media Platform. Our solution doesn't disrupt user experience, is simple, flexible and integrates easily into your page. Ads are displayed overlaying the video stream and are demographically targeted and optimized to make you the most money. The idea is that the ads are placed at the bottom of the page and do not disrupt visitor experience unless they are interested and roll over the ad. These roll over ads are also known as opt-in ads because users can choose to see the full ad if they so desire. The advertisements are in Flash format and are easily integrated with a few lines of code, embedded tag, or a link. The ad is only displayed the first time that the page’s video is played to avoid distracting the visitor from their original quest.
If the user dismisses the ad it will not reappear unless the page is refreshed. Ads can be in the form of “in video ads” or “banner ads.” Interested parties must contact adotube.com to set up an account and get started.
more at:http://www.adotube.com/
If the user dismisses the ad it will not reappear unless the page is refreshed. Ads can be in the form of “in video ads” or “banner ads.” Interested parties must contact adotube.com to set up an account and get started.
more at:http://www.adotube.com/
Business Success Story
Young and female, Sophie Hughes and Lucy Cohen were met with a lot of scepticism when they decided to set up Mazuma soon after leaving college.
But one year on, the Cardiff-based 24-year olds now have an office with two additional staff, and revenues are rising impressively.
When did you decide to set the business up?
Sophie: About Christmas 2005. We bumped into each other on a college course. We had been friends in school but had lost touch.
She took on one big client so I started helping out. Then we thought “why not make a day of it, try to find some clients and make it a full-time job. We started going to networking events and picked up a few clients in the first couple of months, so we thought we’d quit our jobs and go for it.
Via-Business Marketplace
So there was no grand plan at the outset to start a business…
Sophie: Not really. We wanted to work for ourselves but didn’t necessarily think we would end up running our own practice.
It must be unusual to do it straight after qualification…
Sophie: I think so, yeah. Neither of us went to uni so I think we have more work experience than people who did; we’re about three or four years up on people our age, so that probably helped as well.
How did you finance the business?
Sophie: Just by working and building it up that way.
To be honest we didn’t really need much. We had to buy licences for software and things, but it wasn’t too expensive, and we worked at home at first, which kept costs down.
The Sun did an article about your start-up and reported that you’re already getting revenues of £120k already…
Sophie: Well, that’s exaggerated… Then again, if we carry on at this rate we will be bringing that in by the end of this financial year.
Have things gone better than you thought?
Sophie: Yeah, much better. I say we’ve been lucky but Lucy always tells me off, saying it’s not luck – we’ve done it ourselves.
Have you been working long hours?
Sophie: Yeah, but it’s not too bad. Before our first member of staff started we were working Saturdays regularly. Luckily it’s now only every now and then.
We now have two accountants working for us.
It’s quite unusual to have a female-owned and run accountancy…
Sophie: Definitely, and that’s probably why we’ve had a fairly good reception.
A lot of younger businesses definitely like us, although we don’t just want to appeal to women. There is a solicitor’s firm local to us which only has women working for it, but we’re all equals so we don’t want to come across like that.
But we do think women are attracted to us because we are female. And younger people seem to like us because we’re on the same wavelength.
Sofa_photo2.jpgHas perceived inexperienced cost you clients?
Sophie: A couple of times I think clients thought we were a bit young. But the one client that really expressed that became a client anyway – a really big one – and equally, people love the fact that we’re younger and have a modern approach.
We put things into plain English as well.
What have you enjoyed most about running your own business?
Sophie: It’s really good when we take on new clients and we’re doing it for ourselves, not someone else. We don’t have employers telling us what to do.
It’s definitely rewarding when you help someone out. When they have a bit of a tax difficulty it’s really nice and you’re like “well done, us!”
Lucy: The element of freedom. We have complete autonomy.
You’re in charge of the decision-making process. I think sometimes the higher up the corporate ladder you go the longer the decision-making process is and the less control you really have.
And I think your work ethic changes. You’re not watching the clock anymore or waiting for payday. You know that every bit of effort you put in directly affects your profit.
Speaking of decision-making, have you had many disagreements over the direction of the company?
Lucy: No, not really. We have a really good relationship.
We’re quite fortunate in that we both tend to like doing different things. Sophie is very good strategically and seeing the bigger picture, whereas I’m very good at the nitty gritty stuff. If one of us has an idea we’ll run it by the other one and I think you can tell straightaway by the look on their face as to whether it’s a good idea or not.
We’re both clear on what we want the company to be and I think we trust each other to make decisions without any comeback. Sometimes you get a phone call and you have to make a decision there and then. You can’t wait, you have to know each other well enough and know what the other one is going to say.
What’s been the most frustrating thing about setting up the business?
Sophie: I think when we first started people were quite dismissive. I think it’s the age thing.
We went to a meeting with someone from Entrepreneur Action one time, and he said “no that won’t work, remember this is a profession and people won’t think you’re taking it seriously…” We came out of that meeting really disheartened.
Sun%20Photo2.jpgBut we proved him wrong, and he actually became a client three or four months ago!
Lucy: I’ve always been the sort of person that wants to run before they can walk. But you can’t just set up a business one day and be turning over millions of pounds the next. That’s not how it works.
You will take knockbacks. You have to have what I call ‘teflon shoulders’ – you have to brush it off and get on with it.
Has anything surprised you about running your own business?
Sophie: The only thing that surprised me is just how small the business world is. Literally everybody knows everybody and I never expected that. I don’t know if that is just a Cardiff thing, but that really surprised me.
It’s pretty much what I was hoping for really, so I have been quite pleased with it.
Any future plans?
Sophie: We want to bring it back to the high street. We don’t want to be like Deloitte’s and have one massive office.
We’re planning on opening more, smaller offices in various cities. We’re opening an office in Bridge End next, because we have quite a few clients over there. We’re certainly not going to have more than five or six members of staff per office.
What advice would you give to someone starting a business?
Sophie: Make sure you do a business plan. It gives you something to measure against what you’ve done.
Another one which Lucy always says is that a lot of people tend to work part-time when they’re setting up their business. But if you do that you can’t focus on your business and it’s never going to be as good as you want it to be. If possible just plunge into it, and if after three months you’re not making any money then fine, get a part-time job. But if you don’t give it 100% commitment right from the beginning then it’s not going to give you 100% reward.
Lucy: Don’t be wishy washy. You have to put in 100% effort, but you also have to be 100% sure. There will inevitably be a time, when you first quit your job, when you wake up at three in the morning thinking “Oh my God, what have I done?”
And money will be tight. You’re always one month away from not being able to pay your mortgage when you’re on a salary so it can be difficult if you have a month without that.
But this is where the planning comes into it. You’ve got to be so good at planning and commit yourself fully to it. You’ve got to go for it.
And another thing. I heard a phrase once and it stuck with me – and that’s to tell the truth in advance. If sales have been a bit slow, don’t go round saying everything’s awful. Next week will be better. Something just happens – your mindset changes and you’ll hit that target. You have to have a positive outlook or you will never succeed.
Don’t listen to your family either! They’re far too invested in your personal interests; they can’t make an impartial view. They want you to be happy, healthy and not struggle for money, which is obviously what parents are there to do. They’ll be there to give you a pat on the back or give you a kick up the arse when you need it. But when it comes to taking risks, be careful about taking their advice because they’re far too worried about your happiness.
It’s one of the most stressful but rewarding things you can ever do. And if you want to do it then go for it, because you can’t spend your life thinking “What if?” can you? If you’ve been bitten by the bug, then at least try.
But one year on, the Cardiff-based 24-year olds now have an office with two additional staff, and revenues are rising impressively.
When did you decide to set the business up?
Sophie: About Christmas 2005. We bumped into each other on a college course. We had been friends in school but had lost touch.
She took on one big client so I started helping out. Then we thought “why not make a day of it, try to find some clients and make it a full-time job. We started going to networking events and picked up a few clients in the first couple of months, so we thought we’d quit our jobs and go for it.
Via-Business Marketplace
So there was no grand plan at the outset to start a business…
Sophie: Not really. We wanted to work for ourselves but didn’t necessarily think we would end up running our own practice.
It must be unusual to do it straight after qualification…
Sophie: I think so, yeah. Neither of us went to uni so I think we have more work experience than people who did; we’re about three or four years up on people our age, so that probably helped as well.
How did you finance the business?
Sophie: Just by working and building it up that way.
To be honest we didn’t really need much. We had to buy licences for software and things, but it wasn’t too expensive, and we worked at home at first, which kept costs down.
The Sun did an article about your start-up and reported that you’re already getting revenues of £120k already…
Sophie: Well, that’s exaggerated… Then again, if we carry on at this rate we will be bringing that in by the end of this financial year.
Have things gone better than you thought?
Sophie: Yeah, much better. I say we’ve been lucky but Lucy always tells me off, saying it’s not luck – we’ve done it ourselves.
Have you been working long hours?
Sophie: Yeah, but it’s not too bad. Before our first member of staff started we were working Saturdays regularly. Luckily it’s now only every now and then.
We now have two accountants working for us.
It’s quite unusual to have a female-owned and run accountancy…
Sophie: Definitely, and that’s probably why we’ve had a fairly good reception.
A lot of younger businesses definitely like us, although we don’t just want to appeal to women. There is a solicitor’s firm local to us which only has women working for it, but we’re all equals so we don’t want to come across like that.
But we do think women are attracted to us because we are female. And younger people seem to like us because we’re on the same wavelength.
Sofa_photo2.jpgHas perceived inexperienced cost you clients?
Sophie: A couple of times I think clients thought we were a bit young. But the one client that really expressed that became a client anyway – a really big one – and equally, people love the fact that we’re younger and have a modern approach.
We put things into plain English as well.
What have you enjoyed most about running your own business?
Sophie: It’s really good when we take on new clients and we’re doing it for ourselves, not someone else. We don’t have employers telling us what to do.
It’s definitely rewarding when you help someone out. When they have a bit of a tax difficulty it’s really nice and you’re like “well done, us!”
Lucy: The element of freedom. We have complete autonomy.
You’re in charge of the decision-making process. I think sometimes the higher up the corporate ladder you go the longer the decision-making process is and the less control you really have.
And I think your work ethic changes. You’re not watching the clock anymore or waiting for payday. You know that every bit of effort you put in directly affects your profit.
Speaking of decision-making, have you had many disagreements over the direction of the company?
Lucy: No, not really. We have a really good relationship.
We’re quite fortunate in that we both tend to like doing different things. Sophie is very good strategically and seeing the bigger picture, whereas I’m very good at the nitty gritty stuff. If one of us has an idea we’ll run it by the other one and I think you can tell straightaway by the look on their face as to whether it’s a good idea or not.
We’re both clear on what we want the company to be and I think we trust each other to make decisions without any comeback. Sometimes you get a phone call and you have to make a decision there and then. You can’t wait, you have to know each other well enough and know what the other one is going to say.
What’s been the most frustrating thing about setting up the business?
Sophie: I think when we first started people were quite dismissive. I think it’s the age thing.
We went to a meeting with someone from Entrepreneur Action one time, and he said “no that won’t work, remember this is a profession and people won’t think you’re taking it seriously…” We came out of that meeting really disheartened.
Sun%20Photo2.jpgBut we proved him wrong, and he actually became a client three or four months ago!
Lucy: I’ve always been the sort of person that wants to run before they can walk. But you can’t just set up a business one day and be turning over millions of pounds the next. That’s not how it works.
You will take knockbacks. You have to have what I call ‘teflon shoulders’ – you have to brush it off and get on with it.
Has anything surprised you about running your own business?
Sophie: The only thing that surprised me is just how small the business world is. Literally everybody knows everybody and I never expected that. I don’t know if that is just a Cardiff thing, but that really surprised me.
It’s pretty much what I was hoping for really, so I have been quite pleased with it.
Any future plans?
Sophie: We want to bring it back to the high street. We don’t want to be like Deloitte’s and have one massive office.
We’re planning on opening more, smaller offices in various cities. We’re opening an office in Bridge End next, because we have quite a few clients over there. We’re certainly not going to have more than five or six members of staff per office.
What advice would you give to someone starting a business?
Sophie: Make sure you do a business plan. It gives you something to measure against what you’ve done.
Another one which Lucy always says is that a lot of people tend to work part-time when they’re setting up their business. But if you do that you can’t focus on your business and it’s never going to be as good as you want it to be. If possible just plunge into it, and if after three months you’re not making any money then fine, get a part-time job. But if you don’t give it 100% commitment right from the beginning then it’s not going to give you 100% reward.
Lucy: Don’t be wishy washy. You have to put in 100% effort, but you also have to be 100% sure. There will inevitably be a time, when you first quit your job, when you wake up at three in the morning thinking “Oh my God, what have I done?”
And money will be tight. You’re always one month away from not being able to pay your mortgage when you’re on a salary so it can be difficult if you have a month without that.
But this is where the planning comes into it. You’ve got to be so good at planning and commit yourself fully to it. You’ve got to go for it.
And another thing. I heard a phrase once and it stuck with me – and that’s to tell the truth in advance. If sales have been a bit slow, don’t go round saying everything’s awful. Next week will be better. Something just happens – your mindset changes and you’ll hit that target. You have to have a positive outlook or you will never succeed.
Don’t listen to your family either! They’re far too invested in your personal interests; they can’t make an impartial view. They want you to be happy, healthy and not struggle for money, which is obviously what parents are there to do. They’ll be there to give you a pat on the back or give you a kick up the arse when you need it. But when it comes to taking risks, be careful about taking their advice because they’re far too worried about your happiness.
It’s one of the most stressful but rewarding things you can ever do. And if you want to do it then go for it, because you can’t spend your life thinking “What if?” can you? If you’ve been bitten by the bug, then at least try.
Deezer is the first juke box on demand totally free in the world
“Deezer is the first juke box on demand totally free in the world!
Their concept is simple:
-Give consumers a full and free access to all their favourite songs
-Pay artists and their producers through a revenue share based on advertising revenues
- Help discovering new artists through a wide audience
Deezer is your community; let's build it together.
The difference lies in Deezer’s on-demand capabilities; unlike Pandora, users can listen to the exact song they have searched for instead of just being provided with a radio channel that plays tonally similar songs. For those worried about legality, never fear: Deezer provides its service without skirting copyright laws by splitting revenue generated from advertising between the artists and the producers. The site operates in several languages, and registration is completely free.
More at:http://www.deezer.com/
Their concept is simple:
-Give consumers a full and free access to all their favourite songs
-Pay artists and their producers through a revenue share based on advertising revenues
- Help discovering new artists through a wide audience
Deezer is your community; let's build it together.
The difference lies in Deezer’s on-demand capabilities; unlike Pandora, users can listen to the exact song they have searched for instead of just being provided with a radio channel that plays tonally similar songs. For those worried about legality, never fear: Deezer provides its service without skirting copyright laws by splitting revenue generated from advertising between the artists and the producers. The site operates in several languages, and registration is completely free.
More at:http://www.deezer.com/
ActionThis is a team execution management tool
"Numerous software applications focus on planning and task management, but they are all fundamentally flawed: they focus on planning; they don’t help people execute; they don’t help people get things done; they don’t help teams learn and improve. We’re all working longer hours than ever before, yet the productivity applications we use are somehow failing us. ActionThis recognizes the challenges facing teams and small businesses today – tighter deadlines, shifting priorities, external dependencies and increasing competition make executing on time more difficult, yet more essential, than ever before.
ActionThis is a team execution management service. The leader in a new breed of software helping teams and small businesses define objectives, assign and track work items, and improve their execution through a continuous improvement process. ActionThis combines project management with collaboration and business intelligence to deliver teams and small businesses greater value from their existing software investments.
. ActionThis helps teams and small businesses accomplish their goals using three easy steps. The first step is Planning, use ActionThis to assign tasks and assignments through Outlook or webased interface. Action items and tasks can be assigned to anyone in the world making it easy to work with partners. The next step is Do It. ActionThis gives reminders about, what you should be doing, when a task is due, so that the job gets done. The last step is Improve, Action This gives the team feedback on its progress so that each team member knows where the team is heading and can give feedback on their status. The service is not available at the moment but will be available in a couple of weeks.
More at:http://community.actionthis.com/
ActionThis is a team execution management service. The leader in a new breed of software helping teams and small businesses define objectives, assign and track work items, and improve their execution through a continuous improvement process. ActionThis combines project management with collaboration and business intelligence to deliver teams and small businesses greater value from their existing software investments.
. ActionThis helps teams and small businesses accomplish their goals using three easy steps. The first step is Planning, use ActionThis to assign tasks and assignments through Outlook or webased interface. Action items and tasks can be assigned to anyone in the world making it easy to work with partners. The next step is Do It. ActionThis gives reminders about, what you should be doing, when a task is due, so that the job gets done. The last step is Improve, Action This gives the team feedback on its progress so that each team member knows where the team is heading and can give feedback on their status. The service is not available at the moment but will be available in a couple of weeks.
More at:http://community.actionthis.com/
Raise Money For Business By Bidding Your Name
The idea: the 23 year old Mr. Oleynick will auction off his name to the highest bidder in order to raise money for an internet project. He will then proceed to get into the infamous Guinness Book of World Record’s by manually typing the words one to one million faster than anyone else. Once he’s gotten into the book, the company after which he’ll be christened will receive buckets of free publicity. The HMR auction will end 100 days from the date of the official launch. Stan will keep his name changed for one year. If he fails to get into the Guinness, he’ll refund all the money. Mr. Oleynick certainly has bravado. Lots of luck to him.
“Hold My Record is a unique, groundbreaking idea destined to turn the marketing world upside down and brings lots of fantastic exposure for one lucky company!
The main motivation behind the idea is to raise some capital for a revolutionary internet project I'm working on (which BTW, officially launches in the beginning of September, this year). The HMR winner will also get a 10% equity stake in the internet project I'm raising the money for, among all the other great benefits.
The idea itself is very simple and can be broken down into three easy steps:
Step # 1: I legally change my name to the company name or website address of the highest bidder on the HMR website.
Step # 2: After the name change process is legally completed (it usually takes around a month to do it), I will attempt to break a Guinness World Record.
Step # 3: If the record attempt is successful, my new name gets recognition as a Guinness World Record holder and is seen everywhere my name and record is, guaranteeing tremendous exposure and unprecedented marketing opportunity for the company that won the Hold My Record auction.”
More at:http://www.holdmyrecord.com/
“Hold My Record is a unique, groundbreaking idea destined to turn the marketing world upside down and brings lots of fantastic exposure for one lucky company!
The main motivation behind the idea is to raise some capital for a revolutionary internet project I'm working on (which BTW, officially launches in the beginning of September, this year). The HMR winner will also get a 10% equity stake in the internet project I'm raising the money for, among all the other great benefits.
The idea itself is very simple and can be broken down into three easy steps:
Step # 1: I legally change my name to the company name or website address of the highest bidder on the HMR website.
Step # 2: After the name change process is legally completed (it usually takes around a month to do it), I will attempt to break a Guinness World Record.
Step # 3: If the record attempt is successful, my new name gets recognition as a Guinness World Record holder and is seen everywhere my name and record is, guaranteeing tremendous exposure and unprecedented marketing opportunity for the company that won the Hold My Record auction.”
More at:http://www.holdmyrecord.com/
FlowPlayer is a free Flash video player
FlowPlayer is a free Flash video player. You can easily embed it into HTML pages to play FLV files. FlowPlayer supports progressive downloading and true streaming. It supports playlists and other advanced features.. The player boasts a variety of options ranging from basic default settings to more advanced streaming options (streaming multiple videos on the same feed, for example). For the skeptical user, FlowPlayer maintains a list of sites that currently use its player, so you can verify its legitimacy and capabilities. Both site registration and then download are free of charge.
More at:http://flowplayer.org/
More at:http://flowplayer.org/
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Venture Out
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/
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/
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/
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Worklight enabling businesses and professionals’ easy access to corporate data
WorkLight is a server-based software product that provides employees with customized and personalized "Web 2.0-style" access to corporate data that reside in enterprise applications.
Worklight uses 2.0 goodies such as RSS and Ajax enabling businesses and professionals’ easy access to corporate data. Other features for info dispersal include desktop and web-based widgets and gadgets, personalized homepages, mashups, IM, and social bookmarks. Information is obtained through the use of adapters which easily plug in to apps and SQL interfaces among others. Worklight essentially makes work drudge-free. Employees can customize how they want their data displayed and define their application feeds. Worklight currently runs on Linux but a Windows version is in the works. The product's license price is based on the number of active users. Evaluation copies are available for qualified organizations.
More at:http://myworklight.com/
Worklight uses 2.0 goodies such as RSS and Ajax enabling businesses and professionals’ easy access to corporate data. Other features for info dispersal include desktop and web-based widgets and gadgets, personalized homepages, mashups, IM, and social bookmarks. Information is obtained through the use of adapters which easily plug in to apps and SQL interfaces among others. Worklight essentially makes work drudge-free. Employees can customize how they want their data displayed and define their application feeds. Worklight currently runs on Linux but a Windows version is in the works. The product's license price is based on the number of active users. Evaluation copies are available for qualified organizations.
More at:http://myworklight.com/
Prospero helps clients make a brand connection
ProsperoTechnologies is the leading provider of community content management solutions for the online publishing industry. We enable organizations to easily, quickly, and
cost-effectively develop branded, integrated communities and social
networks comprised of message boards, blogs, ratings, and chats and to manage them using a single, intuitive platform.Prospero helps clients make a brand connection. Today visiting a website is a different experience that allows you to be part of a community and express yourself. Having these community applications will get your clients involved and Prospero will help you achieve that goal. Prospero caters to both enterprises and small businesses. Some of their clients include well known brands such as America Online, New York Times Digital, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, NASCAR, Disney, ESPN, Fox Broadcasting, iVillage, The Washington Post, Amazon.com, Major League Baseball, BusinessWeek, AOL, and Comcast.
More at:http://www.prospero.com/
cost-effectively develop branded, integrated communities and social
networks comprised of message boards, blogs, ratings, and chats and to manage them using a single, intuitive platform.Prospero helps clients make a brand connection. Today visiting a website is a different experience that allows you to be part of a community and express yourself. Having these community applications will get your clients involved and Prospero will help you achieve that goal. Prospero caters to both enterprises and small businesses. Some of their clients include well known brands such as America Online, New York Times Digital, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, NASCAR, Disney, ESPN, Fox Broadcasting, iVillage, The Washington Post, Amazon.com, Major League Baseball, BusinessWeek, AOL, and Comcast.
More at:http://www.prospero.com/
Velingo has developed a system that finds "related keywords" for Search Engines
Velingo has developed a system that finds "related keywords" for Search Engines. As any Internet user knows, Search Engines are very useful once the user queries with the exact keyword that will trigger the desired results. The slightest change in spelling or verb tense is enough to invalidate the usefulness of a search. Even worse, if the user doesn’t know exactly what to search for, the results often become meaningless. Velingo offers a solution for finding “related keywords.” Regardless of the tense or spelling, Velingo’s results are based on the related concepts, more than the actual keyword.
Their tags are based on user actual behaviors, which means searching is a lot easier. Once you execute a query on Velingo you’ll find suggestions for better keywords and social relevancy rankings. Try it today.
More at:http://www.velingo.com/
Their tags are based on user actual behaviors, which means searching is a lot easier. Once you execute a query on Velingo you’ll find suggestions for better keywords and social relevancy rankings. Try it today.
More at:http://www.velingo.com/
Change Your Written Blog Into Podcast
Ch4tter provides you with crisp voice recordings of your blog for your readers to download and enjoy. With our blog voice recording services we boldly introduce the convenience of mp3 portability -- and iPod compatibility -- with the flexibility of on-the-go blog listening. Ch4tter.com can provide high quality downloadable voice recordings for your subscribers to listen to and enjoy at their own convenience on their iPods or mP3 compatible devices or maybe just on the computer if they would rather listen than read. Ch4tter offers a free sample to show how effective and quality its services are. The prices start off as low as 9.95 a month and the prices vary dependent upon how many different recordings needed monthly and also the length of those recordings.
more at:http://ch4tter.com/
more at:http://ch4tter.com/
Entrepreneur Steve Poland had decided to create a start-up that was entirely ‘Crowd-sourced'
Poland’s idea is still viable. It’s a valuable way for entrepreneurs and anyone curious about the web startup process to learn about everything from ideas to execution. It’s got that hint of democracy and participation that the 2.0 crowd loves.
Entrepreneur Steve Poland had decided to create a start-up that was entirely ‘Crowd-sourced.’ I guess you could say he was taking web 2.0 to its logical extreme. Poland’s ultimate goal was to raise $20,000 ++ in contributions, or donations from blog readers and anyone else feeling particularly generous, whilst blogging about the whole venture. Readers would actually be able to participate in business decisions by taking part in polls and discussion. Originally and aptly titled Ringside Startup, the project has now been renamed WeBothLike. Poland ran into problems raising the money. The scheme and plan remain the same—that is, we, the public will still be able to get all the inside details, however, the venture has already been started. The aim of WeBothLike is to connect like minded people. Poland will keep blogging, he’ll keep his panel of experts, and he’ll continue to accept contributions. Follow his progess and vote on the future of WeBothLike.
More at:http://blog.webothlike.com/
Entrepreneur Steve Poland had decided to create a start-up that was entirely ‘Crowd-sourced.’ I guess you could say he was taking web 2.0 to its logical extreme. Poland’s ultimate goal was to raise $20,000 ++ in contributions, or donations from blog readers and anyone else feeling particularly generous, whilst blogging about the whole venture. Readers would actually be able to participate in business decisions by taking part in polls and discussion. Originally and aptly titled Ringside Startup, the project has now been renamed WeBothLike. Poland ran into problems raising the money. The scheme and plan remain the same—that is, we, the public will still be able to get all the inside details, however, the venture has already been started. The aim of WeBothLike is to connect like minded people. Poland will keep blogging, he’ll keep his panel of experts, and he’ll continue to accept contributions. Follow his progess and vote on the future of WeBothLike.
More at:http://blog.webothlike.com/
"LaunchFeed" a great resource for both the people launching the websites and seeking exposure
LaunchFeed,this site could prove to be a great resource for both the people launching the websites and seeking exposure and also for the people searching for different websites and different services. LaunchFeed is dedicated to showing exactly that, people can freely post their news startup websites and what exactly they do. Its looks as if lately they have been posting anywhere between 1 and 5 startups a day; a number which will surely increase with time and as people become more accustomed to using the site and referencing the site for new websites. Reviews and comments can be added to the startups by members of the service who are logged in, but reviews do not necessarily accompany every startup, only if someone feels compelled to write a review.
More at:http://launchfeed.com/
More at:http://launchfeed.com/
"Job Jabber "It's all about sharing your work experiences
Job Jabber is dedicated to the working man and woman. This site is all about people supporting people. It's all about sharing your work experiences with the world and letting everyone know what your company is all about.Anyone can give their two cents about the company they work(ed) for; comments are anonymous, so you’re free to rant and rave as much as you please. In each review you’ll find both the name and location of a company along with details such as salary, benefits, stress level, work environment, and management. If you’re looking for a job, JobJabber’s the perfect place to find out the inside story. Search for companies by name or follow the discussions in the forums. Check out the JobJabber Hall of Fame and find out what the best and worst companies to work for are. Workers of the world unite, indeed.
More at:http://www.jobjabber.net/
More at:http://www.jobjabber.net/
TagBulb
TagBulb ,its aims in syndicating content from multiple sources and provide users with a dashboard to search all tags. TagBulb is an amped-up tag search engine which lets you narrow down your queries by category. Not only does the site feature the standard audio, video, and image searches, TagBulb also allows you to search for jobs, blogs, podcasts, and a variety of other less-common categories.The site continually adds new search categories fortified by new search sites. Every search you execute takes you directly to the results page of a larger relevant search engine; for example, the “Books” search may lead you to Amazon, whereas the “News” search will bring you to Yahoo or Google. The site also lets you add their search engine to your start page, install a plugin for IE or Mozilla, and offers a blog to keep yourself up to date on the site’s improvements and enhancements.
More at:http://www.tagbulb.com/
More at:http://www.tagbulb.com/
Oobing does offer some functions not available on similar social networking sites
Oobing does offer some functions not available on similar social networking sites; the chat function and photo-rating feature, to name a few. Its layout may seem less intimidating than MySpace or Facebook. Ample advertising space should generate considerable revenue, if the site proves successful.
Its interface will look very familiar to the MySpace user, and it offers most of the same options. Users register, create a profile, and keep in touch with contacts via live chat, messages, and blogs. A few things that separate Oobing from its competitors are the “Rate Photo” and “Send Ecard” functions, which let users do just that: rate other user’s photos and send your friends cards over email. Also, Oobing offers a unique chat function which lets you communicate with multiple contacts at one time. Unlike some other popular social networking sites, if you’re not signed up for the site, you cannot run searches or browse members.
more at:http://www.oobing.com/
Its interface will look very familiar to the MySpace user, and it offers most of the same options. Users register, create a profile, and keep in touch with contacts via live chat, messages, and blogs. A few things that separate Oobing from its competitors are the “Rate Photo” and “Send Ecard” functions, which let users do just that: rate other user’s photos and send your friends cards over email. Also, Oobing offers a unique chat function which lets you communicate with multiple contacts at one time. Unlike some other popular social networking sites, if you’re not signed up for the site, you cannot run searches or browse members.
more at:http://www.oobing.com/
Monday, August 20, 2007
How To Value Your Websites
My second project, the one that doesn't have a ton of long-term potential, actually grew out of personal necessity. It's a group of tools for valuing websites based on historical website sales. About 18 months ago, when Businesspundit had a pagerank of 7, I realized that I could bump up the pagerank for a really low site just by linking to it. I got the bright idea that I could monetize this by buying websites with low PR, linking to them, waiting for an update, and selling them off. Initially, I bought what the internet marketing community calls Made-For-Adsense sites. These sites have several pages of content or some sort of free tools, but are primarily constructed so that you find them through a search engine and then click on an ad. (Don't confuse these with parked domains that only have ads, they are two different things) Many web marketers set up thousands of these sites. They may only make a few cents, or at best a few dollars a day, but multiply that by 4 digits and you can make some decent money.
After buying and selling several of those websites, I became interested in other types of sites. I bought directories, tutorials, ecommerce sites, and I went through a VERY steep learning curve. The website market is not very liquid or transparent. The seller has a massive information advantage over the buyer, so much so that websites typically sell for 10-12 times monthly earnings, which would be a steal for any other kind of business. But they sell so low because of the risk you take on when you buy a site. I was burned a few times early on, but I stuck to sites in the $100-$300 range, so it was money I could afford to lose and chalk it up to a learning experience. I also did really well with a couple of sites, making some easy money for doing very little work.
As a quick aside, I need to tell an interesting story that I think accurately reflects the stupidity of the average person. If you search for making money online, buy and sell websites, and stuff like that, you will get a lot of these wild pages with red text, yellow highlights, letters that say "From the Desk of..." and always start with "Dear Friend." It's really pretty ridiculous. Well, several months ago I bought one because it sold a video series of How to Flip Websites. The videos won't make you rich, but if you like to write and build simple sites, they really can show you how to make $50-$100 with a few hours of work. Knowing that I was going to build this website valuation tool, I wanted the videos as an add-on, and I wanted the list of previous customers because they are good candidates to sign up at my new site.
I had never owned one of these crazy text sites before, so my first thought was that I would clean it up and make it look more professional and mainstream. But I like to experiment, so I decided instead to put up two new sites - one with a blog format and one built on Joomla with a professional looking business template. I spent a few weeks getting the Google Ads right so they had a good click through rate, then I changed them weekly to point at the different sites. All sites had similar levels of traffic, yet the cheesy sales page site outsold the others 5 to 1. I was shocked.
The other sites came down, and I'm trying to figure out what I can do with the existing site because honestly, I feel somewhat uncomfortable owning it in it's current form. Making money online is all fine and good, but with this site I feel like I'm part of the web underworld. Anyway, if you find the internet marketing world interesting, I would encourage you to check out the extremely funny blog at Internet Marketing Sucks.
More at:http://www.valueontheweb.com/
via-businesspundit
After buying and selling several of those websites, I became interested in other types of sites. I bought directories, tutorials, ecommerce sites, and I went through a VERY steep learning curve. The website market is not very liquid or transparent. The seller has a massive information advantage over the buyer, so much so that websites typically sell for 10-12 times monthly earnings, which would be a steal for any other kind of business. But they sell so low because of the risk you take on when you buy a site. I was burned a few times early on, but I stuck to sites in the $100-$300 range, so it was money I could afford to lose and chalk it up to a learning experience. I also did really well with a couple of sites, making some easy money for doing very little work.
As a quick aside, I need to tell an interesting story that I think accurately reflects the stupidity of the average person. If you search for making money online, buy and sell websites, and stuff like that, you will get a lot of these wild pages with red text, yellow highlights, letters that say "From the Desk of..." and always start with "Dear Friend." It's really pretty ridiculous. Well, several months ago I bought one because it sold a video series of How to Flip Websites. The videos won't make you rich, but if you like to write and build simple sites, they really can show you how to make $50-$100 with a few hours of work. Knowing that I was going to build this website valuation tool, I wanted the videos as an add-on, and I wanted the list of previous customers because they are good candidates to sign up at my new site.
I had never owned one of these crazy text sites before, so my first thought was that I would clean it up and make it look more professional and mainstream. But I like to experiment, so I decided instead to put up two new sites - one with a blog format and one built on Joomla with a professional looking business template. I spent a few weeks getting the Google Ads right so they had a good click through rate, then I changed them weekly to point at the different sites. All sites had similar levels of traffic, yet the cheesy sales page site outsold the others 5 to 1. I was shocked.
The other sites came down, and I'm trying to figure out what I can do with the existing site because honestly, I feel somewhat uncomfortable owning it in it's current form. Making money online is all fine and good, but with this site I feel like I'm part of the web underworld. Anyway, if you find the internet marketing world interesting, I would encourage you to check out the extremely funny blog at Internet Marketing Sucks.
More at:http://www.valueontheweb.com/
via-businesspundit
Million Dollor Idea
Evolving Vox got its name from the Dartmouth College school motto, vox clamantis in deserto, which means "a voice crying out in the wilderness." So when Russell D'Souza and Jon Groetzinger heard the cry of dorm residents as they abandoned their furniture each year, the pair took it upon themselves to provide furniture that cuts down on that waste.
"Students don't want to deal with the hassle of putting [furniture] in storage," D'Souza says. "We realized there's a great market for a furniture rental company that provides everything students need for their dorms."
In summer 2006, D'Souza and Groetzinger used their personal savings to start Evolving Vox. They stocked up on dorm essentials: 24-inch flat screens, DVD players, compact refrigerators and futons. Then they created a website to give students a fast, easy way to place orders. Delivery is free.
While D'Souza says many rental companies see the college market as an afterthought, catering to college students was Evolving Vox's key to success. D'Souza, 22, and Groetzinger, 23, adopted the concept of "temporary ownership," reinforcing a sense of sharing furniture with their student customers, the same way they share a college experience. "It's meaningful that peers are buying from their peers rather than from an impersonal rental business," Groetzinger says.
Evolving Vox hit the Dartmouth College campus with resounding success--2007 sales are expected to reach $250,000. The founders have also received a number of inquiries to start similar services at colleges around the nation. Early this year, Evolving Vox branched out to Brandeis University and Cornell University. They plan to expand to 10 colleges by the end of the next academic year.
More at:http://www.evolvingvox.com/
"Students don't want to deal with the hassle of putting [furniture] in storage," D'Souza says. "We realized there's a great market for a furniture rental company that provides everything students need for their dorms."
In summer 2006, D'Souza and Groetzinger used their personal savings to start Evolving Vox. They stocked up on dorm essentials: 24-inch flat screens, DVD players, compact refrigerators and futons. Then they created a website to give students a fast, easy way to place orders. Delivery is free.
While D'Souza says many rental companies see the college market as an afterthought, catering to college students was Evolving Vox's key to success. D'Souza, 22, and Groetzinger, 23, adopted the concept of "temporary ownership," reinforcing a sense of sharing furniture with their student customers, the same way they share a college experience. "It's meaningful that peers are buying from their peers rather than from an impersonal rental business," Groetzinger says.
Evolving Vox hit the Dartmouth College campus with resounding success--2007 sales are expected to reach $250,000. The founders have also received a number of inquiries to start similar services at colleges around the nation. Early this year, Evolving Vox branched out to Brandeis University and Cornell University. They plan to expand to 10 colleges by the end of the next academic year.
More at:http://www.evolvingvox.com/
Venture watch
Kongregate is a niche social community around user generated online flash games.
Kongregate allows developers to upload their own flash games. Kongregate then places a set of community features around each game.
Features are added to each game such as a chat system, where players can chat with each other and the game developers. The social features allow users to tag, rate and comment on the games to provide developers with feedback. Users are also able to create friends lists and set up a profile page with their player stats.
Kongregate generates revenue through advertising and shares revenue with the game developers. Since the launch in early 2007 there are 1,500 games from 750 developers and over 850,000 unique visitors per month.
They raised:Kongregate raised $5 Million from Greylock Partners.
more at:http://www.kongregate.com/
Kongregate allows developers to upload their own flash games. Kongregate then places a set of community features around each game.
Features are added to each game such as a chat system, where players can chat with each other and the game developers. The social features allow users to tag, rate and comment on the games to provide developers with feedback. Users are also able to create friends lists and set up a profile page with their player stats.
Kongregate generates revenue through advertising and shares revenue with the game developers. Since the launch in early 2007 there are 1,500 games from 750 developers and over 850,000 unique visitors per month.
They raised:Kongregate raised $5 Million from Greylock Partners.
more at:http://www.kongregate.com/
How Mommy Made Millions
What: Clothing for newborns packaged as a bouquet for the new mom
Who: Bryony Boxer and Simon Martin of The Baby Bunch
Where: New York City
When: Started in 2006
Startup costs: $250,000
Before visiting a new mom in the hospital, family and friends often get flowers for her or a gift for the baby. Thanks to The Baby Bunch, they can do both at once.
When Bryony Boxer, 33, was pregnant with her first child, she says she noticed a "shortage of products in the market that were gifts for the mom and the baby at the same time." She also saw people becoming increasingly busy and putting less thought into gift-giving. So she and her husband, Simon Martin, 36, came up with a practical, convenient gift idea: infant clothing packaged in the form of an attractive bouquet that could be purchased online and sent directly to the recipient. Offered in various sizes and styles, the bunches include bibs, socks, T-shirts and onesies. The filler flowers, made from wood and paper, can be saved for display, and the gift box is reusable.
"The idea of using everything in it--not just having superfluous packaging--is important to us," says Boxer.
Expanding on its practical, economical and eco-friendly thinking, The Baby Bunch recently launched a line of organic bouquets, which earned the company the 2007 Innovation Award from the Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association.
Although the couple's 2-year-old son has outgrown the line's infant clothing, the company still has lots of room to grow. Projecting $1 million in sales for 2007, the couple plans to create gift bouquets for other occasions and age groups.
More at:http://www.thebabybunch.com/#
Who: Bryony Boxer and Simon Martin of The Baby Bunch
Where: New York City
When: Started in 2006
Startup costs: $250,000
Before visiting a new mom in the hospital, family and friends often get flowers for her or a gift for the baby. Thanks to The Baby Bunch, they can do both at once.
When Bryony Boxer, 33, was pregnant with her first child, she says she noticed a "shortage of products in the market that were gifts for the mom and the baby at the same time." She also saw people becoming increasingly busy and putting less thought into gift-giving. So she and her husband, Simon Martin, 36, came up with a practical, convenient gift idea: infant clothing packaged in the form of an attractive bouquet that could be purchased online and sent directly to the recipient. Offered in various sizes and styles, the bunches include bibs, socks, T-shirts and onesies. The filler flowers, made from wood and paper, can be saved for display, and the gift box is reusable.
"The idea of using everything in it--not just having superfluous packaging--is important to us," says Boxer.
Expanding on its practical, economical and eco-friendly thinking, The Baby Bunch recently launched a line of organic bouquets, which earned the company the 2007 Innovation Award from the Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association.
Although the couple's 2-year-old son has outgrown the line's infant clothing, the company still has lots of room to grow. Projecting $1 million in sales for 2007, the couple plans to create gift bouquets for other occasions and age groups.
More at:http://www.thebabybunch.com/#
Are you born with the entrepreneurial spirit or can you acquire it?
Are you born with the entrepreneurial spirit or can you acquire it?
With £180m earmarked for enterprise education in the UK, a new poll by leading qualification provider NCFE has revealed that 62% of people in education believe that you can create entrepreneurs in the classroom.
National awarding body NCFE carried out the survey, asking colleges, training providers and students throughout the UK if they thought that enterprise could be taught.
The web-poll at www.ncfe.org.uk asked “can you teach entrepreneurship?” 62% of respondents said yes while 38% said no. The results mirror the increase in requests for NCFE’s enterprise qualifications with candidate registrations increasing by 49% in July alone.
David Grailey, Chief Executive at NCFE, says:
“Enterprise is a hot topic in business, politics and education so it is important we develop the nation’s entrepreneurs via education. We are seeing a significant growth in the number of colleges, training providers and students taking these courses so it is important that they are delivered by staff and institutions who believe in them, and that students see them as beneficial.
“NCFE is committed to developing high quality qualifications that really do make a difference to students’ enterprise skills and awareness of opportunity.”
NCFE qualifications deliver flexible, vocational learning and help individuals with innovative business ideas to progress to the next step. They have also been used to support a number of self-employment initiatives around the country.
The qualifications cover many key aspects including understanding and exploring enterprise, planning and carrying out an enterprising project, evaluating projects and self development.
Enterprise is becoming a higher priority for both the Government and education providers, with Gordon Brown announcing in the recent budget that a further £180m will be spent over the next three years to continue funding enterprise education in the UK.
more at:http://website.ncfe.org.uk/
With £180m earmarked for enterprise education in the UK, a new poll by leading qualification provider NCFE has revealed that 62% of people in education believe that you can create entrepreneurs in the classroom.
National awarding body NCFE carried out the survey, asking colleges, training providers and students throughout the UK if they thought that enterprise could be taught.
The web-poll at www.ncfe.org.uk asked “can you teach entrepreneurship?” 62% of respondents said yes while 38% said no. The results mirror the increase in requests for NCFE’s enterprise qualifications with candidate registrations increasing by 49% in July alone.
David Grailey, Chief Executive at NCFE, says:
“Enterprise is a hot topic in business, politics and education so it is important we develop the nation’s entrepreneurs via education. We are seeing a significant growth in the number of colleges, training providers and students taking these courses so it is important that they are delivered by staff and institutions who believe in them, and that students see them as beneficial.
“NCFE is committed to developing high quality qualifications that really do make a difference to students’ enterprise skills and awareness of opportunity.”
NCFE qualifications deliver flexible, vocational learning and help individuals with innovative business ideas to progress to the next step. They have also been used to support a number of self-employment initiatives around the country.
The qualifications cover many key aspects including understanding and exploring enterprise, planning and carrying out an enterprising project, evaluating projects and self development.
Enterprise is becoming a higher priority for both the Government and education providers, with Gordon Brown announcing in the recent budget that a further £180m will be spent over the next three years to continue funding enterprise education in the UK.
more at:http://website.ncfe.org.uk/
Live Blog Traffic Feeds
FEEDJIT has two awesome free widgets that don't require any registration. Just cut, paste, and you're all set. With FeedJit.com these site owners can cut and paste a widget to see where the last 100 visitors to the site are located. There is also a widget offered by the site which is a live arrival and departure report, which will show who is on the site, where they are from and exactly what time they enter and leave the site. FeedJit.com is absolutely free and obviously prides itself on quickly correcting any bugs that people inform them of; on their site it shows that they have corrected a few within the first few days of launching the widgets and the site encourages its users to report any problems so they can fix them ASAP.
more at:http://feedjit.com/
more at:http://feedjit.com/
HubSpot software tracks leads in detail
HubSpot Internet Marketing Software
HubSpot is an Internet marketing software platform that enables your company to get more leads from your website by driving more prospects to your website and converting more of them into leads. HubSpot software tracks leads in detail, automatically producing useful lead profiles so you convert them to customers more effectively. HubSpot is web based, does not require any IT staff, and is designed to be used by a marketing person, not a techie. Learn more about HubSpot Internet marketing software.
Hubspot.com assists its clients in driving more people to their websites through search engine optimization and other tactics, then tracks in great detail the leads thereby creating lead profiles and better understanding who the target market is so they can be focused on more through the advertising. The site boasts recommendations from CNN Money and is testimonial-rich from users. There is a blog that goes along with the service to interact with others and ask questions about how to utilize the service in the best manner possible.
More at:http://www.hubspot.com/
HubSpot is an Internet marketing software platform that enables your company to get more leads from your website by driving more prospects to your website and converting more of them into leads. HubSpot software tracks leads in detail, automatically producing useful lead profiles so you convert them to customers more effectively. HubSpot is web based, does not require any IT staff, and is designed to be used by a marketing person, not a techie. Learn more about HubSpot Internet marketing software.
Hubspot.com assists its clients in driving more people to their websites through search engine optimization and other tactics, then tracks in great detail the leads thereby creating lead profiles and better understanding who the target market is so they can be focused on more through the advertising. The site boasts recommendations from CNN Money and is testimonial-rich from users. There is a blog that goes along with the service to interact with others and ask questions about how to utilize the service in the best manner possible.
More at:http://www.hubspot.com/
OGGtours are opensource audio guides to the world's most interesting and offbeat destinations
OGGtours are opensource audio guides to the world's most interesting and offbeat destinations. Anyone can contribute to the development of an OGGtour by adding text or audio comments from right within the OGGtours blog.
An OGGtour can then be downloaded and loaded onto an iPod or Mp3 player to provide a self-guided tour of any available travel destination. You may also listen to OGGtours on location if you have a web-enabled mobile device such as a Blackberry, smartphone, iPhone or compatible GPS device.
The tours can be downloaded to an iPod and mP3 player and accessed through, if you have a GPS enabled device you are able to access the OGGTours.com from those devices. The service provided is totally free however they request that you sign up for a free box.net account that expires in 14 days, and surely they hope you decide to keep the service and pay the applicable fees. OGGTours.com is open source so anyone is free to contibute what they want to the site.
More at:http://oggtours.com/
An OGGtour can then be downloaded and loaded onto an iPod or Mp3 player to provide a self-guided tour of any available travel destination. You may also listen to OGGtours on location if you have a web-enabled mobile device such as a Blackberry, smartphone, iPhone or compatible GPS device.
The tours can be downloaded to an iPod and mP3 player and accessed through, if you have a GPS enabled device you are able to access the OGGTours.com from those devices. The service provided is totally free however they request that you sign up for a free box.net account that expires in 14 days, and surely they hope you decide to keep the service and pay the applicable fees. OGGTours.com is open source so anyone is free to contibute what they want to the site.
More at:http://oggtours.com/
Social Network For Financial Set
MarketWatch.com, a division of Dow Jones, has launched a MarketWatch Community where users can create profiles and share information, as well as suggestions, with one another.
All stories can be tagged by the users and will be added to the community tag cloud so that members can find the stories related to the subjects that interest them. You also have the ability to just look through the latest stories and see which ones other users found the most worthwhile by glancing at the five star system.
Like any blog or news aggregator today, you can leave comments on the stories and discuss the happenings of the day, but with the financial leaning of the site, you never know what sort of pointers you might pick up. Also along those same lines, you can make fantasy stock picks: the better you do, the more points you score.
The site is live now, but it is unclear if this is the exact site that was rumored to be coming from a combination of Dow Jones and IAC as far back as March. It is difficult to believe Dow Jones would be involved in two such sites, but odder things have happened.
More at:http://www.marketwatch.com/
Via-Mash
All stories can be tagged by the users and will be added to the community tag cloud so that members can find the stories related to the subjects that interest them. You also have the ability to just look through the latest stories and see which ones other users found the most worthwhile by glancing at the five star system.
Like any blog or news aggregator today, you can leave comments on the stories and discuss the happenings of the day, but with the financial leaning of the site, you never know what sort of pointers you might pick up. Also along those same lines, you can make fantasy stock picks: the better you do, the more points you score.
The site is live now, but it is unclear if this is the exact site that was rumored to be coming from a combination of Dow Jones and IAC as far back as March. It is difficult to believe Dow Jones would be involved in two such sites, but odder things have happened.
More at:http://www.marketwatch.com/
Via-Mash
Sunday, August 19, 2007
How To Make Millions With Simple Idea Of Flylady
Here is how Marla Cilley, better known by her nom de guerre, FlyLady, runs her business. Every morning she rolls out of bed and starts nagging. She sends a first e-mail to her 400,000 subscribers at about 7 A.M., reminding them to get up and get dressed. Throughout the day she'll send about ten more e-mails from her Brevard, N.C., home, nagging them to polish their sinks or plan a healthy dinner. She'll also pen an essay or two on topics ranging from the evils of perfectionism to the importance of self-love. Her office administrator will send a few more e-mails, giving subscribers tidying tips. By the time Cilley's last e-mail - "Please go to bed!" - goes out at 10 P.M., her flock has received about 15 messages. Last year sales hit $4 million.
It may seem odd that Cilley, 51, should spin such gold from nagging, something most of us do our best to avoid. Yet her customers - almost exclusively female middle-aged homemakers, who call themselves FlyBabies - cannot get enough. They log on to flylady.net and purchase thousands of dollars' worth of FlyLady-branded products - kitchen timers, license plate holders, ostrich-feather dusters, books, calendars, mouse pads, T-shirts, tote bags, sink stoppers, water bottles, and lapel pins. They convene at occasional Flyfests around the country, where Cilley gives personal encouragement. And every day they send her about 5,000 grateful messages - so many that Cilley has had to hire a team of six offsite readers to help respond to the deluge. "You are the mother I never had," one recent e-mail read, "loving, caring, understanding, available with a big hug and a kick in the butt when needed."
Cilley is not the only entrepreneur to command a cultlike following among legions of housewives. Jeanne Bice, "head quack" at quackerfactory.com, a QVC clothing company, presides over her website's chat groups in the Quack a Smile Club, building such customer loyalty that she can easily pack a Princess Cruises ship (princess.com) for her annual Quackers Caribbean cruise. Stacy DeBroff, creator of MomCentral.com, parlayed her parenting-advice site into a career as a bestselling author, marketing consultant, corporate spokesperson, and frequent guest on the "Today" show. Her books, website, newsletter, national media tours, and appearances reach millions of women, many of whom bond over MomChat on DeBroff's site.
Yet Cilley says she didn't set out to become a guru. The FlyLady juggernaut began innocently enough, after Cilley married her third husband in 1996 and found that neither of them knew how to keep a tidy home. When the mess became unmanageable, Cilley turned to the Internet, finding clutter-busting pointers on a website called Sidetracked Home Executives (shesintouch.com).
Before long Cilley started posting her own tips on the site's message board, eventually building a grassroots following with her no-nonsense, country-girl wisdom, along with her unbridled joy over her newly uncluttered life. She began individually mentoring other slobs in the group, and in 1999, FlyLady's listserve was hatched, with just ten women as subscribers.
Even neat freaks can benefit from viral growth. The original subscribers recommended the list to friends, and before long Cilley's following was large enough to win her write-ups in "Woman's Day" and "Ladies' Home Journal." "We never set out to have a business," Cilley says. "We set out to help people. And the business grew because of their needs."
One of those needs, apparently, is to find out how great the latest FlyLady products are. Anytime one of her FlyBabies e-mails a gushing testimonial praising one of her offerings ("I first bought the FlyLady calendar last year, and I LOVE it!"), Cilley forwards it to her entire mailing list. The testimonials typically result in a sudden sales surge of several hundred of the mentioned item.
Cilley's growing enterprise presented new demands - namely, how to keep up with the crush of fan mail. Kelly Burns, a devoted subscriber, volunteered to help in 2000. Today she and her husband, Tom, work at Cilley's distribution center as two of FlyLady's 24 paid employees.
Cilley attracts new subscribers by writing a self-syndicated column that appears weekly in 225 newspapers and doing a live weekly call-in satellite radio show with Leanne Ely, a nutritionist and cookbook author, on worldtalkradio.com, where "The Fly Show" is rated No. 1 among more than 70 weekly shows, drawing about 140,000 listeners. Ely has also launched a successful Internet enterprise (savingdinner.com), with no small thanks to Cilley, who promotes it to her subscribers.
Now FlyLady is looking to expand her self-help empire. Her followers, she points out, face bigger issues than clutter. Already having penned bestsellers on controlling household and "body clutter" (weight and emotional issues), she is at work on a third book, FlyLady's take on spirituality. And now, with a full-time product-development officer (Jack Sgroi, whom she hired away from MiddleRiver Aircraft Systems), she is anticipating subscribers' needs with a spate of new products, including more efficient mops and roadside emergency kits.
As Cilley constantly tells her loyal FlyBabies about getting their houses in order, "If I can do it, you can do it." But when it comes to creating a business out of nagging, she flies alone.
more at:http://flylady.net/
It may seem odd that Cilley, 51, should spin such gold from nagging, something most of us do our best to avoid. Yet her customers - almost exclusively female middle-aged homemakers, who call themselves FlyBabies - cannot get enough. They log on to flylady.net and purchase thousands of dollars' worth of FlyLady-branded products - kitchen timers, license plate holders, ostrich-feather dusters, books, calendars, mouse pads, T-shirts, tote bags, sink stoppers, water bottles, and lapel pins. They convene at occasional Flyfests around the country, where Cilley gives personal encouragement. And every day they send her about 5,000 grateful messages - so many that Cilley has had to hire a team of six offsite readers to help respond to the deluge. "You are the mother I never had," one recent e-mail read, "loving, caring, understanding, available with a big hug and a kick in the butt when needed."
Cilley is not the only entrepreneur to command a cultlike following among legions of housewives. Jeanne Bice, "head quack" at quackerfactory.com, a QVC clothing company, presides over her website's chat groups in the Quack a Smile Club, building such customer loyalty that she can easily pack a Princess Cruises ship (princess.com) for her annual Quackers Caribbean cruise. Stacy DeBroff, creator of MomCentral.com, parlayed her parenting-advice site into a career as a bestselling author, marketing consultant, corporate spokesperson, and frequent guest on the "Today" show. Her books, website, newsletter, national media tours, and appearances reach millions of women, many of whom bond over MomChat on DeBroff's site.
Yet Cilley says she didn't set out to become a guru. The FlyLady juggernaut began innocently enough, after Cilley married her third husband in 1996 and found that neither of them knew how to keep a tidy home. When the mess became unmanageable, Cilley turned to the Internet, finding clutter-busting pointers on a website called Sidetracked Home Executives (shesintouch.com).
Before long Cilley started posting her own tips on the site's message board, eventually building a grassroots following with her no-nonsense, country-girl wisdom, along with her unbridled joy over her newly uncluttered life. She began individually mentoring other slobs in the group, and in 1999, FlyLady's listserve was hatched, with just ten women as subscribers.
Even neat freaks can benefit from viral growth. The original subscribers recommended the list to friends, and before long Cilley's following was large enough to win her write-ups in "Woman's Day" and "Ladies' Home Journal." "We never set out to have a business," Cilley says. "We set out to help people. And the business grew because of their needs."
One of those needs, apparently, is to find out how great the latest FlyLady products are. Anytime one of her FlyBabies e-mails a gushing testimonial praising one of her offerings ("I first bought the FlyLady calendar last year, and I LOVE it!"), Cilley forwards it to her entire mailing list. The testimonials typically result in a sudden sales surge of several hundred of the mentioned item.
Cilley's growing enterprise presented new demands - namely, how to keep up with the crush of fan mail. Kelly Burns, a devoted subscriber, volunteered to help in 2000. Today she and her husband, Tom, work at Cilley's distribution center as two of FlyLady's 24 paid employees.
Cilley attracts new subscribers by writing a self-syndicated column that appears weekly in 225 newspapers and doing a live weekly call-in satellite radio show with Leanne Ely, a nutritionist and cookbook author, on worldtalkradio.com, where "The Fly Show" is rated No. 1 among more than 70 weekly shows, drawing about 140,000 listeners. Ely has also launched a successful Internet enterprise (savingdinner.com), with no small thanks to Cilley, who promotes it to her subscribers.
Now FlyLady is looking to expand her self-help empire. Her followers, she points out, face bigger issues than clutter. Already having penned bestsellers on controlling household and "body clutter" (weight and emotional issues), she is at work on a third book, FlyLady's take on spirituality. And now, with a full-time product-development officer (Jack Sgroi, whom she hired away from MiddleRiver Aircraft Systems), she is anticipating subscribers' needs with a spate of new products, including more efficient mops and roadside emergency kits.
As Cilley constantly tells her loyal FlyBabies about getting their houses in order, "If I can do it, you can do it." But when it comes to creating a business out of nagging, she flies alone.
more at:http://flylady.net/
ForSaleByPublisher
ForSaleByPublisher is a directory of websites that sell advertisements on their websites directly to advertisers, as well as a community for website publishers to discuss the direct advertising market. Ad Networks can be very helpful in generating some income for websites, but publishers who sell directly to advertisers are able to make more money, whilst charging lower prices.
Unlike ad networks, selling ads straight to advertisers cuts out the middle man, saving you money. As a publisher, you’ll be able to take more control over the ads shown on your site and possibly get in on longer ad deals. Advertisers, on the other hand, can find better, more pertinent websites to host their ads, while avoiding network fees. ForSaleByPublisher makes it extremely easy for publishers and advertisers to connect without having to spend precious time on hours of research.
More at:http://www.forsalebypublisher.com/
Unlike ad networks, selling ads straight to advertisers cuts out the middle man, saving you money. As a publisher, you’ll be able to take more control over the ads shown on your site and possibly get in on longer ad deals. Advertisers, on the other hand, can find better, more pertinent websites to host their ads, while avoiding network fees. ForSaleByPublisher makes it extremely easy for publishers and advertisers to connect without having to spend precious time on hours of research.
More at:http://www.forsalebypublisher.com/
How To Get Maximum Ad Revenue On Your Websites
PubMatic.com's purpose is to help websites increase its revenue per ad, maximize click throughs and get consolidated reports instantly. PubMatic is an account that can be set up in just a few minutes, like Google AdSense for instance. PubMatic.com is free for its Alpha users, and the wording that they use seems as if they are impying that when they do launch the beta version of their site it will no longer be free, so if you are interested in possibly using the service, hop on it while you can still give it a test spin for free.
PubMatic is focused on serving the needs of publishers by providing an industry leading platform that allows publishers to maximize their revenue while simultaneously reducing complexity.
Being a publisher is difficult these days. On the one hand, publishers want to focus on developing rich content and sustaining a user community based on common interest. On the other hand, they're forced to spend ever more time and energy running the "business" of being a publisher.
More at:http://pubmatic.com/
PubMatic is focused on serving the needs of publishers by providing an industry leading platform that allows publishers to maximize their revenue while simultaneously reducing complexity.
Being a publisher is difficult these days. On the one hand, publishers want to focus on developing rich content and sustaining a user community based on common interest. On the other hand, they're forced to spend ever more time and energy running the "business" of being a publisher.
More at:http://pubmatic.com/
TaskBin is our "company" management tool
TaskBin was born out of a very strong need at MangoSpring. MangoSpring believes in what we call "Naked organizations". Everyone needs to be on the same page. Everyone should have access to everyone else's task list. We do not believe in status reports and weekly status meetings. Everything should be transparent and flat. TaskBin is our "company" management tool.
The idea is that everyone in the group begins and stays on the same page. The site is easy to use and as simple as typing in the test box, clicking on a time and priority and pressing enter. By understanding the progress and priorities of team members, others can work smarter and collaborate in a more meaningful way. Information such as, time, date, who created the task, when it should be finished, and the progress helps everyone stay abreast of what is going on within the group and with specific projects. Members can be a part of more than one group and can personalize their task bin. Every group member’s TaskBin is shared with everyone else in the group and is organized by timeframe: ‘today,’ ‘tomorrow,’ ‘this week,’ ’sometime soon,’ etc.
more at:http://www.taskbin.com/
The idea is that everyone in the group begins and stays on the same page. The site is easy to use and as simple as typing in the test box, clicking on a time and priority and pressing enter. By understanding the progress and priorities of team members, others can work smarter and collaborate in a more meaningful way. Information such as, time, date, who created the task, when it should be finished, and the progress helps everyone stay abreast of what is going on within the group and with specific projects. Members can be a part of more than one group and can personalize their task bin. Every group member’s TaskBin is shared with everyone else in the group and is organized by timeframe: ‘today,’ ‘tomorrow,’ ‘this week,’ ’sometime soon,’ etc.
more at:http://www.taskbin.com/
Fuzzwi ch lets anyone create animated shorts using a pre-made cast of characters and backdrops
Fuzzwich Mini-Vids are short accessible animations that are dead simple to make. Mini-Vids are built to be used conversationally as video messages and have zero barrier to entry.
Fuzzwi ch lets anyone create animated shorts using a pre-made cast of characters and backdrops. Just drag and drop elements into the screen, change backgrounds, try out different soundtracks (If neither Wagner nor Timbaland are your cup of tea, try some Benny Hill or George Clinton), and presto, you’ve got your very own cute and clever video short. Once you’ve finished your screen gem you can take a gander at the wonderfully weird and wacky animations your fellow Fuzzwichers have come up with. It’s really insanely simple—your two year old toddler could whip up something brilliant.
More at:http://www.fuzzwich.com/
Fuzzwi ch lets anyone create animated shorts using a pre-made cast of characters and backdrops. Just drag and drop elements into the screen, change backgrounds, try out different soundtracks (If neither Wagner nor Timbaland are your cup of tea, try some Benny Hill or George Clinton), and presto, you’ve got your very own cute and clever video short. Once you’ve finished your screen gem you can take a gander at the wonderfully weird and wacky animations your fellow Fuzzwichers have come up with. It’s really insanely simple—your two year old toddler could whip up something brilliant.
More at:http://www.fuzzwich.com/
Joopz is a web-based text messaging service that enables “web texting” – two-way communications from the Web to any mobile phone
Joopz is a web-based text messaging service that enables “web texting” – two-way communications from the Web to any mobile phone in the U.S. and Canada... and back.
Along with all the features offered by traditional web-texting services provided by messengers like MSN and AIM, Joopz also boast a variety of more complex options including group messaging and their trademark “two-way” texting service (allows the message recipient to send a text back directly to the PC from which the text was sent, instead of only to the recipient’s mobile device). For the absent-minded user, Joopz also has“Reminders” options which let you keep track of your schedule and commitments by sending you a “reminder” text. Currently, Joopz messages can be sent from any web-enabled device worldwide to US or Canadian cellular phones. Their basic service is free of charge and allows users to send ten texts per month and have access to most of the advanced features.
More at:http://www.joopz.com/
Along with all the features offered by traditional web-texting services provided by messengers like MSN and AIM, Joopz also boast a variety of more complex options including group messaging and their trademark “two-way” texting service (allows the message recipient to send a text back directly to the PC from which the text was sent, instead of only to the recipient’s mobile device). For the absent-minded user, Joopz also has“Reminders” options which let you keep track of your schedule and commitments by sending you a “reminder” text. Currently, Joopz messages can be sent from any web-enabled device worldwide to US or Canadian cellular phones. Their basic service is free of charge and allows users to send ten texts per month and have access to most of the advanced features.
More at:http://www.joopz.com/
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Venture Which Have Great Potential
Batanga is a niche social media network focused on the Hispanic market, Batanga describes themselves as a media and entertainment company. They state they are more than a social media site, as they not only have an online social network but they also reach the hispanic market through 20 exclusive online Latin radio stations and more than 5,000 user-programmed radio stations.
Their goal is to build the first Latino online brand. You may have the language of the site displayed in either English or Spanish.
Batanga stats: over 4.5 million+ unique visitors per month, streams 90 million+ songs per months, streams 10 million+ videos per month, and has 100,000 members as of August 2007.
They Raised:Batanga raised $30 Million in series C financing from Tudor Ventures and H.I.G. Ventures.
More at:http://www.batanga.com/
Their goal is to build the first Latino online brand. You may have the language of the site displayed in either English or Spanish.
Batanga stats: over 4.5 million+ unique visitors per month, streams 90 million+ songs per months, streams 10 million+ videos per month, and has 100,000 members as of August 2007.
They Raised:Batanga raised $30 Million in series C financing from Tudor Ventures and H.I.G. Ventures.
More at:http://www.batanga.com/
Home Equity Share matches home buyers with investors
Home Equity Share is targeting a very specific niche: real estate down payments. It matches the parties and provides them with contracts, but doesn’t facilitate the exchange of money. Home Equity Share matches home buyers with investors. To be exact: it brings together buyers who can afford monthly payments but not a 20% down payment, and investors who want to get into real estate but don't want to become landlords or make monthly payments.
Potential home buyers post a profile listing their preferences, including the area they want to buy in, and the price range they're looking for. They're automatically matched with compatible investors, come to an agreement and sign a preliminary commitment. This allows the buyer to become pre-approved for a loan, and to start looking for a property. Once buyer and investor agree on a property, the investor provides the down payment, the buyer arranges a mortgage for his home and moves in. At the end of a specified agreement term—usually three to seven years—the buyer can purchase the investor's interest in the property, or they can sell the house share its appreciation in value.
Home Equity Share provides the matching service and contracts at no cost to buyers and investors, but requires that they use a real estate agent who is registered with the company. Agents pay a referral fee of 20% of the commission earned on transactions referred by Home Equity Share. (Since the service is still in its soft-launch phase, it won't be accepting new agents until early fall 2007.) We featured a similar business idea last year: Shared Spaces, a British network that also matches co-buyers. The major difference is that Shared Spaces is mainly targeted at buyers who'll be inhabiting a property together—roommates who are buying instead of renting to get a first foot on the real estate ladder.
More at:http://www.homeequityshare.com/
Via-Springwise
Potential home buyers post a profile listing their preferences, including the area they want to buy in, and the price range they're looking for. They're automatically matched with compatible investors, come to an agreement and sign a preliminary commitment. This allows the buyer to become pre-approved for a loan, and to start looking for a property. Once buyer and investor agree on a property, the investor provides the down payment, the buyer arranges a mortgage for his home and moves in. At the end of a specified agreement term—usually three to seven years—the buyer can purchase the investor's interest in the property, or they can sell the house share its appreciation in value.
Home Equity Share provides the matching service and contracts at no cost to buyers and investors, but requires that they use a real estate agent who is registered with the company. Agents pay a referral fee of 20% of the commission earned on transactions referred by Home Equity Share. (Since the service is still in its soft-launch phase, it won't be accepting new agents until early fall 2007.) We featured a similar business idea last year: Shared Spaces, a British network that also matches co-buyers. The major difference is that Shared Spaces is mainly targeted at buyers who'll be inhabiting a property together—roommates who are buying instead of renting to get a first foot on the real estate ladder.
More at:http://www.homeequityshare.com/
Via-Springwise
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