What Company is Offering;
AIMpromote is the best choice for increasing sales and improving business intelligence. Take a free trial and learn for yourself why AIMpromote is changing the way companies look at customer relationship management software.
AIMpromote has a significantly lower cost of implementation and total cost of ownership than our competitors for several reasons. There are no setup fees, and we even integrate your system with your website free of charge. Also, the ease of use and fast learning curve of our lead management system will keep your sales representatives working efficiently.
Its Unique Features:
Their offer is a better price than their two main competitors (leads360 and Salesforce), as well as MANY more features than those of their more established competitors.
Some of those additional features include Lead Attention Meter™, Custom Lead List Display, Lead Reselling, and Unlimited Custom Fields, among many others. What these guys are up to is giving you a “no brainer” service at a “no brainer” price.
More at:http://www.aimpromote.com/
Monday, October 22, 2007
SocialThing has received $300,000
What Company is Offering:
It offer a centralized place to manage your digital life, moving a bit beyond profile aggregators.
How Much They Got From VCs:
SocialThing has received $300,000 in early-stage funding from eonBusiness, as part of a $500,000 convertible note round, which includes investors from both Illinois and Colorado.
How It works:
You can keep your profile information at SocialThing, and update it across your social networking profiles from there. Keep updated with your friends across networks like MySpace and Facebook, and “take them with you” as you visit your various profiles on the web. SocialThing is a way to take your online identity with you across networks. Others in this space include ProfileBuilder, meeCard, and others.
More at:http://www.socialthing.com/
It offer a centralized place to manage your digital life, moving a bit beyond profile aggregators.
How Much They Got From VCs:
SocialThing has received $300,000 in early-stage funding from eonBusiness, as part of a $500,000 convertible note round, which includes investors from both Illinois and Colorado.
How It works:
You can keep your profile information at SocialThing, and update it across your social networking profiles from there. Keep updated with your friends across networks like MySpace and Facebook, and “take them with you” as you visit your various profiles on the web. SocialThing is a way to take your online identity with you across networks. Others in this space include ProfileBuilder, meeCard, and others.
More at:http://www.socialthing.com/
Infusion Software Closes $9 Million Funding Round Led by Mohr Davidow Ventures
What Company is offering:
Infusion Software Inc., provider of the best-selling customer relationship management (CRM) software for small businesses.
How Much They Got From VCs:
They announced it has secured funding of $9 million from MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures, a leading Silicon Valley venture capital firm. This round represents Infusion's first round of venture financing.
What's purpose Of raising Fund:
Infusion Software will use the financing to accelerate customer acquisition via increased sales and marketing efforts and to enhance its award-winning CRM software built specifically for true small businesses that want to grow quickly and profitably. True small businesses (TSB) are owner-run organizations with 2-50 employees that have grown organically. These businesses do not have layers like larger organizations, and thus automation of business processes via easy-to-use technology is highly desired.
How They Are Different From Others CRMs:
"Infusion's unique approach to CRM technology, strong customer traction among small businesses, and winning management team have enabled the company to capture a notable share of what we believe to be a very significant market opportunity," said Nancy Schoendorf, MDV general partner and an Infusion Software board member. "What they've done is answered the need among small business owners everywhere for a tool that streamlines and boosts sales and marketing activities without the need to hire additional salesforcAbout MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures
About VCs:
For 25 years MDV, a leading Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm, has identified, mentored and developed entrepreneurs and young companies redefining business, technology and medicine. The firm invests around three major business and science concerns: Personalizing Medicine; Powering the Planet; and Driving the Digital World. The firm partners with entrepreneurs who have deep expertise in life sciences, information technology and energy and materials. MDV's team engages very early in the life of a company to impact its long-term success. Category-leading companies funded by MDV include: Agile (ORCL); Broadbase (KANA); Brocade; Energy Innovations; FormFactor; Genius; hi5; Medio Systems; Nanosolar; ONI Systems (CIEN); Panasas; ParAllele (AFFX); Pivotal Technologies (BRCM); Proofpoint; Revenue Science; Shutterfly and Tethys Bioscience.
For more information, please visit www.mdv.com.
Infusion Software Inc., provider of the best-selling customer relationship management (CRM) software for small businesses.
How Much They Got From VCs:
They announced it has secured funding of $9 million from MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures, a leading Silicon Valley venture capital firm. This round represents Infusion's first round of venture financing.
What's purpose Of raising Fund:
Infusion Software will use the financing to accelerate customer acquisition via increased sales and marketing efforts and to enhance its award-winning CRM software built specifically for true small businesses that want to grow quickly and profitably. True small businesses (TSB) are owner-run organizations with 2-50 employees that have grown organically. These businesses do not have layers like larger organizations, and thus automation of business processes via easy-to-use technology is highly desired.
How They Are Different From Others CRMs:
"Infusion's unique approach to CRM technology, strong customer traction among small businesses, and winning management team have enabled the company to capture a notable share of what we believe to be a very significant market opportunity," said Nancy Schoendorf, MDV general partner and an Infusion Software board member. "What they've done is answered the need among small business owners everywhere for a tool that streamlines and boosts sales and marketing activities without the need to hire additional salesforcAbout MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures
About VCs:
For 25 years MDV, a leading Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm, has identified, mentored and developed entrepreneurs and young companies redefining business, technology and medicine. The firm invests around three major business and science concerns: Personalizing Medicine; Powering the Planet; and Driving the Digital World. The firm partners with entrepreneurs who have deep expertise in life sciences, information technology and energy and materials. MDV's team engages very early in the life of a company to impact its long-term success. Category-leading companies funded by MDV include: Agile (ORCL); Broadbase (KANA); Brocade; Energy Innovations; FormFactor; Genius; hi5; Medio Systems; Nanosolar; ONI Systems (CIEN); Panasas; ParAllele (AFFX); Pivotal Technologies (BRCM); Proofpoint; Revenue Science; Shutterfly and Tethys Bioscience.
For more information, please visit www.mdv.com.
Businesses You Can Start for Under $20
Businesses You Can Start for Under $20
Whether you're starting a business on the side while still employed elsewhere, a student or homemaker looking for extra income, or unemployed and trying to figure out what to do, there are plenty of opportunities for you to start up a side business inexpensively. It's unlikely any of these will make you a living in the first few months, but they all have the potential to grow into full-time businesses. We'll take a look at 10 such opportunities and, most importantly, tell you what to do with the $20!
1. Webpreneur
It's what everyone who's ever surfed the Web dreams of—just stick a web site up there and watch the cash roll in! Well, that just doesn't happen overnight, but the fact of the matter is it's really not very hard to do. To do it right, start by picking a subject matter you know a lot about.
Then get a domain and create a web site. It doesn't even matter what technology you use—just be totally anal-retentive about it looking good and provide plenty of original content. Now find some appropriate affiliate programs—that's where your revenues are going to come from. Next, learn everything you can about search engine marketing and promote the heck out of your site. Last of all, set aside time every week to put new content on the site, delete dead links, and other maintenance. Now do this three or four times, and you've chosen your topics well, you might actually have some decent income from it.
Spend the $20 on: $8 or less for a domain (see our Online Business Guide's list of cheap domain name registrars) and $12 for a year of hosting (search for "$1 hosting").
2. Consultant
Getting into consulting is relatively simple. All you have to do is know how to do something better than most people do, and be able to either teach people how to do it or be willing to do it for them. Networking is the key to success in this business, so start by making a list of everyone you know and giving them all a call.
Spend the $20 on: $14 on a box of clean-edge laser or inkjet business cards and $6 buying your first prospect a cup of coffee one morning.
3. Housesitter / Petsitter
Particularly since 9/11, people feel an increased need for security, and housesitting gives them some reassurance while they're out of town. This one's great because it basically requires no particular skills, just trustworthiness and reliability. Be sure to have personal references available, and you'll also need reliable transportation. If you're an animal lover, petsitting is an easy add-on.
Spend the $20 on: $2 on flyers to put up on bulletin boards, and the rest on classified ads in your local neighborhood paper (not a big city-wide one).
4. Professional Organizer
People these days are simply overwhelmed by their "stuff". While there is an ever-growing trend of people wanting to simplify their lives, most of us haven't done it yet. It's not that people really have no clue how to get organized, it just keeps moving to the bottom of the stack, both figuratively and literally. There's a prime opportunity for people to come in at a reasonable rate and get houses organized. And while there is a National Association of Professional Organizers that you can join when you're ready, mostly it takes common sense, organizational skills, and a familiarity with what can be had at your local office supply and The Container Store.
Spend the $20 on: Classified ads.
5. Avon Independent Sales Representative
Cosmetics is a virtually recession-proof business, because it's an inexpensive way for people to feel good about themselves. Avon is the largest consumer direct sales company in the world, with annual sales of nearly $6 billion. In business for well over 100 years, they have both a highly reputable product line and one of the few highly reputable multi-level marketing structures (in fact, they invented it). They also offer fashion and wellness products in addition to their beauty products. And while they bill themselves as "The Company for Women", a fairly substantial number of men have actually been very successful as Avon reps. The secret to making a living at it rather than just a little extra spending money? Build your downline—just like with any other network marketing or direct selling business.
Spend the $20 on: $10 signup fee, and $10 on brochures and a few samples.
More at:http://entrepreneurs.about.com/cs/businessideas/a/10startupideas.htm
Whether you're starting a business on the side while still employed elsewhere, a student or homemaker looking for extra income, or unemployed and trying to figure out what to do, there are plenty of opportunities for you to start up a side business inexpensively. It's unlikely any of these will make you a living in the first few months, but they all have the potential to grow into full-time businesses. We'll take a look at 10 such opportunities and, most importantly, tell you what to do with the $20!
1. Webpreneur
It's what everyone who's ever surfed the Web dreams of—just stick a web site up there and watch the cash roll in! Well, that just doesn't happen overnight, but the fact of the matter is it's really not very hard to do. To do it right, start by picking a subject matter you know a lot about.
Then get a domain and create a web site. It doesn't even matter what technology you use—just be totally anal-retentive about it looking good and provide plenty of original content. Now find some appropriate affiliate programs—that's where your revenues are going to come from. Next, learn everything you can about search engine marketing and promote the heck out of your site. Last of all, set aside time every week to put new content on the site, delete dead links, and other maintenance. Now do this three or four times, and you've chosen your topics well, you might actually have some decent income from it.
Spend the $20 on: $8 or less for a domain (see our Online Business Guide's list of cheap domain name registrars) and $12 for a year of hosting (search for "$1 hosting").
2. Consultant
Getting into consulting is relatively simple. All you have to do is know how to do something better than most people do, and be able to either teach people how to do it or be willing to do it for them. Networking is the key to success in this business, so start by making a list of everyone you know and giving them all a call.
Spend the $20 on: $14 on a box of clean-edge laser or inkjet business cards and $6 buying your first prospect a cup of coffee one morning.
3. Housesitter / Petsitter
Particularly since 9/11, people feel an increased need for security, and housesitting gives them some reassurance while they're out of town. This one's great because it basically requires no particular skills, just trustworthiness and reliability. Be sure to have personal references available, and you'll also need reliable transportation. If you're an animal lover, petsitting is an easy add-on.
Spend the $20 on: $2 on flyers to put up on bulletin boards, and the rest on classified ads in your local neighborhood paper (not a big city-wide one).
4. Professional Organizer
People these days are simply overwhelmed by their "stuff". While there is an ever-growing trend of people wanting to simplify their lives, most of us haven't done it yet. It's not that people really have no clue how to get organized, it just keeps moving to the bottom of the stack, both figuratively and literally. There's a prime opportunity for people to come in at a reasonable rate and get houses organized. And while there is a National Association of Professional Organizers that you can join when you're ready, mostly it takes common sense, organizational skills, and a familiarity with what can be had at your local office supply and The Container Store.
Spend the $20 on: Classified ads.
5. Avon Independent Sales Representative
Cosmetics is a virtually recession-proof business, because it's an inexpensive way for people to feel good about themselves. Avon is the largest consumer direct sales company in the world, with annual sales of nearly $6 billion. In business for well over 100 years, they have both a highly reputable product line and one of the few highly reputable multi-level marketing structures (in fact, they invented it). They also offer fashion and wellness products in addition to their beauty products. And while they bill themselves as "The Company for Women", a fairly substantial number of men have actually been very successful as Avon reps. The secret to making a living at it rather than just a little extra spending money? Build your downline—just like with any other network marketing or direct selling business.
Spend the $20 on: $10 signup fee, and $10 on brochures and a few samples.
More at:http://entrepreneurs.about.com/cs/businessideas/a/10startupideas.htm
Free training ,Tools and Software For Small Business in India
SME Toolkit is a project of IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. In India ICICI Bank has tied up with IFC to offer free business management information and training for small businesses / small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on accounting and finance, business planning, human resources (HR), marketing and sales, operations, Tenders information, Business News, Draft Agreements, Legal Notifications and information technology (IT). The SME Toolkit India offers a wide range of how-to articles, business forms, free business software, online training, self-assessment exercises, quizzes, and resources to help entrepreneurs, business owners, and managers in India to start, finance, formalize, and grow their businesses.
. More at:http://india.smetoolkit.org/india/en/index
. More at:http://india.smetoolkit.org/india/en/index
How To Get Your Big Break
Search all you want, there is no magic formula for fame and fortune.
The truth is, big breaks don't just happen; people make them happen--through hard work, networking, courage, passion and even pain. And as much as modern culture has glorified the notion of the "big break" ( American Idol, anyone?), lasting success has less to do with singular, transcendent moments than it does with incremental progress and unflagging grit.
"We romanticize the idea of a big break, but they aren't always this wonderful, positive thing," says David Dotlich, senior partner at Portland, Ore.-based Delta Executive Learning Center. "Sometimes it's [about] a big loss."
In Pictures: How To Get Your Big Break
Barbara Corcoran knows about spinning loss into opportunity. The founder of The Corcoran Group, New York City's largest residential real estate agency, owes her rise to a painful event: breaking up with her boyfriend . Back in 1973, he lent her $1,000 to start a real estate agency , and took a 51% stake. Seven years later, he ran off with the company's secretary , ultimately giving her full control of the company.
"Thank God, or I never would have been in business on my own and learn I could stand on my own two feet," says Corcoran, who sold her business in 2001 for $71 million, and will soon host her own real-estate talk show on CNBC.
Big breaks can also sneak up on you, even as the rest of the world seems to crumble. "A lot of times, people get their big break and they don't know they're having it," says Dotlich.
Take legendary talk show host David Letterman. The late-night funnyman broke into the business with a flop. After a string of guest appearances on second-tier sitcoms and game shows, Letterman landed a hosting gig for a comedy pilot called The Riddlers. The series was a bust, but Letterman got noticed by the higher-ups at The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He soon became a regular guest, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Rather than wait for his big break, real estate mogul Larry Silverstein built his empire brick by brick. He began his career in the 1950s by converting a Manhattan industrial shack into an office building. "I didn't have a clue what I was doing in the beginning," he says. Indeed, it took myriad deals over five decades to get where Silverstein, 76, is today. "You have to stick with it," he says. He'll need every bit of that conviction to pull off his finale--rebuilding the World Trade Center site, into which he sunk $800 million the summer before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Talent and tenacity notwithstanding, having the right friends helps, too--as pop star Mariah Carey can attest. While working as a backup singer for Puerto Rican performer Brenda Starr in 1988, Carey met Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola at a party. As a favor, Starr gave Carey's demo tape to Mattola. After a listen, he bolted back to the party to track Carey down and sign her on. Good move for everyone: Carey's first five singles hit the Billboard Hot 100.
No matter what, when lady luck comes knocking, you'd better be ready to pounce. Just ask rising actor Michael C. Hall. It took three years after graduating from New York University's Tisch School, but Hall got his break when he met director Sam Mendes at a musical workshop. At the time, Mendes was directing Cabaret on Broadway . When the actor playing the "emcee" stepped down, Mendes called Hall to try out for the role.
By that evening, Hall was practicing with the choreographer, and within days he was on Broadway. Hall has since landed cherry gigs on Dexter, airing on Showtime, and HBO's Six Feet Under. "With that job [in Cabaret], I felt like I crossed some sort of threshold," he says. "Everything that happened beyond that was in this realm I never considered."
Clearly, some industries are tougher to crack in a big way than others. In the entertainment industry, getting any job--no matter how small--is considered a break. "There are myths in our business about the actor who is discovered at the lunch counter," says Michael Taylor, chair of the vaunted film and television division at the University of Southern California. "What's more likely is a combination of luck, timing and who you know."
Unless you're Rosario Dawson, that is. The oldest daughter of East Village squatters got her big acting break by sitting on the stoop of her building. Director Larry Clark and casting agent Harmony Korine were scouting scenes for the 1995 film Kids when they noticed Dawson, who later landed a role in the movie. She has since appeared in 35 films, including the 2006 remake of the Broadway smash Rent.
No, life isn't fair. But with a little effort, you can boost your odds.
Via-Forbes
The truth is, big breaks don't just happen; people make them happen--through hard work, networking, courage, passion and even pain. And as much as modern culture has glorified the notion of the "big break" ( American Idol, anyone?), lasting success has less to do with singular, transcendent moments than it does with incremental progress and unflagging grit.
"We romanticize the idea of a big break, but they aren't always this wonderful, positive thing," says David Dotlich, senior partner at Portland, Ore.-based Delta Executive Learning Center. "Sometimes it's [about] a big loss."
In Pictures: How To Get Your Big Break
Barbara Corcoran knows about spinning loss into opportunity. The founder of The Corcoran Group, New York City's largest residential real estate agency, owes her rise to a painful event: breaking up with her boyfriend . Back in 1973, he lent her $1,000 to start a real estate agency , and took a 51% stake. Seven years later, he ran off with the company's secretary , ultimately giving her full control of the company.
"Thank God, or I never would have been in business on my own and learn I could stand on my own two feet," says Corcoran, who sold her business in 2001 for $71 million, and will soon host her own real-estate talk show on CNBC.
Big breaks can also sneak up on you, even as the rest of the world seems to crumble. "A lot of times, people get their big break and they don't know they're having it," says Dotlich.
Take legendary talk show host David Letterman. The late-night funnyman broke into the business with a flop. After a string of guest appearances on second-tier sitcoms and game shows, Letterman landed a hosting gig for a comedy pilot called The Riddlers. The series was a bust, but Letterman got noticed by the higher-ups at The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He soon became a regular guest, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Rather than wait for his big break, real estate mogul Larry Silverstein built his empire brick by brick. He began his career in the 1950s by converting a Manhattan industrial shack into an office building. "I didn't have a clue what I was doing in the beginning," he says. Indeed, it took myriad deals over five decades to get where Silverstein, 76, is today. "You have to stick with it," he says. He'll need every bit of that conviction to pull off his finale--rebuilding the World Trade Center site, into which he sunk $800 million the summer before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Talent and tenacity notwithstanding, having the right friends helps, too--as pop star Mariah Carey can attest. While working as a backup singer for Puerto Rican performer Brenda Starr in 1988, Carey met Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola at a party. As a favor, Starr gave Carey's demo tape to Mattola. After a listen, he bolted back to the party to track Carey down and sign her on. Good move for everyone: Carey's first five singles hit the Billboard Hot 100.
No matter what, when lady luck comes knocking, you'd better be ready to pounce. Just ask rising actor Michael C. Hall. It took three years after graduating from New York University's Tisch School, but Hall got his break when he met director Sam Mendes at a musical workshop. At the time, Mendes was directing Cabaret on Broadway . When the actor playing the "emcee" stepped down, Mendes called Hall to try out for the role.
By that evening, Hall was practicing with the choreographer, and within days he was on Broadway. Hall has since landed cherry gigs on Dexter, airing on Showtime, and HBO's Six Feet Under. "With that job [in Cabaret], I felt like I crossed some sort of threshold," he says. "Everything that happened beyond that was in this realm I never considered."
Clearly, some industries are tougher to crack in a big way than others. In the entertainment industry, getting any job--no matter how small--is considered a break. "There are myths in our business about the actor who is discovered at the lunch counter," says Michael Taylor, chair of the vaunted film and television division at the University of Southern California. "What's more likely is a combination of luck, timing and who you know."
Unless you're Rosario Dawson, that is. The oldest daughter of East Village squatters got her big acting break by sitting on the stoop of her building. Director Larry Clark and casting agent Harmony Korine were scouting scenes for the 1995 film Kids when they noticed Dawson, who later landed a role in the movie. She has since appeared in 35 films, including the 2006 remake of the Broadway smash Rent.
No, life isn't fair. But with a little effort, you can boost your odds.
Via-Forbes
Pre.vu is offering a digital-age alternative
What Company is Offering:
Pre.vu is offering a digital-age alternative that could make such tasks a little easier by allowing consumers to record a personalised message onto a CD case or gift tag instead.
How It Works:
Voice, music and sound effects can be included in a 60-second message that’s incorporated in a credit card-sized gift tag or CD case to accompany a set of holiday photos, for example. The resulting recordings can be played back hundreds of times at the touch of a button. Shockwave is required for online recording, but consumers can also record their messages by phoning in to Pre.vu. Pricing is GBP 5.50 for a gift tag or GBP 2.50 for a talking CD case. Pre.vu, operated by U.-based Origgio Ltd., sells its Talking Messages products direct to consumers via its own site, but it also offers the functionality to e-commerce retailers, which in turn can offer the service to consumers much like gift-wrapping or regular, printed gift tags.
In addition to the possibilities in online retail, Pre.vu also markets its Talking Messages products for enterprise packaging applications and direct marketing--one message can be recorded on multiple tags or CD cases, for example. Feels like the sky's the limit on the global possibilities for this one in both the B-to-B and B-to-C worlds. Novelty and personalisation tend to be a winning combination, and in this case, the language barriers take care of themselves. Now how about taking it a step further with Moving Messages, a video equivalent...? Let us know when you're done!
More at: www.pre.vu
Pre.vu is offering a digital-age alternative that could make such tasks a little easier by allowing consumers to record a personalised message onto a CD case or gift tag instead.
How It Works:
Voice, music and sound effects can be included in a 60-second message that’s incorporated in a credit card-sized gift tag or CD case to accompany a set of holiday photos, for example. The resulting recordings can be played back hundreds of times at the touch of a button. Shockwave is required for online recording, but consumers can also record their messages by phoning in to Pre.vu. Pricing is GBP 5.50 for a gift tag or GBP 2.50 for a talking CD case. Pre.vu, operated by U.-based Origgio Ltd., sells its Talking Messages products direct to consumers via its own site, but it also offers the functionality to e-commerce retailers, which in turn can offer the service to consumers much like gift-wrapping or regular, printed gift tags.
In addition to the possibilities in online retail, Pre.vu also markets its Talking Messages products for enterprise packaging applications and direct marketing--one message can be recorded on multiple tags or CD cases, for example. Feels like the sky's the limit on the global possibilities for this one in both the B-to-B and B-to-C worlds. Novelty and personalisation tend to be a winning combination, and in this case, the language barriers take care of themselves. Now how about taking it a step further with Moving Messages, a video equivalent...? Let us know when you're done!
More at: www.pre.vu
I Want Sandy is a virtual personal assistant that’s integrated with your email
What Company is Offering:
I Want Sandy is a virtual personal assistant that’s integrated with your email so that keeping track of appointments and such is a slightly less stressful fact of every day life. Currently in private beta, I got a chance to take it for a spin this weekend.
How It Works:
This service works with text messages as well, so you can still keep track of your life and add things to your account while you’re on the go. I Want Sandy works by offering you your own email address. This is good because it means you can send something to your account from any email address, and it doesn’t need to come directly from your registered email address in order to add items. Likewise, CC’ing Sandy on an email sent to another person will also be integrated for your account.
There are a few things that you can ask Sandy to do, like remind you of a project that needs to be turned in next Friday, add items to your to-do list, or add things to your calendar. It will filter most of this information, which provides easy access via your I Want Sandy account. Anyone you send an email to with Sandy CC’ed will be added to your Friends list, and items for the current day will be displayed, along with all of your reminders, your to-do list, and your calendar. I Want Sandy can also be used to search your emails that it’s keeping track of–to this end, there’s also a tag cloud that shows on your account details.
As with similar services like IMified, there’s shorthand you can use for sending items to Sandy, as well as a help menu that can be accessed via email or text message. There doesn’t seem to be any integration with third-party tools, like your iCal.
More at:http://iwantsandy.com/
I Want Sandy is a virtual personal assistant that’s integrated with your email so that keeping track of appointments and such is a slightly less stressful fact of every day life. Currently in private beta, I got a chance to take it for a spin this weekend.
How It Works:
This service works with text messages as well, so you can still keep track of your life and add things to your account while you’re on the go. I Want Sandy works by offering you your own email address. This is good because it means you can send something to your account from any email address, and it doesn’t need to come directly from your registered email address in order to add items. Likewise, CC’ing Sandy on an email sent to another person will also be integrated for your account.
There are a few things that you can ask Sandy to do, like remind you of a project that needs to be turned in next Friday, add items to your to-do list, or add things to your calendar. It will filter most of this information, which provides easy access via your I Want Sandy account. Anyone you send an email to with Sandy CC’ed will be added to your Friends list, and items for the current day will be displayed, along with all of your reminders, your to-do list, and your calendar. I Want Sandy can also be used to search your emails that it’s keeping track of–to this end, there’s also a tag cloud that shows on your account details.
As with similar services like IMified, there’s shorthand you can use for sending items to Sandy, as well as a help menu that can be accessed via email or text message. There doesn’t seem to be any integration with third-party tools, like your iCal.
More at:http://iwantsandy.com/
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Teenpreneurs
Age: 17
Business started: 2006
Initial investment: $850
Education: Currently attending Montgomery Blair High School
Sacks got the inspiration for his business when his parents printed cards for his brother's bar mitzvah party. He developed his idea for a customized card business during his NFTE entrepreneurship class.
Today his business prints custom images such as a company's logo or a personal photo on the backs of playing cards, so that the decks can be used as a marketing tool or mementos at weddings and birthday parties. While making samples for his class, a Xerox (XRX) distributor asked to buy some cards. "When I made my first sale, I really knew I had a good product because he raised his original order from 5 decks to 75 decks once he saw the product."
More at:http://yodcards.com/
Via-UCB
Business started: 2006
Initial investment: $850
Education: Currently attending Montgomery Blair High School
Sacks got the inspiration for his business when his parents printed cards for his brother's bar mitzvah party. He developed his idea for a customized card business during his NFTE entrepreneurship class.
Today his business prints custom images such as a company's logo or a personal photo on the backs of playing cards, so that the decks can be used as a marketing tool or mementos at weddings and birthday parties. While making samples for his class, a Xerox (XRX) distributor asked to buy some cards. "When I made my first sale, I really knew I had a good product because he raised his original order from 5 decks to 75 decks once he saw the product."
More at:http://yodcards.com/
Via-UCB
How To Get Noticed Small Business
One of the oldest and most effective ways to market yourself online is through local small business directory listings. Small business Internet marketing requires starting with a listing of your small business in the major general directories then listing them in niche and industry-specific directories appropriate to your small business. It is a time consuming process to list your small business in the right directories, but a necessary one to ensure good rankings for your website.
The most essential directory for your small business to be listed in is DMOZ, also called the Open Directory Project. All the major search engines, and most of the minor ones, rely on DMOZ, located at www.dmoz.org, for information on websites. Google gets information on every website it crawls from DMOZ.
You should also list your small business in Google Local and Yahoo Local. All you need to do to get listed with Google is to go to Google, click on the Local link and find the "add your business link." For Yahoo, go to Yahoo, click on "Directory," then click on "Submit Your Site" at the bottom of the page.
You can find other directories online by using Google or Yahoo. Type in "directory of directories" and you'll get a list of small business directories, both paid and free, listed by state, industry, niche, and other categorizations. I recommend that you list in every directory that applies to your business. Here is a short list of local small business directory opportunities to help you attract local customers for your business:
• www.dmoz.org
• http://dir.yahoo.com
• www.joeant.com
• www.jayde.com
• www.avivadirectory.com
• www.goguides.com
• www.botw.org
Some directories, like the Yahoo directory, charge, but it is well worth what you pay to be listed. Once you are included in Yahoo's small business directory, you can bet your website will be indexed in the search engine as well.
There are three primary considerations for your small business when listing in directories online:
• The directory's PageRank
• The directory's age
• Is your small business category available?
PageRank is important for SEO purposes. Internet marketing pros all recommend getting inbound links from websites with high PR. A website with a PR higher than yours will benefit you with valuable inbound links that will give you a boost in the search engines as well. The age of the directory makes it more valuable because you know that if the directory has been around for more than two years then it will likely be around next year. You can get information on PageRank and the age of various directories at http://www.seocompany.ca/directory/web-directories.html.
Don't waste your time trying to get listed in a directory that doesn't offer a category you'll fit into. Be sure to browse the categories at any small business directories you consider before you list your business.
Two great sources for finding web directories for your small business Internet marketing efforts are www.dir-search.com and www.best-web-directories.com. The Best Web Directories website is perhaps the most comprehensive website for finding business directories online. If you want to find local customers through small business directories then I recommend these two resources for finding the best places online for finding small business directories for your Internet marketing efforts.
Via-AVM
The most essential directory for your small business to be listed in is DMOZ, also called the Open Directory Project. All the major search engines, and most of the minor ones, rely on DMOZ, located at www.dmoz.org, for information on websites. Google gets information on every website it crawls from DMOZ.
You should also list your small business in Google Local and Yahoo Local. All you need to do to get listed with Google is to go to Google, click on the Local link and find the "add your business link." For Yahoo, go to Yahoo, click on "Directory," then click on "Submit Your Site" at the bottom of the page.
You can find other directories online by using Google or Yahoo. Type in "directory of directories" and you'll get a list of small business directories, both paid and free, listed by state, industry, niche, and other categorizations. I recommend that you list in every directory that applies to your business. Here is a short list of local small business directory opportunities to help you attract local customers for your business:
• www.dmoz.org
• http://dir.yahoo.com
• www.joeant.com
• www.jayde.com
• www.avivadirectory.com
• www.goguides.com
• www.botw.org
Some directories, like the Yahoo directory, charge, but it is well worth what you pay to be listed. Once you are included in Yahoo's small business directory, you can bet your website will be indexed in the search engine as well.
There are three primary considerations for your small business when listing in directories online:
• The directory's PageRank
• The directory's age
• Is your small business category available?
PageRank is important for SEO purposes. Internet marketing pros all recommend getting inbound links from websites with high PR. A website with a PR higher than yours will benefit you with valuable inbound links that will give you a boost in the search engines as well. The age of the directory makes it more valuable because you know that if the directory has been around for more than two years then it will likely be around next year. You can get information on PageRank and the age of various directories at http://www.seocompany.ca/directory/web-directories.html.
Don't waste your time trying to get listed in a directory that doesn't offer a category you'll fit into. Be sure to browse the categories at any small business directories you consider before you list your business.
Two great sources for finding web directories for your small business Internet marketing efforts are www.dir-search.com and www.best-web-directories.com. The Best Web Directories website is perhaps the most comprehensive website for finding business directories online. If you want to find local customers through small business directories then I recommend these two resources for finding the best places online for finding small business directories for your Internet marketing efforts.
Via-AVM
Six groups enables you to start your own community for free
What Company is Offering:
Six groups enables you to start your own community for free, about every topic, available to everyone. Choose your design from a large variety of templates and define the data fields for your members' profiles. For the start of your community, basic features such as a group blog and a photo and media gallery are available to members, allowing you to organize private or professional social networks online.
How It Works:
At SixGroups.com you can create your own social network that can revolve around any theme you choose. You can make a community dedicated to Punk Rock or Outdoor sports. As manager you have complete control over the design of the layout, contact management, messaging, file management, photo gallery and weblog. You can choose what features you want your community users to have, you are in complete control of your community. Your community will be connected to the SixGroups network. All you have to do to start your own community is hit “start your own community” and you are on your way.
More at:http://sixgroups.com/
Six groups enables you to start your own community for free, about every topic, available to everyone. Choose your design from a large variety of templates and define the data fields for your members' profiles. For the start of your community, basic features such as a group blog and a photo and media gallery are available to members, allowing you to organize private or professional social networks online.
How It Works:
At SixGroups.com you can create your own social network that can revolve around any theme you choose. You can make a community dedicated to Punk Rock or Outdoor sports. As manager you have complete control over the design of the layout, contact management, messaging, file management, photo gallery and weblog. You can choose what features you want your community users to have, you are in complete control of your community. Your community will be connected to the SixGroups network. All you have to do to start your own community is hit “start your own community” and you are on your way.
More at:http://sixgroups.com/
Share Photos And Get Paid
What Company is Offering:
Photrade makes it easy to share prints with your friends and family. Uploading is easy with our multi-photo uploader, and you can email the photos to friends and family, or post the photos directly in your blog or myspace. Your friends and family can even order prints of their favorite photos! Your photos will also be added to our library (if you choose) and you can share your photos with the world! People can also tag, rate & comment on your photos.
How It Works:
Create an account with Photrade.com and you can easily upload as many photos as you want. You can email you photos to your friends or post them on your blog or social network. Family and friends can pay for prints of your photos. You can earn revenue every time a different person visits your page or clicks on your photo. In order to earn revenue you must make sure that the Ad Revenue button is on in your preferences. People may be interested in buying your photos. In this case you can also choose how much you think your photo is worth and sell them accordingly. Photrade.com has many features which make displaying your photos easy and attractive to others. Other users can comment on your photos, tag them and rate them.
More at:http://photrade.com/
Photrade makes it easy to share prints with your friends and family. Uploading is easy with our multi-photo uploader, and you can email the photos to friends and family, or post the photos directly in your blog or myspace. Your friends and family can even order prints of their favorite photos! Your photos will also be added to our library (if you choose) and you can share your photos with the world! People can also tag, rate & comment on your photos.
How It Works:
Create an account with Photrade.com and you can easily upload as many photos as you want. You can email you photos to your friends or post them on your blog or social network. Family and friends can pay for prints of your photos. You can earn revenue every time a different person visits your page or clicks on your photo. In order to earn revenue you must make sure that the Ad Revenue button is on in your preferences. People may be interested in buying your photos. In this case you can also choose how much you think your photo is worth and sell them accordingly. Photrade.com has many features which make displaying your photos easy and attractive to others. Other users can comment on your photos, tag them and rate them.
More at:http://photrade.com/
LittleEngine is a new small-business social network
What Company is Offering:
The aim of LittleEngine is to simply replicate the very actions that people demonstrate on a daily basis: locating small businesses that can provide them with the products or services they need. "We facilitate this by providing the resources to find and check out businesses that might have been unknown to consumers and business owners alike. LittleEngine provides the tools for business owners to reach out to consumers and consumers to find businesses that satisfy their interests. For information about our services check out the Take The Tour section on our homepage, and you can see what we are all about".
How It Works:
LittleEngine is a new small-business social network which brings this notion to the net; on this site you can sign up your small business and create a profile for it. Be sure to use LittleEngine’s tagging service to make it easier for potential customers to find you in searches. Like any social network, you can invite and add friends on LittleEngine to help promote your business There are numerous other features you can choose to take advantage of, including but not limited to: photo uploads, commercial uploads, offers and deals for your customers, multiple business profiles, . There are several levels of membership on LittleEngine; trial (free), basic (US $90/month) and Pro (US $140/month).
More at:http://www.littleengine.com/
The aim of LittleEngine is to simply replicate the very actions that people demonstrate on a daily basis: locating small businesses that can provide them with the products or services they need. "We facilitate this by providing the resources to find and check out businesses that might have been unknown to consumers and business owners alike. LittleEngine provides the tools for business owners to reach out to consumers and consumers to find businesses that satisfy their interests. For information about our services check out the Take The Tour section on our homepage, and you can see what we are all about".
How It Works:
LittleEngine is a new small-business social network which brings this notion to the net; on this site you can sign up your small business and create a profile for it. Be sure to use LittleEngine’s tagging service to make it easier for potential customers to find you in searches. Like any social network, you can invite and add friends on LittleEngine to help promote your business There are numerous other features you can choose to take advantage of, including but not limited to: photo uploads, commercial uploads, offers and deals for your customers, multiple business profiles, . There are several levels of membership on LittleEngine; trial (free), basic (US $90/month) and Pro (US $140/month).
More at:http://www.littleengine.com/
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Lootpig is "one deal a day" website selling stuff at prices below retail
What Company is Offering:
Lootpig is "one deal a day" website selling stuff at prices below retail by getting our items directly from the source or wholesaler and cutting out the middleman. Thus saving you money! We list a new item everyday at 6:00am EST and this item is available until its sold out or 5:59am the following day. Should the item be a popular hit and we have lots in stock we might decide to sell it for another 24 hours.
How It works:
Lootpig features a new product every day that’s available for your purchase, which will only remain so for 24 hours. The site is run by Bright Sparks Group LLC, a marketing/sales company which claims it has connections to wholesalers, thus being able to provide you with the product at a reduced price. You can also accumulate Pig Point by logging into the site and making purchases. These Pig Points can be redeemed for merchandise, and in addition Lootpig makes special offers for select members (the site features Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels of membership based on how many Pig Points you have accumulated). Site registration is free.
More at:http://www.lootpig.com/
Lootpig is "one deal a day" website selling stuff at prices below retail by getting our items directly from the source or wholesaler and cutting out the middleman. Thus saving you money! We list a new item everyday at 6:00am EST and this item is available until its sold out or 5:59am the following day. Should the item be a popular hit and we have lots in stock we might decide to sell it for another 24 hours.
How It works:
Lootpig features a new product every day that’s available for your purchase, which will only remain so for 24 hours. The site is run by Bright Sparks Group LLC, a marketing/sales company which claims it has connections to wholesalers, thus being able to provide you with the product at a reduced price. You can also accumulate Pig Point by logging into the site and making purchases. These Pig Points can be redeemed for merchandise, and in addition Lootpig makes special offers for select members (the site features Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels of membership based on how many Pig Points you have accumulated). Site registration is free.
More at:http://www.lootpig.com/
He Made Millions With Ducttape
It’s sticky, and many Americans have a roll, just in case, but a number of resourceful entrepreneurs have made duct tape the focus of their businesses.
Garett Croft Stenson was broke and living with his parents in Portland, Ore., after college when he crafted a few wallets out of duct tape — a hobby he had learned in his dorm room. Mr. Stenson brought them to a local market to sell for $8 to $15.
The small, thin, brightly colored wallets were a hit, to the point where demand was outpacing supply. Soon Mr. Stenson was hearing from stores interested in selling his product and selling his wares at art shows nationwide.
“I thought, this could be a real business,” said Mr. Stenson, who was spending up to 90 hours a week making wallets. “I made the decision to take on an S.B.A. loan and hire people to help produce them. It evolved from something handmade for a street market to, ‘Let’s go big with this.’ ”
Five years later, Mr. Stenson’s business, DB Clay, is manufacturing a thicker type of duct tape in China and hoping to make at least $500,000 in sales this year. And he is not alone.
Dozens of small businesses make wallets, handbags, jewelry and other products out of duct tape.
More at:More at:http://www.dbclay.com/
Via-Uncommonblog
Garett Croft Stenson was broke and living with his parents in Portland, Ore., after college when he crafted a few wallets out of duct tape — a hobby he had learned in his dorm room. Mr. Stenson brought them to a local market to sell for $8 to $15.
The small, thin, brightly colored wallets were a hit, to the point where demand was outpacing supply. Soon Mr. Stenson was hearing from stores interested in selling his product and selling his wares at art shows nationwide.
“I thought, this could be a real business,” said Mr. Stenson, who was spending up to 90 hours a week making wallets. “I made the decision to take on an S.B.A. loan and hire people to help produce them. It evolved from something handmade for a street market to, ‘Let’s go big with this.’ ”
Five years later, Mr. Stenson’s business, DB Clay, is manufacturing a thicker type of duct tape in China and hoping to make at least $500,000 in sales this year. And he is not alone.
Dozens of small businesses make wallets, handbags, jewelry and other products out of duct tape.
More at:More at:http://www.dbclay.com/
Via-Uncommonblog
Vocalocity has raised $8 million
About Company:
For cost conscious small business owners who need a new expandable phone system and want to save money, Vocalocity has an affordable, no maintenance PBX that can be set up in minutes. Unlike expensive traditional systems, our solution ties together high quality voice services and features once only affordable to big companies -- the only equipment you need is phones.
How Much They Got From VCs:
They announced that they have raised $8 million in Series A financing. Noro-Moseley Partners was lead investor with added participation from Pittco Capital Partners, Imlay Partners and Vocalocity management.
Who Will Get Benifit Their Service:
Micro enterprises gain a full set of voice communications tools from Vocalocity including auto-attendant, voicemail to e-mail, follow me roaming, music on hold, simultaneous ring, conference calling and call queuing. This feature-rich phone system is as easy to set up and administer as e-mail and with self-configuring VoIP phones and online management, businesses can have a new phone system up and running in minutes, not hours or days.
More at:http://www.vocalocity.net/
For cost conscious small business owners who need a new expandable phone system and want to save money, Vocalocity has an affordable, no maintenance PBX that can be set up in minutes. Unlike expensive traditional systems, our solution ties together high quality voice services and features once only affordable to big companies -- the only equipment you need is phones.
How Much They Got From VCs:
They announced that they have raised $8 million in Series A financing. Noro-Moseley Partners was lead investor with added participation from Pittco Capital Partners, Imlay Partners and Vocalocity management.
Who Will Get Benifit Their Service:
Micro enterprises gain a full set of voice communications tools from Vocalocity including auto-attendant, voicemail to e-mail, follow me roaming, music on hold, simultaneous ring, conference calling and call queuing. This feature-rich phone system is as easy to set up and administer as e-mail and with self-configuring VoIP phones and online management, businesses can have a new phone system up and running in minutes, not hours or days.
More at:http://www.vocalocity.net/
SocialMedia has raised $3.5 Million In VCs Funding
What Company is Offering:
SocialMedia Networks provides a comprehensive suite of tools and services for developers building applications that run on open social platforms, including Facebook and MySpace. By fusing social analytics, monetization, and promotion into one product, SocialMedia Networks is ushering in the era of ad networks and platforms. Developers of social applications take advantage of SocialMedia Networks services, and advertisers can use the proprietary self-serve marketplace to start and manage their campaigns 24/7.
How Much They Got From VCs:
They announced that they have secured Series A financing of $3.5 million. The investment was led by Charles River Ventures, and additional investors include: Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape and Jeff Clavier, founder and managing partner of SoftTech VC.
More at:http://www.socialmedia.com/
SocialMedia Networks provides a comprehensive suite of tools and services for developers building applications that run on open social platforms, including Facebook and MySpace. By fusing social analytics, monetization, and promotion into one product, SocialMedia Networks is ushering in the era of ad networks and platforms. Developers of social applications take advantage of SocialMedia Networks services, and advertisers can use the proprietary self-serve marketplace to start and manage their campaigns 24/7.
How Much They Got From VCs:
They announced that they have secured Series A financing of $3.5 million. The investment was led by Charles River Ventures, and additional investors include: Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape and Jeff Clavier, founder and managing partner of SoftTech VC.
More at:http://www.socialmedia.com/
With "HelloTxt" send one message To All, Twitter, Jaiku, Yappd, Meemi, Beemood and Tumblr
What Company is Offering:
HelloTxt is an aggregated messaging system that lets you compose one message and send it out to most popular micro-blogging services, including Twitter, Jaiku, Yappd, Meemi, Beemood and Tumblr, which was recently funded.
How It Works:
As soon as you go to the homepage, there’s a text box for you to insert your message. The right side bar lets you choose which services you’d like to send your message to. You’ll need to provide a username and password for each service. There don’t seem to be any actual HelloTxt accounts, so your messages won’t be saved on HelloTxt, and you’ll essentially need to go to the homepage, sign on, and agree to the terms and conditions every time you go to the site.
More at:http://www.hellotxt.com/
HelloTxt is an aggregated messaging system that lets you compose one message and send it out to most popular micro-blogging services, including Twitter, Jaiku, Yappd, Meemi, Beemood and Tumblr, which was recently funded.
How It Works:
As soon as you go to the homepage, there’s a text box for you to insert your message. The right side bar lets you choose which services you’d like to send your message to. You’ll need to provide a username and password for each service. There don’t seem to be any actual HelloTxt accounts, so your messages won’t be saved on HelloTxt, and you’ll essentially need to go to the homepage, sign on, and agree to the terms and conditions every time you go to the site.
More at:http://www.hellotxt.com/
ReverbNation
What Company says:
"We bring together artists, fans, venues, and record labels to forge relationships around the music that sustains us. Even in the age of the internet, music is still enjoyed both live and recorded, and still travels from fan to fan. ReverbNation is here to provide the online environment in which those relationships can thrive".
New Features:
ReverbNation now has a new profile option just for marketing purposes. The new profiles are to be used by Record Labels and Management Companies for the promotion of all the artists on their label. ReverbNation offers tracking and metrics as well, so you can see how the online marketing is going.
Offered with these profiles are free FanReach email management tools, a way to set up an Artists Roster with their associated songs, a consolidated show schedule for all your artists, a New Releases area, a Street Team function for encouraging web users to help you spread the word, and a customizable widget for the promotion of your artists.
This widget offering is TuneWidget, which ReverbNation launched about a month ago. It includes a cross-promotional tool that lets you display a recommended artist at the bottom of the widget. This plays into the whole new profile that ReverbNation is now releasing now.
More at:http://www.reverbnation.com/
"We bring together artists, fans, venues, and record labels to forge relationships around the music that sustains us. Even in the age of the internet, music is still enjoyed both live and recorded, and still travels from fan to fan. ReverbNation is here to provide the online environment in which those relationships can thrive".
New Features:
ReverbNation now has a new profile option just for marketing purposes. The new profiles are to be used by Record Labels and Management Companies for the promotion of all the artists on their label. ReverbNation offers tracking and metrics as well, so you can see how the online marketing is going.
Offered with these profiles are free FanReach email management tools, a way to set up an Artists Roster with their associated songs, a consolidated show schedule for all your artists, a New Releases area, a Street Team function for encouraging web users to help you spread the word, and a customizable widget for the promotion of your artists.
This widget offering is TuneWidget, which ReverbNation launched about a month ago. It includes a cross-promotional tool that lets you display a recommended artist at the bottom of the widget. This plays into the whole new profile that ReverbNation is now releasing now.
More at:http://www.reverbnation.com/
Wuala is a new way of storing, sharing, and publishing files on the internet
What Company is Offering:
Wuala is a new way of storing, sharing, and publishing files on the internet. It's a free desktop application for Windows and Mac that brings you a convenient and secure online storage. Unlike traditional online storage systems, Wuala is decentralized and can harness idle resources of participating computers to build a large, secure, and reliable online storage. This new technology has a number of advantages and it allows us to provide you a better service for free.
How It Works:
Wuala is decentralized and uses the hard drives of its members to store all their files. Of course it’s not as brute as it sounds; the concept is indeed novel and smartly executed. Wuala users agree to share some of their hard disk space in exchange for space on other people’s idle drives. All data is partitioned and encrypted, to dispel concerns about privacy or irresponsibility. Each file, moreover, is stretched across multiple hard drives, thereby insuring that fragments couldn’t possibly be pieced together and retrieved. Users start out with 1 gig but can more space on their hard drive to get more storage. Files can be accessed even if your computer’s offline and there’s a public area for sharing your documents with the world. Wuala works with Mac and PC.
More At:http://wua.la/
Wuala is a new way of storing, sharing, and publishing files on the internet. It's a free desktop application for Windows and Mac that brings you a convenient and secure online storage. Unlike traditional online storage systems, Wuala is decentralized and can harness idle resources of participating computers to build a large, secure, and reliable online storage. This new technology has a number of advantages and it allows us to provide you a better service for free.
How It Works:
Wuala is decentralized and uses the hard drives of its members to store all their files. Of course it’s not as brute as it sounds; the concept is indeed novel and smartly executed. Wuala users agree to share some of their hard disk space in exchange for space on other people’s idle drives. All data is partitioned and encrypted, to dispel concerns about privacy or irresponsibility. Each file, moreover, is stretched across multiple hard drives, thereby insuring that fragments couldn’t possibly be pieced together and retrieved. Users start out with 1 gig but can more space on their hard drive to get more storage. Files can be accessed even if your computer’s offline and there’s a public area for sharing your documents with the world. Wuala works with Mac and PC.
More At:http://wua.la/
Create Your Own World And Rule It With "VastPark"
What Company is Offering:
VastPark is a virtual content platform that enables you to create and deploy your own 3D virtual world within minutes. Play with ideas, add physics, trial concepts and publish them online. You might not have used 3D before, but you can do this.
How It Works:
VastPark is free for everyone, you can purchase for $19 a Pro Creator account, giving you 1GB of storage and bandwidth for two years. As a member, you can create your own world and tap into other worlds within one seamless framework. This means virtual content can be transported across different communities without the necessity of downloading different software. VastPark incorporates metagames, widgets, 3D building functions, scripting tools, and texture mapping. There’s no currency lock-in either, so creators can make up their own marketplace and economic systems. VastPark is currently in beta, and it’s free to download.
More at:http://www.vastpark.com/
VastPark is a virtual content platform that enables you to create and deploy your own 3D virtual world within minutes. Play with ideas, add physics, trial concepts and publish them online. You might not have used 3D before, but you can do this.
How It Works:
VastPark is free for everyone, you can purchase for $19 a Pro Creator account, giving you 1GB of storage and bandwidth for two years. As a member, you can create your own world and tap into other worlds within one seamless framework. This means virtual content can be transported across different communities without the necessity of downloading different software. VastPark incorporates metagames, widgets, 3D building functions, scripting tools, and texture mapping. There’s no currency lock-in either, so creators can make up their own marketplace and economic systems. VastPark is currently in beta, and it’s free to download.
More at:http://www.vastpark.com/
Friday, October 19, 2007
Debt-burdened students are matched with companies interested in sponsoring them to do charity work
How the Company Started:
The site was founded by recent graduate Ian Wallace, who finished his law studies with GBP 14,000 in debt. While working at a local factory to pay off some of it, Wallace explains, he heard the owner of the business bemoaning the way most charitable contributions never produce visible results for the donor. The proverbial lightbulb went on, and Wallace printed up a brochure explaining his idea. Soon after, he was sponsored by three companies. At the conclusion of his charity assignment, he presented a report to his sponsors to show how his work had helped. Meanwhile, his debts were paid off and he had gained valuable work experience.
How It Works:
It works like this: debt-burdened students are matched with companies interested in sponsoring them to do charity work. They then choose from among a few different participating charities to work for over a period of up to 6 months following graduation. At the completion of each set milestone during the assignment, the student's corporate sponsor pays off a chunk of the outstanding debt.
Membership costs GBP 16 and is open to anyone struggling with debt—not just students. The maximum amount of debt that can be paid off is GBP 9,000. The site won't launch officially until January, but four companies and 100 students have already signed up—Wallace is aiming for a maximum of 500 to begin with. Currently Do Good 4 Debt serves only the UK, but it hopes to recruit ambassadors in different countries over the next year. It's a concept that sounds like a win-win for everyone involved—one to bring to an area near you?
More at: www.dogood4debt.com
The site was founded by recent graduate Ian Wallace, who finished his law studies with GBP 14,000 in debt. While working at a local factory to pay off some of it, Wallace explains, he heard the owner of the business bemoaning the way most charitable contributions never produce visible results for the donor. The proverbial lightbulb went on, and Wallace printed up a brochure explaining his idea. Soon after, he was sponsored by three companies. At the conclusion of his charity assignment, he presented a report to his sponsors to show how his work had helped. Meanwhile, his debts were paid off and he had gained valuable work experience.
How It Works:
It works like this: debt-burdened students are matched with companies interested in sponsoring them to do charity work. They then choose from among a few different participating charities to work for over a period of up to 6 months following graduation. At the completion of each set milestone during the assignment, the student's corporate sponsor pays off a chunk of the outstanding debt.
Membership costs GBP 16 and is open to anyone struggling with debt—not just students. The maximum amount of debt that can be paid off is GBP 9,000. The site won't launch officially until January, but four companies and 100 students have already signed up—Wallace is aiming for a maximum of 500 to begin with. Currently Do Good 4 Debt serves only the UK, but it hopes to recruit ambassadors in different countries over the next year. It's a concept that sounds like a win-win for everyone involved—one to bring to an area near you?
More at: www.dogood4debt.com
Salesconx is an online marketplace for experienced sales professionals to buy and sell valuable introductions
What Company Is Offering:
Salesconx is an online marketplace that allows qualified, experienced sales professionals to buy and sell valuable introductions key decision makers looking for the products and services that they offer.
How It Works:
If you want to make a pitch to a certain manager for a particular company , you can put in a request at Salesconx. Someone else with that information can put it up for sale. Money is made only when the introduction is completed and confirmed so by the buyer. All members are subjected to a qualification process which requires a minimum of three years of sales experience and the reception of an invitation by a current Salesconx member. Member generated rankings and ratings are in place to keep the service clear and honest. Membership is free but Salesconx takes around 20% from transactions that occur on the site.
More at:http://www.salesconx.com/
Salesconx is an online marketplace that allows qualified, experienced sales professionals to buy and sell valuable introductions key decision makers looking for the products and services that they offer.
How It Works:
If you want to make a pitch to a certain manager for a particular company , you can put in a request at Salesconx. Someone else with that information can put it up for sale. Money is made only when the introduction is completed and confirmed so by the buyer. All members are subjected to a qualification process which requires a minimum of three years of sales experience and the reception of an invitation by a current Salesconx member. Member generated rankings and ratings are in place to keep the service clear and honest. Membership is free but Salesconx takes around 20% from transactions that occur on the site.
More at:http://www.salesconx.com/
Start Up Business School By Entrepreneurs For Entrepreneurs
Have you heared about startup business school..?Here...
What Is It?
The school has been founded out of the experiences of real entrepreneurs with real problems and not only on the whiteboards of academia. Unlike traditional schools, there are no assumptions and perfect economies to level the playing field. This is the real world where actual examples are turned into lessons for the next enthusiastic entrepreneur to learn from. Our planning process will guide you through the real world requirements of getting your business going while still providing you with the flexibility to circle back and revise your plan at any time.
We also know that planning and running a Startup is a collaborative process and not the domain of one person. It is impossible to build a business in isolation and our school brings a host of ways to network, blend, collaborate and question several audiences to find the answers you need. We'll help you connect to the people that will help you start and grow your business.
How It Works:
StartupBusinessSchool.com helps you create a business plan for your startup and there are helpful lessons provided by experienced owners, that are dedicated for each step of the business plan. You can find lessons that apply to the situation you are facing at the moment. StartupBusinessSchool.com lists 12 steps for creating a startup business. The 12 steps are divided into 4 categories; creating your company, rapid prototyping, operations and launch, and marketing and sales. You get real world guidance from entrepreneurs and venture capitalists and signing up is free. Sign up at StartupBusinessSchool.com and make your start up business a reality.
More at:http://www.startupbusinessschool.com/
What Is It?
The school has been founded out of the experiences of real entrepreneurs with real problems and not only on the whiteboards of academia. Unlike traditional schools, there are no assumptions and perfect economies to level the playing field. This is the real world where actual examples are turned into lessons for the next enthusiastic entrepreneur to learn from. Our planning process will guide you through the real world requirements of getting your business going while still providing you with the flexibility to circle back and revise your plan at any time.
We also know that planning and running a Startup is a collaborative process and not the domain of one person. It is impossible to build a business in isolation and our school brings a host of ways to network, blend, collaborate and question several audiences to find the answers you need. We'll help you connect to the people that will help you start and grow your business.
How It Works:
StartupBusinessSchool.com helps you create a business plan for your startup and there are helpful lessons provided by experienced owners, that are dedicated for each step of the business plan. You can find lessons that apply to the situation you are facing at the moment. StartupBusinessSchool.com lists 12 steps for creating a startup business. The 12 steps are divided into 4 categories; creating your company, rapid prototyping, operations and launch, and marketing and sales. You get real world guidance from entrepreneurs and venture capitalists and signing up is free. Sign up at StartupBusinessSchool.com and make your start up business a reality.
More at:http://www.startupbusinessschool.com/
Revionics, a leading provider of price optimization software for retailers
What Company is About:
Revionics, a leading provider of price optimization software for retailers.
Revionics offers proprietary Price and Promotion Optimization technology, empowering retailers with advanced pricing science and analytics designed to leverage consumer demand data. The Revionics offering predicts consumer reaction to anticipated price changes, making optimized price recommendations in alignment with the retailer’s strategies. Offered as an affordable Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, Revionics has seen rapidly growing adoption with retailers seeking profitable growth in the face of increasing competition.
How Much They Got From VCs:
They announced the successful completion of a Series B round of investment capital bringing the total funding raised by the company to over $10 million. The Series B financing round was led by Sierra Ventures, a Menlo Park, California based venture capital firm with more than $1.5 billion under management The firm has a strong track record of success during its near 25 year tenure that includes several enterprise software and Software-as-a-Service bellwethers.
What Its Purpose For Raising Fund:
Revionics will use the new funds to further expand its sales team, accelerate product development and build out its services infrastructure. David Schwab and Vispi Daver of Sierra Ventures will join Revionics board of directors.
What VCs Says:
Sierra Ventures invested in Revionics because "we believe that they have a unique approach to delivering advanced price optimization technology to retailers through a Software-as-a-Services deployment model,” said Vispi Daver, Partner at Sierra Ventures, “Revionics offers an innovative combination of retail pricing science and technology that differentiates their service from the traditional pricing software providers. We also believe that Revionics has a very strong management team with relevant industry experience, and focused on delivering compelling results. ”
More at:http://www.revionics.com/
Revionics, a leading provider of price optimization software for retailers.
Revionics offers proprietary Price and Promotion Optimization technology, empowering retailers with advanced pricing science and analytics designed to leverage consumer demand data. The Revionics offering predicts consumer reaction to anticipated price changes, making optimized price recommendations in alignment with the retailer’s strategies. Offered as an affordable Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, Revionics has seen rapidly growing adoption with retailers seeking profitable growth in the face of increasing competition.
How Much They Got From VCs:
They announced the successful completion of a Series B round of investment capital bringing the total funding raised by the company to over $10 million. The Series B financing round was led by Sierra Ventures, a Menlo Park, California based venture capital firm with more than $1.5 billion under management The firm has a strong track record of success during its near 25 year tenure that includes several enterprise software and Software-as-a-Service bellwethers.
What Its Purpose For Raising Fund:
Revionics will use the new funds to further expand its sales team, accelerate product development and build out its services infrastructure. David Schwab and Vispi Daver of Sierra Ventures will join Revionics board of directors.
What VCs Says:
Sierra Ventures invested in Revionics because "we believe that they have a unique approach to delivering advanced price optimization technology to retailers through a Software-as-a-Services deployment model,” said Vispi Daver, Partner at Sierra Ventures, “Revionics offers an innovative combination of retail pricing science and technology that differentiates their service from the traditional pricing software providers. We also believe that Revionics has a very strong management team with relevant industry experience, and focused on delivering compelling results. ”
More at:http://www.revionics.com/
Hobnob is a new application that offers professional networking tools for Facebook users
What company is offering:
Hobnob is a new application that offers professional networking tools for Facebook users. The service allows you to reach out to your Facebook network with a request and then have your friends get back to you with recommended contacts. Hobnob is being launched by a company called Area 444, who also operates user-generated audio joke site Comic Wonder
How It works:
The application keeps things fairly open-ended, letting you fill in the blank after “I Want to Hobnob with: …” This means you can enter either the name of the specific person you are looking to connect with, or just enter a generic description such as “talented computer programmer.” You can then choose the friends from your network that you would like to send the request to.
Additionally, Hobnob features a “Global Connection Requests” area where you can see requests that have been broadcast to the public. This is a similar idea to LinkedIn Answers, where by helping out a stranger with their request you can gain a new professional contact. Of course, not all of the requests are strictly professional – some users appear to be using the service so far in hopes of being introduced to celebrities or for dating purposes. Hobnob is completely free.
Log at:http://apps.facebook.com/login.php?next=http%3A%2F%2Fapps.facebook.com%2Fhobnobbing%2F
Hobnob is a new application that offers professional networking tools for Facebook users. The service allows you to reach out to your Facebook network with a request and then have your friends get back to you with recommended contacts. Hobnob is being launched by a company called Area 444, who also operates user-generated audio joke site Comic Wonder
How It works:
The application keeps things fairly open-ended, letting you fill in the blank after “I Want to Hobnob with: …” This means you can enter either the name of the specific person you are looking to connect with, or just enter a generic description such as “talented computer programmer.” You can then choose the friends from your network that you would like to send the request to.
Additionally, Hobnob features a “Global Connection Requests” area where you can see requests that have been broadcast to the public. This is a similar idea to LinkedIn Answers, where by helping out a stranger with their request you can gain a new professional contact. Of course, not all of the requests are strictly professional – some users appear to be using the service so far in hopes of being introduced to celebrities or for dating purposes. Hobnob is completely free.
Log at:http://apps.facebook.com/login.php?next=http%3A%2F%2Fapps.facebook.com%2Fhobnobbing%2F
Use Jumpchart to plan your website information architecture
What Company is Offering:
Use Jumpchart to plan your website information architecture.
Jumpchart is a new, online interactive sitemap . It lets you create mockups for websites in an interactive, collaborative environment online.
What's Idea Behind Creating It:
The design behind Jumpchart is to make it easier for graphic designers, web publishers and developers to create sitemaps for themselves and clients. Some of its features include the ability to add pages, sub-pages, and content. Move entire sections of a webpage around, and interlink different pages to offer a better mockup that leaves little to the imagination.
You can then get feedback from others involved, as well as your client, in order to make decisions faster. Jumpchart offers export tools so CSS and XHTML can be incorporated into your sitemap, so it’s faster and easier to begin building your website.
More at:http://www.jumpchart.com/
Use Jumpchart to plan your website information architecture.
Jumpchart is a new, online interactive sitemap . It lets you create mockups for websites in an interactive, collaborative environment online.
What's Idea Behind Creating It:
The design behind Jumpchart is to make it easier for graphic designers, web publishers and developers to create sitemaps for themselves and clients. Some of its features include the ability to add pages, sub-pages, and content. Move entire sections of a webpage around, and interlink different pages to offer a better mockup that leaves little to the imagination.
You can then get feedback from others involved, as well as your client, in order to make decisions faster. Jumpchart offers export tools so CSS and XHTML can be incorporated into your sitemap, so it’s faster and easier to begin building your website.
More at:http://www.jumpchart.com/
Melodeo, the company behind mobile iTunes access tool nuTsie, has raised another $7.9 million in funding
What Company is Offering:
Melodeo is dedicated to bringing consumers the best selection of on-demand audio and video programs for the Web and mobile phone. Their integrated system of a phone client, back-end operations and a huge content library makes us a turn-key partner able to seamlessly deliver music, news, weather and much more.
How It Works:
nuTsie lets you export your iTunes metadata to its servers, and your iTunes library is matched up to music in nuTsie’s own database. The service is free, and was only supported by a handful of Nokia phones and a couple other brands when it launched. Hopefully the funding will allow the nuTsie service to expand to other devices.
How Much they Got From VCs:
Melodeo, the company behind mobile iTunes access tool nuTsie, has raised another $7.9 million in funding. The round was led by existing investors Voyager Capital and Ignition Partners. The funding will go primarily towards nuTsie, which we first mentioned here when the service launched in beta earlier this year.
More at:http://www.melodeo.com/
Melodeo is dedicated to bringing consumers the best selection of on-demand audio and video programs for the Web and mobile phone. Their integrated system of a phone client, back-end operations and a huge content library makes us a turn-key partner able to seamlessly deliver music, news, weather and much more.
How It Works:
nuTsie lets you export your iTunes metadata to its servers, and your iTunes library is matched up to music in nuTsie’s own database. The service is free, and was only supported by a handful of Nokia phones and a couple other brands when it launched. Hopefully the funding will allow the nuTsie service to expand to other devices.
How Much they Got From VCs:
Melodeo, the company behind mobile iTunes access tool nuTsie, has raised another $7.9 million in funding. The round was led by existing investors Voyager Capital and Ignition Partners. The funding will go primarily towards nuTsie, which we first mentioned here when the service launched in beta earlier this year.
More at:http://www.melodeo.com/
LG 's video contest called “Life’s Good When…” For$30,000
LG is currently holding a video contest called “Life’s Good When…” The contest is hosted by YouTube, and LG will be dishing out $30,000 worth of LG merchandise to the winners.
Create a 15 to 30-second video that answers the question “life is good when…” and submit it via LG’s contest page on YouTube. The top 20 finalists will be chosen by LG and given a Chocoloate phone. Their videos will then be left to the YouTube audience to pick the first, second and third-place winners.
More at:http://www.lgvideocontest.com/
Via-Mash
Create a 15 to 30-second video that answers the question “life is good when…” and submit it via LG’s contest page on YouTube. The top 20 finalists will be chosen by LG and given a Chocoloate phone. Their videos will then be left to the YouTube audience to pick the first, second and third-place winners.
More at:http://www.lgvideocontest.com/
Via-Mash
MyGame, the social site for user-generated games recently launched by King.com, is adding 1,000+ games through King as well as ads through the Mochi
What company is offering:
Create your very own games in less than 2 minutes. It´s easy and fun, all you have to do is upload a photo, adjust it and then publish it to the world.
Why It is Again In News:
MyGame, the social site for user-generated games recently launched by King.com, is adding 1,000+ games through King as well as ads through the recently funded Mochi. This enables game developers to earn advertising revenue for the games they’ve deployed on the MyGame network. Ads will be displayed before the game, and during the game, between levels and natural breaks in game play.
MyGame has also changed up its homepage so gamers can more easily find games. There are more categories displayed on the homepage for the most popular games, and the most recent games, categorized by genre. Additional tools have been added for developers to better track their games.
More at:http://www.mygame.com/
http://www.king.com/
Create your very own games in less than 2 minutes. It´s easy and fun, all you have to do is upload a photo, adjust it and then publish it to the world.
Why It is Again In News:
MyGame, the social site for user-generated games recently launched by King.com, is adding 1,000+ games through King as well as ads through the recently funded Mochi. This enables game developers to earn advertising revenue for the games they’ve deployed on the MyGame network. Ads will be displayed before the game, and during the game, between levels and natural breaks in game play.
MyGame has also changed up its homepage so gamers can more easily find games. There are more categories displayed on the homepage for the most popular games, and the most recent games, categorized by genre. Additional tools have been added for developers to better track their games.
More at:http://www.mygame.com/
http://www.king.com/
Thursday, October 18, 2007
"mvmpartners" bring experienced senior executive leadership and bridge funding to emerging companies to achieve early business results
About Company:
They bring experienced senior executive leadership and bridge funding to emerging companies to achieve early business results and develop credibility in order to secure institutional funding and transform ideas, technologies and products into sustainable, successful businesses.
"Tal Golan knew he invented potentially game-changing technology in the fight against spam. Proving that to investors was a different story.
While venture capitalists in 2003 were intrigued by Mr. Golan's product, a hardware box that checks for spam before the message reaches corporate email servers, they kept telling him the same thing: He lacked the right pedigree for an investment.
"I didn't have the right degree. I didn't work for five years at Cisco and Oracle, then start up three companies," said Mr. Golan, who previously founded a small software development and consulting firm. "The reality is that VCs invest in people first, second and third, then the technology."
This story originally appeared in VentureWire, a daily newsletter published by Dow Jones & Co. that covers news about venture capital and start-up companies.
Undeterred, Mr. Golan operated out of his garage in Costa Mesa, Calif., for three years and invested roughly $750,000 in his company, Sendio Inc., by maxing out credit cards and refinancing his mortgage, betting the financial security of his wife and young children. By late 2005, the device was selling, but it was clear he needed to take his business to the next level. That is when he linked up with Momentum Venture Management LLC, an unconventional firm that promised to give him the credibility needed to court VCs.
Matt Ridenour and Andy Wilson, veteran start-up executives, incorporated Momentum in late 2004 to work full time with company founders to shape their business plan, find credible management, finish a product and gain customers -- a process that typically takes them about nine months to complete. At that point, they shop the company to VCs with hopes of securing a Series A round of between $4 million and $5 million.
Momentum is one of several firms that have cropped up in recent years to fill a funding void left by VC firms shifting their investments downstream and bypassing the traditional guy in a garage. That shift left many unseasoned entrepreneurs such as Mr. Golan to fend for themselves in bringing intelligent ideas to fruition. But it is also opening up an opportunity for smaller firms willing to take on higher risk and lend more credibility than do traditional angels.
"If you're an entrepreneur, seed and Series A deals are really tough to get right now," said Beau Laskey, a managing director at Burbank, Calif., early-stage firm Steamboat Ventures. "Venture firms are looking for customers and traction."
Los Angeles-based Momentum has a distinctive model that dedicates far more time than a typical angel or seed-stage investor would, while also assuming considerable risk. Momentum first spends about six weeks -- usually for a fee of less than $20,000 -- validating a business plan, confirming the chemistry with the founding team and completing due diligence before committing to the start-up.
Upon approval, one of three Momentum partners then installs himself as the chief executive officer, moving the founder to the role of chief technology officer and eventually bringing on a new CEO a few months later. At some point during the process, Momentum provides a bridge loan -- typically $250,000 to $500,000 taken from a small bridge fund pooled from wealthy individuals -- to keep the company going, all for a "nominal" monthly stipend.
"We're solving an intractable problem in the early-stage business ecosystem," Mr. Wilson, Momentum's managing director, said. "Entrepreneurs are often stuck in that vicious business cycle of needing money to recruit business talent, build a product and attract customers, yet they can't raise the money unless they have those pieces in place."
Typically a Momentum partner works with two companies at a time, spending half of his time on each, with an operating associate subbing as a project manager and director of operations. Momentum's ultimate goal is to deliver the company to venture capitalists and secure that first round of capital, when the firm's bridge investment converts, often at a discount, into Series A preferred stock. It is at this point the firm gets paid for its work after having deferred the majority of its management fees during the previous nine months.
Longtime venture capitalist Lou Volpe, a managing general partner at Waltham, Mass.-based Kodiak Venture Partners, believes Momentum's model is unique and would consider investing in a start-up seeded this way, but questions the firm's scalability. "Whipping a company into shape, enforcing operating discipline and building an executive team takes a lot of energy and time," Mr. Volpe said. "These guys are going to be limited with their scale."
Thus far, the firm has taken all seven of its start-ups to the Series A level, focusing on Los Angeles-area technology companies that require less than $10 million in funding to break even on a cash-flow basis. The seven have raised a total of $30 million in Series A funding from venture capitalists. The firm had its first exit in 2006 when Discovery Communications Inc. acquired Academy123 Inc., which had raised a $5 million Series A round the year after Momentum brought the company to venture firms Arcturus Capital and Hanseatic Group.
For Mr. Golan, it took about 10 months to get Sendio through the Momentum-coached process and into the hands of VC investor Kline Hawkes & Co., which provided $4 million in Series A capital in October 2006. Sendio now has about 275 customers. Earlier this year, it estimated it would have 1,500 customers and sell $7.8 million of product by the end of 2007."
More at:http://www.mvmpartners.com/
Via-Startupjournal
They bring experienced senior executive leadership and bridge funding to emerging companies to achieve early business results and develop credibility in order to secure institutional funding and transform ideas, technologies and products into sustainable, successful businesses.
"Tal Golan knew he invented potentially game-changing technology in the fight against spam. Proving that to investors was a different story.
While venture capitalists in 2003 were intrigued by Mr. Golan's product, a hardware box that checks for spam before the message reaches corporate email servers, they kept telling him the same thing: He lacked the right pedigree for an investment.
"I didn't have the right degree. I didn't work for five years at Cisco and Oracle, then start up three companies," said Mr. Golan, who previously founded a small software development and consulting firm. "The reality is that VCs invest in people first, second and third, then the technology."
This story originally appeared in VentureWire, a daily newsletter published by Dow Jones & Co. that covers news about venture capital and start-up companies.
Undeterred, Mr. Golan operated out of his garage in Costa Mesa, Calif., for three years and invested roughly $750,000 in his company, Sendio Inc., by maxing out credit cards and refinancing his mortgage, betting the financial security of his wife and young children. By late 2005, the device was selling, but it was clear he needed to take his business to the next level. That is when he linked up with Momentum Venture Management LLC, an unconventional firm that promised to give him the credibility needed to court VCs.
Matt Ridenour and Andy Wilson, veteran start-up executives, incorporated Momentum in late 2004 to work full time with company founders to shape their business plan, find credible management, finish a product and gain customers -- a process that typically takes them about nine months to complete. At that point, they shop the company to VCs with hopes of securing a Series A round of between $4 million and $5 million.
Momentum is one of several firms that have cropped up in recent years to fill a funding void left by VC firms shifting their investments downstream and bypassing the traditional guy in a garage. That shift left many unseasoned entrepreneurs such as Mr. Golan to fend for themselves in bringing intelligent ideas to fruition. But it is also opening up an opportunity for smaller firms willing to take on higher risk and lend more credibility than do traditional angels.
"If you're an entrepreneur, seed and Series A deals are really tough to get right now," said Beau Laskey, a managing director at Burbank, Calif., early-stage firm Steamboat Ventures. "Venture firms are looking for customers and traction."
Los Angeles-based Momentum has a distinctive model that dedicates far more time than a typical angel or seed-stage investor would, while also assuming considerable risk. Momentum first spends about six weeks -- usually for a fee of less than $20,000 -- validating a business plan, confirming the chemistry with the founding team and completing due diligence before committing to the start-up.
Upon approval, one of three Momentum partners then installs himself as the chief executive officer, moving the founder to the role of chief technology officer and eventually bringing on a new CEO a few months later. At some point during the process, Momentum provides a bridge loan -- typically $250,000 to $500,000 taken from a small bridge fund pooled from wealthy individuals -- to keep the company going, all for a "nominal" monthly stipend.
"We're solving an intractable problem in the early-stage business ecosystem," Mr. Wilson, Momentum's managing director, said. "Entrepreneurs are often stuck in that vicious business cycle of needing money to recruit business talent, build a product and attract customers, yet they can't raise the money unless they have those pieces in place."
Typically a Momentum partner works with two companies at a time, spending half of his time on each, with an operating associate subbing as a project manager and director of operations. Momentum's ultimate goal is to deliver the company to venture capitalists and secure that first round of capital, when the firm's bridge investment converts, often at a discount, into Series A preferred stock. It is at this point the firm gets paid for its work after having deferred the majority of its management fees during the previous nine months.
Longtime venture capitalist Lou Volpe, a managing general partner at Waltham, Mass.-based Kodiak Venture Partners, believes Momentum's model is unique and would consider investing in a start-up seeded this way, but questions the firm's scalability. "Whipping a company into shape, enforcing operating discipline and building an executive team takes a lot of energy and time," Mr. Volpe said. "These guys are going to be limited with their scale."
Thus far, the firm has taken all seven of its start-ups to the Series A level, focusing on Los Angeles-area technology companies that require less than $10 million in funding to break even on a cash-flow basis. The seven have raised a total of $30 million in Series A funding from venture capitalists. The firm had its first exit in 2006 when Discovery Communications Inc. acquired Academy123 Inc., which had raised a $5 million Series A round the year after Momentum brought the company to venture firms Arcturus Capital and Hanseatic Group.
For Mr. Golan, it took about 10 months to get Sendio through the Momentum-coached process and into the hands of VC investor Kline Hawkes & Co., which provided $4 million in Series A capital in October 2006. Sendio now has about 275 customers. Earlier this year, it estimated it would have 1,500 customers and sell $7.8 million of product by the end of 2007."
More at:http://www.mvmpartners.com/
Via-Startupjournal
Mochila's website is essentially an online marketplace for content
What Company is Offering:
Mochila is a way to offer articles, photos, audio and videos a la carte while dispensing with subscription fees and protecting authors' rights.
Mochila's website is essentially an online marketplace for content.
How It works:
Sellers offer up their wares along with price and any restrictions; buyers search for what they need and choose the best match. Content can be instantly downloaded into any publishing system, and purchases can be made in two ways: either by paying the price set by the original content owner, or by agreeing to post advertising along with the item, in which case the content is free. In the ad-supported arrangement, advertising revenue is shared among the buyer, the seller and Mochila.
For sellers, the benefits include new revenue opportunities and increased exposure; for buyers, decreased operational costs, more ad pages and revenue opportunities, and the rub-off effect of big-name content are among them. More than 1,000 media organizations have joined Mochila so far, including Reuters, the Associated Press and Hearst Magazines—you can't get much bigger than that.
World media spent just under USD 2 billion on syndicated news content last year, and that figure is expected to grow to USD 3 billion by 2008, Mochila says. The time is ripe for a new content model, and it looks like this one is taking hold. How about putting a niche or curator’s spin on the concept? (Related: Agency connects bloggers and press.)
More at: www.mochila.com
via-springwise
Mochila is a way to offer articles, photos, audio and videos a la carte while dispensing with subscription fees and protecting authors' rights.
Mochila's website is essentially an online marketplace for content.
How It works:
Sellers offer up their wares along with price and any restrictions; buyers search for what they need and choose the best match. Content can be instantly downloaded into any publishing system, and purchases can be made in two ways: either by paying the price set by the original content owner, or by agreeing to post advertising along with the item, in which case the content is free. In the ad-supported arrangement, advertising revenue is shared among the buyer, the seller and Mochila.
For sellers, the benefits include new revenue opportunities and increased exposure; for buyers, decreased operational costs, more ad pages and revenue opportunities, and the rub-off effect of big-name content are among them. More than 1,000 media organizations have joined Mochila so far, including Reuters, the Associated Press and Hearst Magazines—you can't get much bigger than that.
World media spent just under USD 2 billion on syndicated news content last year, and that figure is expected to grow to USD 3 billion by 2008, Mochila says. The time is ripe for a new content model, and it looks like this one is taking hold. How about putting a niche or curator’s spin on the concept? (Related: Agency connects bloggers and press.)
More at: www.mochila.com
via-springwise
Interwoven has acquired interactive marketing services firm Optimost for $52 million in cash
What Is Optimost: Optimost's solution optimizes virtually every online marketing element including landing pages, registration pages, shopping carts, credit card pages, banner ads, email creatives, and Web applications as well as every content type within them, including headlines, copy, forms, images, and rich media. By exposing different combinations of content to different visitors and then measuring visitors' actions, Optimost's solution can identify the most compelling combination of content and layout. The marketer can then offer the most effective presentation to visitors.
Why Interwoven Going To Acquire Optimost:
Interwoven has acquired interactive marketing services firm Optimost for $52 million in cash.
Interwoven has announced its intention to acquire Optimost, a pioneer of software and services for Website optimization. With Optimost, we will be able to offer the most advanced solution for accelerating conversion rates and online sales as well as enhanced capabilities for providing targeted content to Website visitors. Optimost's solution produces tangible business results and often double digit increases in online business performance.
More at:http://www.interwoven.com/
http://www.optimost.com/
Why Interwoven Going To Acquire Optimost:
Interwoven has acquired interactive marketing services firm Optimost for $52 million in cash.
Interwoven has announced its intention to acquire Optimost, a pioneer of software and services for Website optimization. With Optimost, we will be able to offer the most advanced solution for accelerating conversion rates and online sales as well as enhanced capabilities for providing targeted content to Website visitors. Optimost's solution produces tangible business results and often double digit increases in online business performance.
More at:http://www.interwoven.com/
http://www.optimost.com/
MerchantAdvantage with no transaction fees, no revenue share, and no set up costs, levels the playing field for small to mid-sized retailers
What Company is Offering:
MerchantAdvantage exists to address ecommerce marketing issues experienced by small to mid-sized online merchants, and to provide long-term, cost effective solutions. MerchantAdvantage with no transaction fees, no revenue share, and no set up costs, levels the playing field for small to mid-sized retailers by providing cost-effective solutions to test, manage, optimize, and analyze marketing campaigns and product catalog feeds
How It Works;
Channel Management with Chanalytics Professional and Lite empowers online merchants to market, test, manage, optimize, and analyze individual products, or entire product catalogs, to over 100 shopping destination sites to see which marketing channels perform best -- while keeping control of decisions, data, and business strategies with the retailer and eliminating the need for expensive third party services. Product specials apply for eBay Stores and ProStores Web Stores.
More at:http://www.merchantadvantage.com/
MerchantAdvantage exists to address ecommerce marketing issues experienced by small to mid-sized online merchants, and to provide long-term, cost effective solutions. MerchantAdvantage with no transaction fees, no revenue share, and no set up costs, levels the playing field for small to mid-sized retailers by providing cost-effective solutions to test, manage, optimize, and analyze marketing campaigns and product catalog feeds
How It Works;
Channel Management with Chanalytics Professional and Lite empowers online merchants to market, test, manage, optimize, and analyze individual products, or entire product catalogs, to over 100 shopping destination sites to see which marketing channels perform best -- while keeping control of decisions, data, and business strategies with the retailer and eliminating the need for expensive third party services. Product specials apply for eBay Stores and ProStores Web Stores.
More at:http://www.merchantadvantage.com/
Mint, the fresh,easy and intelligent way for people to manage their money onlineannounced that the company closed $4.7 million in Series A financing
What Company is Offering:
"Mint.com's mission is to provide people with an effective way to manage
their money that's so easy, they'll actually use it. And it's free,"
said Aaron Patzer, founder and chief executive officer, Mint. "Our
strong consumer acceptance, TechCrunch and Finovate awards and the
caliber of investors and management team the company has been able to
attract are encouraging signals that the market is ready for the Mint
alternative."(I have reviewd site earlier).
How Much They Got From VCs:
Mint, the fresh,easy and intelligent way for people to manage their money online,
today announced that the company closed $4.7 million in Series A financing in
a round led by Shasta Ventures, and including First Round Capital and a
group of prominent individuals, including Ram Shriram, early investor
and founding board member of Google, Inc. Since announcing its public
beta on September 18, 2007, Mint has signed 50,000 users, organized over $1 billion in user transactions and identified nearly $40 million in savings opportunities.
Who Joined Them:
Mint also announced that it has added two senior executives to the
company's management team. Donna Wells joined as chief marketing
officer. Ms. Wells was previously vice president of corporate marketing
and acting CMO at Intuit and senior vice president of marketing at
Expedia. Ms. Wells has also held senior marketing positions at Charles
Schwab & Co. and American Express during a twenty year career in
personal financial services and ecommerce. Aaron Forth was named vice
president of product. He was previously director of advertising,
product and infrastructure at eBay. Mr. Forth brings ten years' of
success in software product development and implementation to the Mint
leadership team.
Ms. Wells and Mr. Forth join Anton Commissaris, vice president of
business development and David K. Michaels, vice president of
engineering, who joined the company earlier this year. Mr. Commissaris
has over fifteen years' experience in the software and Internet sectors
and as an attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Mr. Michaels
has over ten years' experience building secure, distributed,
fault-tolerant systems, most recently leading the development of server
products for PGP.
How Is Market For Mint?...
The market potential for Mint is strong. Over 65 million people in the
U.S. use online banking to keep track of their finances today. But since
the average American has more than four bank relationships, it's
virtually impossible for them to get to a complete view of account
balances and spending. Others purchase and try desktop software
packages, but struggle with the lengthy setup process and hours of
tedious data entry that they require. Mint's refreshing value
proposition provides a clear, comprehensive and always-current picture
of all of a user's spending, effortlessly. And it offers intelligent,
personalized suggestions to save and earn more money, as well.
More at:http://www.mint.com/
"Mint.com's mission is to provide people with an effective way to manage
their money that's so easy, they'll actually use it. And it's free,"
said Aaron Patzer, founder and chief executive officer, Mint. "Our
strong consumer acceptance, TechCrunch and Finovate awards and the
caliber of investors and management team the company has been able to
attract are encouraging signals that the market is ready for the Mint
alternative."(I have reviewd site earlier).
How Much They Got From VCs:
Mint, the fresh,easy and intelligent way for people to manage their money online,
today announced that the company closed $4.7 million in Series A financing in
a round led by Shasta Ventures, and including First Round Capital and a
group of prominent individuals, including Ram Shriram, early investor
and founding board member of Google, Inc. Since announcing its public
beta on September 18, 2007, Mint has signed 50,000 users, organized over $1 billion in user transactions and identified nearly $40 million in savings opportunities.
Who Joined Them:
Mint also announced that it has added two senior executives to the
company's management team. Donna Wells joined as chief marketing
officer. Ms. Wells was previously vice president of corporate marketing
and acting CMO at Intuit and senior vice president of marketing at
Expedia. Ms. Wells has also held senior marketing positions at Charles
Schwab & Co. and American Express during a twenty year career in
personal financial services and ecommerce. Aaron Forth was named vice
president of product. He was previously director of advertising,
product and infrastructure at eBay. Mr. Forth brings ten years' of
success in software product development and implementation to the Mint
leadership team.
Ms. Wells and Mr. Forth join Anton Commissaris, vice president of
business development and David K. Michaels, vice president of
engineering, who joined the company earlier this year. Mr. Commissaris
has over fifteen years' experience in the software and Internet sectors
and as an attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Mr. Michaels
has over ten years' experience building secure, distributed,
fault-tolerant systems, most recently leading the development of server
products for PGP.
How Is Market For Mint?...
The market potential for Mint is strong. Over 65 million people in the
U.S. use online banking to keep track of their finances today. But since
the average American has more than four bank relationships, it's
virtually impossible for them to get to a complete view of account
balances and spending. Others purchase and try desktop software
packages, but struggle with the lengthy setup process and hours of
tedious data entry that they require. Mint's refreshing value
proposition provides a clear, comprehensive and always-current picture
of all of a user's spending, effortlessly. And it offers intelligent,
personalized suggestions to save and earn more money, as well.
More at:http://www.mint.com/
Jiibe is a new job-match service that is based on user-generated content
What company is offering:
Jiibe is a new job-match service that is based on user-generated content. That means reviews and feedback are aggregated and incorporated into a single profile for a particular company.
How It Works:
At Jiibe’s website, you’ll be invited to take a personality quiz. This is for getting to know your company, but it gets to know you as well. There are two sliders on the quiz, which lets you indicate the actual situation for each quiz question, as well as your ideal. Once you’ve completed the quiz, you can create a profile. Indicate the name of the company at which you work, and this data is added into the system for the creation of a company profile.
If you’re looking for a job, Jiibe will show you other companies that are a good match for you, based on these company profiles as well as your ideals. Filter results by the name of the company, industry, size, and the compatibility scale. If you read a company profile, you’ll see the description that Jiibe has laid out based on the quizzes of people that work there.
What's Different Features:
It looks like outside reviews of the company are pulled into the buzz section as well. This is a good addition, as it incorporates some third party premium and/or editorial content to a site that is completely based on UGC. It helps balance things out a bit.
For each company profile, employees (that are Jiibe users) are listed, and there’s also a bulletin board where Jiibe users can ask and answer questions regarding the company. Jiibe’s recommendation system will show you similar companies in relation to the one you’re currently viewing. Yo can check out user profiles as well, which will show a tag cloud of their ideals, their company, their friends, and the buzz going on around their company.
More at:http://jiibe.com/
Jiibe is a new job-match service that is based on user-generated content. That means reviews and feedback are aggregated and incorporated into a single profile for a particular company.
How It Works:
At Jiibe’s website, you’ll be invited to take a personality quiz. This is for getting to know your company, but it gets to know you as well. There are two sliders on the quiz, which lets you indicate the actual situation for each quiz question, as well as your ideal. Once you’ve completed the quiz, you can create a profile. Indicate the name of the company at which you work, and this data is added into the system for the creation of a company profile.
If you’re looking for a job, Jiibe will show you other companies that are a good match for you, based on these company profiles as well as your ideals. Filter results by the name of the company, industry, size, and the compatibility scale. If you read a company profile, you’ll see the description that Jiibe has laid out based on the quizzes of people that work there.
What's Different Features:
It looks like outside reviews of the company are pulled into the buzz section as well. This is a good addition, as it incorporates some third party premium and/or editorial content to a site that is completely based on UGC. It helps balance things out a bit.
For each company profile, employees (that are Jiibe users) are listed, and there’s also a bulletin board where Jiibe users can ask and answer questions regarding the company. Jiibe’s recommendation system will show you similar companies in relation to the one you’re currently viewing. Yo can check out user profiles as well, which will show a tag cloud of their ideals, their company, their friends, and the buzz going on around their company.
More at:http://jiibe.com/
GeniusRocket Is Launching Pad For Talents
What Company is Offering:
GeniusRocket is a new advertising platform, that’s looking to the creatives out there in order to create a marketplace where companies seeking a new ad campaign and artists can meet, collaborate.
How It works:
if you’re an artist and would like to get paid for the commercial use of your work, you can come to GeniusRocket and start posting. This is one way to create an online presence for yourself within the GeniusRocket community. Now any company looking for artists to work on a campaign can more easily find you. And GeniusRocket doesn’t let all this hard work on your part go to waste. The community can vote on user content, and every month GeniusRocket gives away a cash prize. So the community is leveraged for social networking purposes in order to give you more options for interaction, and a reason to keep coming back to the site, even if you’re not getting any gigs.
If you’d like to work with a group of people on a particular project, GeniusRocket can facilitate this as well. Say you’re a cinematographer in need of a graphic designer for part of your next video creation. Post this project on GeniusRocket and begin searching for graphic designers, while they search for you too. This is similar to how companies can also post projects in hopes of finding the right people to create its ad material. In this way, GeniusRocket works like Guru, in that it’s allowing companies to post their needs, state the price and timeline, and let the work find them.
In the same way that several other industries are aggregating talent and providing a level of outsourcing to freelancers, GeniusRocket is making talent more readily available and accessible for an affordable alternative to small and large businesses alike. If you spend less on the creation of your ad content, you have more room in your budget for its promotion.
More at:http://www.geniusrocket.com/
GeniusRocket is a new advertising platform, that’s looking to the creatives out there in order to create a marketplace where companies seeking a new ad campaign and artists can meet, collaborate.
How It works:
if you’re an artist and would like to get paid for the commercial use of your work, you can come to GeniusRocket and start posting. This is one way to create an online presence for yourself within the GeniusRocket community. Now any company looking for artists to work on a campaign can more easily find you. And GeniusRocket doesn’t let all this hard work on your part go to waste. The community can vote on user content, and every month GeniusRocket gives away a cash prize. So the community is leveraged for social networking purposes in order to give you more options for interaction, and a reason to keep coming back to the site, even if you’re not getting any gigs.
If you’d like to work with a group of people on a particular project, GeniusRocket can facilitate this as well. Say you’re a cinematographer in need of a graphic designer for part of your next video creation. Post this project on GeniusRocket and begin searching for graphic designers, while they search for you too. This is similar to how companies can also post projects in hopes of finding the right people to create its ad material. In this way, GeniusRocket works like Guru, in that it’s allowing companies to post their needs, state the price and timeline, and let the work find them.
In the same way that several other industries are aggregating talent and providing a level of outsourcing to freelancers, GeniusRocket is making talent more readily available and accessible for an affordable alternative to small and large businesses alike. If you spend less on the creation of your ad content, you have more room in your budget for its promotion.
More at:http://www.geniusrocket.com/
Mazda Design contest where users are competing to design the Mazda3 for the year 2018
Mazda Design contest where users are competing to design the Mazda3 for the year 2018. At any rate, the contest ran from September 25, to October 12, and gained nearly 300 design submissions from participants. Now that the Mazda design team has picked the top 10 entries for users to vote on, the contest is really getting good. You can vote for your favorite design on Facebook . The top 5 winners will be chosen in this manner, and these folks will get to work with Mazda for the final sketches, which will be posted for user voting at the end of the month.
The winner’s design will be revealed as a concept car at the LA auto show next month, and also get a $1,000 cash prize. Google is also holding design contests for moon rovers, for kids and adults alike.
Log at:http://www.facebook.com/login.php
The winner’s design will be revealed as a concept car at the LA auto show next month, and also get a $1,000 cash prize. Google is also holding design contests for moon rovers, for kids and adults alike.
Log at:http://www.facebook.com/login.php
Kumquat is a free tool that lets you find out what people really think about you
What company is About:
Kumquat allows anyone to quickly and easily solicit, capture, and manage feedback from their peers, superiors, clients, customers, fans, and family on projects, meetings, plans, on-going activities, communications, Web sites, blogs...
Kumquat is a free tool that lets you find out what people really think about you.
How It Works:
The idea behind Kumquat is to give you some control over the whole “feedback” process, which may or may not be good for all situations, but it does make things easier for you and those that are reviewing your work. It takes the formalized, third-party, over-the-shoulder stress out of receiving feedback from others.
The format of kumquat is much different than most other feedback tools that run in this space. When you set up a session to request feedback, you pick a set of dates, the areas in which you’d like to receive feedback, and then top it off with a message to be sent out to those you’d like feedback from. There doesn’t appear to be a way to create additional questions, however.
Alternatively, Kumquat can write this message for you. Choose if you’d like the feedback to be sent in anonymously from participants, and if you’d like other participants to see reviews of others. These requests for feedback can be saved in your file for later use.
More at:http://hellokumquat.com/
Kumquat allows anyone to quickly and easily solicit, capture, and manage feedback from their peers, superiors, clients, customers, fans, and family on projects, meetings, plans, on-going activities, communications, Web sites, blogs...
Kumquat is a free tool that lets you find out what people really think about you.
How It Works:
The idea behind Kumquat is to give you some control over the whole “feedback” process, which may or may not be good for all situations, but it does make things easier for you and those that are reviewing your work. It takes the formalized, third-party, over-the-shoulder stress out of receiving feedback from others.
The format of kumquat is much different than most other feedback tools that run in this space. When you set up a session to request feedback, you pick a set of dates, the areas in which you’d like to receive feedback, and then top it off with a message to be sent out to those you’d like feedback from. There doesn’t appear to be a way to create additional questions, however.
Alternatively, Kumquat can write this message for you. Choose if you’d like the feedback to be sent in anonymously from participants, and if you’d like other participants to see reviews of others. These requests for feedback can be saved in your file for later use.
More at:http://hellokumquat.com/
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Interview With Ilya Nykin,Managing Director of Prolog Ventures
American Venture Magazine talked to Ilya Nykin, managing director of Prolog Ventures, about what his firm looks for when evaluating potential investments.
How long have you worked in the venture capital industry?
Over the past 20 years, I've been both an entrepreneur and an investor. I've launched and led my own companies, and now I help other entrepreneurs do the same. My partners at Prolog also have significant experience in both investing and operations.
What kinds of opportunities does Prolog look for?
Prolog focuses on life science investments. We've invested in biopharmaceuticals, medical technology, and other traditional healthcare areas, but we also look for opportunities in emerging fields such as nutrition, wellness, plant science, and bio-energy.
How do you screen companies when you receive requests for capital?
Most firms focus initially on two things: breakthrough products and strategic fit. At Prolog, we look for opportunities that meet a critical unmet need in the marketplace, and they must fit within our life science focus and our current investment strategies. We also tend to focus on very early-stage companies, where we can add the most value. And while we do screen incoming requests, we're very active in looking for investment opportunities ourselves.
What happens when you identify a company that meets your criteria?
We do some initial research to determine key risks and opportunities – competitive landscape, strength of the technology, etc. If we believe it's a good opportunity, we'll meet with the management team and assess their ability to lead the business...
More at:http://www.americanventuremagazine.com
How long have you worked in the venture capital industry?
Over the past 20 years, I've been both an entrepreneur and an investor. I've launched and led my own companies, and now I help other entrepreneurs do the same. My partners at Prolog also have significant experience in both investing and operations.
What kinds of opportunities does Prolog look for?
Prolog focuses on life science investments. We've invested in biopharmaceuticals, medical technology, and other traditional healthcare areas, but we also look for opportunities in emerging fields such as nutrition, wellness, plant science, and bio-energy.
How do you screen companies when you receive requests for capital?
Most firms focus initially on two things: breakthrough products and strategic fit. At Prolog, we look for opportunities that meet a critical unmet need in the marketplace, and they must fit within our life science focus and our current investment strategies. We also tend to focus on very early-stage companies, where we can add the most value. And while we do screen incoming requests, we're very active in looking for investment opportunities ourselves.
What happens when you identify a company that meets your criteria?
We do some initial research to determine key risks and opportunities – competitive landscape, strength of the technology, etc. If we believe it's a good opportunity, we'll meet with the management team and assess their ability to lead the business...
More at:http://www.americanventuremagazine.com
Eloqua has received $23 million in Series C funding
What Company is offering:
Eloqua provides on-demand applications and best-practice expertise for B2B marketers to execute, automate and measure effective marketing programs that drive revenue. Eloqua drives the entire marketing process from contact to close, while making prospect interest and intent visible at every step.
How Much They Got From VCs:
The leading supplier of automated demand generation applications and expertise for business-to-business (B2B) marketers, today announced that it has received $23 million in Series C funding. New investor Bessemer Venture Partners led the financing, with existing investors JMI Equity and Bay Partners also participating.
What Its Purpose For More Funding?
Eloqua will use this strategic funding to support the company’s rapid customer growth, extend its worldwide adoption – especially in key global markets – and to continue innovating for current customers across a range of vertical markets and industries.
More at:http://www.eloqua.com/
Eloqua provides on-demand applications and best-practice expertise for B2B marketers to execute, automate and measure effective marketing programs that drive revenue. Eloqua drives the entire marketing process from contact to close, while making prospect interest and intent visible at every step.
How Much They Got From VCs:
The leading supplier of automated demand generation applications and expertise for business-to-business (B2B) marketers, today announced that it has received $23 million in Series C funding. New investor Bessemer Venture Partners led the financing, with existing investors JMI Equity and Bay Partners also participating.
What Its Purpose For More Funding?
Eloqua will use this strategic funding to support the company’s rapid customer growth, extend its worldwide adoption – especially in key global markets – and to continue innovating for current customers across a range of vertical markets and industries.
More at:http://www.eloqua.com/
Needish lets users post a service or a product that they need
What Company Is Offering:
Needish provides an easy-use effective online service that allows you save time, save money and the possibility to be offered everything you need and/or desire.
How It Works:
Needish lets users post a service or a product that they need . Posting your need is easy; simply enter a subject and briefly describe what you’re looking for. Alternately, you can browse needs to see if anyone is in search of something you might be able to offer them. You can also search needs more thoroughly by keyword. You can sort the results by subject, number of offers received, or by expiration date. Like Craigslist, you can post and/or find anything on this site, from used digital cameras to apartments to airline tickets to London to a journalism intern. All final transactions are done off-site, but you can converse with those to whom you make offers. You don’t need to be a member of the site to make an offer, but you will want to sign up if you plan on responding to anyone’s need with a service or product of your own. Currently, the site operates principally in the metro Santiago, Chile area.
More at:http://www.needish.cl/
Needish provides an easy-use effective online service that allows you save time, save money and the possibility to be offered everything you need and/or desire.
How It Works:
Needish lets users post a service or a product that they need . Posting your need is easy; simply enter a subject and briefly describe what you’re looking for. Alternately, you can browse needs to see if anyone is in search of something you might be able to offer them. You can also search needs more thoroughly by keyword. You can sort the results by subject, number of offers received, or by expiration date. Like Craigslist, you can post and/or find anything on this site, from used digital cameras to apartments to airline tickets to London to a journalism intern. All final transactions are done off-site, but you can converse with those to whom you make offers. You don’t need to be a member of the site to make an offer, but you will want to sign up if you plan on responding to anyone’s need with a service or product of your own. Currently, the site operates principally in the metro Santiago, Chile area.
More at:http://www.needish.cl/
PiggyBankInc.com gives you a virtual piggy bank
What Company is Offering:
PiggyBankInc.com gives you a virtual piggy bank.PiggyBankInc.com could help you teach your children about the value of money and the importance of saving.Get an automatic weekly email reminder of their updated allowance balance
Update their balance yourself: withdrawals for when they make purchases, deposits when they do chores or they 'deposit' cash from other sources with you
Encourage them to save by giving them a weekly interest rate, teaching them first-hand about compounding interest
How It works:
At PiggyBankInc.com you can set up an account for your children that will record how much they earn, how much they spend and you can even give them weekly interest. Go to the site and create an account. When you create an account you can add as many children as you like. Go to the settings and choose how much their weekly allowance is, weekly interest rate, and when payday will be. Your child can then record deposits and withdrawals that will have the dates included in the statements. Your child can check their account history to see how much money they have left after a months allowance and a trip to the amusement park. PiggyBankInc.com is a great way for your children to learn how to appreciate money.
More at:http://www.piggybankinc.com/
PiggyBankInc.com gives you a virtual piggy bank.PiggyBankInc.com could help you teach your children about the value of money and the importance of saving.Get an automatic weekly email reminder of their updated allowance balance
Update their balance yourself: withdrawals for when they make purchases, deposits when they do chores or they 'deposit' cash from other sources with you
Encourage them to save by giving them a weekly interest rate, teaching them first-hand about compounding interest
How It works:
At PiggyBankInc.com you can set up an account for your children that will record how much they earn, how much they spend and you can even give them weekly interest. Go to the site and create an account. When you create an account you can add as many children as you like. Go to the settings and choose how much their weekly allowance is, weekly interest rate, and when payday will be. Your child can then record deposits and withdrawals that will have the dates included in the statements. Your child can check their account history to see how much money they have left after a months allowance and a trip to the amusement park. PiggyBankInc.com is a great way for your children to learn how to appreciate money.
More at:http://www.piggybankinc.com/
Unusual Business Idea
Play Date Atlanta has created an alternative to the typical club scene by offering Atlanta-area singles and couples a chance to meet one another in a casual atmosphere focused on playing games. No high pressure, no awkward introductions; rather, participants in Play Date Atlanta's monthly events just roll up their sleeves and enter into a little friendly competition. The games available span the spectrum from Monopoly and Yahtzee to Hungry Hungry Hippos and Musical Chairs. The setting is a function room in a local Crowne Plaza hotel, and food and drinks complete the picture. Participants pay a USD 10 entrance fee, which includes free parking.
The concept was created by Atlanta-based Green Light Entertainment, which hopes to bring the Play Date movement to other cities, too. Time to start facilitating grown-up play dates in your own neck of the woods? Let the games begin.
More at:http://www.playdateatl.com/
Via-uncommonblog
The concept was created by Atlanta-based Green Light Entertainment, which hopes to bring the Play Date movement to other cities, too. Time to start facilitating grown-up play dates in your own neck of the woods? Let the games begin.
More at:http://www.playdateatl.com/
Via-uncommonblog
Marketocracy for find the best investors in the world and then track, analyze, and evaluate their trading activity
What company is about:
Marketocracy Data Services is a research company whose mission is to find the best investors in the world and then track, analyze, and evaluate their trading activity. The company's affiliate, Marketocracy Capital Management, is the investment advisor for the Marketocracy family of mutual funds and uses the research generated by Marketocracy Data
What company's track record:
Marketocracy has recruited over 55,000 people to manage over 65,000 model portfolios at www.marketocracy.com that compete to become the best investors. For over 3 years we have tracked, analyzed, and evaluated their virtual trading activity and have accumulated a massive database; following over 10,000 stock positions at any one time and more than four million trades.
More at:http://www.marketocracy.com/
Marketocracy Data Services is a research company whose mission is to find the best investors in the world and then track, analyze, and evaluate their trading activity. The company's affiliate, Marketocracy Capital Management, is the investment advisor for the Marketocracy family of mutual funds and uses the research generated by Marketocracy Data
What company's track record:
Marketocracy has recruited over 55,000 people to manage over 65,000 model portfolios at www.marketocracy.com that compete to become the best investors. For over 3 years we have tracked, analyzed, and evaluated their virtual trading activity and have accumulated a massive database; following over 10,000 stock positions at any one time and more than four million trades.
More at:http://www.marketocracy.com/
CommentAnywhere is tool for sharing your own commentary on any Web page
What Company is Offering;
CommentAnywhere is tool for sharing your own commentary on any Web page with your Facebook friends.
How it works:
To use CommentAnywhere, you first install a toolbar, which allows you to leave comments on specific parts of any Web page. Then, when your friends visit the same Web page (and also have the toolbar installed) they can see the comments anyone in their Facebook network has left.
Beyond the basic functionality, CommentAnywhere also allows you to add pictures and video to the Web pages you decide to share. There is also a feature for filtering networks .
Will it Work?
I think the idea of CommentAnywhere is good, though it will take a pretty large critical mass of users to become interesting to use. The vision is pretty impressive though – imagine browsing the Web and seeing multimedia comments from your friends on the content you are browsing.
More at:http://www.commentanywhere.com/
CommentAnywhere is tool for sharing your own commentary on any Web page with your Facebook friends.
How it works:
To use CommentAnywhere, you first install a toolbar, which allows you to leave comments on specific parts of any Web page. Then, when your friends visit the same Web page (and also have the toolbar installed) they can see the comments anyone in their Facebook network has left.
Beyond the basic functionality, CommentAnywhere also allows you to add pictures and video to the Web pages you decide to share. There is also a feature for filtering networks .
Will it Work?
I think the idea of CommentAnywhere is good, though it will take a pretty large critical mass of users to become interesting to use. The vision is pretty impressive though – imagine browsing the Web and seeing multimedia comments from your friends on the content you are browsing.
More at:http://www.commentanywhere.com/
YuMe, which has raised $9 million
What Company is about;
YuMe provides a variety of online video ad formats, including pre, mid, and post-roll, as well as the interactive overlay style featured by the likes of VideoEgg. The company also offers its advertising solutions for different types of video, from online streams, to downloads, to mobile devices.
About VCs Deal:
An online video advertising network YuMe, which has raised $9 million from Khosla Ventures, Accel Partners, and BV Capital.
More at:http://www.yumenetworks.com/
YuMe provides a variety of online video ad formats, including pre, mid, and post-roll, as well as the interactive overlay style featured by the likes of VideoEgg. The company also offers its advertising solutions for different types of video, from online streams, to downloads, to mobile devices.
About VCs Deal:
An online video advertising network YuMe, which has raised $9 million from Khosla Ventures, Accel Partners, and BV Capital.
More at:http://www.yumenetworks.com/
Ancestry that looks to combine science with the company’s online database of family trees
What company is about:
Ancestry.com has launched a new service called DNA Ancestry that looks to combine science with the company’s online database of family trees.
How It works:
The service allows users to submit a DNA sample to Ancnestry.com, who will then analyze and compare it to results in their genetic database. The hope is that this can lead to users discovering more relatives, or, once and for all proving that their crazy second cousin isn’t actually related.
The site will soon start adding DNA results to existing family trees, making it possible to find other relatives down the road as more people submit tests. Another interesting twist is that by the end of the year, DNA Ancestry will offer a “Groups” feature so people with similar characteristics such as the same last name can get together and determine how they are related, if at all.
All of this genetic fun isn’t free – tests cost between $149 and $199. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting combination of science and social networking that could yield some fascinating results for people that want to explore their ancestry.
More at:http://dna.ancestry.com/
Ancestry.com has launched a new service called DNA Ancestry that looks to combine science with the company’s online database of family trees.
How It works:
The service allows users to submit a DNA sample to Ancnestry.com, who will then analyze and compare it to results in their genetic database. The hope is that this can lead to users discovering more relatives, or, once and for all proving that their crazy second cousin isn’t actually related.
The site will soon start adding DNA results to existing family trees, making it possible to find other relatives down the road as more people submit tests. Another interesting twist is that by the end of the year, DNA Ancestry will offer a “Groups” feature so people with similar characteristics such as the same last name can get together and determine how they are related, if at all.
All of this genetic fun isn’t free – tests cost between $149 and $199. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting combination of science and social networking that could yield some fascinating results for people that want to explore their ancestry.
More at:http://dna.ancestry.com/
Ukash is now offering an alternative to the Linden Dollar
What company is offering:
Ukash is a new, simple and secure way for you to shop, play and pay with cash online.
Ukash is now offering an alternative to the Linden Dollar for those wishing to engage in economic transactions on Second Life. The company bears a strong resemblance to well known eCurrency providers like PayPal, except that Ukash does not have a strict reliance on credit card or bank transactions like other online money brokers. Cursory searches across the internet also show that UKash doesn’t have reputation problems (at least as of yet), like so many other PayPal alternatives.
What's idea behind creating it:
According to Miark Chirnside, Ukash CEO, the alternative currency is growing in usage across Europe because of its ability to convert from cash. Ukash terminals are now available in the Bulido Money Service outlets inside Second Life, but those UKash isn’t limiting itself to simply just Second Life transactions. Ukash has real world terminals too, located in newsagents, grocery stores, post offices, and gas stations in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany and The Netherlands.
How It works:
Like PayPal, Ukash makes their money by charging merchants a transaction fee. Their website bills the ability to spend your Ukash at several online outlets, phone companies, and online gambling outlets (which largely dominate the list of places to spend).
More at:http://www.ukash.com/
Ukash is a new, simple and secure way for you to shop, play and pay with cash online.
Ukash is now offering an alternative to the Linden Dollar for those wishing to engage in economic transactions on Second Life. The company bears a strong resemblance to well known eCurrency providers like PayPal, except that Ukash does not have a strict reliance on credit card or bank transactions like other online money brokers. Cursory searches across the internet also show that UKash doesn’t have reputation problems (at least as of yet), like so many other PayPal alternatives.
What's idea behind creating it:
According to Miark Chirnside, Ukash CEO, the alternative currency is growing in usage across Europe because of its ability to convert from cash. Ukash terminals are now available in the Bulido Money Service outlets inside Second Life, but those UKash isn’t limiting itself to simply just Second Life transactions. Ukash has real world terminals too, located in newsagents, grocery stores, post offices, and gas stations in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany and The Netherlands.
How It works:
Like PayPal, Ukash makes their money by charging merchants a transaction fee. Their website bills the ability to spend your Ukash at several online outlets, phone companies, and online gambling outlets (which largely dominate the list of places to spend).
More at:http://www.ukash.com/
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Covestor For Sharing Your Real Investments Decision And Earn Money ,Recognition As Well
What Company is About:
Covestor is:
A real-trade sharing service for proven self-investors. To share your real investment decisions, gain recognition and earn fees by helping others.
Where all data is private, normalized and anonymous, and membership is free.
How It Works:
Build a track record. Professional grade tools measure and display your normalized results. These validate your performance and build you a track record comparable to professional hedge funds. Our secure broker link makes it effortless to upload and update your holdings.
Choose how widely to share your activity. You choose whether to share your track record publicly or just with other Covestor members. Covestor 'widgets' also let you export your verified performance and rankings to your personal blog. Members get free access to all Covestor profiles, transactions, and commentary.
Get feedback and ideas from other Members. See what other members are investing in and why, in near real time. In addition you can benchmark your own performance, and see where you rank,
Earn financial rewards. Covestor will be adding a regulated investment service. If you choose to be compensated you will receive an annual data fee for every follower you have. Find out more.
More at:http://www.covestor.com/
Covestor is:
A real-trade sharing service for proven self-investors. To share your real investment decisions, gain recognition and earn fees by helping others.
Where all data is private, normalized and anonymous, and membership is free.
How It Works:
Build a track record. Professional grade tools measure and display your normalized results. These validate your performance and build you a track record comparable to professional hedge funds. Our secure broker link makes it effortless to upload and update your holdings.
Choose how widely to share your activity. You choose whether to share your track record publicly or just with other Covestor members. Covestor 'widgets' also let you export your verified performance and rankings to your personal blog. Members get free access to all Covestor profiles, transactions, and commentary.
Get feedback and ideas from other Members. See what other members are investing in and why, in near real time. In addition you can benchmark your own performance, and see where you rank,
Earn financial rewards. Covestor will be adding a regulated investment service. If you choose to be compensated you will receive an annual data fee for every follower you have. Find out more.
More at:http://www.covestor.com/
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