Photorgy is a photo-sharing site that launched its public beta earlier this year. The premise of the site is to enable anyone to share photos using nothing more than your AOL Instant Messenger.
Send photos to photorgy, and they’ll be displayed on your profile. Images go to a general folder, where you can organize them into albums later on. This organization feature uses drag-n-drop functionality, and works for your user photo and your Favorites section that shows along the right side of your profile. Photorgy uses an AIM bot to upload your images, and this can be extended to a larger group of friends looking to contribute to one photo album. You can upload an entire folder as well.
More at:http://www.photorgy.com/
Via -Mashable
Saturday, June 23, 2007
New Website Will Help Entreprenuers Realise Their Business Idea
Young British entrepreneurs are launching a new website to house spare business ideas that can be developed by anyone that finds them interesting. James Murray Wells, the twenty four-year-old multi-millionaire founder of www.glassesdirect.co.uk, and Oli Barrett, founder of new ideas company Connected Capital, are behind the venture. It will be launched this week and is called IdeaVolcano.com
More than 100 entrepreneurs and business advisers have already signed up to the site during its testing phase. Mr Murray Wells said all the entrepreneurs he encountered had more ideas than they could handle and the site would allow them to realise their potential. "There’s a lot of people with good ideas and lots of people that are looking for good ideas," he said. "That’s what we are hoping to do with Idea Volcano, putting these people together."
"In my experience, entrepreneurs have a lot of great ideas but they get retained internally," he added.
Mr Murray Wells said the non-profit making site would work as an internet blog. Entrepreneurs would post ideas and anyone reading the site would able to make a contribution to its development.
Mr Murray Wells and Mr Barrett are working with John Hornbaker, a computer software specialist, on the project. "Oli and I sat down and I said I’ve got all these ideas but I’ve got to focus on GlassesDirect at the moment. I have these ideas for a property business and for an online gambling business but don’t have the time to work them up.
"So we came up with the idea of a blog where people can send in their ideas, which will be put on the site and get worked up by people from around the world."
Mr Murray Wells said the ownership of the idea would be down to the people taking part in its development.
In large part, it will work on "trust", he said. "In our experience no one has got an idea off the ground without telling people about it ," he said.
More at:http://www.ideavolcano.com/
Via-http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/06/18/cbnvolcano.xml
More than 100 entrepreneurs and business advisers have already signed up to the site during its testing phase. Mr Murray Wells said all the entrepreneurs he encountered had more ideas than they could handle and the site would allow them to realise their potential. "There’s a lot of people with good ideas and lots of people that are looking for good ideas," he said. "That’s what we are hoping to do with Idea Volcano, putting these people together."
"In my experience, entrepreneurs have a lot of great ideas but they get retained internally," he added.
Mr Murray Wells said the non-profit making site would work as an internet blog. Entrepreneurs would post ideas and anyone reading the site would able to make a contribution to its development.
Mr Murray Wells and Mr Barrett are working with John Hornbaker, a computer software specialist, on the project. "Oli and I sat down and I said I’ve got all these ideas but I’ve got to focus on GlassesDirect at the moment. I have these ideas for a property business and for an online gambling business but don’t have the time to work them up.
"So we came up with the idea of a blog where people can send in their ideas, which will be put on the site and get worked up by people from around the world."
Mr Murray Wells said the ownership of the idea would be down to the people taking part in its development.
In large part, it will work on "trust", he said. "In our experience no one has got an idea off the ground without telling people about it ," he said.
More at:http://www.ideavolcano.com/
Via-http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/06/18/cbnvolcano.xml
Autopendium is a website for people with old cars
Autopendium is a website for people with old cars. It's a place for people like us to share information (stories, tips, anecdotes, facts and photos), and it's a place to keep track of our own cars, while letting other people know about them too. Vintage cars, race cars, classic cars, important prototypes and run-of-the-mill bangers, historic and hop-up -- if you've got a car and it's over 20 years old.
It looks great for car lovers and this is full of quality content on cars I think its going to be great gun in coming months.
More at:http://www.autopendium.co.uk/
It looks great for car lovers and this is full of quality content on cars I think its going to be great gun in coming months.
More at:http://www.autopendium.co.uk/
Deal Comet aims to find deals on electronic products
Deal Comet is the place for all Deal Lovers . It is for the people out there who won't pay 49 cents more for the fancy bread at the sandwich shop, but will quickly splurge on a brand new plasma with a phat discount! Deal Comet is also a place where people say phat!
Deal Comet aims to find deals on electronic products for the MTV set, apparently. They pride themselves on using the word 'phat' in their description about themselves. The site uses a Digg format to let users determine the rank and placement of deals and coupons on popular tech products such as cell phones, computers, video cameras and the like.
More at:http://dealcomet.com/
Deal Comet aims to find deals on electronic products for the MTV set, apparently. They pride themselves on using the word 'phat' in their description about themselves. The site uses a Digg format to let users determine the rank and placement of deals and coupons on popular tech products such as cell phones, computers, video cameras and the like.
More at:http://dealcomet.com/
Friday, June 22, 2007
Should We Encourage Failure?
The National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) is a network of academic institutions across India that develops and delivers skill-building programmes and networking activities, besides company-starting assistance, to new, high-growth entrepreneurs. A not-for-profit initiative of the Wadhwani Foundation, it was co-founded by premier academic institutions such as IIT-Bombay, IIM-Ahmedabad, BITS (Pilani), IBAB, Bangalore and SP Jain Institute, Mumbai.
In an exclusive interview to Business Line, Ms Parkin spoke on the activities of NEN and the need to foster the entrepreneurial spirit among students and what she brings to the table.
Excerpts from the interview:
Have you identified any sectors as high-growth? How have you gone about building an ecosystem of entrepreneurs? Do you have any programmes aimed at incubating
entrepreneurial ventures?
With overall nine per cent growth, many sectors are showing tremendous growth — including retail, hospitality, construction, IT and healthcare. All provide excellent opportunities for new entrepreneurs. However, when NEN works with young and future entrepreneurs, we don't point them to specific sectors. Instead, we help them build the skills to evaluate any opportunity, because by the time they may be ready to launch a company, the dynamics may have changed and these same sectors may not be attractive for newcomers.
A supportive ecosystem is extremely important for entrepreneurial success. There are three dimensions to an ecosystem: the people, the regulatory and legal environments and the infrastructure. NEN works along all three dimensions. Through our programmes for academic institutes, we connect young people from all backgrounds with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and other professionals. NEN and the Wadhwani Foundation also work to support policy change and improve infrastructure. We recently launched Entrepreneurship Week India to raise awareness and support for improving the ecosystem for entrepreneurship, in which over 200 partners, both academic and corporate, participated.
Several of our member-institutes offer incubation support - some to their own communities and others offer help to anyone. They include SP Jain, IIT-Bombay, IIM-Ahmedabad, IIM-Bangalore, MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology and IBAB.
How healthy is the entrepreneurial community in India? Does India need a unique model to foster entrepreneurship, or are there universal lessons applicable here too?
I find a particular dynamism and energy in the entrepreneurial community in India — a community that now includes young people from outside the traditional business communities. The level of venture capital pouring in from overseas is testimony to the fact that the world has recognised the opportunities in today's India.That said, India does throw up particular barriers for entrepreneurs, including poor infrastructure — a lack of power, roads, transport; an improving-but-still-difficult regulatory environment; and a bureaucracy that takes a particular toll on small, growing companies. These problems need to be addressed if broad-based entrepreneurship is to generate the millions of jobs that India needs every year.
NEN has discovered universal patterns that unleash entrepreneurship in young people. It is critical for young people to interact with entrepreneurs and investors. Academic institutes must offer comprehensive programmes, with innovative, exciting curricula and teaching methods. And on campus, faculty must support student leadership and entrepreneurship clubs running many activities. This combination shows powerful results and is an integral part of our strategy.
How important is the `fear of failure' factor in the growth of entrepreneurial spirit among youth? Is there a need for a culture that is tolerant of failure?
Societies must allow for failure, both socially and legally. Legally, one must enable business closures so that people can easily shift resources to more productive endeavours. And when failure becomes socially acceptable, innovation blossoms as people are willing to risk the unknown. Highly entrepreneurial cultures honour failure as a crucible for learning: in Silicon Valley, there's a belief that people are often more backable once they have failed.
However, that's not to say that even in Silicon Valley people feel comfortable failing. In fact, in one of the entrepreneurship courses taught at Stanford, the professor has her students put together "failure resumes" listing out the big failures in their professional and personal lives, and what they have learned from each. Through this exercise, the students can see that failure is an important stepping stone to success. In India, failure is not tolerated quite so well.
More at:
click http:/
In an exclusive interview to Business Line, Ms Parkin spoke on the activities of NEN and the need to foster the entrepreneurial spirit among students and what she brings to the table.
Excerpts from the interview:
Have you identified any sectors as high-growth? How have you gone about building an ecosystem of entrepreneurs? Do you have any programmes aimed at incubating
entrepreneurial ventures?
With overall nine per cent growth, many sectors are showing tremendous growth — including retail, hospitality, construction, IT and healthcare. All provide excellent opportunities for new entrepreneurs. However, when NEN works with young and future entrepreneurs, we don't point them to specific sectors. Instead, we help them build the skills to evaluate any opportunity, because by the time they may be ready to launch a company, the dynamics may have changed and these same sectors may not be attractive for newcomers.
A supportive ecosystem is extremely important for entrepreneurial success. There are three dimensions to an ecosystem: the people, the regulatory and legal environments and the infrastructure. NEN works along all three dimensions. Through our programmes for academic institutes, we connect young people from all backgrounds with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and other professionals. NEN and the Wadhwani Foundation also work to support policy change and improve infrastructure. We recently launched Entrepreneurship Week India to raise awareness and support for improving the ecosystem for entrepreneurship, in which over 200 partners, both academic and corporate, participated.
Several of our member-institutes offer incubation support - some to their own communities and others offer help to anyone. They include SP Jain, IIT-Bombay, IIM-Ahmedabad, IIM-Bangalore, MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology and IBAB.
How healthy is the entrepreneurial community in India? Does India need a unique model to foster entrepreneurship, or are there universal lessons applicable here too?
I find a particular dynamism and energy in the entrepreneurial community in India — a community that now includes young people from outside the traditional business communities. The level of venture capital pouring in from overseas is testimony to the fact that the world has recognised the opportunities in today's India.That said, India does throw up particular barriers for entrepreneurs, including poor infrastructure — a lack of power, roads, transport; an improving-but-still-difficult regulatory environment; and a bureaucracy that takes a particular toll on small, growing companies. These problems need to be addressed if broad-based entrepreneurship is to generate the millions of jobs that India needs every year.
NEN has discovered universal patterns that unleash entrepreneurship in young people. It is critical for young people to interact with entrepreneurs and investors. Academic institutes must offer comprehensive programmes, with innovative, exciting curricula and teaching methods. And on campus, faculty must support student leadership and entrepreneurship clubs running many activities. This combination shows powerful results and is an integral part of our strategy.
How important is the `fear of failure' factor in the growth of entrepreneurial spirit among youth? Is there a need for a culture that is tolerant of failure?
Societies must allow for failure, both socially and legally. Legally, one must enable business closures so that people can easily shift resources to more productive endeavours. And when failure becomes socially acceptable, innovation blossoms as people are willing to risk the unknown. Highly entrepreneurial cultures honour failure as a crucible for learning: in Silicon Valley, there's a belief that people are often more backable once they have failed.
However, that's not to say that even in Silicon Valley people feel comfortable failing. In fact, in one of the entrepreneurship courses taught at Stanford, the professor has her students put together "failure resumes" listing out the big failures in their professional and personal lives, and what they have learned from each. Through this exercise, the students can see that failure is an important stepping stone to success. In India, failure is not tolerated quite so well.
More at:
click http:/
The Future Of Docement Recording"e- recording"
We are currently experiencing a trend that is shifting our world from a paper-based to an online system of commerce. With every passing year the internet becomes more deeply integrated into our daily lives. We pay our bills online, we rent movies online, even our biggest auction (eBay) is now an online service.
This impact that this trend has had on business is incalculable. In the past, countless hours were spent doing tasks that can now be accomplished with the click of a mouse button. One such service that has recently been optimized with internet compatibility is document recording.
Whenever a legal transaction takes place, proper county filing is required. When you sign a mortgage, deed, land record, property title, etc, the agent or company in charge of realizing that transaction must file the record at the County Recorder’s Office. Until recently, filing these documents meant driving to the county office or mailing them via postal services. But rather than driving and waiting in lines or hassling with postage, a new option is available. eRecording, a new internet solution, allows agents and companies to file these documents from any convenient location that has a scanner and internet access. With eRecording, one can submit files online to be reviewed and filed at the County Recording Office without leaving the office. The need for such costly expenditures as runners and postage is eliminated. Document recording, like many other services in this digital era, can now be done online.
More at:http://ezinearticles.com/?eRecording:-The-Future-of-Document-Recording&id=594421
http://simplifile.com/product_whitepaper.jsp
This impact that this trend has had on business is incalculable. In the past, countless hours were spent doing tasks that can now be accomplished with the click of a mouse button. One such service that has recently been optimized with internet compatibility is document recording.
Whenever a legal transaction takes place, proper county filing is required. When you sign a mortgage, deed, land record, property title, etc, the agent or company in charge of realizing that transaction must file the record at the County Recorder’s Office. Until recently, filing these documents meant driving to the county office or mailing them via postal services. But rather than driving and waiting in lines or hassling with postage, a new option is available. eRecording, a new internet solution, allows agents and companies to file these documents from any convenient location that has a scanner and internet access. With eRecording, one can submit files online to be reviewed and filed at the County Recording Office without leaving the office. The need for such costly expenditures as runners and postage is eliminated. Document recording, like many other services in this digital era, can now be done online.
More at:http://ezinearticles.com/?eRecording:-The-Future-of-Document-Recording&id=594421
http://simplifile.com/product_whitepaper.jsp
Nivio enables a user to access the desktop data anywhere at home ,office ,at any pcs
Nivio is a fully functional Windows desktop environment accessible via a web browser through any internet connected device running on any platform (including Linux, MAC and Windows). Nivio enables a user to seamlessly access the desktop data & applications when and where they need it; be it at the office, from home or even on the go. Nivio stands for "hardware liberation". Your files follow you. You don"t need to take around your external media or even burn CD"s. Just log onto Nivio and access your files on any computer at your destination. With Nivio, your data follows you.
More at:http://www.nivio.com/
More at:http://www.nivio.com/
Make Money Online With Diet Advice
A practical solution has been launched in Osaka, where a Tokyo medical equipment maker is working with public health officials to help consumers keep tabs on what they're digesting. How it works? Before lifting their chopsticks, users take a picture of their meal with their cellphone's camera. They send the picture to the system, and nutritionists analyse the meal and its nutritional value, following up with advice on necessary adjustments. Feedback follows within three days.
Users can also get more information online, and upload photos from digital cameras. The system is being trialled with 100 cardiac, diabetes and obesity patients, and is hoped to rein in growing health problems caused by growing waistlines in Japan, especially of men in their 20s and 30s.
A similar commercial service has been available in Canada and the US for a while. Canadian MyFoodPhone also gets users to send in pictures of what they're eating, creating a running nutrition diary. Once a week, a nutritionist advises the client on how they’re doing and what they need to improve.
Uploading to a diary is free, and weekly advice comes at a monthly cost of USD 9.99. While the Japanese system delivers feedback faster than MyFoodPhone, the killer app would be one that comes back with an instant response and tips. Which could be made possible using sophisticated image recognition software, or trained operators who are available 24/7. Given worldwide health issues related to obesity and the near ubiquity of cameraphones, this could be huge.
More at:http://www.myfoodphone.com/
Users can also get more information online, and upload photos from digital cameras. The system is being trialled with 100 cardiac, diabetes and obesity patients, and is hoped to rein in growing health problems caused by growing waistlines in Japan, especially of men in their 20s and 30s.
A similar commercial service has been available in Canada and the US for a while. Canadian MyFoodPhone also gets users to send in pictures of what they're eating, creating a running nutrition diary. Once a week, a nutritionist advises the client on how they’re doing and what they need to improve.
Uploading to a diary is free, and weekly advice comes at a monthly cost of USD 9.99. While the Japanese system delivers feedback faster than MyFoodPhone, the killer app would be one that comes back with an instant response and tips. Which could be made possible using sophisticated image recognition software, or trained operators who are available 24/7. Given worldwide health issues related to obesity and the near ubiquity of cameraphones, this could be huge.
More at:http://www.myfoodphone.com/
Bizztrip
Bizztrip aims to be a no-nonsense travel portal for entrepreneurs who book their own travel. Whether flying first class or low-cost, customers are offered an array of extra services, including visa handling and travel to the airport. Bizztrip is currently evaluating whether it will make motortaxi saviours one of its standard features. Seems like a smart move, though pricing would have to be fairly high to cover the cost of two drivers and the time they spend driving around seeking customers in need. While Virgin Airlines offer Virgin LimoBikes in the UK, and private motorcycle taxis cater to travellers in other countries, the option to be rescued from a car stuck in a traffic jam seems new. One for airlines or limo companies to set up in other countries? Could also be a great service for motorcycle brands to sponsor.
More at: www.bizztrip.com
More at: www.bizztrip.com
SantexQ, or the Q as we like to call it, is a web-based tool created to assist businesses in the detail-driven world of time and task management
SantexQ, or the Q as we like to call it, is a web-based tool created to assist businesses in the detail-driven world of time and task management. Designed to enhance team efficiency, the Q keeps the critical information close by: the progress reports, deadlines and time budgets for all of your projects…all available at a glance. Why should you use the Q? One of the things we understand at Santex is that you can get a lot of products out there similar to the Q. But, what are you really getting? We have tried the other applications and we know what it"s like to come up empty-handed. We wanted a no-nonsense product with the features and information we need, when we need it. So, we ended up building our own and are excited about sharing it with you! We think there are many reasons why the Q is a great task management tool, but hey, why don"t you be the judge. Click here, and get started today!
More at:http://www.santexq.com/
More at:http://www.santexq.com/
3LUXE.com is a free service that saves consumers time and frustration when researching products and services online
3LUXE.com is a free service that saves consumers time and frustration when researching products and services online. Instead of inundating consumers with too much information, 3LUXE whittles down the overwhelming amount of data available to identify the three best products (not necessarily the most popular) available in each category. In essence, 3LUXE does the research consumers would do if they had more time. These "Best Of" reviews cover a wide range of categories from appliances to airplanes, from sports products to spa resorts, and trucks to travel.
More at:http://www.3luxe.com/
More at:http://www.3luxe.com/
Thursday, June 21, 2007
My StartUp Life Written By Ben Casnocha Who Is Just19 Year Old
Ben's 7th grade class did a web project that was meant to improve the local community. Ben enjoyed it so much that he kept working on it after school was out. Eventually, it transformed into Comcate, a company that sells software to local governments. The book is Ben's story about building a tech company in The Valley while still in high school.
The thing that I found so interesting is that Ben, who is currently just 19 years old, has already figured out many things about life and business that many people never figure out. For example, by the third chapter, Ben says he learned that talk is cheap. Contrast that with the dozens of people you know who do nothing but talk, and never take any action.
The book is filled with small boxes called "brainstorms." Here is excerpts:
I have a strategic plan. It's called "doing things"...In the early days of any new business, it's easier to plan than to act. It's easier to strategize than to actually do stuff.
By chapter eight, Ben has learned that some people are long on platitudes and short on substance. He also acknowledges that entrepreneurship isn't as glamorous as the media makes it out to be.
" Contrary to the typical media fantasy of yacht-cruising millionaires wheeling and dealing their way to the next big technology fortune, most entrepreneurship happens in quite ordinary circumstances. Dorm rooms, garages, kitchens, cafes... even bedrooms. Ordinary people, ordinary circumstances, ordinary conversations, but unusual passion."
Via-Business Pundit........Must read Book
More at:http://www.casnocha.com/
The thing that I found so interesting is that Ben, who is currently just 19 years old, has already figured out many things about life and business that many people never figure out. For example, by the third chapter, Ben says he learned that talk is cheap. Contrast that with the dozens of people you know who do nothing but talk, and never take any action.
The book is filled with small boxes called "brainstorms." Here is excerpts:
I have a strategic plan. It's called "doing things"...In the early days of any new business, it's easier to plan than to act. It's easier to strategize than to actually do stuff.
By chapter eight, Ben has learned that some people are long on platitudes and short on substance. He also acknowledges that entrepreneurship isn't as glamorous as the media makes it out to be.
" Contrary to the typical media fantasy of yacht-cruising millionaires wheeling and dealing their way to the next big technology fortune, most entrepreneurship happens in quite ordinary circumstances. Dorm rooms, garages, kitchens, cafes... even bedrooms. Ordinary people, ordinary circumstances, ordinary conversations, but unusual passion."
Via-Business Pundit........Must read Book
More at:http://www.casnocha.com/
MojoPage
MojoPageallows users to share their thoughts on businesses in three categories: value, service, and quality. A nice feature is that they allow you to upload a video review of any service. MojoPages also includes basic social functionality, which is key.
More at:http://www.mojopages.com/
Via-Mashable
More at:http://www.mojopages.com/
Via-Mashable
LongJump is an app creation tool for non-developers. It’s a business friendly means to customize and control apps that otherwise would be quite costly
Easily customizable Web applications for managing and coordinating businesses, teams, and information. LongJump is an online community that provides small and medium-sized businesses with applications that users can subscribe to and tailor to fit their specific business needs. Users across a team can easily collaborate in real-time to better manage business information.”
LongJump is an app creation tool for non-developers. It’s a business friendly means to customize and control apps that otherwise would be quite costly and difficult to build. They offer a catalogue of ready to go apps which can be easily adapted to any business. There are also built in collaboration tools to facilitate group work and projects. In fact applications can be shared among other LongJump users; they can be duplicated and tailored for any business. The drag and drop interface insures that build time is quick and can be done by anyone; absolutely no developing skills are needed. Customized calendars and scheduling apps can be built within a matter of minutes.
More at:http://www.longjump.com/
LongJump is an app creation tool for non-developers. It’s a business friendly means to customize and control apps that otherwise would be quite costly and difficult to build. They offer a catalogue of ready to go apps which can be easily adapted to any business. There are also built in collaboration tools to facilitate group work and projects. In fact applications can be shared among other LongJump users; they can be duplicated and tailored for any business. The drag and drop interface insures that build time is quick and can be done by anyone; absolutely no developing skills are needed. Customized calendars and scheduling apps can be built within a matter of minutes.
More at:http://www.longjump.com/
Way To make Money Through Theater Ads"Unexplored Business Opporunities"
The next time you go to a movie, you may be entertained before the show even starts. The latest trend in direct advertising is Arms-Length Promotions' product, the Stand-In, and it's grasping the attention of entire audiences, one cup holder at a time.
After arriving early to a movie with his son, ArmsLength founder and CEO Matt Faulkner, 48, noticed the untapped potential of stadium seating cup holders as a medium for advertising. By 2002, Faulkner secured a patent for the Stand-In and set the stage for a new wave of advertising in entertainment venues across the nation. Using only friction and postcard-weight card stock, the Stand-In fits securely into and stands upright in almost any cup holder without blocking it.
ArmsLength's clients, including McDonald's and Major League Baseball, have the opportunity to customize their Stand-Ins beyond strict advertisements. Not only does the perforated base double as a detachable coupon, but the attention-grabbing vertical advertisement can put promotional items such as schedules, collectibles or even DVDs within easy reach of each person in the audience. "The intimacy of [the Stand-In]," says Faulkner, "demands [that consumers] interact with it because it is so close." In addition, ArmsLength's ability to adapt to the predicted interests of a target demographic based on the type of event they are attending ensures the message will be received.
After patenting the Stand-In for roughly $40,000, ArmsLength Promotions has continued to expand the use of its product to new and innovative venues. No longer limited to theaters and stadiums, the Stand-In is now found in airports, hotels, gyms, hospitals and even rental cars--basically anywhere and everywhere there's a cup holder. Clients are praising the Stand-In's unique ability to get into the personal space of consumers, and ArmsLength Promotions is expected to grab sales of more than $500,000 in 2007.
Via-Uncommon Business Blog
After arriving early to a movie with his son, ArmsLength founder and CEO Matt Faulkner, 48, noticed the untapped potential of stadium seating cup holders as a medium for advertising. By 2002, Faulkner secured a patent for the Stand-In and set the stage for a new wave of advertising in entertainment venues across the nation. Using only friction and postcard-weight card stock, the Stand-In fits securely into and stands upright in almost any cup holder without blocking it.
ArmsLength's clients, including McDonald's and Major League Baseball, have the opportunity to customize their Stand-Ins beyond strict advertisements. Not only does the perforated base double as a detachable coupon, but the attention-grabbing vertical advertisement can put promotional items such as schedules, collectibles or even DVDs within easy reach of each person in the audience. "The intimacy of [the Stand-In]," says Faulkner, "demands [that consumers] interact with it because it is so close." In addition, ArmsLength's ability to adapt to the predicted interests of a target demographic based on the type of event they are attending ensures the message will be received.
After patenting the Stand-In for roughly $40,000, ArmsLength Promotions has continued to expand the use of its product to new and innovative venues. No longer limited to theaters and stadiums, the Stand-In is now found in airports, hotels, gyms, hospitals and even rental cars--basically anywhere and everywhere there's a cup holder. Clients are praising the Stand-In's unique ability to get into the personal space of consumers, and ArmsLength Promotions is expected to grab sales of more than $500,000 in 2007.
Via-Uncommon Business Blog
Getting Rich Is Not As Difficult As You Think
On the surface Michael Vien's move sounds ridiculously impulsive: He walked away from a mid-six-figure job in product development at Fidelity Investments to make games for kids. "I got strange looks from everyone," admits Vien. And that was before he said he was intent on making board games - you know, the kind folks played before computer games.
Yet in a key way, the move was thoroughly calculated. By the time he left his job this past February to make Poppo Brands a full-time occupation, Vien had already designed the word games Poppo and Zotto and tested them on 500 children. He'd manufactured thousands in China and found free storage space in a friend's warehouse. And he was signed up for the Toy Fair, the industry trade show, and had stashed away $200,000 - half from savings, half from friends - enough for nearly two years, according to his budget. All while working full time.
Vien, who had toiled at a desk for 14 years, came up with his idea on New Year's Eve 2005 while playing a board game with his two kids. The next morning he grabbed 24 games from store shelves, then used the parts to make a prototype of a game that requires players to press a plastic "popper" to shake an eight-sided die covered with letters. Vien often worked from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. writing a business plan and finding suppliers in China. He even took night shifts at toy stores so he could gauge consumer interest, see which packaging worked and figure out how much to charge. Six months into his part-time venture, he told HR he had something on the side. Another six months later, "I opened the escape hatch and out I went," says Vien, who sold almost $50,000 in games within 90 days of leaving.
Read and watch video at:http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0706/gallery.success_stories.moneymag/2.html
Yet in a key way, the move was thoroughly calculated. By the time he left his job this past February to make Poppo Brands a full-time occupation, Vien had already designed the word games Poppo and Zotto and tested them on 500 children. He'd manufactured thousands in China and found free storage space in a friend's warehouse. And he was signed up for the Toy Fair, the industry trade show, and had stashed away $200,000 - half from savings, half from friends - enough for nearly two years, according to his budget. All while working full time.
Vien, who had toiled at a desk for 14 years, came up with his idea on New Year's Eve 2005 while playing a board game with his two kids. The next morning he grabbed 24 games from store shelves, then used the parts to make a prototype of a game that requires players to press a plastic "popper" to shake an eight-sided die covered with letters. Vien often worked from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. writing a business plan and finding suppliers in China. He even took night shifts at toy stores so he could gauge consumer interest, see which packaging worked and figure out how much to charge. Six months into his part-time venture, he told HR he had something on the side. Another six months later, "I opened the escape hatch and out I went," says Vien, who sold almost $50,000 in games within 90 days of leaving.
Read and watch video at:http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0706/gallery.success_stories.moneymag/2.html
MobIncentive is for motivating people to action by offering cold hard cash.
MobIncentive is for motivating people to action by offering cold hard cash. The service allows users to post challenges and invite people to pledge funds towards the cause. For example, the site currently features a challenge someone has setup to try and motivate their brother in law to quit smoking, and friends have pledged $65 if he can stop smoking for six months.
Once a challenge is completed, MobIncentive sends out PayPal invoices to the pledges and keeps track of who still owes money. The site also includes basic social networking features including user profiles, friend’s lists, and tagging of challenges.
MobIncentive is founded by Andrew Lin and Brian Sabino, two former Microsoft employees.
More at:http://mobincentive.com/
Via-Mashable
Once a challenge is completed, MobIncentive sends out PayPal invoices to the pledges and keeps track of who still owes money. The site also includes basic social networking features including user profiles, friend’s lists, and tagging of challenges.
MobIncentive is founded by Andrew Lin and Brian Sabino, two former Microsoft employees.
More at:http://mobincentive.com/
Via-Mashable
When Full-Time Life Guard Become Entreprenuer
Douglas Smith, a full-time lifeguard, had never considered owning his own business until his friend, Matthew Farruggio, asked him if he was interested in becoming a franchisee. Farruggio's company, California Quivers, sells frozen fruit beverages called Quivers as well as other snacks like funnel cakes and pretzels. Smith had watched Farruggio's business grow from its start in 1997, so in April 2006, Smith and friend Nick Lehman, 27, became the company's first franchisees.
Thus far, business ownership has been a great learning experience for Smith, 32. The first thing he learned was the importance of a good location. He focused on getting his cart into an outlet mall in Carlsbad, California, for the summer. "You have to be pretty persistent to get your product in anywhere," says Smith. "You actually have to go out and attack to get the business. I just kept going [back] and they took a chance on us." It paid off, grossing the pair about $75,000 in three months.
After summer's end, Smith takes his California Quivers cart to street fairs, festivals and even high school football games. "Every weekend's a new adventure," Smith says. "Every time we go out and work it's fun.
With his first year as a California Quivers franchisee under his belt, Smith is ready to grow. He is currently looking into buying a second cart and is already considering all the possible locations for it, from shopping centers to piers.
Via-Entreprenuer's Magzine
Thus far, business ownership has been a great learning experience for Smith, 32. The first thing he learned was the importance of a good location. He focused on getting his cart into an outlet mall in Carlsbad, California, for the summer. "You have to be pretty persistent to get your product in anywhere," says Smith. "You actually have to go out and attack to get the business. I just kept going [back] and they took a chance on us." It paid off, grossing the pair about $75,000 in three months.
After summer's end, Smith takes his California Quivers cart to street fairs, festivals and even high school football games. "Every weekend's a new adventure," Smith says. "Every time we go out and work it's fun.
With his first year as a California Quivers franchisee under his belt, Smith is ready to grow. He is currently looking into buying a second cart and is already considering all the possible locations for it, from shopping centers to piers.
Via-Entreprenuer's Magzine
Ironbox
Ironbox is a front-end platform to help build and deploy Web applications. It is also a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that hosts Web applications in a desktop environment entirely contained within and run by a browser. This is the Ironbox desktop.
Contact:http://www.ironbox.com/
Contact:http://www.ironbox.com/
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
iHipo.com Where Student And Young Professional Connect
iHipo is a place which connects a student and a young professional with international employers and hence provides them a platform that gives a larger arena to prove their worth. So it a peer to peer communication and recruitment happening at the same time. It acts like a double-edged sword that gives you a twin advantage.
It is a one stop meeting point for students and young professionals that look for international assignments and networking opportunities. Besides, employers that seek to recruit international top-tier talent can create profiles and post vacancies on iHipo. It is really easy to land up on the international circuit with iHipo at your fingertips. Get international internships and move towards a brighter future.
Make your profile visible to recruiters and get hired by the top most organizations of the international circuit. You can build an international network that will help you later in climbing the corporate ladder. You can also join communities which are country based. The iHipo database is huge and it can link you to a host of organizations. So there can be a preference based sort and the right choice can be made.
It does not search a job for you. It connects you to the world business forum where you can find yourself amongst the biggest players of the market. So fasten your seat belts and get into a high potential network dedicated to empower international careers.
More at:http://ihipo.com/
Via -Amazing startups
It is a one stop meeting point for students and young professionals that look for international assignments and networking opportunities. Besides, employers that seek to recruit international top-tier talent can create profiles and post vacancies on iHipo. It is really easy to land up on the international circuit with iHipo at your fingertips. Get international internships and move towards a brighter future.
Make your profile visible to recruiters and get hired by the top most organizations of the international circuit. You can build an international network that will help you later in climbing the corporate ladder. You can also join communities which are country based. The iHipo database is huge and it can link you to a host of organizations. So there can be a preference based sort and the right choice can be made.
It does not search a job for you. It connects you to the world business forum where you can find yourself amongst the biggest players of the market. So fasten your seat belts and get into a high potential network dedicated to empower international careers.
More at:http://ihipo.com/
Via -Amazing startups
For Funding Would Be Entreprenurs In India
This funding team is consist of people who worked in Big Consulting firms like KPMG,Arthur &Anderson and all of them pass out from world's and india's best business schools.
Positron assists existing and would be entrepreneurs in securing funding. They meet with entrepreneurs in different cities with the objective of assessing their businesses and ideas.
With a few entrepreneurs, Positron does go forward and sign a mandate to secure funding. On signing a mandate, Positron works on a success fee model and does not charge any fixed retainer. Given their relationship with the venture capitalist community and their experience in this area, there is a strong probability that if Positron does take up a mandate, funding can be sourced.
Positron also makes direct investments in select companies.
The Process:
Positron partners regularly travel to key metros (Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, etc) for one to one meetings with entrepreneurs. These are invitation only meetings to explore possibilities of signing funding mandates. To schedule a meeting, the entrepreneur needs to provide critical information about his business/idea by completing our "Funding Application Form".
The Funding Application Form while extensive (over 10 pages) can be completed in 2-3 hours. Completing the Form is a prerequisite for a meeting with us since Positron continues to get 25-30 funding requests each day. Positron partners review the Form once it has been sent back and carry out research on the opportunity. The research and due-diligence takes between 7-10 days. Meetings with the entrepreneur are scheduled, when necessary.
More at:http://www.positronservices.com/
Positron assists existing and would be entrepreneurs in securing funding. They meet with entrepreneurs in different cities with the objective of assessing their businesses and ideas.
With a few entrepreneurs, Positron does go forward and sign a mandate to secure funding. On signing a mandate, Positron works on a success fee model and does not charge any fixed retainer. Given their relationship with the venture capitalist community and their experience in this area, there is a strong probability that if Positron does take up a mandate, funding can be sourced.
Positron also makes direct investments in select companies.
The Process:
Positron partners regularly travel to key metros (Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, etc) for one to one meetings with entrepreneurs. These are invitation only meetings to explore possibilities of signing funding mandates. To schedule a meeting, the entrepreneur needs to provide critical information about his business/idea by completing our "Funding Application Form".
The Funding Application Form while extensive (over 10 pages) can be completed in 2-3 hours. Completing the Form is a prerequisite for a meeting with us since Positron continues to get 25-30 funding requests each day. Positron partners review the Form once it has been sent back and carry out research on the opportunity. The research and due-diligence takes between 7-10 days. Meetings with the entrepreneur are scheduled, when necessary.
More at:http://www.positronservices.com/
FreeIQ.com is the place for you to find resources to help you start and grow your business
FreeIQ.com is brainchild of Brad Fallon, FreeIQ.com is the place for you to find resources to help you start and grow your business.
Coined as the YouTube for entrepreneurs, FreeIQ.com contains video, audio and ebooks from experts around the globe -- and most of it is free. It will also be a place where any small business owner can sell what they have to offer to the masses. And the site is user controlled too. As with anything, there will be a share of resources that aren't worth your time, but FreeIQ.com will be using a patented Review Rank algorithm which will help the really good stuff to rise to the top.
There are two ways you can use FreeIQ.com in addition to searching for resources. You can become a member and upload your resources for sharing with the world -- for free. There are no membership fees of any kind. They'll store your content and deliver it for you at absolutely no cost. You can take a look at my FreeIQ.com page. And what's really neat is that you can also become an affiliate -- for free. That means you can sell other people's content as it grows on FreeIQ.com.
A new one resource for small business owners. It's time for you to stop by. Go to FreeIQ.com now.
More at:http://freeiq.com/
Coined as the YouTube for entrepreneurs, FreeIQ.com contains video, audio and ebooks from experts around the globe -- and most of it is free. It will also be a place where any small business owner can sell what they have to offer to the masses. And the site is user controlled too. As with anything, there will be a share of resources that aren't worth your time, but FreeIQ.com will be using a patented Review Rank algorithm which will help the really good stuff to rise to the top.
There are two ways you can use FreeIQ.com in addition to searching for resources. You can become a member and upload your resources for sharing with the world -- for free. There are no membership fees of any kind. They'll store your content and deliver it for you at absolutely no cost. You can take a look at my FreeIQ.com page. And what's really neat is that you can also become an affiliate -- for free. That means you can sell other people's content as it grows on FreeIQ.com.
A new one resource for small business owners. It's time for you to stop by. Go to FreeIQ.com now.
More at:http://freeiq.com/
Adwords Optimizer"Clickmuse"
A tool to help you fine tune your AdWords ads.Its free and very simple in use and would certainly help you.
Savvy AdWords users write two or more ads for a given ad group. Google then uses both ads and you can learn which ad performs the best by watching the CTR (click through rate) and conversion over time.
Adwords Optimizer sends you a daily report of how your different ads are performing and which one has the best CTR, then offers suggestions for improving. It's a simple thing, and something you can do by hand-checking your AdWords account every day and keeping track, but Adwords Optimizer makes a tedious thing you should do every day (but probably don't because it's tedious) very simple.
More at:http://adwords.clickmuse.com/
Savvy AdWords users write two or more ads for a given ad group. Google then uses both ads and you can learn which ad performs the best by watching the CTR (click through rate) and conversion over time.
Adwords Optimizer sends you a daily report of how your different ads are performing and which one has the best CTR, then offers suggestions for improving. It's a simple thing, and something you can do by hand-checking your AdWords account every day and keeping track, but Adwords Optimizer makes a tedious thing you should do every day (but probably don't because it's tedious) very simple.
More at:http://adwords.clickmuse.com/
FreeMovie Online
FreeMoviesCinema is a site which indexes and embeds movies it finds online, allowing viewers to find and download them through their site. This is as much information as the site will give about itself in small print at the bottom. Oh, it also tells you that site itself is not hosting these videos. If people have copyright issues, they urge them to contact "the responsible hosting party." Listed hosts of these movies are Stage6, Google video, Daily Motion, Veoh, MySpace, Volt, Guba, OUOU, and YouTube. The movies they do have here are mostly random. There are not many famous movies, except a few like Pulp Fiction and Easy Rider. The site also offers links to video games and live interviews. Overall, the site just seems an index of free online movies with little more purpose than that.
More at:http://www.freemoviescinema.com/
More at:http://www.freemoviescinema.com/
Leading Search Engine For Classified Ads"GoSasa"
Search for merchandise, jobs, real estate, rentals, services, and vehicles at GoSasa, a mega search engine that looks through over 50,000 online classifieds in order to find what you are looking for. To conduct the search, you just put in a keyword, the type of search you are doing, and a location. The site lets you choose how many results per page and whether to sort by date. Overall a great search engine.
America"s leading search engine for classified ads. Visiting multiple Internet sites is now a thing of the past because we search hundreds for you and link you to them for free! GoSasa is a faster, easier way to get the best free classified ads based on your unique search requests. Get smart, fast! SasaIndex provides valuable statistical information related to your search for free, so you can make smarter decisions on whatever it is you"re seeking. Finally you have a best friend on the World Wide Web. Tell your friends to visit GoSasa, too!
More at:http://www.gosasa.com/
America"s leading search engine for classified ads. Visiting multiple Internet sites is now a thing of the past because we search hundreds for you and link you to them for free! GoSasa is a faster, easier way to get the best free classified ads based on your unique search requests. Get smart, fast! SasaIndex provides valuable statistical information related to your search for free, so you can make smarter decisions on whatever it is you"re seeking. Finally you have a best friend on the World Wide Web. Tell your friends to visit GoSasa, too!
More at:http://www.gosasa.com/
Electronic Calling Card
Zakly is a mobile electronic calling card. It contains all your profile info, just like your regular business card, but without the need for paper. Register and fill out your info at the Zakly site. The next time someone needs to contact you give them your mobi-d. Your info is accessible via any mobile device. Zakly is ideal for promoters, individuals, businessmen, and professionals. With your mobi-d, you’ll never have to dig for paper cards or spend cash on ads. It’s completely free to use.
you need info? you"ll get zakly that business cards and billboards are passé. all you have to now do is - register yourself with an appropriate username (mobi_d) e.g.johndoe - complete your profile with relevant contact info - next time someone needs to contact you, just pass on your mobi_d - your info is now accessible via any mobile device
More at:http://www.zakly.info/
you need info? you"ll get zakly that business cards and billboards are passé. all you have to now do is - register yourself with an appropriate username (mobi_d) e.g.johndoe - complete your profile with relevant contact info - next time someone needs to contact you, just pass on your mobi_d - your info is now accessible via any mobile device
More at:http://www.zakly.info/
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Alternative Of VC's Funding
If you’re struggling to find success in your quest for venture capital, maybe you’re looking in the wrong place.
Here are few alternative of VCs:
There are plenty of other options available when it comes to finding capital. From angels to credit cards, here are 25 alternatives to consider when it comes to funding your business.
1. Angels
Most venture capital funds will not consider investing in anything under $1 million to $2 million. Angels, however, are wealthy individuals who will provide capital for a startup business. These investors have usually earned their money as entrepreneurs and business managers and can serve as a prime resource for advice on top of capital. On the other hand, due to typically limited resources, angels usually have a shorter investment horizon than venture capitalists and tend to have less tolerance for losses.
2. Private Placement
An investment bank or agent may be able to raise equity for your company by placing your unregistered securities with accredited investors. However, you should be aware that the fees and expenses associated with this practice are generally higher than those that come with venture and angel investors. You will likely receive little or no business counsel from private investors who also tend to have little tolerance for losses and under-performance.
3. Initial Public Offering
If you are somehow able to gain access to public equity markets than an initial public offering (IPO) can be an effective way to raise capital. Keep in mind that, while the public market’s high valuations, abundant capital and liquidity characteristics make it attractive, the transaction costs are high and there are ongoing legal expenses associated with public disclosure requirements.
4. Bootstrap Financing
This method is intended to develop a foundation for your business from scratch. Financial management is essential to make this work. With bootstrap financing you’re building a business from nothing, which means there is little to no margin for error in the finance department. Keep a rigid account of all transactions and don’t stray from your budget.
A few different methods of bootstrapping include:
Factoring, which generates cash flow through the sale of your accounts receivable to a “factor” at a discounted price for cash.
Trade Credit is an option if you are able to find a vendor or supplier that will allow you to order goods on net 30, 60 or 90 day terms. If you can sell the goods before the bill comes due then you have generated cash flow without spending any money.
Customers can pay you up front for your services.
Leasing your equipment instead of purchasing it outright.
5. Fund From Operations
Look for ways to tweak your business in order to reduce the cash flowing out and increase the cash flowing in. Funding found in business operations come free of finance charges, can reduce future financing charges and can increase the value of your business. Month-by-month operating and cash projections will show how well you have planned, how you can optimize the elements of your business that generate cash and allow you to plan for new investments and contingencies.
6. Licensing
Sell licenses to technology that is non-essential to your company or grant limited licensing to essential technology that can be shared. Through outlicensing you can generate revenue from up-front fees, access fees, royalties or milestone payments.
7. Launch Customers
Find out if you have any customers willing to fund research and development in exchange for the product produced.
8. Vendor Financing
Similar to the trade credit related to bootstrap financing, vendors can play a big role in financing your new business. Establish vendor relationships through your trade association and strike deals to offer their product and pay for it at a date in the near future. Selling the product in time is up to you. In hopes of keeping you as a customer, vendors may also be willing to work out an arrangement if you need to finance equipment or supplies. Just make sure to look for stability when you research a vendor’s credentials and reputation before you sign any kind of agreement. And keep in mind that many major suppliers (GE Small Business Solutions, IBM Global Financing) own financial companies that can help you.
9. Sweat Equity
You may be able to find people willing to work for stock options in exchange for a lower salary or a delay in compensation until a later date.
10. Self Funding
Search between the couch cushions and in old jacket pockets for whatever extra money you might have lying around and invest it into your business. Obviously loose change will not be enough for extra business funding, but take a look at your savings, investment portfolio, retirement funds and employee buyout options from your previous employer. You won’t have to deal with any creditors or interest and the return on your investment could be much higher.
However, make sure that you consider the risks involved with using your own resources. How competitive is the market that you are about to enter into? How long will it take to pay yourself back? Will you be able to pay yourself back? Can you afford to lose everything that you are investing if your business were to fail? It’s important that your projected returns are more than enough to cover the risk that you will be taking.
Read full text at:http://www.businessfund.com/2007/top-25-alternatives-to-venture-capital/
Here are few alternative of VCs:
There are plenty of other options available when it comes to finding capital. From angels to credit cards, here are 25 alternatives to consider when it comes to funding your business.
1. Angels
Most venture capital funds will not consider investing in anything under $1 million to $2 million. Angels, however, are wealthy individuals who will provide capital for a startup business. These investors have usually earned their money as entrepreneurs and business managers and can serve as a prime resource for advice on top of capital. On the other hand, due to typically limited resources, angels usually have a shorter investment horizon than venture capitalists and tend to have less tolerance for losses.
2. Private Placement
An investment bank or agent may be able to raise equity for your company by placing your unregistered securities with accredited investors. However, you should be aware that the fees and expenses associated with this practice are generally higher than those that come with venture and angel investors. You will likely receive little or no business counsel from private investors who also tend to have little tolerance for losses and under-performance.
3. Initial Public Offering
If you are somehow able to gain access to public equity markets than an initial public offering (IPO) can be an effective way to raise capital. Keep in mind that, while the public market’s high valuations, abundant capital and liquidity characteristics make it attractive, the transaction costs are high and there are ongoing legal expenses associated with public disclosure requirements.
4. Bootstrap Financing
This method is intended to develop a foundation for your business from scratch. Financial management is essential to make this work. With bootstrap financing you’re building a business from nothing, which means there is little to no margin for error in the finance department. Keep a rigid account of all transactions and don’t stray from your budget.
A few different methods of bootstrapping include:
Factoring, which generates cash flow through the sale of your accounts receivable to a “factor” at a discounted price for cash.
Trade Credit is an option if you are able to find a vendor or supplier that will allow you to order goods on net 30, 60 or 90 day terms. If you can sell the goods before the bill comes due then you have generated cash flow without spending any money.
Customers can pay you up front for your services.
Leasing your equipment instead of purchasing it outright.
5. Fund From Operations
Look for ways to tweak your business in order to reduce the cash flowing out and increase the cash flowing in. Funding found in business operations come free of finance charges, can reduce future financing charges and can increase the value of your business. Month-by-month operating and cash projections will show how well you have planned, how you can optimize the elements of your business that generate cash and allow you to plan for new investments and contingencies.
6. Licensing
Sell licenses to technology that is non-essential to your company or grant limited licensing to essential technology that can be shared. Through outlicensing you can generate revenue from up-front fees, access fees, royalties or milestone payments.
7. Launch Customers
Find out if you have any customers willing to fund research and development in exchange for the product produced.
8. Vendor Financing
Similar to the trade credit related to bootstrap financing, vendors can play a big role in financing your new business. Establish vendor relationships through your trade association and strike deals to offer their product and pay for it at a date in the near future. Selling the product in time is up to you. In hopes of keeping you as a customer, vendors may also be willing to work out an arrangement if you need to finance equipment or supplies. Just make sure to look for stability when you research a vendor’s credentials and reputation before you sign any kind of agreement. And keep in mind that many major suppliers (GE Small Business Solutions, IBM Global Financing) own financial companies that can help you.
9. Sweat Equity
You may be able to find people willing to work for stock options in exchange for a lower salary or a delay in compensation until a later date.
10. Self Funding
Search between the couch cushions and in old jacket pockets for whatever extra money you might have lying around and invest it into your business. Obviously loose change will not be enough for extra business funding, but take a look at your savings, investment portfolio, retirement funds and employee buyout options from your previous employer. You won’t have to deal with any creditors or interest and the return on your investment could be much higher.
However, make sure that you consider the risks involved with using your own resources. How competitive is the market that you are about to enter into? How long will it take to pay yourself back? Will you be able to pay yourself back? Can you afford to lose everything that you are investing if your business were to fail? It’s important that your projected returns are more than enough to cover the risk that you will be taking.
Read full text at:http://www.businessfund.com/2007/top-25-alternatives-to-venture-capital/
They Felt That Town "Was Filled With Wide-Open Business Opportunities"
In 2004 the brothers, both software engineers, quit their jobs in Santa Barbara and decamped to Buckeye, Ariz. After visiting relatives there earlier that year, Kyle had become convinced that the town was "filled with wide-open opportunities," especially compared with the software biz. "The tech sector was getting hit hard," says Aaron. "I didn't have a good feeling."
Aaron and Kyle, neither of whom had run a business before, began brainstorming about starting one together. Both had frequented a smoothie joint in Santa Barbara, and they fell in love with the idea of starting their own. They found an industry consultant online who helped them write a business plan. Then they hired an experienced designer. The Main Squeeze would be a 1,200-square-foot store with hardwood floors and stainless-steel tables. And it would cost more than the $130,000 they had saved.
That's when they drew up a list of 40 friends and relatives they could solicit as investors. "We wanted it to seem like we were offering them an authentic business opportunity," notes Kyle. For that they turned to CircleLending, a site that helps informal borrowers create formal lending deals. The siblings spent $99 to set up a loan agreement, choosing an attractive interest rate (9%), a repayment schedule they figured they could afford (either five or seven years) and a $1,000 minimum. Four folks each lent them $1,000, and another four each threw in $5,000. Last year the Campos brothers whipped up a profitable $210,000 in sales, and they've been paying their investors on schedule for close to two years. Says Kyle: "Not one has complained."
Read more at:http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0706/gallery.success_stories.moneymag/index.html
Aaron and Kyle, neither of whom had run a business before, began brainstorming about starting one together. Both had frequented a smoothie joint in Santa Barbara, and they fell in love with the idea of starting their own. They found an industry consultant online who helped them write a business plan. Then they hired an experienced designer. The Main Squeeze would be a 1,200-square-foot store with hardwood floors and stainless-steel tables. And it would cost more than the $130,000 they had saved.
That's when they drew up a list of 40 friends and relatives they could solicit as investors. "We wanted it to seem like we were offering them an authentic business opportunity," notes Kyle. For that they turned to CircleLending, a site that helps informal borrowers create formal lending deals. The siblings spent $99 to set up a loan agreement, choosing an attractive interest rate (9%), a repayment schedule they figured they could afford (either five or seven years) and a $1,000 minimum. Four folks each lent them $1,000, and another four each threw in $5,000. Last year the Campos brothers whipped up a profitable $210,000 in sales, and they've been paying their investors on schedule for close to two years. Says Kyle: "Not one has complained."
Read more at:http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0706/gallery.success_stories.moneymag/index.html
Great Innovater
Clayton Christensen is a giant in the world of innovation thinkers. And that's not just because the Harvard Business School professor stands 6 feet, 8 inches tall. Christensen's first book, The Innovator's Dilemma, became a bible for technology executives and Internet entrepreneurs not long after it was published 10 years ago. To date, it's sold 500,000 copies worldwide, while in 1999, Christensen was described by Forbes as "Andy Grove's Big Thinker" and featured on the magazine's cover with the former Intel chairman and Silicon Valley sage.
The book's theme—that good management is no guard against the disruptive power of new entrants who go after new customer groups or low-end markets—remains important today. "More than ever it has become shorthand for a classic problem," says Patrick Whitney, director of the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology. "People never have to explain it, they just mention Clayton's name or The Innovator's Dilemma and everyone gets what the problem is."
Ten years later, however, the innovation landscape is rather different. Globalization has exponentially expanded where threats lie. Design thinking and its focus on the customer has captured the minds of managers. And as chief executives increasingly look to reinvent their business models, innovation is no longer defined in terms of mere technological breakthroughs. So how relevant is a book that chronicles the upending of the disk drive, steel, and earth excavator industries?
Ideas Still Resonate
Very, says Robert Sutton, professor of management science and engineering at the Stanford Engineering School and co-founder of Stanford's d.school. "There are very few books, whether you do innovation in the academic world or in the business world, that you have to understand equally well," he says. "You have to know it." In essence, the dilemma Christensen describes—how to serve your core business while finding new markets and watching out for new entrants in your blind spot—is as critical today as it was 10 years ago.
While reading it today can plunge you into a bit of a time warp—"Internet appliances," those devices for the kitchen counter that would only browse the Web and respond to e-mail, did not upend the PC industry—Christensen's ideas still resonate. Criticisms of the book tend to surround its lack of solutions, which Christensen tried to correct in his follow-up, The Innovator's Solution, which was published in 2003 to less fanfare.
One reason the first book was so well-received, says Roger Martin, the dean of the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, is that Christensen doesn't criticize managers, as many ivory tower professors do in their books. Rather, a major theme is that great managers miss disruptive innovations precisely because they're focused on their customers, working hard to create returns for shareholders, and trying to do everything right.
"He takes a 'there but for the grace of god go you,' positive, blame-free approach [that managers both respond to and appreciate]," Martin says.
BusinessWeek Associate Editor Jena McGregor caught up with Christensen on June 11, exactly 10 years after the release of his book. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation:
Back in 1997, did you ever think the book would achieve the sort of popularity that it did?
I thought I had a good idea. It emerged from my doctoral thesis on the disk drive industry, and at the beginning I thought it applied a bit in computers and disk drives, but I didn't know how far it would reach. Then one by one people read the research and said this is "exactly what is happening in my industry." I really didn't understand that it was as generalized a phenomenon as it has turned out to be.
Your book focuses heavily on disruptions that are caused by advances in technology. More than ever, however, managers are defining "innovation" in a broader context, from breakthrough business processes to business models to customer experiences.
I think when I wrote The Innovator's Dilemma, my brain really was a technological brain and I was looking for a technological explanation. So I called it "disruptive technology." Then as I helped people to try and use the ideas, it became very clear there really isn't anything [it doesn't apply to].
Read more at:http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jun2007/id20070615_198176.htm?chan=innovation_innovation+%2B+design_top+stories
The book's theme—that good management is no guard against the disruptive power of new entrants who go after new customer groups or low-end markets—remains important today. "More than ever it has become shorthand for a classic problem," says Patrick Whitney, director of the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology. "People never have to explain it, they just mention Clayton's name or The Innovator's Dilemma and everyone gets what the problem is."
Ten years later, however, the innovation landscape is rather different. Globalization has exponentially expanded where threats lie. Design thinking and its focus on the customer has captured the minds of managers. And as chief executives increasingly look to reinvent their business models, innovation is no longer defined in terms of mere technological breakthroughs. So how relevant is a book that chronicles the upending of the disk drive, steel, and earth excavator industries?
Ideas Still Resonate
Very, says Robert Sutton, professor of management science and engineering at the Stanford Engineering School and co-founder of Stanford's d.school. "There are very few books, whether you do innovation in the academic world or in the business world, that you have to understand equally well," he says. "You have to know it." In essence, the dilemma Christensen describes—how to serve your core business while finding new markets and watching out for new entrants in your blind spot—is as critical today as it was 10 years ago.
While reading it today can plunge you into a bit of a time warp—"Internet appliances," those devices for the kitchen counter that would only browse the Web and respond to e-mail, did not upend the PC industry—Christensen's ideas still resonate. Criticisms of the book tend to surround its lack of solutions, which Christensen tried to correct in his follow-up, The Innovator's Solution, which was published in 2003 to less fanfare.
One reason the first book was so well-received, says Roger Martin, the dean of the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, is that Christensen doesn't criticize managers, as many ivory tower professors do in their books. Rather, a major theme is that great managers miss disruptive innovations precisely because they're focused on their customers, working hard to create returns for shareholders, and trying to do everything right.
"He takes a 'there but for the grace of god go you,' positive, blame-free approach [that managers both respond to and appreciate]," Martin says.
BusinessWeek Associate Editor Jena McGregor caught up with Christensen on June 11, exactly 10 years after the release of his book. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation:
Back in 1997, did you ever think the book would achieve the sort of popularity that it did?
I thought I had a good idea. It emerged from my doctoral thesis on the disk drive industry, and at the beginning I thought it applied a bit in computers and disk drives, but I didn't know how far it would reach. Then one by one people read the research and said this is "exactly what is happening in my industry." I really didn't understand that it was as generalized a phenomenon as it has turned out to be.
Your book focuses heavily on disruptions that are caused by advances in technology. More than ever, however, managers are defining "innovation" in a broader context, from breakthrough business processes to business models to customer experiences.
I think when I wrote The Innovator's Dilemma, my brain really was a technological brain and I was looking for a technological explanation. So I called it "disruptive technology." Then as I helped people to try and use the ideas, it became very clear there really isn't anything [it doesn't apply to].
Read more at:http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jun2007/id20070615_198176.htm?chan=innovation_innovation+%2B+design_top+stories
Uncommon Business Idea
What: A training surfboard or skateboard
Who: Robert Ellis and Stewart Cohen of GarageCo Toys Inc.
Where: Woodland Hills, California
When: Started in 2005
Startup costs: $69,831
Robert Ellis is a surfer at heart. The sport runs through his veins--and in his family. After all, it was watching his son, Brooks, jumping on a trampoline with a skateboard deck taped to his shoes that inspired Ellis to create a plastic toy with a similar purpose.
Working from his garage, Ellis developed a wooden prototype for what he eventually named the Yo Baby. He later hired a sculptor to create a mold for the final plastic version. Like a bike with training wheels, the Yo Baby is a training board for sports such as surfing or skateboarding--minus the wax or wheels.
Two years after creating the product, Ellis co-founded GarageCo Toys with surfing buddy Stewart Cohen to launch the toy into the market. The business allowed the 46-year-olds freedom to focus on what they loved: "The idea was to take our savings and put it into this business, so we could surf," Ellis says.
Today, Yo Baby rides on the popularity of board sports to create marketing buzz, with pro athletes such as longboard surfer Garrett McNamara representing it. Ellis says he also regularly visits surf and skate shops to sell the toy, concentrating on three major selling points: "name, product and our [logo character], Newt." Although the company did not begin shipping orders until last June, 2006 sales were $94,000, with 2007 projections of nearly $400,000. Ellis and Cohen have plans to expand the product line to include clothing and accessories while keeping business costs low by hiring people on a temporary basis.
Via-Entreprenuer Magzine
Who: Robert Ellis and Stewart Cohen of GarageCo Toys Inc.
Where: Woodland Hills, California
When: Started in 2005
Startup costs: $69,831
Robert Ellis is a surfer at heart. The sport runs through his veins--and in his family. After all, it was watching his son, Brooks, jumping on a trampoline with a skateboard deck taped to his shoes that inspired Ellis to create a plastic toy with a similar purpose.
Working from his garage, Ellis developed a wooden prototype for what he eventually named the Yo Baby. He later hired a sculptor to create a mold for the final plastic version. Like a bike with training wheels, the Yo Baby is a training board for sports such as surfing or skateboarding--minus the wax or wheels.
Two years after creating the product, Ellis co-founded GarageCo Toys with surfing buddy Stewart Cohen to launch the toy into the market. The business allowed the 46-year-olds freedom to focus on what they loved: "The idea was to take our savings and put it into this business, so we could surf," Ellis says.
Today, Yo Baby rides on the popularity of board sports to create marketing buzz, with pro athletes such as longboard surfer Garrett McNamara representing it. Ellis says he also regularly visits surf and skate shops to sell the toy, concentrating on three major selling points: "name, product and our [logo character], Newt." Although the company did not begin shipping orders until last June, 2006 sales were $94,000, with 2007 projections of nearly $400,000. Ellis and Cohen have plans to expand the product line to include clothing and accessories while keeping business costs low by hiring people on a temporary basis.
Via-Entreprenuer Magzine
IT Link For IT Professionals To Network And Learn From Each Other
Ziff Davis Media now has an online community, IT Link, for IT professionals to network and learn from each other.
IT Link is very specific in its networking offerings for those involved with IT. You an indicate your profession, your reasons for joining the network, as well as what you’re looking for in terms of networking opportunities. Find others to learn from or collaborate with, among other things. Your profile lets others know what it is you’re looking for, so getting right to the heart of the matter is not an issue, and setting up a meeting with another user is very easy, too. There are also some pretty handy ways to search for others, including a People Map, which shows members that can be of most service to you and your needs.
The profile matching capabilities of IT Link are the most beneficial aspects of this community, and it keeps this network focused on what matters most. Others seem to feel the same way, as IT Link has reportedly gained some 2,200 members since its launch two months ago. You also have easy access to the other web properties within the Ziff Davis Media network, though they aren’t very directly integrated with the IT Link community.
Other networks for professionals include LinkedIn, Xing, and Zoodango.
More at:http://www.ziffdavis.com/index.php
[via]Mashable
IT Link is very specific in its networking offerings for those involved with IT. You an indicate your profession, your reasons for joining the network, as well as what you’re looking for in terms of networking opportunities. Find others to learn from or collaborate with, among other things. Your profile lets others know what it is you’re looking for, so getting right to the heart of the matter is not an issue, and setting up a meeting with another user is very easy, too. There are also some pretty handy ways to search for others, including a People Map, which shows members that can be of most service to you and your needs.
The profile matching capabilities of IT Link are the most beneficial aspects of this community, and it keeps this network focused on what matters most. Others seem to feel the same way, as IT Link has reportedly gained some 2,200 members since its launch two months ago. You also have easy access to the other web properties within the Ziff Davis Media network, though they aren’t very directly integrated with the IT Link community.
Other networks for professionals include LinkedIn, Xing, and Zoodango.
More at:http://www.ziffdavis.com/index.php
[via]Mashable
Blog Searching Tool
WizWag the blog searching tool, has created an auto-discovery widget for bloggers to provide an extended blogosphere search for their readers. This service is currently in private beta.
The auto-discovery tool is powered by WizWag and operates by giving your readers a blogosphere search for related posts based on the keywords you’ve assigned to your article. These search results are separated into those that are very related, and those that are less related. Readers will get about eight search results total, with the option of finding more results on WizWag’s main page. The added perk of the auto-discovery widget is that you can insert two of your site’s ads (125 x 125) or Google Adsense to display below a reader’s search results.
The actual search results vary little from those you’ll find on Technorati or Google. A similar service for bloggers is Sphere, while other blogosphere search tools include BlogRovr and Heeii.
More at:http://www.wizag.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
Via-Mashable
The auto-discovery tool is powered by WizWag and operates by giving your readers a blogosphere search for related posts based on the keywords you’ve assigned to your article. These search results are separated into those that are very related, and those that are less related. Readers will get about eight search results total, with the option of finding more results on WizWag’s main page. The added perk of the auto-discovery widget is that you can insert two of your site’s ads (125 x 125) or Google Adsense to display below a reader’s search results.
The actual search results vary little from those you’ll find on Technorati or Google. A similar service for bloggers is Sphere, while other blogosphere search tools include BlogRovr and Heeii.
More at:http://www.wizag.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
Via-Mashable
AroundMe is a free software solution for those who would like to create a collaborative web space as MySpace clone
AroundMe is a free software solution for those who would like to create a collaborative web space as MySpace clone.People who dreamed off eariler aboout making his own website and his social networking site components could be true with this tool.
With this tool you can make your own website and layer in social networking components such as wikis, blogs, and forums. OpenID integration is one of the options that can be extended to the end users as well. AroundMe is released under a GPL license, is free to download, and also features a plug-in API. The hope for the creators of AroundMe is that people will use this tool to create websites for others to network around, forming groups (as with Ning) and offering up user-generated content.
More at:http://www.barnraiser.org/index.php?ws=1&wpn=SwAmOverviewPage
With this tool you can make your own website and layer in social networking components such as wikis, blogs, and forums. OpenID integration is one of the options that can be extended to the end users as well. AroundMe is released under a GPL license, is free to download, and also features a plug-in API. The hope for the creators of AroundMe is that people will use this tool to create websites for others to network around, forming groups (as with Ning) and offering up user-generated content.
More at:http://www.barnraiser.org/index.php?ws=1&wpn=SwAmOverviewPage
Monday, June 18, 2007
Fuzz is a new music community for artists and bands to sell music and connect with friends.
Fuzz is a new music community for artists and bands to sell music and connect with friends.
The focus of Fuzz is on the musicians, and it’s created a music label for unsigned artists to work under to help promote undiscovered musicians. Artists can sell music, and will soon be able to sell merchandise as well. There are a few ways to share information about the site, as Fuzz has badges in a few different sizes that can be placed on websites or blogs and link back to Fuzz profiles. New users can sign up as a fan or as a musician, add artists’ music to their playlists or listen to another user’s playlist.
No widgets yet for selling (or even playing) music, which limits the marketing potential of artists signed under Fuzz’s label. There are sections for people, music and buzz, but there is no section dedicated to events and concerts, which is unfortunate. Incorporating ways for users to subscribe to events, add events to their own calendars, or search through events that have been added by artists would reaffirm Fuzz’s focus on musicians.
Fuzz of course is entering an extremely crowded space which is dominated by MySpace, and includes Sonific, which recently expanded its service to allow artists to submit music, and VLES, which uses avatars and a neighborhood replica for bands to promote music, among others.
More at:http://www.fuzz.com/
The focus of Fuzz is on the musicians, and it’s created a music label for unsigned artists to work under to help promote undiscovered musicians. Artists can sell music, and will soon be able to sell merchandise as well. There are a few ways to share information about the site, as Fuzz has badges in a few different sizes that can be placed on websites or blogs and link back to Fuzz profiles. New users can sign up as a fan or as a musician, add artists’ music to their playlists or listen to another user’s playlist.
No widgets yet for selling (or even playing) music, which limits the marketing potential of artists signed under Fuzz’s label. There are sections for people, music and buzz, but there is no section dedicated to events and concerts, which is unfortunate. Incorporating ways for users to subscribe to events, add events to their own calendars, or search through events that have been added by artists would reaffirm Fuzz’s focus on musicians.
Fuzz of course is entering an extremely crowded space which is dominated by MySpace, and includes Sonific, which recently expanded its service to allow artists to submit music, and VLES, which uses avatars and a neighborhood replica for bands to promote music, among others.
More at:http://www.fuzz.com/
Iloho is a new online community for travelers
Iloho is a new online community for travelers, with a distinct focus on airfare, set to launch sometime tonight. The company is backed by WebFlyer Network owner Randy Petersen.
This community is for user-generated news and reviews from travelers. Partnering with FlyerTalk and the WebFlyer Network, Iloho has created a community for trip planning in a more defined manner while layering in information gathered from other users. Stories can be rated so that the most helpful users’ content is the most relevant for searches. Users can share itineraries and use geo-tagging to better provide an integrated travel experience, while Iloho provides fare comparison functionality to help you find the best airfare deals.
More at:http://www.iloho.com/
This community is for user-generated news and reviews from travelers. Partnering with FlyerTalk and the WebFlyer Network, Iloho has created a community for trip planning in a more defined manner while layering in information gathered from other users. Stories can be rated so that the most helpful users’ content is the most relevant for searches. Users can share itineraries and use geo-tagging to better provide an integrated travel experience, while Iloho provides fare comparison functionality to help you find the best airfare deals.
More at:http://www.iloho.com/
Double Your Earning By Google Referals
Business
Anyone who is new to computers or unfamiliar with the Internet can appreciate the usefulness of grownupgeek.com. Founder Randy Brown started the site because friends and acquaintances constantly asked him for computer help. Today, Brown’s audience has expanded beyond his immediate circle of friends. Between 5,000 and 6,000 unique visitors each day come to his site for referrals, recommendations on security products, tips and information to help them keep their PCs running smoothly and securely. The site is written in plain English, making it ideal for technology novices.
Approach
"AdSense is superior in terms of ad targeting, reporting, and a richer inventory of ads. If I had to choose between AdSense and other services, I would choose AdSense every time. It is my most effective tool for generating income."
Randy Brown
Founder GrownUpGeek.com
At first, Brown was wary of starting grownupgeek.com because of the cost of website hosting. He heard about Google AdSense™ in an online forum, and thought it might be a way for him to cover his costs. "I wanted to start a computer information site for beginners, but not unless I could at least break even," he recalls. "I probably wouldn’t have started the site if it weren’t for the ability to earn revenue from AdSense."
Implementing AdSense on his site, according to Brown, "couldn’t have been any easier," despite the fact that Brown says he’s not a practiced webmaster. He was immediately satisfied with his revenues. "I only wanted to cover my $7.77 per month hosting fees, but AdSense far surpassed that right away," Brown proclaims. "The income I started earning blew me away."
Although he was immediately happy with this revenue, Brown heard about AdSense Referrals and realized that it could help him earn more money and improve his visitors’ experience. This is an AdSense feature that enables website publishers to increase their revenue while expanding their visitors’ awareness of useful products and services.
For example, Brown often recommends the Firefox web browser because of its powerful security features. By adding a referral button to his site, Brown realized he could direct users to Firefox with the Google Toolbar. When a referral connects a user to Firefox, Google pays Brown each time.
"Much of the information on my site is security-related, so I immediately saw that AdSense Referrals for Firefox were the perfect match with the content on my site," says Brown. "I believe in Firefox and use it myself, so it made sense for me to recommend it to my readers."
Results
Brown reports that "about 50 percent of my income now comes from AdSense Referrals – and sometimes it even accounts for 75 percent of my earnings." He says he’s tried other services, but AdSense and AdSense Referrals surpass other options. Plus, advanced features in AdSense such as channel reporting and the ability to combine several ads in a single box have helped him optimize his earnings performance.
"AdSense is superior in terms of ad targeting, reporting, and a richer inventory of ads," says Brown. "If I had to choose between AdSense and other services, I would choose AdSense every time. It is my most effective tool for generating income."
More at:here
www.grownupgeek.com
Anyone who is new to computers or unfamiliar with the Internet can appreciate the usefulness of grownupgeek.com. Founder Randy Brown started the site because friends and acquaintances constantly asked him for computer help. Today, Brown’s audience has expanded beyond his immediate circle of friends. Between 5,000 and 6,000 unique visitors each day come to his site for referrals, recommendations on security products, tips and information to help them keep their PCs running smoothly and securely. The site is written in plain English, making it ideal for technology novices.
Approach
"AdSense is superior in terms of ad targeting, reporting, and a richer inventory of ads. If I had to choose between AdSense and other services, I would choose AdSense every time. It is my most effective tool for generating income."
Randy Brown
Founder GrownUpGeek.com
At first, Brown was wary of starting grownupgeek.com because of the cost of website hosting. He heard about Google AdSense™ in an online forum, and thought it might be a way for him to cover his costs. "I wanted to start a computer information site for beginners, but not unless I could at least break even," he recalls. "I probably wouldn’t have started the site if it weren’t for the ability to earn revenue from AdSense."
Implementing AdSense on his site, according to Brown, "couldn’t have been any easier," despite the fact that Brown says he’s not a practiced webmaster. He was immediately satisfied with his revenues. "I only wanted to cover my $7.77 per month hosting fees, but AdSense far surpassed that right away," Brown proclaims. "The income I started earning blew me away."
Although he was immediately happy with this revenue, Brown heard about AdSense Referrals and realized that it could help him earn more money and improve his visitors’ experience. This is an AdSense feature that enables website publishers to increase their revenue while expanding their visitors’ awareness of useful products and services.
For example, Brown often recommends the Firefox web browser because of its powerful security features. By adding a referral button to his site, Brown realized he could direct users to Firefox with the Google Toolbar. When a referral connects a user to Firefox, Google pays Brown each time.
"Much of the information on my site is security-related, so I immediately saw that AdSense Referrals for Firefox were the perfect match with the content on my site," says Brown. "I believe in Firefox and use it myself, so it made sense for me to recommend it to my readers."
Results
Brown reports that "about 50 percent of my income now comes from AdSense Referrals – and sometimes it even accounts for 75 percent of my earnings." He says he’s tried other services, but AdSense and AdSense Referrals surpass other options. Plus, advanced features in AdSense such as channel reporting and the ability to combine several ads in a single box have helped him optimize his earnings performance.
"AdSense is superior in terms of ad targeting, reporting, and a richer inventory of ads," says Brown. "If I had to choose between AdSense and other services, I would choose AdSense every time. It is my most effective tool for generating income."
More at:here
www.grownupgeek.com
Thoof
Thoof is the latest company seeking to offer news readers articles that are relevant to them.But its totally different from digg,reddit,rojo etc.
The Austin, Tex. company launched today, boasting an approach it says is more useful to the wider masses than competitors such as Digg, Reddit, NewsVine, NowPublic, Topix and others that seek to rank articles. Thoof's trick is to latch on to information it finds about users' news tastes, store this information in a place where it constantly updates its list about you, and then steadily improve ...
More at:
http://www.thoof.com/
The Austin, Tex. company launched today, boasting an approach it says is more useful to the wider masses than competitors such as Digg, Reddit, NewsVine, NowPublic, Topix and others that seek to rank articles. Thoof's trick is to latch on to information it finds about users' news tastes, store this information in a place where it constantly updates its list about you, and then steadily improve ...
More at:
http://www.thoof.com/
Venture Capital's Survey By Silicon Valley For2007
Background — We analyzed the terms of venture financings for 117 companies headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area that reported raising money in the first quarter of 2007.
Overview
The results of the 1Q07 survey showed a continuation of the strong positive trend in venture valuations. The highlights of the quarter were as follows:
Up rounds exceeded down rounds for the thirteenth quarter in a row (79% up vs. 9% down, with 12% flat). This was the largest ratio of up rounds to down rounds since we started the survey in early 2002.
Barry J. Kramer
Author
Michael J. Patrick
Author
Start-ups & VC
Start-ups and Venture Capital Group
Life Science VC Survey (2006)
Israel VC Survey (Second Half of 2006)
Explanation of Certain Terms Used in Venture Capital Surveys
The Fenwick & West Venture Capital Barometer showed a 75% average price increase for companies receiving venture capital in 1Q07 compared to such companies’ previous financing round. This was the largest increase since the survey began. This increase was driven in part by eleven 1Q07 financings in which the purchase price of the stock sold in the financing was at least three times higher than the prior round. Of these eleven financings, most were in Web 2.0 and related fields.
The non price terms of financings in 1Q07 were also company favorable, with the use of senior liquidation preference and participating liquidation preference at the lowest levels since the survey began.
Other U.S. venture industry related results for the quarter include the following:
The amount invested by venture capitalists in the U.S. in 1Q07 was approximately $7 billion in 584 transactions, compared to $6.3 billion raised in 598 transactions in 4Q06. The amount invested this quarter was the second highest amount of venture investment in a quarter since 4Q01. Venture investment in healthcare hit $2.9 billion, the highest investment level on record for that industry.1
Investments in internet and cleantech companies also increased significantly.2
Acquisitions of venture-backed companies in the U.S. in 1Q07 was very strong, with 95 transactions totaling $9.4 billion compared to 79 transactions totaling $7.5 billion in 4Q06. Acquisition activity in 1Q07 was the highest amount in dollar terms since 4Q00. The median acquisition amount, at $105 million, was very strong, and approximately equal with the internet bubble year of 2000.1
IPOs of venture-backed companies declined on a transaction basis but were flat in dollar terms compared to 4Q06, with 13 IPOs raising $1.2 million in 1Q07 compared to 18 IPOs raising $1.2 million in 4Q06. Seven of the 13 IPOs were IT, the most since 3Q04, five were healthcare and one was retail.1
Nasdaq was flat in 1Q07, but is up 5.6% in 2Q07 to date.
More at:http://www.fenwick.com/publications/6.12.1.asp?vid=1&WT_mc_id=venture-beat_052407_VCQ107
Overview
The results of the 1Q07 survey showed a continuation of the strong positive trend in venture valuations. The highlights of the quarter were as follows:
Up rounds exceeded down rounds for the thirteenth quarter in a row (79% up vs. 9% down, with 12% flat). This was the largest ratio of up rounds to down rounds since we started the survey in early 2002.
Barry J. Kramer
Author
Michael J. Patrick
Author
Start-ups & VC
Start-ups and Venture Capital Group
Life Science VC Survey (2006)
Israel VC Survey (Second Half of 2006)
Explanation of Certain Terms Used in Venture Capital Surveys
The Fenwick & West Venture Capital Barometer showed a 75% average price increase for companies receiving venture capital in 1Q07 compared to such companies’ previous financing round. This was the largest increase since the survey began. This increase was driven in part by eleven 1Q07 financings in which the purchase price of the stock sold in the financing was at least three times higher than the prior round. Of these eleven financings, most were in Web 2.0 and related fields.
The non price terms of financings in 1Q07 were also company favorable, with the use of senior liquidation preference and participating liquidation preference at the lowest levels since the survey began.
Other U.S. venture industry related results for the quarter include the following:
The amount invested by venture capitalists in the U.S. in 1Q07 was approximately $7 billion in 584 transactions, compared to $6.3 billion raised in 598 transactions in 4Q06. The amount invested this quarter was the second highest amount of venture investment in a quarter since 4Q01. Venture investment in healthcare hit $2.9 billion, the highest investment level on record for that industry.1
Investments in internet and cleantech companies also increased significantly.2
Acquisitions of venture-backed companies in the U.S. in 1Q07 was very strong, with 95 transactions totaling $9.4 billion compared to 79 transactions totaling $7.5 billion in 4Q06. Acquisition activity in 1Q07 was the highest amount in dollar terms since 4Q00. The median acquisition amount, at $105 million, was very strong, and approximately equal with the internet bubble year of 2000.1
IPOs of venture-backed companies declined on a transaction basis but were flat in dollar terms compared to 4Q06, with 13 IPOs raising $1.2 million in 1Q07 compared to 18 IPOs raising $1.2 million in 4Q06. Seven of the 13 IPOs were IT, the most since 3Q04, five were healthcare and one was retail.1
Nasdaq was flat in 1Q07, but is up 5.6% in 2Q07 to date.
More at:http://www.fenwick.com/publications/6.12.1.asp?vid=1&WT_mc_id=venture-beat_052407_VCQ107
GlamMedia
Glam Media is going to become the number one online destination for women, overtaking iVillage, which had the stronghold on the market for the past eight years.
With its large network of blogs and premium content, Glam has grown rapidly, gained over $150 million in funding, and amassed a great amount of media and advertising partners along the way. The media company has about 350 magazines, blogs and websites included in its network, providing information and outlets for women in topics such as well-being and shopping. With women being a primary target for advertisers, Glam has also earned a high CPM rate and very targeted marketing options for companies as well. iVillage commanded a high valuation when it was acquired by NBC for $650 million. Analysts are giving Glam a current valuation of $500 million.
In related news, Glam signed an advertising and search deal with Google earlier this month.
More at:
http://venturebeat.com/2007/06/17/glam-surges-to-no-1-womens-property-overtakes-ivillage/
With its large network of blogs and premium content, Glam has grown rapidly, gained over $150 million in funding, and amassed a great amount of media and advertising partners along the way. The media company has about 350 magazines, blogs and websites included in its network, providing information and outlets for women in topics such as well-being and shopping. With women being a primary target for advertisers, Glam has also earned a high CPM rate and very targeted marketing options for companies as well. iVillage commanded a high valuation when it was acquired by NBC for $650 million. Analysts are giving Glam a current valuation of $500 million.
In related news, Glam signed an advertising and search deal with Google earlier this month.
More at:
http://venturebeat.com/2007/06/17/glam-surges-to-no-1-womens-property-overtakes-ivillage/
Mobile Website
On Zinadoo you get to customise your site even more .Change your text font size, type and colour .Link to another mobile sites .Link from any page to any page on your site .Have your site visitors call or email you at the click of a button .Get feedback from site visitors The list goes on, What will we do next?”
Zinadoo, rather, is a new kind of mobile community. The promote and enhance mobile communities by proving the user with a single, unique application which allows you to create, publish, costumize and share your very own mobile site. You can sign up for a free website, use their provided customization options, and then send out invitations to your friends to view it. From there, you can SMS for your friends, interact with the people who are visiting your page, create polls and much more.
More at:www.zinadoo.com
Zinadoo, rather, is a new kind of mobile community. The promote and enhance mobile communities by proving the user with a single, unique application which allows you to create, publish, costumize and share your very own mobile site. You can sign up for a free website, use their provided customization options, and then send out invitations to your friends to view it. From there, you can SMS for your friends, interact with the people who are visiting your page, create polls and much more.
More at:www.zinadoo.com
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Moodmill
Mood Mill is a social mood management website. Who made this site wanted to know mood fast. He found out that he was very lazy to update blog (2 blog sites had already abandoned). He want a good personal mood management, a log, a quick ‘n easy website for managing and sharing my short logs.
The research and development continued. The mock-up was done in October 2006. After hair-pulling domain search phase (nearly 1 month), the project officially named: Mood Mill.
Due to the lacking of spare time, the project was abandoned for nearly 3 months. Just the moment before he decided to launch it, Twitter launched! He was thinking that Mood Mill really needed more developers, especially a decent designer and a programmer. The condition was: 80% code, 0% design.
The search for a team didn’t go quite well. One local ex-office mate designer said no, another ex-office mate designer never gave an answer. And yet another ex-office mate designer said yes but she never worked it out eventually.
Finally, when Christine (ex-office mate programmer) joined the Mood Mill wagon, He decided to stop searching for any designer. Both’ve decided that she will focus on the code and I’ll take care of the design & marketing.
So here we are, ready to begin our dream.
Here:http://www.moodmill.com/
Felix Widjaja - he considers himself as a web technology activist, mac enthusiast & sushi lover. Spends his time reading news feeds, dating his lovely girl, playing Warcraft III while thinking what’s the next web big thing while putting up ideas for moodmill.
The research and development continued. The mock-up was done in October 2006. After hair-pulling domain search phase (nearly 1 month), the project officially named: Mood Mill.
Due to the lacking of spare time, the project was abandoned for nearly 3 months. Just the moment before he decided to launch it, Twitter launched! He was thinking that Mood Mill really needed more developers, especially a decent designer and a programmer. The condition was: 80% code, 0% design.
The search for a team didn’t go quite well. One local ex-office mate designer said no, another ex-office mate designer never gave an answer. And yet another ex-office mate designer said yes but she never worked it out eventually.
Finally, when Christine (ex-office mate programmer) joined the Mood Mill wagon, He decided to stop searching for any designer. Both’ve decided that she will focus on the code and I’ll take care of the design & marketing.
So here we are, ready to begin our dream.
Here:http://www.moodmill.com/
Felix Widjaja - he considers himself as a web technology activist, mac enthusiast & sushi lover. Spends his time reading news feeds, dating his lovely girl, playing Warcraft III while thinking what’s the next web big thing while putting up ideas for moodmill.
Code Generator
Generating code and scripts will save time and give you the fine grain control of being able to modify the code to suit your business needs. GENNIT code is FXCOP"d, Unit Tested and uses solid industrial stength foundations (ActiveRecord, NHibernate). There"s no black box with GENNIT, you get all the code in a ZIP file ready to be built and run. What you get with GENNIT: Access to tested generators, a designer for building your project, FXCOP"d source files, XHTML, NUnit Testing Code, VS.NET 2005/Express solution files and SQL scripts. Does it Work?: The proof is in the pudding! GENNIT web site and account management was built on top of a code generated DAL using the same templates available here."
http://www.tangler.com/group/7951
http://www.tangler.com/group/7951
Photobucket has created a new application for Facebook–Photobucket Postcards can now be sent to your friends on Facebook’s social networking site.
Photobucket has created a new application for Facebook–Photobucket Postcards can now be sent to your friends on Facebook’s social networking site.
With Photobucket Postcards, you can send an image, slideshow, mashup or video with a greeting attached. You can use your own Photobucket media, or choose from Photobucket’s images and videos catalog for your postcard, which is searchable directly on Facebook. Friends will need to install this application in order to view the postcard you sent. You can also add a postcard to your own profile. From here, friends will be able to forward postcards to other friends, or view the full size on Photobucket. This all works in the same manner as gifting other friends; unless you change your settings for this app, your postcard and who you sent it to will show in your feeds.
While the postcards you add to your own profile are saved, it would be handy to save those sent to friends as well. And while the other slide show creators like Slide and RockYou already have Facebook apps, this is the first for Photobucket. Considering its acquisition by MySpace, and MySpace’s own views on widgets, we’re rather surprised to see a Photobucket application on Facebook at all.
More at:http://apps.facebook.com
Via -mas
With Photobucket Postcards, you can send an image, slideshow, mashup or video with a greeting attached. You can use your own Photobucket media, or choose from Photobucket’s images and videos catalog for your postcard, which is searchable directly on Facebook. Friends will need to install this application in order to view the postcard you sent. You can also add a postcard to your own profile. From here, friends will be able to forward postcards to other friends, or view the full size on Photobucket. This all works in the same manner as gifting other friends; unless you change your settings for this app, your postcard and who you sent it to will show in your feeds.
While the postcards you add to your own profile are saved, it would be handy to save those sent to friends as well. And while the other slide show creators like Slide and RockYou already have Facebook apps, this is the first for Photobucket. Considering its acquisition by MySpace, and MySpace’s own views on widgets, we’re rather surprised to see a Photobucket application on Facebook at all.
More at:http://apps.facebook.com
Via -mas
Cluztr
Cluztr takes it to the web by tracking every site you visit online through your browser. Not only that, it also keeps a history log or “clickstream” of all those sites. One word of advice, avoid visiting sites that your mother would not think much of, as it’s all out there for your friends to view. Cluztr installs a plug-in to your FireFox or Flock browser (sorry IE and Safari users, Cluztr is hopeful for a mid to late 2007 release) where it then captures your entire web surfing history and compiles it into your “clickstream” which you are free to share or publish on the web for all your friends to see. There are also social functions built into the sidebar which allow for posting of messages for that specific site which other users can see when visiting that same site.
For more :http://www.cluztr.com/
(Via)-Mashable
For more :http://www.cluztr.com/
(Via)-Mashable
Saturday, June 16, 2007
iphone Boom Could Create Good Business Opporunities
Core Cases has been developing and selling metal cases for consumer electronics since 1999. Now the tiny company is designing at least six products for the iPhone, including what it calls the "fusion case," which uses a combination of metal and other materials to protect the phone. It expects to sell about 25,000 of these cases, helping double revenues this year.
More at:http://corecases.com/
2.
IStyles has been making and marketing iPod fashion accessories for the last three years and just launched a new collection of sleeves to hold the iPhone. The company, which relies mostly on wholesale and e-commerce sales of fashion accessories for various gadgets, also intends to launch patterned skins for the iPhone once the device is released. "We can't estimate the success of the device, but if the iPod is any indication, Apple will soon be a dominant player in the mobile-phone market by the second or third revision of the iPhone, and we want to be in on the bandwagon starting from revision one," says Ming Keong Kuan, the business's director.
More at:http://www.istyles.com/
More at:http://corecases.com/
2.
IStyles has been making and marketing iPod fashion accessories for the last three years and just launched a new collection of sleeves to hold the iPhone. The company, which relies mostly on wholesale and e-commerce sales of fashion accessories for various gadgets, also intends to launch patterned skins for the iPhone once the device is released. "We can't estimate the success of the device, but if the iPod is any indication, Apple will soon be a dominant player in the mobile-phone market by the second or third revision of the iPhone, and we want to be in on the bandwagon starting from revision one," says Ming Keong Kuan, the business's director.
More at:http://www.istyles.com/
Sites Personality
How about giving site as a form of personality which can impress others from head to heart.I 'm still finding the best way to develop a site personality as I'm just teen in that field but here are lot of sites which have full blown personality and their charm speaks louder.Here are few:
http://www.demotivation.com/
http://www.despair.com/
http://www.surefiremarketing.com/
http://www.demotivation.com/
http://www.despair.com/
http://www.surefiremarketing.com/
Become.com provides to be your favorite site for online shopping, as they combine product research with comparison shopping
Thats What They claim"Search and shopping in one easy to use site. Frustrated with researching products on the web? Tired of time-wasting spam results from general search engines? Exhausted from scouring the web for the best products and prices? Well, so are we! That"s why we created Become.com: the only fully integrated Web-wide product search and comparison shopping site on the Internet. Become.com is fast and easy to use whether you are researching what to buy or simply deciding whom to buy it from. Here"s a quick look at some of the powerful, intuitive features on our site. Our relevant research results save you time We designed our search engine with your shopping needs in mind. We"ve reduced the spam and irrelevant results that general search engines produce. We know that Become.com users are focused on researching and/or buying products so we eliminate results that don"t fit the bill. We crawl over 3.2 billion web pages to bring you current buying guides, expert reviews, consumer reviews, articles, specifications, forums, merchants, and a variety of other useful information to help you make better buying decisions. Zoom in on what you want. We can fine tune your search results even further by giving you the specific types of information you want. Only want to read buying guides? Prefer to focus on technical specifications? Love reading discussions between real customers? Then click on our new Search Zoom feature and we"ll prioritize your results that way. No other site can zoom in on your search requirements the way Become.com can. You"ll find this feature at the top of your search results page. Choose the button that delivers the results you want: all results; product reviews; buying guides; discussion forums; product details."
More at:Here
More at:Here
Business Or Company Who Want To Make His Brand Of Channel
PermissionTV Says Quote" is a media technology company that empowers media brands and video content owners to create one-to-one relationships with their audience. Our quality Internet video publishing platform is used to build profitable on-demand broadband TV audiences. Media companies use PermissionTV to configure and manage their own branded Internet TV channels and monetize their audience through ad-supported, pay-per-view and subscription-based services. Viewers love the high-quality experience that PermissionTV delivers. With PermissionTV, you offer top-notch video programming accessed at will by measurable audiences. PermissionTV: your profitable video platform on the web."
PermissionTV is aimed at those businesses who want to create their own online video programming or their own internet TV channel. It simplies the creation and management of branded internet TV programming by providing its own video player and content management tools so a business can integrate their brand name into a professionally produced video, while making money from that program as well.
More at: Here
PermissionTV is aimed at those businesses who want to create their own online video programming or their own internet TV channel. It simplies the creation and management of branded internet TV programming by providing its own video player and content management tools so a business can integrate their brand name into a professionally produced video, while making money from that program as well.
More at: Here
Blurb offers free software to create, publish, and ultimately market bookstore-quality books
In past there were so many writers and poets died without publishing their cherished work due to unwillingness of publishers who most of the time bought or published only selected works but internet and blogging has changed all ,in that direction Blurb is another addition. Blurb offers free software to create, publish, and ultimately market bookstore-quality books. Users pay only when they publish their books. Given that their are million blogs out there, Blurb believes they are providing a long-overdue service that could help bloggers and other writers turn their ramblings into actual for-sale books. This is a populist site and exactly why the internet is revolutionizing so many industries, from art to politics. The site is well-funded, well-designed and great fun.
Blurb is a company and a community that believes passionately in the joy of books – reading them, making them, sharing them, and selling them. Holding a finished book with your name on the cover is a truly amazing feeling; it"s one of those experiences everyone should have. we put our minds together, and developed a creative publishing service simple and smart enough to make anyone an author – every blogger, cook, photographer, parent, traveler, poet, pet owner, marketer, everyone.
More at: www.blurb.com
Blurb is a company and a community that believes passionately in the joy of books – reading them, making them, sharing them, and selling them. Holding a finished book with your name on the cover is a truly amazing feeling; it"s one of those experiences everyone should have. we put our minds together, and developed a creative publishing service simple and smart enough to make anyone an author – every blogger, cook, photographer, parent, traveler, poet, pet owner, marketer, everyone.
More at: www.blurb.com
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