incuby is an online community for
inventors to show the world
their innovations.
More at:http://www.incuby.com/
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
ArenaAsia,All About Business Networking
ArebaAsia is an online place where you can show to market your ptofile and experties,skill etc and start business networking in asia.
Professional success is usually driven by the personal relationships you have and your contributions in it. It’s not just about who you know. ArenAsia is an online place that will let you do just that in Asia! Create a profile and a showcase to market your skills and business. Find people, join groups and meet at events to expand your network in Asia. Share business expertise and news via blogs and comments to build reputation and get discovered.
More at:http://www.arenasia.com/
Professional success is usually driven by the personal relationships you have and your contributions in it. It’s not just about who you know. ArenAsia is an online place that will let you do just that in Asia! Create a profile and a showcase to market your skills and business. Find people, join groups and meet at events to expand your network in Asia. Share business expertise and news via blogs and comments to build reputation and get discovered.
More at:http://www.arenasia.com/
Unique Business Idea About How To Gain From Single People
Singles are into anything that can make their lives easier, says Peg Samuel, founder of Social Diva, a New York City-based event marketing company. Samuel, 36, reports on the hottest trends for single women in Atlanta, Miami and New York City via her website, www.socialdiva.com, building her business to $550,000 in annual revenue. "I'm great at finding what the demographic likes because I am the demographic," says Samuel. "The challenge with so many opportunities is making sure you're catching them all."
More than 89 million unmarried adults in the U.S. are single and loving it. Most, according to experts, are not spending every minute looking for a mate, but enjoying life in the now. Census figures reveal that for the first time in history, more than half of women are single, says Thomas F. Coleman, director of Unmarried America, an informational resource for unmarried people. "You hear the word single and you think partygoers," says Coleman. "Most single people have a lot more on their minds than that."
Singles are thinking about work, family, home, leisure time, retirement--everything married folks do. Coleman cites market opportunities for homebuilders to cater to single home-buyers. Home improvement products could be a niche as well. Financial services and insurance products are also important to singles, notes Jennifer Ganshirt, senior vice president and director of strategic planning for Frank About Women, a marketing firm specializing in female consumers. "Older single women in particular have the means, so give them the opportunity to invest in luxury-type purchases," says Ganshirt. Industries such as travel and food hold other possible niches.
More at:http://www.socialdiva.com/
More than 89 million unmarried adults in the U.S. are single and loving it. Most, according to experts, are not spending every minute looking for a mate, but enjoying life in the now. Census figures reveal that for the first time in history, more than half of women are single, says Thomas F. Coleman, director of Unmarried America, an informational resource for unmarried people. "You hear the word single and you think partygoers," says Coleman. "Most single people have a lot more on their minds than that."
Singles are thinking about work, family, home, leisure time, retirement--everything married folks do. Coleman cites market opportunities for homebuilders to cater to single home-buyers. Home improvement products could be a niche as well. Financial services and insurance products are also important to singles, notes Jennifer Ganshirt, senior vice president and director of strategic planning for Frank About Women, a marketing firm specializing in female consumers. "Older single women in particular have the means, so give them the opportunity to invest in luxury-type purchases," says Ganshirt. Industries such as travel and food hold other possible niches.
More at:http://www.socialdiva.com/
One Click
“Sxipper is a free Firefox extension that saves you time on the web enabling you to easily control the release and management of your identity data. With a single click, Sxipper is trained to securely log you in with a username or an Identity 2.0 authentication mechanism such as OpenID.”
Are you tired of always having to fill in the same information when logging into sites, or when registering online? Well, now you can save time by using Sxipper. It is a free Firefox add-on that lets you login into any website with just one click. It stores all the users’ passwords and usernames securely in the users computer, and when the user is confronted with a form to fill out, Sxipper takes the users personal data it was provided with, and fills in the form for the user. Users can create multiple personas, whereas, when filling out a form they can opt to use professional info, personal, or private, depending upon the form they are filling out. At every login or form, users are able to choose which information they want shared and what they don’t want shared.
More at:http://www.sxipper.com/
Are you tired of always having to fill in the same information when logging into sites, or when registering online? Well, now you can save time by using Sxipper. It is a free Firefox add-on that lets you login into any website with just one click. It stores all the users’ passwords and usernames securely in the users computer, and when the user is confronted with a form to fill out, Sxipper takes the users personal data it was provided with, and fills in the form for the user. Users can create multiple personas, whereas, when filling out a form they can opt to use professional info, personal, or private, depending upon the form they are filling out. At every login or form, users are able to choose which information they want shared and what they don’t want shared.
More at:http://www.sxipper.com/
Just like Microsoft Windows is the personal computing platform to manage your data, Ponoko is the personal manufacturing platform to manage your atoms
Ponoko is a creative space where people meet to buy, sell and share product designs, and make them for real. Creators can become famous, consumers can get individualized products and everyone can click to make almost any product, on demand. With no traditional manufacturers in the middle, everyone gets a better deal and the environmental impacts of manufacturing are reduced. Ponoko’s personal manufacturing platform is changing your world by connecting creators, consumers, product designs and raw materials with a global network of digital manufacturing hardware controlled direct from your PC.
Just like Microsoft Windows is the personal computing platform to manage your data, Ponoko is the personal manufacturing platform to manage your atoms.
How to make products
1) Upload your product designs to Ponoko
2) Select production materials and manufacturer
3) Get instant price and pay
4) Products made and delivered, on demand
How to sell products
1) Set licence rights and pricing
2) Display product online in the Ponoko showroom
3) Customers see, love and order it
4) Product made and delivered, on demand
More at:http://www.ponoko.com/
Just like Microsoft Windows is the personal computing platform to manage your data, Ponoko is the personal manufacturing platform to manage your atoms.
How to make products
1) Upload your product designs to Ponoko
2) Select production materials and manufacturer
3) Get instant price and pay
4) Products made and delivered, on demand
How to sell products
1) Set licence rights and pricing
2) Display product online in the Ponoko showroom
3) Customers see, love and order it
4) Product made and delivered, on demand
More at:http://www.ponoko.com/
Marketing Master Of Online Business
Patrick Pretty offers marketing tips for owners of online businesses. Discovered by famed photographer Hedda Christiansen, Patrick Pretty was voted the "Most Beautiful Little Boy In The World" in 1964. He began his career as "child spokesman" for the United States Grape Federation. When grape and raisin sales skyrocketed, Patrick Pretty was on his way. Patrick Pretty has been in the public eye for decades, having appeared on thousands of magazine covers and on more than 800 television .
More at:http://patrickpretty.com/blog.html
More at:http://patrickpretty.com/blog.html
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Gold Rush,Its Amazing Business Opportunities
This is quite literally a golden opportunity for ordinary people to launch their own businesses at low cost and make serious money’ – Laban Roomes
The picks, shovels, pans and finger callouses may have disappeared but the UK is about to witness a brand new 21st century ‘goldrush’.
A London-based businessman dubbed the ‘Ring Bling King’ after he supplied dozens of his £800, 24-carat gold plated mobile phones to dozens of superstars at the ‘Emmy Awards’ last year, is looking for ‘serious entrepreneurs’ nationwide to help grow his burgeoning GoldGenie gold-plating empire.
Laban Roomes (36) who has been mentored by multi-millionaire Yo! Sushi founder and ex-Dragon’s Den TV panellist, Simon Woodroffe, plans a nationwide roll-out of ‘GoldRush Roadshow’ events which will introduce the easy to use Goldgenie gold-plating system to independent–minded businessmen and women.
Said Roomes, who is currently filming a BBC TV programme about the global gold market: “Goldplating has become very fashionable and it’s not just mobile phones. The list is endless; golf clubs, bathroom taps, jewellery, car badges – even flowers.”
He added: “There is a massive demand out there and that’s why we have set up this new business opportunity. We plan free roadshows across the UK which will reveal the secrets of running a highly profitable business without a huge investment or the need for extensive training. This is more about prospecting with gold than prospecting for gold.”
Roomes’ business partner Terry George added: “We did our market research with the Goldgenie Pro 900 system at a recent Business Start-Up trade fair at London’s ExCeL Centre. Hundreds of people watched the demonstrations and as a result we decided to roll-out this new business opportunity.”
So how does it work and what do you get for your money?
George explained: “Serious entrepreneurs can now buy into an exclusive ‘Goldgenie Pro 900 Postcode Operator’ programme.”
The overall entry costs just £1,995 (ex VAT) and that buys rights to a designated postcode area. GoldGenie provides comprehensive product training and in addition, a full day’s marketing assistance, complete with flyers, posters and a complete DIY press release guide.
Over £2,000 worth of plating chemicals are included in the price, enabling the operator to fully recover the initial cost of buy-in. Users get the benefits of a franchise but without having to pay an ongoing monthly percentage of turnover or profit”
The GoldGenie package includes two goldplating machines, the Pro 900 and its entry level Pro 100 sibling, plus all accessories needed to get the business started.
Said Roomes: “This programme enables people to get into business at very low cost and with marginal risk.”
More at:http://www.goldgenie.co.uk/
The picks, shovels, pans and finger callouses may have disappeared but the UK is about to witness a brand new 21st century ‘goldrush’.
A London-based businessman dubbed the ‘Ring Bling King’ after he supplied dozens of his £800, 24-carat gold plated mobile phones to dozens of superstars at the ‘Emmy Awards’ last year, is looking for ‘serious entrepreneurs’ nationwide to help grow his burgeoning GoldGenie gold-plating empire.
Laban Roomes (36) who has been mentored by multi-millionaire Yo! Sushi founder and ex-Dragon’s Den TV panellist, Simon Woodroffe, plans a nationwide roll-out of ‘GoldRush Roadshow’ events which will introduce the easy to use Goldgenie gold-plating system to independent–minded businessmen and women.
Said Roomes, who is currently filming a BBC TV programme about the global gold market: “Goldplating has become very fashionable and it’s not just mobile phones. The list is endless; golf clubs, bathroom taps, jewellery, car badges – even flowers.”
He added: “There is a massive demand out there and that’s why we have set up this new business opportunity. We plan free roadshows across the UK which will reveal the secrets of running a highly profitable business without a huge investment or the need for extensive training. This is more about prospecting with gold than prospecting for gold.”
Roomes’ business partner Terry George added: “We did our market research with the Goldgenie Pro 900 system at a recent Business Start-Up trade fair at London’s ExCeL Centre. Hundreds of people watched the demonstrations and as a result we decided to roll-out this new business opportunity.”
So how does it work and what do you get for your money?
George explained: “Serious entrepreneurs can now buy into an exclusive ‘Goldgenie Pro 900 Postcode Operator’ programme.”
The overall entry costs just £1,995 (ex VAT) and that buys rights to a designated postcode area. GoldGenie provides comprehensive product training and in addition, a full day’s marketing assistance, complete with flyers, posters and a complete DIY press release guide.
Over £2,000 worth of plating chemicals are included in the price, enabling the operator to fully recover the initial cost of buy-in. Users get the benefits of a franchise but without having to pay an ongoing monthly percentage of turnover or profit”
The GoldGenie package includes two goldplating machines, the Pro 900 and its entry level Pro 100 sibling, plus all accessories needed to get the business started.
Said Roomes: “This programme enables people to get into business at very low cost and with marginal risk.”
More at:http://www.goldgenie.co.uk/
Serial entrepreneurs push themselves to start new ventures over and over again. So what do they know that we don't?
Serial entrepreneurs push themselves to start new ventures over and over again. So what do they know that we don't?
by Kerry Miller
Lawrence Gelburd remembers the exact moment he realized it was time to cut loose from the high-tech company he had helped found nearly 10 years earlier. It was during a staff meeting, and for the first time he had heard an employee say, "That's not my department."
"I was stunned," he says. All of sudden, "it was like I was running a big company." And while his business, American Auto-Matrix, was doing quite well, Gelburd's paradigm for success was somewhat different. Like other entrepreneurs, he thrives on the excitement of starting a new business—taking an idea and actually making it happen (see BusinessWeek.com 5/7/07, "Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur").
Success Can Be a Letdown
Gelburd relished American's early years, when they first started challenging big competitors like Honeywell (HON). "We felt like we were killing Goliath with a slingshot," he says. Once they started winning, Gelburd realized they had lost the rights to the "outsider" status they had so relished. "We had won the war, but it felt like a Pyrrhic victory."
Gelburd now keeps himself firmly planted in what he considers the more exciting early stages of things, consulting with a variety of startups and small companies to help develop business plans and strategies and teaching courses in entrepreneurship at the Wharton School. "There's something very intoxicating about starting at zero and getting to 100," he says, and that's what pushes serial entrepreneurs to start new companies again and again.
It's About More than Money
But generalizations about the psychology of successful entrepreneurs aren't terribly useful to those who hope to duplicate their success. That's why we rounded up a group of those who have been there and done that to share their observations and advice in the accompanying slide show. From Sam Yagan, who started his first business, SparkNotes, during an all-nighter at Harvard, to Pam Marrone, who is now running her third company, Marrone Organic Innovations, each of them say that financial success was almost a byproduct rather than the goal of their ventures. That's good, because fulfilling entrepreneurial curiosity doesn't always result in a big financial payoff (see BusinessWeek.com 5/22/05, "Failure Is Part of Success").
"You need that kind of brash attitude…to create huge change out of a small idea. It doesn't always work, but when it does work, it's better for everyone," Gelburd says. "And when it doesn't, we're silly enough to try again."
More at:http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jun2007/sb20070601_336379.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_top+stories
by Kerry Miller
Lawrence Gelburd remembers the exact moment he realized it was time to cut loose from the high-tech company he had helped found nearly 10 years earlier. It was during a staff meeting, and for the first time he had heard an employee say, "That's not my department."
"I was stunned," he says. All of sudden, "it was like I was running a big company." And while his business, American Auto-Matrix, was doing quite well, Gelburd's paradigm for success was somewhat different. Like other entrepreneurs, he thrives on the excitement of starting a new business—taking an idea and actually making it happen (see BusinessWeek.com 5/7/07, "Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur").
Success Can Be a Letdown
Gelburd relished American's early years, when they first started challenging big competitors like Honeywell (HON). "We felt like we were killing Goliath with a slingshot," he says. Once they started winning, Gelburd realized they had lost the rights to the "outsider" status they had so relished. "We had won the war, but it felt like a Pyrrhic victory."
Gelburd now keeps himself firmly planted in what he considers the more exciting early stages of things, consulting with a variety of startups and small companies to help develop business plans and strategies and teaching courses in entrepreneurship at the Wharton School. "There's something very intoxicating about starting at zero and getting to 100," he says, and that's what pushes serial entrepreneurs to start new companies again and again.
It's About More than Money
But generalizations about the psychology of successful entrepreneurs aren't terribly useful to those who hope to duplicate their success. That's why we rounded up a group of those who have been there and done that to share their observations and advice in the accompanying slide show. From Sam Yagan, who started his first business, SparkNotes, during an all-nighter at Harvard, to Pam Marrone, who is now running her third company, Marrone Organic Innovations, each of them say that financial success was almost a byproduct rather than the goal of their ventures. That's good, because fulfilling entrepreneurial curiosity doesn't always result in a big financial payoff (see BusinessWeek.com 5/22/05, "Failure Is Part of Success").
"You need that kind of brash attitude…to create huge change out of a small idea. It doesn't always work, but when it does work, it's better for everyone," Gelburd says. "And when it doesn't, we're silly enough to try again."
More at:http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jun2007/sb20070601_336379.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_top+stories
Inexperienced entrepreneurs who live or want to live in market towns might be interested in a fitness franchise
Inexperienced entrepreneurs who live or want to live in market towns might be interested in a fitness franchise whose expansion is focused on those areas.
Attiva’s strategy of providing affordable gym services in mostly market towns has worked well so far, as it has grown steadily since it was established in 2003.
It has clubs in Malvern and, rather incongruously, Barbados, with new franchises opening in Bridgnorth, Market Harborough, Newport, Evesham, Uttoxeter and Coventry soon.
Just two days ago one opened in Andover, courtesy of former O2 manager and fitness enthusiast Andrew White and his wife Helen.
Andrew White has worked in the corporate world all his life, first for NatWest and then for O2, where he rose to the rank of corporate accounts manager.
“After 20 years I wanted to go it alone and was eager to look at various business options,” says the 38-year-old.
With this in mind, Andrew attended The National Franchise Expo late last year. He was almost out the door, disappointed with the exhibition’s offerings, when he saw the Attiva stand. After a one-hour consultation he decided to buy the franchise, happy to have found a business model that would combine a life-long passion for fitness with his wealth of business know-how.
Andrew took Attiva’s six-week training course on business and operational management. The ‘gym-in-a-box’ programme includes coursework in business management, accounting, marketing and promotion, health and safety, human resources and equipment operation. Andrew also participated in a job share at the Malvern club, which provided him with invaluable hands-on experience.
Ongoing support
Appreciating the comprehensive nature of Attiva’s support, Andrew’s experience demonstrates how the franchise model can be a manageable way into business for new entrepreneurs apprehensive about the risks and pressures of setting up their first business.
“I was uncertain about starting a business completely by myself.
“I gave up a nice comfortable job and salary to make a leap of faith with a new business, but I’ve been very pleased with Attiva. Unlike some franchise models where you are left alone, I’m receiving top-notch attention and expertise. I get on very well with Craig Farman [managing director] and Richard Noble [operations director] and I feel like they are my business partners.”
Attiva says its 35 years of experience in the fitness industry means franchisees are in good hands. The ongoing support they provide ranges from helping to secure loans, to finding and kitting out premises, to the recruitment and training of staff and beyond.
Attiva’s emphasis on market towns is shrewd if Andrew’s assessment of the market in Andover is applicable to other market towns.
More at:http://www.attivauk.com/
http://www.franchisesales.com/
Attiva’s strategy of providing affordable gym services in mostly market towns has worked well so far, as it has grown steadily since it was established in 2003.
It has clubs in Malvern and, rather incongruously, Barbados, with new franchises opening in Bridgnorth, Market Harborough, Newport, Evesham, Uttoxeter and Coventry soon.
Just two days ago one opened in Andover, courtesy of former O2 manager and fitness enthusiast Andrew White and his wife Helen.
Andrew White has worked in the corporate world all his life, first for NatWest and then for O2, where he rose to the rank of corporate accounts manager.
“After 20 years I wanted to go it alone and was eager to look at various business options,” says the 38-year-old.
With this in mind, Andrew attended The National Franchise Expo late last year. He was almost out the door, disappointed with the exhibition’s offerings, when he saw the Attiva stand. After a one-hour consultation he decided to buy the franchise, happy to have found a business model that would combine a life-long passion for fitness with his wealth of business know-how.
Andrew took Attiva’s six-week training course on business and operational management. The ‘gym-in-a-box’ programme includes coursework in business management, accounting, marketing and promotion, health and safety, human resources and equipment operation. Andrew also participated in a job share at the Malvern club, which provided him with invaluable hands-on experience.
Ongoing support
Appreciating the comprehensive nature of Attiva’s support, Andrew’s experience demonstrates how the franchise model can be a manageable way into business for new entrepreneurs apprehensive about the risks and pressures of setting up their first business.
“I was uncertain about starting a business completely by myself.
“I gave up a nice comfortable job and salary to make a leap of faith with a new business, but I’ve been very pleased with Attiva. Unlike some franchise models where you are left alone, I’m receiving top-notch attention and expertise. I get on very well with Craig Farman [managing director] and Richard Noble [operations director] and I feel like they are my business partners.”
Attiva says its 35 years of experience in the fitness industry means franchisees are in good hands. The ongoing support they provide ranges from helping to secure loans, to finding and kitting out premises, to the recruitment and training of staff and beyond.
Attiva’s emphasis on market towns is shrewd if Andrew’s assessment of the market in Andover is applicable to other market towns.
More at:http://www.attivauk.com/
http://www.franchisesales.com/
Task Managment Go Simple
Todoist is a to-do list application that claims to be "useful, fast and easy to use". In the crowded market of task management apps, led by the likes of Ta-da List and Remember the Milk, it has to be. And, as I found out in my tests, it is.
Interface
Built with a focus on absolute simplicity, this application is a joy to use for my task lists. It allows a hierarchical structure of categories or projects - each with their own task items. Sub-projects can be collapsed to simplify the interface even more.
More at:http://www.readwriteweb.com/
Interface
Built with a focus on absolute simplicity, this application is a joy to use for my task lists. It allows a hierarchical structure of categories or projects - each with their own task items. Sub-projects can be collapsed to simplify the interface even more.
More at:http://www.readwriteweb.com/
How To Set Right Price For Your Product
Your website is getting thousands of hits a day, and customers are banging down the doors. But how do you know what to charge?
You’re not the only one with this problem. Large companies also struggle with this issue. Professor Kent Monroe of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, says that across the U.S. price setting has been sloppy and that the common instinct to match prices to cost is foolish. Even investigating historical trends can’t accurately determine pricing.
So how do you do it?
If you are a bigger small business, you can hire professionals. Researchers can perform discrete choice analysis, meaning that they ask participants to evaluate prices assigned to goods and services. However, this method is costly.
A cheaper alternative: talk to your employees and customers. They know what customers want, and you can set your pricing accordingly.
Consider selling your goods at different prices to different customers. Audiences have different demands based on their environment and income. Businesses don’t lower their prices for students and seniors just to be nice.
More at:http://www.fastcompany.com/online/68/pricing.html
You’re not the only one with this problem. Large companies also struggle with this issue. Professor Kent Monroe of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, says that across the U.S. price setting has been sloppy and that the common instinct to match prices to cost is foolish. Even investigating historical trends can’t accurately determine pricing.
So how do you do it?
If you are a bigger small business, you can hire professionals. Researchers can perform discrete choice analysis, meaning that they ask participants to evaluate prices assigned to goods and services. However, this method is costly.
A cheaper alternative: talk to your employees and customers. They know what customers want, and you can set your pricing accordingly.
Consider selling your goods at different prices to different customers. Audiences have different demands based on their environment and income. Businesses don’t lower their prices for students and seniors just to be nice.
More at:http://www.fastcompany.com/online/68/pricing.html
Idea Which Could Be Equal To Million Dollor
Dwight Schultheis was waiting for a business idea to inspire him. Then he noticed something: He and his male friends had shaving-related skin problems, and the products they used didn't help. "We're spending $200 on jeans, but using soap on our faces," he says. "It felt to me like it was a really untapped market."
Months of market research and a few focus groups later, his upscale men's grooming products company, Amenity, was born. The New York City business has grown to nine employees and annual revenue surpassing $1 million--quite a leap from last year, when Schultheis and co-founders Lisa Lehan, 28, and Kimberly Pecoraro, 32, started the company with $500,000 from personal funds and angel investors. "We're trying to be a first-mover and innovator in the men's category of clinical grooming," he says.
Moving could get a little trickier now that the proverbial 800-pound gorilla has entered the market. In January, Schultheis, 32, learned that Procter & Gamble was acquiring DDF, one of Amenity's competitors. The news brought a mixed bag of emotions for Schultheis, who was excited that such a big player saw potential in the $75 million U.S. market for men's premium skin care but also worried that DDF would be even more competitive with Procter & Gamble's marketing, innovation and distribution power behind it. Amenity spent the following weeks reassessing its business strategy. "If we're going to stay competitive," Schultheis says, "we're going to have to sharpen our mission."
More at:http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2007/june/178520.html
Months of market research and a few focus groups later, his upscale men's grooming products company, Amenity, was born. The New York City business has grown to nine employees and annual revenue surpassing $1 million--quite a leap from last year, when Schultheis and co-founders Lisa Lehan, 28, and Kimberly Pecoraro, 32, started the company with $500,000 from personal funds and angel investors. "We're trying to be a first-mover and innovator in the men's category of clinical grooming," he says.
Moving could get a little trickier now that the proverbial 800-pound gorilla has entered the market. In January, Schultheis, 32, learned that Procter & Gamble was acquiring DDF, one of Amenity's competitors. The news brought a mixed bag of emotions for Schultheis, who was excited that such a big player saw potential in the $75 million U.S. market for men's premium skin care but also worried that DDF would be even more competitive with Procter & Gamble's marketing, innovation and distribution power behind it. Amenity spent the following weeks reassessing its business strategy. "If we're going to stay competitive," Schultheis says, "we're going to have to sharpen our mission."
More at:http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2007/june/178520.html
Yoorl service provides a way to monitor the spread of links to web resources, and their popularity, in real time
“Yoorl service provides a way to monitor the spread of links to web resources, and their popularity, in real time. This is done independently of the web resource, its contents, and the means by which the link to that resource is shared (IM, forums, email, air mail)”
Yoorl is a means to monitor the dispersal of links in real time. The idea is that people send out interesting links to their friends all the time; sometimes those links get sent back to them from a completely different source—a sort of chain or meme has been started. Curious minds might want to know how that link got around, and how popular it is. Yoorl lets you see what kind of resonance your link made. Once a yoorl member sends a link they will know if the person who received the link viewed it and how long; whether it was further spread and to whom. All members can see the spread of URL’s in real time. Registration is free.
More at:http://www.yoorl.com/
Yoorl is a means to monitor the dispersal of links in real time. The idea is that people send out interesting links to their friends all the time; sometimes those links get sent back to them from a completely different source—a sort of chain or meme has been started. Curious minds might want to know how that link got around, and how popular it is. Yoorl lets you see what kind of resonance your link made. Once a yoorl member sends a link they will know if the person who received the link viewed it and how long; whether it was further spread and to whom. All members can see the spread of URL’s in real time. Registration is free.
More at:http://www.yoorl.com/
Monday, June 11, 2007
Boxbe
Wired News introduces Boxbe - a startup that allows you to whitelist your correspondents, while requiring everybody else to pay up.
San Francisco-based Boxbe lets you set up an e-mail address and add your friends, family and co-workers to an approved senders list, allowing them to e-mail you for free. Anybody else who wants to reach you will have to pay. You set your own price, which can be as low as 3 cents or as high as $99 (if you think you’re all that). Boxbe will give 75 percent of funds collected from advertisers to users, who could optionally direct the money to a favorite charity.
More at:https://www.boxbe.com/ama/home
San Francisco-based Boxbe lets you set up an e-mail address and add your friends, family and co-workers to an approved senders list, allowing them to e-mail you for free. Anybody else who wants to reach you will have to pay. You set your own price, which can be as low as 3 cents or as high as $99 (if you think you’re all that). Boxbe will give 75 percent of funds collected from advertisers to users, who could optionally direct the money to a favorite charity.
More at:https://www.boxbe.com/ama/home
Document Managment Tool
Cincom iD Solutions helps enterprises deliver high-value, highly personalized customer communications efficiently and cost-effectively. Cincom iD Solutions creates all types of customer communications, both interactively and in batch, from letters to high-volume statements, and delivers them via the web, e-mail, fax, print, and wireless. Leveraging existing systems, hardware, and databases has enabled several of our customers to achieve cost reductions of up to 80 percent.
More at:http://www.capterra.com/document-management-software
More at:http://www.capterra.com/document-management-software
How To Build A Business Plan
Though many successful companies have been started without the benefit of a formal business plan (see "Seat of the Pants," Inc 500 2002), it can be an essential factor in the birth and growth of your company. A good business plan will help you obtain financing, arrange strategic alliances, attract key employees, and boost your confidence. It sells your company to the world and gives you direction as the world answers back.
From the table of contents to the financial tables, a business plan covers a lot of ground. How can you make your executive summary stand out? How much detail is appropriate when outlining your marketing strategy? What is the best way to present the financial projections? Here are Inc.com's best resources to help you create each part of your business plan.
Getting Started
Is Your Business Idea Feasible?
Making a critical evaluation of your business concept at an early stage will allow you to discover, address and correct any fatal flaws before investing time in preparing your business plan.
Telling Your Story
No matter what type of business you plan to start, when your story is complete it will be an important part of the risk management process and a key to effectively understanding your business and its critical success factors.
Developing Effective Vision and Mission Statements
Vision and mission provide direction for a new or small firm, without which it is difficult to develop a cohesive plan.
Simplified Start-Up Plan
Before you do anything else, you need a simple business plan. Here's a checklist to get you going.
Mastering the Basics
Creating Your Business Plan
In a nutshell, here are the areas you'll need to address in a business plan to offer prospective lenders and investors a complete view of your business, as well as provide you with a tool you can use to start and run your company.
The Basics of Business Plans: Sell, Sell, Sell
When viewed as a selling document, your business plan takes on a new meaning. Here, Gumpert provides four compelling reasons for writing a business plan.
The Bulletproof Business Plan
Build a plan that stands up to even the worst economy with these tips.
The Finer Points of a Business Plan
David E. Gumpert, author of How to Really Create a Successful Business Plan, gives a brief overview of what information every business plan should contain.
Filling In Your Plan: What to Say Where
Once you understand the skeletal outline of your business plan, you need to know what to say in each section. David E. Gumpert, author of How to Really Create a Successful Business Plan, fills in the details.
Company Description
Cover All the Bases in Your Business Description
Describing your business in the plan may sound deceptively simple. In reality, a nuanced company explanation is needed, and will serve as a strong foundation for your entire plan.
Executive Summary
Executive Summary as a Guiding Light
It's not an abstract, preface, or introduction, but the executive summary is one of the most critical parts of any business plan. David E. Gumpert argues that an effective executive summary should be the entire plan in miniature.
All Summary, No Substance
Through this annotated example, learn what not to write in your executive summary.
Market Analysis
How do I research my industry?
Where can you find specic data that applies to your industry and its market? Here are a few places to start.
Hitting the Market
To be successful, you have to know your potential customers inside out. One entrepreneur reflects on the essentials of market research.
Segment the Target Market in Your Business Plan
It's a big market out there, so how can you break it down for your business plan? Learn the simple principles of segmenting your market and drilling down to a more precise view of your target audience.
Write a Marketing Analysis that Will Simply Dazzle
After you've crunched the data and analyzed the market, you need a succinct and clear approach to best communicate that information in your plan. This article will help you decide what to include in your marketing section and offers a step-by-step format for doing so.
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Research on a Shoestring
You can learn a lot by researching online and targeting the right people.
Get a Local Look at Your Competition
You can gather endless information regarding potential competition by immersing yourself into the Internet. However, the best strategy is to stay local and get a firsthand look at them.
Financials
Making It All Add Up
Even if you find finances intimidating or tedious, they're critical. The financial section of a business plan is not the time to add creative flourishes; instead, this author advises, stick to a conventional approach.
Persuasive Projections
Predicting the future is hard. But when you're making financial projections, that's exactly what you need to do. You can avoid some of the most common mistakes by following this list of dos and don'ts.
More at:http://www.inc.com/guides/start_biz/20660.html
From the table of contents to the financial tables, a business plan covers a lot of ground. How can you make your executive summary stand out? How much detail is appropriate when outlining your marketing strategy? What is the best way to present the financial projections? Here are Inc.com's best resources to help you create each part of your business plan.
Getting Started
Is Your Business Idea Feasible?
Making a critical evaluation of your business concept at an early stage will allow you to discover, address and correct any fatal flaws before investing time in preparing your business plan.
Telling Your Story
No matter what type of business you plan to start, when your story is complete it will be an important part of the risk management process and a key to effectively understanding your business and its critical success factors.
Developing Effective Vision and Mission Statements
Vision and mission provide direction for a new or small firm, without which it is difficult to develop a cohesive plan.
Simplified Start-Up Plan
Before you do anything else, you need a simple business plan. Here's a checklist to get you going.
Mastering the Basics
Creating Your Business Plan
In a nutshell, here are the areas you'll need to address in a business plan to offer prospective lenders and investors a complete view of your business, as well as provide you with a tool you can use to start and run your company.
The Basics of Business Plans: Sell, Sell, Sell
When viewed as a selling document, your business plan takes on a new meaning. Here, Gumpert provides four compelling reasons for writing a business plan.
The Bulletproof Business Plan
Build a plan that stands up to even the worst economy with these tips.
The Finer Points of a Business Plan
David E. Gumpert, author of How to Really Create a Successful Business Plan, gives a brief overview of what information every business plan should contain.
Filling In Your Plan: What to Say Where
Once you understand the skeletal outline of your business plan, you need to know what to say in each section. David E. Gumpert, author of How to Really Create a Successful Business Plan, fills in the details.
Company Description
Cover All the Bases in Your Business Description
Describing your business in the plan may sound deceptively simple. In reality, a nuanced company explanation is needed, and will serve as a strong foundation for your entire plan.
Executive Summary
Executive Summary as a Guiding Light
It's not an abstract, preface, or introduction, but the executive summary is one of the most critical parts of any business plan. David E. Gumpert argues that an effective executive summary should be the entire plan in miniature.
All Summary, No Substance
Through this annotated example, learn what not to write in your executive summary.
Market Analysis
How do I research my industry?
Where can you find specic data that applies to your industry and its market? Here are a few places to start.
Hitting the Market
To be successful, you have to know your potential customers inside out. One entrepreneur reflects on the essentials of market research.
Segment the Target Market in Your Business Plan
It's a big market out there, so how can you break it down for your business plan? Learn the simple principles of segmenting your market and drilling down to a more precise view of your target audience.
Write a Marketing Analysis that Will Simply Dazzle
After you've crunched the data and analyzed the market, you need a succinct and clear approach to best communicate that information in your plan. This article will help you decide what to include in your marketing section and offers a step-by-step format for doing so.
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Research on a Shoestring
You can learn a lot by researching online and targeting the right people.
Get a Local Look at Your Competition
You can gather endless information regarding potential competition by immersing yourself into the Internet. However, the best strategy is to stay local and get a firsthand look at them.
Financials
Making It All Add Up
Even if you find finances intimidating or tedious, they're critical. The financial section of a business plan is not the time to add creative flourishes; instead, this author advises, stick to a conventional approach.
Persuasive Projections
Predicting the future is hard. But when you're making financial projections, that's exactly what you need to do. You can avoid some of the most common mistakes by following this list of dos and don'ts.
More at:http://www.inc.com/guides/start_biz/20660.html
Bill Gates Vs Steve Jobs
This year was the 5th addition of Walt Mossberg's and Kara Swisher's "All Things Digital" conference. I'm sure that it will come as no surprise to you that I have attended all five and intend to attend the next five as well. They say that first year conferences are a huge crap shoot because of the chicken and egg problem of attracting fantastic speakers and a fantastic audience -- you need one to get the other but can't get one without the other. By force of personality and reputation, Walt and Kara blew that away the first year by simply getting the most amazing speakers ever. The fabuloous audience quickly followed. But they created a problem for themselves.
The speakers at their first "D" were just too good: Gates, Jobs, Diller, Larry and Sergey, Meg Whitman, Terry Semel, Mark Cuban. I mean, give me a break. Year two: Gates, Jobs, Ellison, Carly Fiorina, Masa, Henning Kagermann. Year 3: Gates, Jobs, Mel Karmazin, McNealy, Zander, Diller, Jerry Yang and Dave Filo. Year 4: Gates, Al Gore, Howard Stringer, Terry Semel, Vinod Khosla, Bob Iger (Jobs couldn't make it and was sorely missed). So what were Walt and Kara going to do to make their 5th anniversary "D" a special one? They touted the answer on their homepage -- "Bill Gates and Steve Jobs to Make Historic Joint Appearance at D5."
Now I have to admit that, as much as I looked forward to seeing Gates and Jobs spar on stage, I thought that perhaps Walt and Kara had gone a bit too far calling the Gates/Jobs smackdown a "historic joint appearance." The cardinal rule of showmanship is to under-promise and over-deliver. It is hard to imagine that calling a chat "historic" could be viewed as under-promising, and harder still to imagine that after advertising a talk as "historic," one could possibly over-deliver. But I was wrong.
The "historic" joint appearance of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs wasn't just historic, it was, in fact, awe inspiring. I envisioned a half-hearted quarrel, punctuated by clever but cynical jabs at one another. What I got was a history lesson taught by the principal protagonists of the story. As I sat and listened to Gates and Jobs recount their 30 year journey to bring the best possible personal computers to the world, it struck me that no two living humans have had a bigger impact on my quality of life than they (case in point, I am typing this blog post on my MacBook on Microsoft Word).
It would be hard to replicate the energy and mood of the room with simple words. It may even be hard to replicate with video. Nonetheless, I strongly urge you to watch the videos of the conversation over at Kara and Walt's great new "news and opinion site" called AllThingsD.com. In the videos you will see a pair of mature, thoughtful moguls. Bill Gates was erudite, statesmanly, and utterly charming. Steve Jobs remained the consummate performer, yet managed a bit more humility than is his norm. They traded fours like an old married couple. And their recounting of the history of the personal computer industry had the cadence of an on-again off-again romance. In the end, Jobs had the turn of phrase that brought us to our feet -- a snipped right out of a love letter -- "There's that one line in the Beatles song, 'You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead,' and that's definitely true here."
Great conferences are all about great theater. And I have never seen better theater than Jobs and Gates on stage together, modestly recounting how they changed all of our lives, in incalculable ways, forever. Hats off to Walt and Kara for orchestrating this once in a lifetime event. When can I register for D6?
The speakers at their first "D" were just too good: Gates, Jobs, Diller, Larry and Sergey, Meg Whitman, Terry Semel, Mark Cuban. I mean, give me a break. Year two: Gates, Jobs, Ellison, Carly Fiorina, Masa, Henning Kagermann. Year 3: Gates, Jobs, Mel Karmazin, McNealy, Zander, Diller, Jerry Yang and Dave Filo. Year 4: Gates, Al Gore, Howard Stringer, Terry Semel, Vinod Khosla, Bob Iger (Jobs couldn't make it and was sorely missed). So what were Walt and Kara going to do to make their 5th anniversary "D" a special one? They touted the answer on their homepage -- "Bill Gates and Steve Jobs to Make Historic Joint Appearance at D5."
Now I have to admit that, as much as I looked forward to seeing Gates and Jobs spar on stage, I thought that perhaps Walt and Kara had gone a bit too far calling the Gates/Jobs smackdown a "historic joint appearance." The cardinal rule of showmanship is to under-promise and over-deliver. It is hard to imagine that calling a chat "historic" could be viewed as under-promising, and harder still to imagine that after advertising a talk as "historic," one could possibly over-deliver. But I was wrong.
The "historic" joint appearance of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs wasn't just historic, it was, in fact, awe inspiring. I envisioned a half-hearted quarrel, punctuated by clever but cynical jabs at one another. What I got was a history lesson taught by the principal protagonists of the story. As I sat and listened to Gates and Jobs recount their 30 year journey to bring the best possible personal computers to the world, it struck me that no two living humans have had a bigger impact on my quality of life than they (case in point, I am typing this blog post on my MacBook on Microsoft Word).
It would be hard to replicate the energy and mood of the room with simple words. It may even be hard to replicate with video. Nonetheless, I strongly urge you to watch the videos of the conversation over at Kara and Walt's great new "news and opinion site" called AllThingsD.com. In the videos you will see a pair of mature, thoughtful moguls. Bill Gates was erudite, statesmanly, and utterly charming. Steve Jobs remained the consummate performer, yet managed a bit more humility than is his norm. They traded fours like an old married couple. And their recounting of the history of the personal computer industry had the cadence of an on-again off-again romance. In the end, Jobs had the turn of phrase that brought us to our feet -- a snipped right out of a love letter -- "There's that one line in the Beatles song, 'You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead,' and that's definitely true here."
Great conferences are all about great theater. And I have never seen better theater than Jobs and Gates on stage together, modestly recounting how they changed all of our lives, in incalculable ways, forever. Hats off to Walt and Kara for orchestrating this once in a lifetime event. When can I register for D6?
Escaping The Resource Curse
Messrs. Humphreys Sachs and Stiglitz explain why countries with lots of natural resources tend to do worse than countries with less resource wealth.
This vade mecum for governments advises on how to gain advantage over oil corporations and how to effectively redistribute (oil) revenues. Foreword by George Soros.
More at:http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/catalog/data/978023114/9780231141963.HTM#cart
This vade mecum for governments advises on how to gain advantage over oil corporations and how to effectively redistribute (oil) revenues. Foreword by George Soros.
More at:http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/catalog/data/978023114/9780231141963.HTM#cart
Apple's style of innovation
Economist.com has a good story about Apple's style of innovation.
Listening to customers is generally a good idea, but it is not the whole story. For all the talk of "user-centric innovation" and allowing feedback from customers to dictate new product designs, a third lesson from Apple is that smart companies should sometimes ignore what the market says it wants today. The iPod was ridiculed when it was launched in 2001, but Mr Jobs stuck by his instinct. Nintendo has done something similar with its popular motion-controlled video-game console, the Wii. Rather than designing a machine for existing gamers, it gambled that non-gamers represented an untapped market and devised a machine with far broader appeal.
The fourth lesson from Apple is to "fail wisely". The Macintosh was born from the wreckage of the Lisa, an earlier product that flopped; the iPhone is a response to the failure of Apple's original music phone, produced in conjunction with Motorola. Both times, Apple learned from its mistakes and tried again. Its recent computers have been based on technology developed at NeXT, a company Mr Jobs set up in the 1980s that appeared to have failed and was then acquired by Apple. The wider lesson is not to stigmatise failure but to tolerate it and learn from it: Europe's inability to create a rival to Silicon Valley owes much to its tougher bankruptcy laws.
What I find interesting is that Apple does two things that most companies don't. First, they sometimes ignore the current state of the market when designing products. Second, they learn from failure rather than stigmatizing it. That sounds like a pretty different corporate culture than most companies.
More at:http://economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9302662
Listening to customers is generally a good idea, but it is not the whole story. For all the talk of "user-centric innovation" and allowing feedback from customers to dictate new product designs, a third lesson from Apple is that smart companies should sometimes ignore what the market says it wants today. The iPod was ridiculed when it was launched in 2001, but Mr Jobs stuck by his instinct. Nintendo has done something similar with its popular motion-controlled video-game console, the Wii. Rather than designing a machine for existing gamers, it gambled that non-gamers represented an untapped market and devised a machine with far broader appeal.
The fourth lesson from Apple is to "fail wisely". The Macintosh was born from the wreckage of the Lisa, an earlier product that flopped; the iPhone is a response to the failure of Apple's original music phone, produced in conjunction with Motorola. Both times, Apple learned from its mistakes and tried again. Its recent computers have been based on technology developed at NeXT, a company Mr Jobs set up in the 1980s that appeared to have failed and was then acquired by Apple. The wider lesson is not to stigmatise failure but to tolerate it and learn from it: Europe's inability to create a rival to Silicon Valley owes much to its tougher bankruptcy laws.
What I find interesting is that Apple does two things that most companies don't. First, they sometimes ignore the current state of the market when designing products. Second, they learn from failure rather than stigmatizing it. That sounds like a pretty different corporate culture than most companies.
More at:http://economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9302662
Sunday, June 10, 2007
When do entreprenuers come up with their best ideas?
The latest Small Business Monitor report by American Express OPEN says that over one-third of entrepreneurs use down time — time when they are not technically working — to come up with creative ideas for business:
More than one-third of entrepreneurs (35%) report coming up with their best ideas during “down-time”. Male business owners are more than twice as likely as female business owners to come up with their best ideas on the way to work (18% vs. 7%). Women are also more likely than men to wake up in the middle of the night with ideas for their business (70% vs. 56%).
At this time of year I do a lot of gardening. I find that the time spent alone outdoors — just the plants, some red-winged blackbirds, a few moles and me — is prime time for coming up with new ideas. There’s nothing like pulling weeds or deadheading flowers to have new ideas jump into your head as if out of nowhere.
But the ideas are not really coming out of nowhere. Our subconscious and even our conscious minds are at work during down times like gardening. Sometimes down time is the only time we have to actually think about breakthrough ideas or new products or creative approaches. On a typical work day we tend to be occupied with phone calls, answering emails, meetings, writing and other specific tasks, leaving little open time. We may have to get out of the office to have unfettered time for creative thinking.
When do you come up with your best ideas?
More at:http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070524005767&newsLang=en
here
More than one-third of entrepreneurs (35%) report coming up with their best ideas during “down-time”. Male business owners are more than twice as likely as female business owners to come up with their best ideas on the way to work (18% vs. 7%). Women are also more likely than men to wake up in the middle of the night with ideas for their business (70% vs. 56%).
At this time of year I do a lot of gardening. I find that the time spent alone outdoors — just the plants, some red-winged blackbirds, a few moles and me — is prime time for coming up with new ideas. There’s nothing like pulling weeds or deadheading flowers to have new ideas jump into your head as if out of nowhere.
But the ideas are not really coming out of nowhere. Our subconscious and even our conscious minds are at work during down times like gardening. Sometimes down time is the only time we have to actually think about breakthrough ideas or new products or creative approaches. On a typical work day we tend to be occupied with phone calls, answering emails, meetings, writing and other specific tasks, leaving little open time. We may have to get out of the office to have unfettered time for creative thinking.
When do you come up with your best ideas?
More at:http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070524005767&newsLang=en
here
Excellent Business Idea That Made Hindriks Millionaire
It's a good thing Karoli Hindriks makes hats: She wears a lot of them. She's the country manager for MTV in Estonia, a student at the Estonian Business School, an elected city council member in her hometown of Pärnu—and she's been an entrepreneur for more than five years. While still in high school, Hindriks invented a soft reflector to be worn by pedestrians for safety at night. By the age of 19, she had expanded into making fashionable knitted hats and gloves out of reflective material. She initially sold them through a company that her father owns, but in 2002 went into business for herself.
Hindriks has patented her designs and even picked up an endorsement from the Estonian Road Administration, which encourages pedestrians to wear reflective clothing. Besides selling her accessories through retail outlets, she sells wholesale to companies and labor unions. Goodmood's revenues are still modest, less than $150,000 a year, but with growth averaging 35% annually, it may not stay small for long.
More at:http://www.goodmood.ee/
Hindriks has patented her designs and even picked up an endorsement from the Estonian Road Administration, which encourages pedestrians to wear reflective clothing. Besides selling her accessories through retail outlets, she sells wholesale to companies and labor unions. Goodmood's revenues are still modest, less than $150,000 a year, but with growth averaging 35% annually, it may not stay small for long.
More at:http://www.goodmood.ee/
The Global Talent Database (TALDAT) is the world's most comprehensive talent search engine and artist directory
“The Global Talent Database (TALDAT) is the world's most comprehensive talent search engine and artist directory. Think of it as similar to a global Yellow Pages designed to connect the creative class with enthusiasts around the world.”
Network with artists and buyers from around the world, link your existing online portfolio and websites, keep up with industry news and trends, market your work and attract sponsors on TalentDatabase.com. The site claims to be a global talent database where creative types and talent-seekers or art buyers can find each other. It’s still in beta but it looks pretty professional so far. The Global Talent Database is divided into twenty channels where you can surf through various artist profiles complete with pictures and their online portfolios and websites. There is no fee for joining or submitting your profile to the database.
Talent-scouts and artists alike will find the site a thorough and well-organized entity that gives them opportunities to make connections.
More at:http://beta.talentdatabase.com/
Network with artists and buyers from around the world, link your existing online portfolio and websites, keep up with industry news and trends, market your work and attract sponsors on TalentDatabase.com. The site claims to be a global talent database where creative types and talent-seekers or art buyers can find each other. It’s still in beta but it looks pretty professional so far. The Global Talent Database is divided into twenty channels where you can surf through various artist profiles complete with pictures and their online portfolios and websites. There is no fee for joining or submitting your profile to the database.
Talent-scouts and artists alike will find the site a thorough and well-organized entity that gives them opportunities to make connections.
More at:http://beta.talentdatabase.com/
TagsAhoy lets you search all your tags, across different sites, from one location.
“TagsAhoy lets you search all your tags, across different sites, from one location.
Just sign up (it's free), enter your account information for the sites where you use tags, and you're done--you can search all your tags from one place. Takes a few minutes.”
Your tags scattered all over the place and want to know where your tags are? Give TagsAhoy a spin. This simple yet straightforward app tracks down your tags like Lassie sniffing out danger. To use it you’ve got to sign up—just think of a username, password, and of course, you’ll need an email address. Current sites supported include: del.icio.us, Flickr, Gmail, Squirl, Librarything and Connotea. A tag cloud is in the works and if you’d like to see more services added just email.
More at:http://www.tagsahoy.com/
Just sign up (it's free), enter your account information for the sites where you use tags, and you're done--you can search all your tags from one place. Takes a few minutes.”
Your tags scattered all over the place and want to know where your tags are? Give TagsAhoy a spin. This simple yet straightforward app tracks down your tags like Lassie sniffing out danger. To use it you’ve got to sign up—just think of a username, password, and of course, you’ll need an email address. Current sites supported include: del.icio.us, Flickr, Gmail, Squirl, Librarything and Connotea. A tag cloud is in the works and if you’d like to see more services added just email.
More at:http://www.tagsahoy.com/
Saturday, June 9, 2007
BusinessNeverSleeps.
What is BusinessNeverSleeps.com? Social networking sites have been our most successful Internet business ideas. This social networking website will allow visitors to find companies that are open late or 24/hours a day & allow companies to post their company profiles. It will also allow business owners to interact with consumers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Main SectionsUSER: They would come to BNS to find businesses open late / 24 hours
MEMBER: Businesses would come to BNS to promote their business
OWNER: The owner will control the entire website
Member’s Community FeaturesSearch for a Business
Post Your Business
Speak to a Business
Search for a Business: Visitors will be able to browse/search businesses open 24 hours or beyond normal business hours. Not only will they be able to find what they need, but they will be able to read company profiles, research products & services, see company ratings, get directions, and even chat live with a representative from the company with the site’s innovative live chat function.
Post Your Business: Businesses would register for an account on BusinessNeverSleeps.com to promote their business. They will be able to create their own web page, list products & services, interact with visitors, and pretty much anything else that they want to include. WebBizIdeas.com has social networking software that is flexible enough to incorporate your any of your business ideas.
Speak to a Business: Many companies claim they are open 24/7 - but may only have customer support available at night. We want to encourage companies who are open 24/7 to have their BNS Instant Messenger open 24/7 to talk to and assist customers – increasing customer satisfaction and their customer base as a result.
Competition AnalysisWe could not find any competition for this website idea. We found a few sites that were specifically targeted to cities, but this is minimal. In addition, all of the sites we found just listed businesses, and there was no ‘hands free’ automated process to duplicate the idea in every city in the United States, much less internationally.Marketing AnalysisTargeting cities for small business & entrepreneurs is a great idea and a great place to start. Speaking form experience, starting your own business and working crazy hours just goes hand-in-hand. Check out Entrepreneur.com’s report on the ‘Top Cities to Start a Business’ (http://www.entrepreneur.com/bestcities/region/large.html). Brainstorming User Example: Jack is trying to finish his research paper for school and it is 2:30 a.m. He can’t concentrate in his dorm room and just needs to find some place to finish the paper. He goes on to BusinessNeverSleeps.com and finds a coffee shop with Internet Access in his city. His problem is solved.
Business Example: Snap Fitness in Minneapolis is open 24 hours a day - they are the only gym I know of that is open 24 hours a day. They have a large competitive advantage over gyms that are not open 24 hours a day and want to reach a ‘night-life’ market. So they go to BusinessNeverSleeps.com and register their business – and people who are looking for gyms 24 hours a day can find them. They increase their membership base as a result.
BusinessNeverSleeps.com is a great, innovative Internet Business Idea. You can take advantage of it by contacting them today.
Link-http://www.webbizideas.com/hire/internet-services/ideas/businessneversleeps.html
MEMBER: Businesses would come to BNS to promote their business
OWNER: The owner will control the entire website
Member’s Community FeaturesSearch for a Business
Post Your Business
Speak to a Business
Search for a Business: Visitors will be able to browse/search businesses open 24 hours or beyond normal business hours. Not only will they be able to find what they need, but they will be able to read company profiles, research products & services, see company ratings, get directions, and even chat live with a representative from the company with the site’s innovative live chat function.
Post Your Business: Businesses would register for an account on BusinessNeverSleeps.com to promote their business. They will be able to create their own web page, list products & services, interact with visitors, and pretty much anything else that they want to include. WebBizIdeas.com has social networking software that is flexible enough to incorporate your any of your business ideas.
Speak to a Business: Many companies claim they are open 24/7 - but may only have customer support available at night. We want to encourage companies who are open 24/7 to have their BNS Instant Messenger open 24/7 to talk to and assist customers – increasing customer satisfaction and their customer base as a result.
Competition AnalysisWe could not find any competition for this website idea. We found a few sites that were specifically targeted to cities, but this is minimal. In addition, all of the sites we found just listed businesses, and there was no ‘hands free’ automated process to duplicate the idea in every city in the United States, much less internationally.Marketing AnalysisTargeting cities for small business & entrepreneurs is a great idea and a great place to start. Speaking form experience, starting your own business and working crazy hours just goes hand-in-hand. Check out Entrepreneur.com’s report on the ‘Top Cities to Start a Business’ (http://www.entrepreneur.com/bestcities/region/large.html). Brainstorming User Example: Jack is trying to finish his research paper for school and it is 2:30 a.m. He can’t concentrate in his dorm room and just needs to find some place to finish the paper. He goes on to BusinessNeverSleeps.com and finds a coffee shop with Internet Access in his city. His problem is solved.
Business Example: Snap Fitness in Minneapolis is open 24 hours a day - they are the only gym I know of that is open 24 hours a day. They have a large competitive advantage over gyms that are not open 24 hours a day and want to reach a ‘night-life’ market. So they go to BusinessNeverSleeps.com and register their business – and people who are looking for gyms 24 hours a day can find them. They increase their membership base as a result.
BusinessNeverSleeps.com is a great, innovative Internet Business Idea. You can take advantage of it by contacting them today.
Link-http://www.webbizideas.com/hire/internet-services/ideas/businessneversleeps.html
VCs Funding
FameCast Receives $4.5 Million for Online Talent Search
June 5, 2007
FameCast received $4.5 Million for online talent search, funding provided by Austin Ventures.
What does FameCast do?
FameCast is an online talent contest.
VCU says:
FameCast is an online competition to find America's best new talent. FameCast will provide artists an opportunity to connect to a nationwide audience and compete for $10,000 and national exposure. It is an online talent contest.
There are weekly contests to participate in, and results are tracked all the way.
It appears, based on those involved on the "about us" page that this is legit, and not just an interesting customer acquisition tactic
See: FameCast Here.
Founders:here
June 5, 2007
FameCast received $4.5 Million for online talent search, funding provided by Austin Ventures.
What does FameCast do?
FameCast is an online talent contest.
VCU says:
FameCast is an online competition to find America's best new talent. FameCast will provide artists an opportunity to connect to a nationwide audience and compete for $10,000 and national exposure. It is an online talent contest.
There are weekly contests to participate in, and results are tracked all the way.
It appears, based on those involved on the "about us" page that this is legit, and not just an interesting customer acquisition tactic
See: FameCast Here.
Founders:here
New Business Opporunities "Web Property Market"
It’s Early Days In The Web Property Market
It might be stupid of me to reveal this since I’m creating my own competition, but the truth of the matter is that the web marketplace, in terms of online property, is full of bargains and there has never been, and never will be again, such a great time to invest online.
It’s like having a choice of hundreds of properties which, provided you don’t totally neglect or destroy them, are guaranteed to increase in value over time. The World Wide Web is a suburb with millions of people moving in each month. That’s some pretty crazy growth and people who own property in this market enjoy consistent gains as a natural run-off effect of that growth.
I know this for a fact because every site I have is organically growing without me doing much. Google continues to send more and more search traffic. Word of mouth helps to bring more people to my sites and while none of my web property are growing super quickly, they are all steady performers.
Best of all, if you know what you are doing, you can find bargains, property priced so cheap people who invest in offline assets like real-word property and real-world businesses, would be stunned when they see the figures for online property.
You can buy web property at about five times monthly revenue. That’s MONTHLY revenue. Okay, it might be harder to find bargains at that price but it’s relatively easy to find sites that sell for 10-12 times monthly revenue. That’s one year of income, so a site that makes $1,000 a month today costs you $12,000 now.
In most cases with a few tweaks and given the natural growth of the web, and provided you did some due diligence before buying your investment to make sure you don’t get a lemon, that $1,000 can be grown to $2,000 a month in a relatively short period of time. You can make back your investment cost within 4-8 months and from there you have a nice $2,000 a month profit center. Do that five times and you have a six-figure yearly income - a potentially passive income source too!
So How Do You Find Passive Income Sites?
Any site that makes money can be a passive income source even if work is required to maintain it simply by setting up a person to look after it. So if you buy a blog that makes $1,000 a month, hire a blogger to keep content fresh and look after the place at $500 a month and you have a passive $500 a month income source that will continue to grow month after month assuming your blogger is doing a good job.
Alternatively you can look for sites that are driven by user-content generation. Sites like forums, social bookmarking communities and directories can function on the back of the people that already use the site, who create content, and the existing traffic coming through from incoming links and repeat loyal visitors.
Turnkey sites, like e-commerce stores that sell a digital product, function without you, converting sales through a web system made up of sales pages and perhaps email autoresponders, delivering the products through electronic distribution. There can be customer service needs, but of course this can be outsourced too.
There are plenty of types of sites out there that can be made passive or near-passive. It really depends on what style of site you understand so feel confident optimizing, and what your budget is.
For many of you reading this, blogs are a great option because you know how they work. There are many blogs for sale, the tricky part is making sure you can keep the content coming either by writing yourself or bringing on other bloggers. Buying a blog instead of starting a new one from scratch is another way to quick-start your professional blogging career and also teaches you the process of buying a website, which can be a very beneficial experience down the line when you go to purchase more online assets.
How Can You Start Investing In Web Property?
You only two things to get started:
The money to invest - I’d aim to have at least $5,000 USD saved up, although you can pick up smaller sites for a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars. The most expensive site I have bought so far was $12,000 and the cheapest was $2,000.
The inclination to make it work. You need to have the time to monitor marketplaces, to implement strategies, research sites, find sellers, do due diligence before buying and then optimizing your new property (”renovations”).
Having a blog that consistently makes money is the perfect leverage tool to get you into web property. It’s takes some patience and foresight to make a decision to reinvest profits rather than spend them, but you will be glad you did in the future as your portfolio increases in value.
Link:Yaro
NAME
It might be stupid of me to reveal this since I’m creating my own competition, but the truth of the matter is that the web marketplace, in terms of online property, is full of bargains and there has never been, and never will be again, such a great time to invest online.
It’s like having a choice of hundreds of properties which, provided you don’t totally neglect or destroy them, are guaranteed to increase in value over time. The World Wide Web is a suburb with millions of people moving in each month. That’s some pretty crazy growth and people who own property in this market enjoy consistent gains as a natural run-off effect of that growth.
I know this for a fact because every site I have is organically growing without me doing much. Google continues to send more and more search traffic. Word of mouth helps to bring more people to my sites and while none of my web property are growing super quickly, they are all steady performers.
Best of all, if you know what you are doing, you can find bargains, property priced so cheap people who invest in offline assets like real-word property and real-world businesses, would be stunned when they see the figures for online property.
You can buy web property at about five times monthly revenue. That’s MONTHLY revenue. Okay, it might be harder to find bargains at that price but it’s relatively easy to find sites that sell for 10-12 times monthly revenue. That’s one year of income, so a site that makes $1,000 a month today costs you $12,000 now.
In most cases with a few tweaks and given the natural growth of the web, and provided you did some due diligence before buying your investment to make sure you don’t get a lemon, that $1,000 can be grown to $2,000 a month in a relatively short period of time. You can make back your investment cost within 4-8 months and from there you have a nice $2,000 a month profit center. Do that five times and you have a six-figure yearly income - a potentially passive income source too!
So How Do You Find Passive Income Sites?
Any site that makes money can be a passive income source even if work is required to maintain it simply by setting up a person to look after it. So if you buy a blog that makes $1,000 a month, hire a blogger to keep content fresh and look after the place at $500 a month and you have a passive $500 a month income source that will continue to grow month after month assuming your blogger is doing a good job.
Alternatively you can look for sites that are driven by user-content generation. Sites like forums, social bookmarking communities and directories can function on the back of the people that already use the site, who create content, and the existing traffic coming through from incoming links and repeat loyal visitors.
Turnkey sites, like e-commerce stores that sell a digital product, function without you, converting sales through a web system made up of sales pages and perhaps email autoresponders, delivering the products through electronic distribution. There can be customer service needs, but of course this can be outsourced too.
There are plenty of types of sites out there that can be made passive or near-passive. It really depends on what style of site you understand so feel confident optimizing, and what your budget is.
For many of you reading this, blogs are a great option because you know how they work. There are many blogs for sale, the tricky part is making sure you can keep the content coming either by writing yourself or bringing on other bloggers. Buying a blog instead of starting a new one from scratch is another way to quick-start your professional blogging career and also teaches you the process of buying a website, which can be a very beneficial experience down the line when you go to purchase more online assets.
How Can You Start Investing In Web Property?
You only two things to get started:
The money to invest - I’d aim to have at least $5,000 USD saved up, although you can pick up smaller sites for a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars. The most expensive site I have bought so far was $12,000 and the cheapest was $2,000.
The inclination to make it work. You need to have the time to monitor marketplaces, to implement strategies, research sites, find sellers, do due diligence before buying and then optimizing your new property (”renovations”).
Having a blog that consistently makes money is the perfect leverage tool to get you into web property. It’s takes some patience and foresight to make a decision to reinvest profits rather than spend them, but you will be glad you did in the future as your portfolio increases in value.
Link:Yaro
NAME
Crawler.com Is better than Inbox.com,the free webmail service
Crawler.com is pratically identical to Inbox.com, the free webmail service. They are both owned by Xacti Group and both follow the exact same layout, design and interface in their websites. They both also offer very similar services, including online photo sharing, games, news, and free email. The difference seems to be on the emphasis of each site. Crawler.com aims to be your main source to search for information, while Inbox was more focused on hosting email. Or at least that is what Our mission is to become your #1 source to search for information of any kind. Our goal is to provide you with a simple ‘if you can’t find it here – you can’t find it’ solution! And to accomplish this mission, we are giving you multiple choices!
Crawler.com features one-click access to the search results of not one, but to ten of the best search providers on the Internet. Search for Web Results, Images, Audio, Multimedia, News and much more from one convenient location!
Unlike other search engines, Crawler results were designed to help you find what you are looking for - fast! That’s why we removed all banners, pop-ups and other irrelevant advertising that will just slow you down.
More at:http://www.crawler.com/
Crawler.com features one-click access to the search results of not one, but to ten of the best search providers on the Internet. Search for Web Results, Images, Audio, Multimedia, News and much more from one convenient location!
Unlike other search engines, Crawler results were designed to help you find what you are looking for - fast! That’s why we removed all banners, pop-ups and other irrelevant advertising that will just slow you down.
More at:http://www.crawler.com/
ubroadcast's mission is to provide a global interactive Internet broadcasting platform - a forum where practically anyone can discuss anything
Do you have a want to host your own internet radio station and become the next Howard Stern or Rush Limbaugh? ubroadcast makes that dream possible by providing an easy-to-use platform to create and broadcast your own station. After downloading ubroadcast's software, users can host a live talk show or music show in just 5 minutes, since the setup is so quick and easy. ubroadcast enables anyone to become a radio personality and host an Internet radio show..
ubroadcast's mission is to provide a global interactive Internet broadcasting platform - a forum where practically anyone can discuss anything - and provide free or premium content to its listeners. The ubroadcast web portal (www.ubroadcast.com) provides listeners with an index of broadcast programs that can be easily searched by a number of key parameters, from location to subject matter to host name and profile. We provide the best of traditional radio, satellite radio, and Internet radio rolled into one venue.
ubroadcast represents a major venue for listeners to find the type of content they seek and for broadcasters to air opinions, promote products and services or increase exposure for themselves, their company or organization. In traditional radio, there are a finite number of frequencies a station can use to carry its signal. ubroadcast does not have these limitations, nor does its stations have to register with the FCC.
More deatil at:http://www.ubroadcast.com/
ubroadcast's mission is to provide a global interactive Internet broadcasting platform - a forum where practically anyone can discuss anything - and provide free or premium content to its listeners. The ubroadcast web portal (www.ubroadcast.com) provides listeners with an index of broadcast programs that can be easily searched by a number of key parameters, from location to subject matter to host name and profile. We provide the best of traditional radio, satellite radio, and Internet radio rolled into one venue.
ubroadcast represents a major venue for listeners to find the type of content they seek and for broadcasters to air opinions, promote products and services or increase exposure for themselves, their company or organization. In traditional radio, there are a finite number of frequencies a station can use to carry its signal. ubroadcast does not have these limitations, nor does its stations have to register with the FCC.
More deatil at:http://www.ubroadcast.com/
A Perfect Hotel Video Guide
“Tvtrip is a new kind of website that uses video to provide travelers with the transparency they need when planning a trip. All of the videos available on the site have been shot by a team of professionals. We are neither a travel agency, nor part of any hotel chain and we do not charge any service fees to users of our site. The prices that are listed on the site are those of Tvtrip partners. We are an independent company which provides a quick, easy and trustworthy link to the best prices available. Tvtrip is not a booking agent.”
Now that summer’s coming up .Its useful guide for summer vacations. Nowadays trip planning is aided by travel sites like Cleartrip,yatra,travelguru,go travel, Expedia or Hotwire and also by those classic guides like Lonely Planet or Let’s Go Europe. TVTrip seeks to consolidate all the info you’ll need about a place into short, informative videos. Specifically, TVTrip features films of hotels. They have price guides, ratings, maps, and video tours of rooms and amenities. You’ll get to see each type of suite and room available along with shots of the exterior surroundings. Each video is accompanied by a short text description, a map, reviews, and a list of things to do near your hotel, with links to Eventful for more detailed information. TVTrip has got over 1500 videos with over 60 European destinations.
More at:http://www.tvtrip.com/
Now that summer’s coming up .Its useful guide for summer vacations. Nowadays trip planning is aided by travel sites like Cleartrip,yatra,travelguru,go travel, Expedia or Hotwire and also by those classic guides like Lonely Planet or Let’s Go Europe. TVTrip seeks to consolidate all the info you’ll need about a place into short, informative videos. Specifically, TVTrip features films of hotels. They have price guides, ratings, maps, and video tours of rooms and amenities. You’ll get to see each type of suite and room available along with shots of the exterior surroundings. Each video is accompanied by a short text description, a map, reviews, and a list of things to do near your hotel, with links to Eventful for more detailed information. TVTrip has got over 1500 videos with over 60 European destinations.
More at:http://www.tvtrip.com/
Friday, June 8, 2007
Entreprenuer With Difference
Canadian artistic visionary Guy Laliberte has been named the world's top entrepreneur for taking a troupe of stilt-walkers and street performers and creating the internationally renowned spectacle, Cirque du Soleil.
He accepted the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year at a ceremony in Monte Carlo, beating out 39 entrepreneurs from around the globe. He had been named Canada's top entrepreneur last November.
"Guy has taken a great entrepreneurial journey from street performer to CEO of a globally recognized brand," said Ernst & Young's global vice-chairman Greg Ericksen. "Today he oversees every aspect of Cirque du Soleil, and his vision goes far beyond creating entertainment."
As soon as the award was handed out late on Saturday night, Mr. Laliberte hopped on a plane to return to Montreal to be with his labouring wife, model Claudia Barilla. The couple already has a one-year-old child.
Cirque du Soleil, a unique modern circus featuring original music and performances based on juggling, tightrope walking and any other imaginable form of human acrobatics, has grown from a staff of 73 to more than 3,000 employees -- including 900 artists -- from more than 40 countries speaking 25 different languages in just over 20 years.
In the mid-1970s, an impetuous Mr. Laliberte left his native Quebec to travel Europe, juggling, breathing fire and playing the accordion in the streets to pay for his travels.
He brought his skills home in 1979, and established a group that would be the beginning of Cirque du Soleil.
When Quebec City celebrated the 450th anniversary of Canada's discovery by Jacques Cartier in 1984, they needed a show that would carry the festivities out across the province. Mr. Laliberte stepped forward, launching Cirque du Soleil onto the national stage.
Since that day, the show has made nearly 250 stops in 100 cities around the world, and has been seen by more than 60 million spectators; close to 10 million will have seen one during 2007. It has spun off shows such as the water-themed O held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, and has received nearly 100 awards for its creativity and innovation, including several Geminis and Emmys. The troupe was given a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in 2002.
In 2004, Mr. Laliberte was honoured by receiving the Order of Canada, the same year he was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 1997, Mr. Laliberte received the Ordre national du Quebec.
While Mr. Laliberte may be comfortable rubbing shoulders with contortionists and acrobats, he now holds company with CEOs wearing power suits. Past nominees for the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year, the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs, include Michael Dell of Dell Inc. and Pierre Omidyar of eBay Inc.
More at:http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=4fdf93db-4b6b-4816-b57f-5b7a954d01a8&k=32726
He accepted the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year at a ceremony in Monte Carlo, beating out 39 entrepreneurs from around the globe. He had been named Canada's top entrepreneur last November.
"Guy has taken a great entrepreneurial journey from street performer to CEO of a globally recognized brand," said Ernst & Young's global vice-chairman Greg Ericksen. "Today he oversees every aspect of Cirque du Soleil, and his vision goes far beyond creating entertainment."
As soon as the award was handed out late on Saturday night, Mr. Laliberte hopped on a plane to return to Montreal to be with his labouring wife, model Claudia Barilla. The couple already has a one-year-old child.
Cirque du Soleil, a unique modern circus featuring original music and performances based on juggling, tightrope walking and any other imaginable form of human acrobatics, has grown from a staff of 73 to more than 3,000 employees -- including 900 artists -- from more than 40 countries speaking 25 different languages in just over 20 years.
In the mid-1970s, an impetuous Mr. Laliberte left his native Quebec to travel Europe, juggling, breathing fire and playing the accordion in the streets to pay for his travels.
He brought his skills home in 1979, and established a group that would be the beginning of Cirque du Soleil.
When Quebec City celebrated the 450th anniversary of Canada's discovery by Jacques Cartier in 1984, they needed a show that would carry the festivities out across the province. Mr. Laliberte stepped forward, launching Cirque du Soleil onto the national stage.
Since that day, the show has made nearly 250 stops in 100 cities around the world, and has been seen by more than 60 million spectators; close to 10 million will have seen one during 2007. It has spun off shows such as the water-themed O held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, and has received nearly 100 awards for its creativity and innovation, including several Geminis and Emmys. The troupe was given a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in 2002.
In 2004, Mr. Laliberte was honoured by receiving the Order of Canada, the same year he was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 1997, Mr. Laliberte received the Ordre national du Quebec.
While Mr. Laliberte may be comfortable rubbing shoulders with contortionists and acrobats, he now holds company with CEOs wearing power suits. Past nominees for the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year, the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs, include Michael Dell of Dell Inc. and Pierre Omidyar of eBay Inc.
More at:http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=4fdf93db-4b6b-4816-b57f-5b7a954d01a8&k=32726
CloakVroom is staffed 24 hours a day to provide event-goers with peace of mind, and offer event organisers a hassle-free drive-in facility
CloakVroom is staffed 24 hours a day to provide event-goers with peace of mind, and offer event organisers a hassle-free drive-in facility.
The mobile service goes the extra mile: customers are given a numbered wristband with CloakVroom's mobile number and website. If anyone leaves an item behind, they can reclaim it by contacting CloakVroom, which will mail the goods back to them. The company was launched last month by M40 Media, an agency that specialises in event sponsorship and festival publications. After 10 years of working with festivals, they noticed a growing need for secure on-site storage, and voila — CloakVroom was born.
According to Gary Pitt, CloakVroom's founder, his fledgling venture has received unprecedented interest and the vehicle is booked at an event every weekend until the end of September. CloakVroom's service will be on offer at Wild in the Country Knebworth, Bestival, The V Festival, Creamfields, Cornbury Festival, The Secret Garden Party, Lovebox and many more. CloakVroom is also taking corporate bookings — the biggest of which is the official relaunch later this month of London's Millennium Dome, now called the 02.
CloakVroom plans to roll out a franchise in 2008, with separate vehicles covering different regions in the UK. One to start up in your own neck of the woods?
More at:http://www.cloakvroom.com/
The mobile service goes the extra mile: customers are given a numbered wristband with CloakVroom's mobile number and website. If anyone leaves an item behind, they can reclaim it by contacting CloakVroom, which will mail the goods back to them. The company was launched last month by M40 Media, an agency that specialises in event sponsorship and festival publications. After 10 years of working with festivals, they noticed a growing need for secure on-site storage, and voila — CloakVroom was born.
According to Gary Pitt, CloakVroom's founder, his fledgling venture has received unprecedented interest and the vehicle is booked at an event every weekend until the end of September. CloakVroom's service will be on offer at Wild in the Country Knebworth, Bestival, The V Festival, Creamfields, Cornbury Festival, The Secret Garden Party, Lovebox and many more. CloakVroom is also taking corporate bookings — the biggest of which is the official relaunch later this month of London's Millennium Dome, now called the 02.
CloakVroom plans to roll out a franchise in 2008, with separate vehicles covering different regions in the UK. One to start up in your own neck of the woods?
More at:http://www.cloakvroom.com/
Job Sim And College Sim Provide You Right Information By Comparing Lot Of Different Things,Like Cost Of Living ,Quality etc..
The job sim is one of three finance sims that are available at finfo.com. This particular sim allows users to compare jobs in different cities and provides you with information on cost of living. The sims are free and users don't have to sign up to use any of the sims.
More at:http://www.finfo.com/job
2.The college sim is one of three finance sims that are available at finfo.com. This particular sim allows users to compare colleges, select the year that they will attend college, and the sim will provide you with a college report. The sims are free and users don't have to sign up to use any of the sims.
More at:http://www.finfo.com/college
More at:http://www.finfo.com/job
2.The college sim is one of three finance sims that are available at finfo.com. This particular sim allows users to compare colleges, select the year that they will attend college, and the sim will provide you with a college report. The sims are free and users don't have to sign up to use any of the sims.
More at:http://www.finfo.com/college
FlashMeeting.com Provides You To Broadcast Meeting From Anywhere In World
The future is here and now, and FlashMeeting makes it pretty easy to participate. Anyone with a modern web browser with the Flash 8 (or greater) plugin correctly installed can use FlashMeeting. You will also need a properly installed web cam and microphone. But after that, you are all set. It's a pretty cool site, and they have gone to extreme lengths to demonstrate how to use the service with both video and text help. I was impressed with the features that have people sign up to speak/broadcast one at a time, along with the ability to chat with others on the call at the same time. It's an extremely handy program. The only downside I can see is that you can't get away with working in your pajamas at home anymore.
FlashMeeting is an application based on the Adobe Flash 'plug in' and Flash Media Server. Running in a standard web browser window, it allows a dispersed group of people to meet from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Typically a meeting is pre-booked by a registered user and a url, containing a unique password for the meeting, is returned by the FlashMeeting server. The 'booker' passes this on to the people they wish to participate, who simply click on the link to enter into the meeting at the arranged time.
During the meeting one person speaks (i.e. broadcasts) at a time. Other people can simultaneously contribute using text chat, the whiteboard, or emoticons etc. while waiting for their turn to speak. This way the meeting is ordered, controlled and easy to follow. A replay of the meeting is instantly available, to those with the 'unique' replay url.
More at:http://www.flashmeeting.com/
FlashMeeting is an application based on the Adobe Flash 'plug in' and Flash Media Server. Running in a standard web browser window, it allows a dispersed group of people to meet from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Typically a meeting is pre-booked by a registered user and a url, containing a unique password for the meeting, is returned by the FlashMeeting server. The 'booker' passes this on to the people they wish to participate, who simply click on the link to enter into the meeting at the arranged time.
During the meeting one person speaks (i.e. broadcasts) at a time. Other people can simultaneously contribute using text chat, the whiteboard, or emoticons etc. while waiting for their turn to speak. This way the meeting is ordered, controlled and easy to follow. A replay of the meeting is instantly available, to those with the 'unique' replay url.
More at:http://www.flashmeeting.com/
Make Huge Money Through Video Sharing Site ,Break.com
Break.com is one of the leading video sharing sites online. Mostly for amateur videographers, the site pays those who submit videos that make it to their homepage ($400 for an original video and $2,000 for a produced short film). A site makes it to the homepage by having 25,000 viewers the first week or meeting a set of algorithms set by the site. Somewhat heartbreaking for me is that they have "Girl of the Day" vidoes. They pay $50 if you are selected as Girl of the Day and the top rated Girl of the Day for each month wins $500! Take note: there was no such thing as "Boy of the Day." Plus, the most viewed weekly video was a woman in a bikini in a video titled, "What I learned from porn." Ah...how far we have (not) come.
Creates a growing community based on timely, visceral entertainment.
Enables users to upload and share their original content.
Remains a leading proponent of the democratization and monetization of content. Thanks to Break, you don't need to be famous to create entertaining videos and have them distributed to millions.
More at:http://www.break.com/
Creates a growing community based on timely, visceral entertainment.
Enables users to upload and share their original content.
Remains a leading proponent of the democratization and monetization of content. Thanks to Break, you don't need to be famous to create entertaining videos and have them distributed to millions.
More at:http://www.break.com/
Rebtel's a VoIP service which gives you cheap international calling rates on both your mobile and landline phone.
Rebtel's a VoIP service which gives you cheap international calling rates on both your mobile and landline phone. You give Rebtel a friend's phone number and Rebtel will return with a local number for them so that you get cheaper rates. You'll need to add credits to your account, or you can simply have your friend call you back from the number that Rebtel sends them via SMS, or the number that appears on the screen; you stay on the line, and both you and your friend can chat while paying at a local call rate. Without paying anything you'll get 10 international calls which last as long as you want. Or if you'd prefer to pay, you'll get charged at a per minute rate-- all calls within the US are 2 cents. So far Rebtel's got 37 countries covered and you can sign up for an email notification when Rebtel gets to your country.
“We saw a way to take expensive international calls out of the hands of the mobile operators and make them cheaper for everyone.
So we developed a system that uses the internet to connect local calls around the world, cutting out expensive international charges.
More at:http://www.rebtel.com/
“We saw a way to take expensive international calls out of the hands of the mobile operators and make them cheaper for everyone.
So we developed a system that uses the internet to connect local calls around the world, cutting out expensive international charges.
More at:http://www.rebtel.com/
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Good Plateform For Emerging Entreprenuers
A business plan competition to be held in London promises to help all participants, not just the winner.
A London-held business plan competition will provide entrepreneurs with the chance to get expert advice and make invaluable contacts whether they win or not.
TiEger’s Den, which is organized by TiE UK, won’t be the humiliating experience it is for so many of the participants of the hit BBC show with a similar name, Dragon’s Den, where people often get their business proposals torn apart on television.
A panel of experienced entrepreneurs from the TiE UK membership will cast their eye over contestants’ business plans and offer constructive advice and on-going mentoring to all participants.
Four entrepreneurs will have a maximum of five minutes to present their business plan, which will be followed by a Q&A session with the panel lasting no longer than 10 minutes.
Last year’s winner, Mathew Mazhuvanchery of ONSI Infrastructure, found the experience invaluable to his emerging business.
“I got great advice on how I should take ONSI forward” he says. “It’s worth its weight in gold.”
The TiEger’s Den Business Plan Competition takes place on 5 July at the London offices of competition sponsors Simmons & Simmons. The address is Citypoint, One Ropemaker Street, London, EC2Y 9SS.
If you wish to be considered for this event please send your business plan to Fionuala Pender, TiE UK Executive Director at fpender@tie-uk.org no later than 16 June.
TiE UK is part of a not-for-profit global network of entrepreneurs and professionals, and holds frequent networking events, seminars, and workshops as well as offering a mentoring programme for emerging entrepreneurs.
More at:http://www.tie-uk.org/
A London-held business plan competition will provide entrepreneurs with the chance to get expert advice and make invaluable contacts whether they win or not.
TiEger’s Den, which is organized by TiE UK, won’t be the humiliating experience it is for so many of the participants of the hit BBC show with a similar name, Dragon’s Den, where people often get their business proposals torn apart on television.
A panel of experienced entrepreneurs from the TiE UK membership will cast their eye over contestants’ business plans and offer constructive advice and on-going mentoring to all participants.
Four entrepreneurs will have a maximum of five minutes to present their business plan, which will be followed by a Q&A session with the panel lasting no longer than 10 minutes.
Last year’s winner, Mathew Mazhuvanchery of ONSI Infrastructure, found the experience invaluable to his emerging business.
“I got great advice on how I should take ONSI forward” he says. “It’s worth its weight in gold.”
The TiEger’s Den Business Plan Competition takes place on 5 July at the London offices of competition sponsors Simmons & Simmons. The address is Citypoint, One Ropemaker Street, London, EC2Y 9SS.
If you wish to be considered for this event please send your business plan to Fionuala Pender, TiE UK Executive Director at fpender@tie-uk.org no later than 16 June.
TiE UK is part of a not-for-profit global network of entrepreneurs and professionals, and holds frequent networking events, seminars, and workshops as well as offering a mentoring programme for emerging entrepreneurs.
More at:http://www.tie-uk.org/
Movie Could Teach YouAbout Entreprenuership
It was a disappointment at the box office, but grew to popularity on cable television to the point that almost everyone I know considers it one of the top movies of all time. I'm talking about The Shawshank Redemption. It's a deep movie, and while talking with a friend the other day, I came to realize how well some of the lessons in the movie carry over to life as an entrepreneur.
Lesson 1 - The Discontinuity of Success (Why Overnight Successes Are Really Long Battles)
Overnight successes aren't really overnight successes. They only seem that way. I touched on this in my post about Elton John and How To Make Millions in 30 Minutes or Less. In The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne spends 19 years digging a tunnel to escape prison. The result is binary. He's either in prison, or he isn't. For 19 years, he's making progress, but he's still in prison. Then one day he is free. It seems like a huge jump, but it wasn't.
This happens a lot to entrepreneurs. They go years without reaching the level of success they seek, and when they find it, it often comes in the form of a discontinuity. You go through each day, working hard, not knowing if you will ever see the payoff you hope for, but taking satisfaction in the process of building something. Then one day you are acquired, or go public, or get to the point that you don't have to be involved every day. All of the sudden it's different.
Many people in Andy's position would have tried to break out of Shawshank like this:
1. Get a rock hammer and start digging.
2. Realize it's going to take a long time.
3. Give up. Or possibly...
4. Get a bigger hammer that gets you caught, and lose any hope of breaking out because the guards keep a better eye on your activities.
5. Start trying again, every time the place really gets to you, but always give up after a few weeks because it's hard and progress is slow.
The result is that you would spend your life in Shawshank. So the lesson of Andy Dufresne is to keep plugging away. Do whatever you can. It's all about forward progress. Overnight successes tend to happen to people that have put in years of paying their dues.
Lesson 2 - Institutionalization (Get Busy Living, or Get Busy Dying)
Entrepreneurship isn't for everyone. I'm not one of these bloggers that will chastize people who work for corporations. There is nothing wrong with that. It fits some people very well, and is a surer path to success. But it can kill the spirit of an entrepreneur to spend too much time in a big company.
Here is what Red (Morgan Freeman in the movie) says about Brooks, a long time inmate who threatens to kill another inmate because he's afraid to leave Shawshank.
He's just institutionalized...The man's been in here fifty years, Heywood, fifty years. This is all he knows. In here, he's an important man, he's an educated man. Outside he's nothin' - just a used-up con with arthritis in both hands. Probably couldn't get a library card if he tried.
Spend a long time at a company, and you get some nice perks. You get seniority. You get an expense account. Leave for a startup and all of the sudden you are building desks out of old doors and staying at Motel 6 instead of the Hyatt. It's not a jump everybody can make easily.
The other point that is relevant is that if you have an entrepreneurial spirit, too much time inside a slow bureaucratic company can kill it off. Here is the rest of Red's quote about Brooks.
..these walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, it gets so you depend on 'em. That's 'institutionalized'...They send you here for life and that's exactly what they take, the part that counts anyway.
Like I said. Corporate life is a perfect match for the skills and interests of many people, and that's fine. But for entrepreneurs, anything more than a year or two could kill off that urge to build something. It's hard to leave the comfort of a steady paycheck and the 8-5 life, but it's like Red says in the movie - "get busy living or get busy dying."
More at:http://www.businesspundit.com/
Lesson 1 - The Discontinuity of Success (Why Overnight Successes Are Really Long Battles)
Overnight successes aren't really overnight successes. They only seem that way. I touched on this in my post about Elton John and How To Make Millions in 30 Minutes or Less. In The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne spends 19 years digging a tunnel to escape prison. The result is binary. He's either in prison, or he isn't. For 19 years, he's making progress, but he's still in prison. Then one day he is free. It seems like a huge jump, but it wasn't.
This happens a lot to entrepreneurs. They go years without reaching the level of success they seek, and when they find it, it often comes in the form of a discontinuity. You go through each day, working hard, not knowing if you will ever see the payoff you hope for, but taking satisfaction in the process of building something. Then one day you are acquired, or go public, or get to the point that you don't have to be involved every day. All of the sudden it's different.
Many people in Andy's position would have tried to break out of Shawshank like this:
1. Get a rock hammer and start digging.
2. Realize it's going to take a long time.
3. Give up. Or possibly...
4. Get a bigger hammer that gets you caught, and lose any hope of breaking out because the guards keep a better eye on your activities.
5. Start trying again, every time the place really gets to you, but always give up after a few weeks because it's hard and progress is slow.
The result is that you would spend your life in Shawshank. So the lesson of Andy Dufresne is to keep plugging away. Do whatever you can. It's all about forward progress. Overnight successes tend to happen to people that have put in years of paying their dues.
Lesson 2 - Institutionalization (Get Busy Living, or Get Busy Dying)
Entrepreneurship isn't for everyone. I'm not one of these bloggers that will chastize people who work for corporations. There is nothing wrong with that. It fits some people very well, and is a surer path to success. But it can kill the spirit of an entrepreneur to spend too much time in a big company.
Here is what Red (Morgan Freeman in the movie) says about Brooks, a long time inmate who threatens to kill another inmate because he's afraid to leave Shawshank.
He's just institutionalized...The man's been in here fifty years, Heywood, fifty years. This is all he knows. In here, he's an important man, he's an educated man. Outside he's nothin' - just a used-up con with arthritis in both hands. Probably couldn't get a library card if he tried.
Spend a long time at a company, and you get some nice perks. You get seniority. You get an expense account. Leave for a startup and all of the sudden you are building desks out of old doors and staying at Motel 6 instead of the Hyatt. It's not a jump everybody can make easily.
The other point that is relevant is that if you have an entrepreneurial spirit, too much time inside a slow bureaucratic company can kill it off. Here is the rest of Red's quote about Brooks.
..these walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, it gets so you depend on 'em. That's 'institutionalized'...They send you here for life and that's exactly what they take, the part that counts anyway.
Like I said. Corporate life is a perfect match for the skills and interests of many people, and that's fine. But for entrepreneurs, anything more than a year or two could kill off that urge to build something. It's hard to leave the comfort of a steady paycheck and the 8-5 life, but it's like Red says in the movie - "get busy living or get busy dying."
More at:http://www.businesspundit.com/
www.peopleized.com
It came up with the idea when they saw that a lot of blogger have very good content and still have a problem getting traffic, so they started Peopleized. The goal is to give readers access to new and interesting blogs by using the interviews as a “behind-the-scenes” tool to help them gain interest to the content.
More at:http://www.peopleized.com/
More at:http://www.peopleized.com/
Uncommon Business Idea
Brian Conant stood alongside his fellow National Guardsmen during a training session about eight years ago in Hawaii. He was wearing a heavy chemical warfare suit lined with charcoal.
"Any time I expelled gas in the suit, I realized nobody could smell it," Conant, 48, says. "It was amazing."
According to the American College of Gastroenterology, 58 million Americans suffer from one or more medical disorders that cause excessive gas. To treat it, doctors usually recommend a change in diet. Sometimes they recommend medication, such as Gas-X or Bean-O, which alters the bacteria that may be causing the foul odor. But with Conant's invention, the Flatulence Deodorizer, also known as Flat-D, there is an alternative way to limit the embarrassment.
The long, narrow washable pad, lined thinly with charcoal, absorbs chemicals, including hydrogen sulfide, a byproduct of the bacteria that causes odorous gas. The pad, at $12.95, curves with the contour of the body, and one size fits most.
For those who fall outside the "most" category, Conant has developed the "overpad," partly due to the increasing number of phone calls from those who have just undergone gastric bypass surgery. "Can you guess our best month?" asks marketing director Frank Morosky. "January, because people have made New Year's resolutions to eat healthier. And, it turns out, healthy foods like broccoli, beans and whole grains cause gas."
More at:http://www.flat-d.com/
"Any time I expelled gas in the suit, I realized nobody could smell it," Conant, 48, says. "It was amazing."
According to the American College of Gastroenterology, 58 million Americans suffer from one or more medical disorders that cause excessive gas. To treat it, doctors usually recommend a change in diet. Sometimes they recommend medication, such as Gas-X or Bean-O, which alters the bacteria that may be causing the foul odor. But with Conant's invention, the Flatulence Deodorizer, also known as Flat-D, there is an alternative way to limit the embarrassment.
The long, narrow washable pad, lined thinly with charcoal, absorbs chemicals, including hydrogen sulfide, a byproduct of the bacteria that causes odorous gas. The pad, at $12.95, curves with the contour of the body, and one size fits most.
For those who fall outside the "most" category, Conant has developed the "overpad," partly due to the increasing number of phone calls from those who have just undergone gastric bypass surgery. "Can you guess our best month?" asks marketing director Frank Morosky. "January, because people have made New Year's resolutions to eat healthier. And, it turns out, healthy foods like broccoli, beans and whole grains cause gas."
More at:http://www.flat-d.com/
Cooqy provides a fresh and friendly interface for eBay which makes shopping a breeze.
Cooqy provides a fresh and friendly interface for eBay which makes shopping a breeze. Cooqy launches directly without registration. What you'll find is a seriously cool flash based interface with an advanced toolset. Information loads quickly. The advanced query function allows you to refine searches by specifying location for cheaper shipping, by generating mispelled entries which usually go unnoticed and are therefore probably cheaper, and by helping you find zero bid items or those with buy now status. By pressing Find Similar button, Cooqy will automatically pull up relevant matches. There are several viewing options: photo collage, stamp sheet, gallery, list, and even map view which very nicely integrates with Yahoo maps and pinpoints the locations of the items up for sale. Once you've set up your own account with Cooqy there are advanced options available: Finders Keepers hides an item from other Cooqy users if you're the highest bidder; Watchlist is for items you want to keep your eye on; Found Items displays results emailed to you which match your search alert criteria. Once you want to place a bid you'll be directed to the actual eBay site. For sellers there's a set of widgets which enable advertising on popular sites like Myspace, Blogger, and Xanga among others.
"Shoppers can shop eBay with superior presentation, performance, and value-add
shopping features not available elsewhere, for free!
More at:http://www.cooqy.com/
"Shoppers can shop eBay with superior presentation, performance, and value-add
shopping features not available elsewhere, for free!
More at:http://www.cooqy.com/
Online Marketplace For All Kind Of Sports Tickets
You’ll never miss a playoff game or championship again with ReserveTickets.com. Reserve Tickets is a startup which allows you to reserve tickets before the season even begins, providing the truest sports fans the best value and the best seats to all their favorite games. Ticket Reserve supports NFL, NHL, NBA, NCAA, and NASCAR, all fans of all the most popular sports in the US.
More at:http://www.ticketreserve.com/
More at:http://www.ticketreserve.com/
Search for airfare deals from your Facebook profile
GO,powered by SmartTravel, has created a Facebook application enabling you to search for airfare deals from your Facebook profile. Search flights across the country or across the world. Get your application now and you’ll be entered to win one of three $500 air travel prizes provided by SmarterTravel. You don’t need to sign up for a Go account in order to install the search widget onto your Facebook profile, and of course, friends can utilize the search as well.
More at:http://mashable.com/
More at:http://mashable.com/
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
www.koolwire.com
Just send your word, excel, powerpoint file as an attachment to pdf@koolwire.com and you'll get your PDF by return mail. No software to buy, download and install, no time wasted.
More at:http://www.koolwire.com/
More at:http://www.koolwire.com/
Gaboogie is designed for busy professionals who don't have time to waste organizing conference calls with colleagues, customers and suppliers
Gaboogie eliminates the headaches and frustrations you experience when booking and attending conference calls, and replaces them with: An intuitive web interface for booking, An automated dial-out process to ensure you never need to remember dial-in numbers and PINs and A moderator console to help you manage every aspect of a call in progress. Gaboogie is designed for busy professionals who don't have time to waste organizing conference calls with colleagues, customers and suppliers.
More at:http://gaboogie.com/
More at:http://gaboogie.com/
Million Dollar Wiki
The Million Dollar Wiki is a website similar to Wikipedia, except that each page must be purchased and thus has a single owner. The owner of the page, and the owner alone, decides the content for the page. A page in the Million Dollar Wiki costs $100, and the purchaser owns the page for the life of the site, which is guaranteed to be at least 15 years.One of the interesting things about the Million Dollar Wiki, aside from the fact that you can put your own Google Ads on your Wiki page, is that if you purchase a page, you can sell that page down the road. That means if you own the page for "Startup" or "Video" for example and, a year down the road, someone is willing to pay a ransom for it, the owner of that page can sell it for a profit!
Another nice feature of the Million Dollar Wiki is that all pages are ranked according to their popularity as based on the number of views each page has had. That means that the more interesting pages in the Wiki will "weed themselves out" to the top.
More at:http://www.milliondollarwiki.com/
Another nice feature of the Million Dollar Wiki is that all pages are ranked according to their popularity as based on the number of views each page has had. That means that the more interesting pages in the Wiki will "weed themselves out" to the top.
More at:http://www.milliondollarwiki.com/
Multimillionaire Story
Entrepreneur Todd Beckman is no different. He insists customers be greeted within three seconds of arrival. Employees are empowered to “own” customer concerns and see them through until resolution. Every customer experience is expected to exceed expectations, says the founder.
But Beckman is in an industry where you normally wouldn’t expect to find such an extraordinary commitment to excellence. That’s all right, because Beckman’s formula for combining world-class facilities, state-of-the-art equipment and outstanding training and customer service with a passion for perfection has positioned The Tan Company as one of the fastest-growing tanning salon franchises in the nation. Business is booming.
With 72 locations in 12 states, The Tan Company expects to grow to 100 locations by the end of 2007 and reach 500 salons within five years. Beckman is considered one of the industry’s pioneers since opening what was formerly called The St. Louis Tan Company in 1994. He is a visionary.
Beckman was one of the first to combine the superstore concept—dozens of tanning beds providing multiple levels of tanning—with an economical membership program that provided unlimited tanning to customers instead of paying per visit.
Along the way, Beckman has fostered The Tan Company brand—recognized for its “Five-Star” facilities, world-class skin-care products and cleanest tanning environment in the country—making it a premier investment opportunity for single- and multi-unit ownership and area development.
“I saw the unprofessionalism in the tanning industry,” Beckman said. “There was not a dominant brand with first-rate facilities and service. Most were run like mom-and-pop businesses. I felt we had a unique idea.”
Beckman got his first job bussing tables when he was 13. His parents, Ed and Gay Beckman, owned several hair salons in the St. Louis area. Todd opened his franchised hair salon in 1984 when he was only 18.
Two years later, Beckman put four tanning beds in the back of his salon. They were immensely popular. It convinced Beckman to buy a small tanning salon in suburban St. Louis in 1994 that had sales of $65,000 in its first year under previous ownership. Beckman’s St. Louis Tan Company—with its innovative membershipprogram—had sales of $57,000 in its first month alone.
Even with two locations, customers were sometimes waiting 90 minutes for a tanning bed. Nine months later, Beckman opened his first superstore in Maryland Heights, Mo., with 30 tanning beds providing multiple levels oftanning. “We’ve been building off it ever since,” Beckman said.
The St. Louis Tan Company grew to 15 locations by 2000. With growing demand for the superstore concept and ever-increasing customer traffic, Beckman decided to franchise his business model and expand outside the St. Louis area in 2001 as The Tan Company. Today, superstores with 20-plus beds and five levels of tanning account for 90 percent of The Tan Co. locations.
“It took someone with an entrepreneur’s attitude like Todd to see the potential in building a brand when there were so many others entering the industry who only wanted to open a small salon,” said Todd Layton, vice president of franchise operations. “Unless you were willing to make a commitment to be the best, as Todd did, it wasn’t going to work.”
Beckman’s business prowess has caught the attention of others, namely Dave “Lags” Lageschulte, who became the first franchisee of the popular Hooters restaurant chain in 1983. Along with his partners, Lageschulte developed Hooters restaurants throughout South Florida and became one of the chain’s most successful franchisees. He is co-owner of the world’s first Hooters Casino Hotel that opened in Las Vegas in February 2006.
In January 2006, Lageschulte purchased a 50 percent ownership stake in The Tan Co., as well as area development rights to Georgia, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. His first location opened in Athens, Ga.
More at:http://www.thetanco.com/
http://uncommonbusiness.blogspot.com/
But Beckman is in an industry where you normally wouldn’t expect to find such an extraordinary commitment to excellence. That’s all right, because Beckman’s formula for combining world-class facilities, state-of-the-art equipment and outstanding training and customer service with a passion for perfection has positioned The Tan Company as one of the fastest-growing tanning salon franchises in the nation. Business is booming.
With 72 locations in 12 states, The Tan Company expects to grow to 100 locations by the end of 2007 and reach 500 salons within five years. Beckman is considered one of the industry’s pioneers since opening what was formerly called The St. Louis Tan Company in 1994. He is a visionary.
Beckman was one of the first to combine the superstore concept—dozens of tanning beds providing multiple levels of tanning—with an economical membership program that provided unlimited tanning to customers instead of paying per visit.
Along the way, Beckman has fostered The Tan Company brand—recognized for its “Five-Star” facilities, world-class skin-care products and cleanest tanning environment in the country—making it a premier investment opportunity for single- and multi-unit ownership and area development.
“I saw the unprofessionalism in the tanning industry,” Beckman said. “There was not a dominant brand with first-rate facilities and service. Most were run like mom-and-pop businesses. I felt we had a unique idea.”
Beckman got his first job bussing tables when he was 13. His parents, Ed and Gay Beckman, owned several hair salons in the St. Louis area. Todd opened his franchised hair salon in 1984 when he was only 18.
Two years later, Beckman put four tanning beds in the back of his salon. They were immensely popular. It convinced Beckman to buy a small tanning salon in suburban St. Louis in 1994 that had sales of $65,000 in its first year under previous ownership. Beckman’s St. Louis Tan Company—with its innovative membershipprogram—had sales of $57,000 in its first month alone.
Even with two locations, customers were sometimes waiting 90 minutes for a tanning bed. Nine months later, Beckman opened his first superstore in Maryland Heights, Mo., with 30 tanning beds providing multiple levels oftanning. “We’ve been building off it ever since,” Beckman said.
The St. Louis Tan Company grew to 15 locations by 2000. With growing demand for the superstore concept and ever-increasing customer traffic, Beckman decided to franchise his business model and expand outside the St. Louis area in 2001 as The Tan Company. Today, superstores with 20-plus beds and five levels of tanning account for 90 percent of The Tan Co. locations.
“It took someone with an entrepreneur’s attitude like Todd to see the potential in building a brand when there were so many others entering the industry who only wanted to open a small salon,” said Todd Layton, vice president of franchise operations. “Unless you were willing to make a commitment to be the best, as Todd did, it wasn’t going to work.”
Beckman’s business prowess has caught the attention of others, namely Dave “Lags” Lageschulte, who became the first franchisee of the popular Hooters restaurant chain in 1983. Along with his partners, Lageschulte developed Hooters restaurants throughout South Florida and became one of the chain’s most successful franchisees. He is co-owner of the world’s first Hooters Casino Hotel that opened in Las Vegas in February 2006.
In January 2006, Lageschulte purchased a 50 percent ownership stake in The Tan Co., as well as area development rights to Georgia, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. His first location opened in Athens, Ga.
More at:http://www.thetanco.com/
http://uncommonbusiness.blogspot.com/
How Entreprenuers Or Start Ups Techies Will get Success?Throuhgh Advertising?
I am proud to be a mentor for the Colorado TechStars program, and this evening we had our first mixer, a typical geeky mixup with poor acoustics and a male:female ratio of about 30:1. The mix was young entrepreneurs who won the TechStars competition and are now seed funded through the summer (along with gaining access to an array of very sharp advisors and mentors), the mentors, and other folk in the community who are focused on startups and business development.
A nice group and it was a good opportunity to both visit with some of my Denver-based friends and meet the young turks who are hopefully going to be building the next YouTube or Flickr in our proverbial garage.
Except for one glaring problem...
I estimate that I talked with about seven different startups this evening, roughly fifteen different entrepreneurs who are eager to dive into their business ideas full-time, to really devote all their energy into building Something Cool and Meaningful. Hopefully there's the proverbial pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow, but there was very little sense of people tilting towards a payout (or what we finance types call an "exit event"), which was nice.
But time after time, I asked "interesting idea, but how are you going to monetize it?" and received back flowery explanations that boiled down to "advertising" or, worse, AdSense. One group was even more disconnected, explaining that their goal was to build a large community of users, then they'd "figure out" how to make money.
Here's a tip for all you budding startup junkies: A busy site can certainly make for a great hobby, a fun project to fiddle with, and maybe a few bucks at the end of the month, but (with precious few exceptions) that's not a business.
Advertising? Well, you can look at the slow dissolve of the traditional media -- newspapers, magazines, radio, broadcast TV -- to understand the great risks involved in believing that someone else will always underwrite your efforts, someone other than your users. Further, while there might be high-flying estimates of future advertising revenue in the online world, it isn't often highlighted that the competition is going to get tougher too. A company like IBM might spend millions on advertising, but their money is going to skew towards a small number of large sites, not a large number of small ones, meaning that unless you want to build a business on the nickel and dime PPC payouts of Google's AdSense, AuctionAds, and related, you've got a fundamental problem in your business model.
How much smarter to have a business that has figured out a compelling value proposition, a solution that's so slick, so useful, that users are happy to upgrade to a paid premium service. Not an awkward afterthought of useless tools for the less than one percent who upgrade, but something really revolutionary, something new and clearly cool. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of that thinking embodied in the groups I met this evening, and while I remain highly enthused about TechStars, I am a bit concerned about the likelihood that we'll see a bunch of home runs, or, heck, even a single or two out of the mix...
No question, it's going to be very interesting to see how these companies evolve over the summer as various of us mentors and advisors try to hammer home the idea that the difference between a good idea and a real business is a reliable revenue stream, and that the best way to create that is to offer a compelling, valuable business service.
Then again, there are plenty of startups that were acquired without much more of a business plan than "get lots of eyeballs", so maybe I'm completely off-base here. How important do you, dear reader, believe it is that a business have a clear and sustainable revenue stream identified in the earliest stages of its existence?
More at:http://www.intuitive.com/blog/memo_to_entrepreneurs_advertising_not_strong_business.html
A nice group and it was a good opportunity to both visit with some of my Denver-based friends and meet the young turks who are hopefully going to be building the next YouTube or Flickr in our proverbial garage.
Except for one glaring problem...
I estimate that I talked with about seven different startups this evening, roughly fifteen different entrepreneurs who are eager to dive into their business ideas full-time, to really devote all their energy into building Something Cool and Meaningful. Hopefully there's the proverbial pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow, but there was very little sense of people tilting towards a payout (or what we finance types call an "exit event"), which was nice.
But time after time, I asked "interesting idea, but how are you going to monetize it?" and received back flowery explanations that boiled down to "advertising" or, worse, AdSense. One group was even more disconnected, explaining that their goal was to build a large community of users, then they'd "figure out" how to make money.
Here's a tip for all you budding startup junkies: A busy site can certainly make for a great hobby, a fun project to fiddle with, and maybe a few bucks at the end of the month, but (with precious few exceptions) that's not a business.
Advertising? Well, you can look at the slow dissolve of the traditional media -- newspapers, magazines, radio, broadcast TV -- to understand the great risks involved in believing that someone else will always underwrite your efforts, someone other than your users. Further, while there might be high-flying estimates of future advertising revenue in the online world, it isn't often highlighted that the competition is going to get tougher too. A company like IBM might spend millions on advertising, but their money is going to skew towards a small number of large sites, not a large number of small ones, meaning that unless you want to build a business on the nickel and dime PPC payouts of Google's AdSense, AuctionAds, and related, you've got a fundamental problem in your business model.
How much smarter to have a business that has figured out a compelling value proposition, a solution that's so slick, so useful, that users are happy to upgrade to a paid premium service. Not an awkward afterthought of useless tools for the less than one percent who upgrade, but something really revolutionary, something new and clearly cool. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of that thinking embodied in the groups I met this evening, and while I remain highly enthused about TechStars, I am a bit concerned about the likelihood that we'll see a bunch of home runs, or, heck, even a single or two out of the mix...
No question, it's going to be very interesting to see how these companies evolve over the summer as various of us mentors and advisors try to hammer home the idea that the difference between a good idea and a real business is a reliable revenue stream, and that the best way to create that is to offer a compelling, valuable business service.
Then again, there are plenty of startups that were acquired without much more of a business plan than "get lots of eyeballs", so maybe I'm completely off-base here. How important do you, dear reader, believe it is that a business have a clear and sustainable revenue stream identified in the earliest stages of its existence?
More at:http://www.intuitive.com/blog/memo_to_entrepreneurs_advertising_not_strong_business.html
Xplive.com is the new web-based software project planning and tracking tool that goes beyond task management lists
Often it happend with us when we start a software project off strong, determined, organized, and then somehow all of your to-do lists seem to get buried under all your dirty laundry on your treadmill. To do lists are a thing of the past, XPlive knows you need something more. Xplive.com is the new web-based software project planning and tracking tool that goes beyond task management lists, and rather aims the success of your projects on the progress of features, the things that mean the most to costumers. Xplive is browser-based for Agile development teams, and features 3 distinct plans: Ninja, and Professional, depending on howlarge your project is, how many team members you have and a large difference in terms of features. XPlive asks you to spill some serious bucks every month for their service, but their freemium for one month allows you time to decide if it’s worth it’s weight in gold.
“Welcome To XPLive! Premier online hosting of ExtremePlanner, the popular software project planning tool. Our service is the best value in software planning and tracking for Agile development teams. Sign up today to set your project on the path to success!”
More at:http://www.extremeplannerlive.com/
“Welcome To XPLive! Premier online hosting of ExtremePlanner, the popular software project planning tool. Our service is the best value in software planning and tracking for Agile development teams. Sign up today to set your project on the path to success!”
More at:http://www.extremeplannerlive.com/
TV4B
This is one of the first business video adventisement channel on the web. Publish your commercial, product video, company video, event, vacancies etc. on the web and attract more visitors to your web site. TV4B offers a white-label player, high resolution, which you can embed on your web site, as if it runs from your own web site, whilst TV4B takes care of all technical aspects and data traffic.
More at:http://tv4b.com/
More at:http://tv4b.com/
Latest Tech Tools
Windows-less
You no longer have to buy Microsoft Windows Office to have software that works for your business. None other than Google has stepped up with a legitimate competitor - a complete small-business software package called Google Apps, currently in Google's "pre-release" phase. The full-featured edition is free until April 30, 2007.
Google Apps offers a word processor, spreadsheet, calendar, branded e-mail, and even a telephony application, among many other tools. While you may miss all the bells and whistles - no fancy Microsoft Mail Merge, for example - Google Apps definitely works.
The software is entirely browser-based, so your files live on Google's servers. No more back-up headaches. Though the idea of storing sensitive financial information on some other company's computer can make one a bit queasy.
Again, the pricing is spooky: The basic package is free. And the Premier edition, which includes more storage, features and support, runs $50 per year. By comparison, the latest riff of Microsoft Office is far from cheap. Upgrades start at $239 for basic packages and climb to $679 for full-featured primary licenses. And that ignores the new Windows Vista operating system and hardware needed to make Office 2007 work as it should. Factor those in and the costs could get well north of $1,100, if not higher. So assuming a 10-person office, that's nearly $10,000 you just did not spend.
Blind data
Sometime soon you will have a third choice beyond your cable and phone company for data and phone products - the emerging Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, or WiMAX, provider.
Never mind the goofy Austin Powers-esque acronym, WiMAX is the real deal for small business. Essentially a gigantic WiFi hot spot, WiMAX providers offer data products by broadcasting and receiving digital information that rides on top of old-fashioned radio waves. All you need is a special antenna attached to a router. No pesky wires.
The release status of WiMax in North America is volatile at the moment, with providers carving out regional strongholds - sometimes seemingly by zip code - and pricing all over the map.
The following is a brief provider overview:
TowerStream. Founded in 2000, the company says it has established networks in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, the greater Boston area, Providence and Newport, R.I. A decent T1 line substitute, the company's pricing ranges from T1 Internet backup for $175/month to high-availability T1 for $600 a month.
Valtech Communications. Valtech, founded in 2003, is competing directly against Sprint in Ohio and offers basic phone and data access with dial-up service running $19.95 per month.
Clearwire. Founded in October 2003 by telecom veteran Craig O. McCaw, Clearwire says it offers service in 36 metro areas in California, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho and Minnesota. Probably the more friendly to small business of the bunch, it offers a direct competitive product to DSL and cable in some markets.
Sprint Nextel. Profit-hungry Sprint Nextel (Charts, Fortune 500) holds licenses covering most of the United States and says it plans to build a "Nationwide advanced wireless broadband network expected to cover 100 million people in 2008."
I am not saying WiMax will be the panacea for the small business. These are, after all, still telecom companies. But if you don't integrate these options into your business, you can bet someone else will - and that just may include your biggest competitor.
More at:http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/26/magazines/fsb/tech.fsb/
You no longer have to buy Microsoft Windows Office to have software that works for your business. None other than Google has stepped up with a legitimate competitor - a complete small-business software package called Google Apps, currently in Google's "pre-release" phase. The full-featured edition is free until April 30, 2007.
Google Apps offers a word processor, spreadsheet, calendar, branded e-mail, and even a telephony application, among many other tools. While you may miss all the bells and whistles - no fancy Microsoft Mail Merge, for example - Google Apps definitely works.
The software is entirely browser-based, so your files live on Google's servers. No more back-up headaches. Though the idea of storing sensitive financial information on some other company's computer can make one a bit queasy.
Again, the pricing is spooky: The basic package is free. And the Premier edition, which includes more storage, features and support, runs $50 per year. By comparison, the latest riff of Microsoft Office is far from cheap. Upgrades start at $239 for basic packages and climb to $679 for full-featured primary licenses. And that ignores the new Windows Vista operating system and hardware needed to make Office 2007 work as it should. Factor those in and the costs could get well north of $1,100, if not higher. So assuming a 10-person office, that's nearly $10,000 you just did not spend.
Blind data
Sometime soon you will have a third choice beyond your cable and phone company for data and phone products - the emerging Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, or WiMAX, provider.
Never mind the goofy Austin Powers-esque acronym, WiMAX is the real deal for small business. Essentially a gigantic WiFi hot spot, WiMAX providers offer data products by broadcasting and receiving digital information that rides on top of old-fashioned radio waves. All you need is a special antenna attached to a router. No pesky wires.
The release status of WiMax in North America is volatile at the moment, with providers carving out regional strongholds - sometimes seemingly by zip code - and pricing all over the map.
The following is a brief provider overview:
TowerStream. Founded in 2000, the company says it has established networks in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, the greater Boston area, Providence and Newport, R.I. A decent T1 line substitute, the company's pricing ranges from T1 Internet backup for $175/month to high-availability T1 for $600 a month.
Valtech Communications. Valtech, founded in 2003, is competing directly against Sprint in Ohio and offers basic phone and data access with dial-up service running $19.95 per month.
Clearwire. Founded in October 2003 by telecom veteran Craig O. McCaw, Clearwire says it offers service in 36 metro areas in California, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho and Minnesota. Probably the more friendly to small business of the bunch, it offers a direct competitive product to DSL and cable in some markets.
Sprint Nextel. Profit-hungry Sprint Nextel (Charts, Fortune 500) holds licenses covering most of the United States and says it plans to build a "Nationwide advanced wireless broadband network expected to cover 100 million people in 2008."
I am not saying WiMax will be the panacea for the small business. These are, after all, still telecom companies. But if you don't integrate these options into your business, you can bet someone else will - and that just may include your biggest competitor.
More at:http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/26/magazines/fsb/tech.fsb/
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