пятница, 30 апреля 2010 г.

Pre-search helps shape visible results when you're Googled

Original: Pre-search helps shape visible results when you're Googled

"Googling" oneself may be a common pastime for active participants of the wired world, but search is also used with increasing frequency by recruiters and others with more than just idle curiosity. Aiming to give individuals more control over the results that come up when someone Googles their name, Vizibility has created a new tool that lets users shape the optimal Google search for themselves based on their name, employment history and relevant keywords.

Vizibility gives each user a unique, personalized "PreSearch" URL and an accompanying "SearchMe" button. Users begin by answering three questions about themselves: their name, where they've worked and what information they'd like included in their search results. Vizibility then provides them with a personal, tiny URL that links to the custom search result they requested; irrelevant keywords and inaccurate search results can also be excluded. That URL and its linked "SearchMe" button can be placed on any online profile, web page, email, resume, business card, stationery or other place where personal information is shared. Whereas the URL and SearchMe button are free from Vizibility, a monthly fee of USD 2.95 per month causes Vizibility to let users know when their approved search results have changed; an annual fee of USD 29.95 ensures that Vizibility will send the user an email and/or text message when someone clicks their SearchMe button or PreSearch URL. Analytics of

James Alexander, founder of New York-based Vizibility, explains: "Today's resume is an online profile in conjunction with the first few pages of a Google search. Having a personalized search result ensures that a career professional can present the results they want others to see first while saving executive recruiters, business partners and others valuable time sifting through pages and pages of irrelevant and erroneous results."

Now in beta, the service has already been integrated into RealMatch.com, giving job-seekers a new way to differentiate themselves. For the 86 or so percent of executive recruiters who use search engines to validate candidates, meanwhile, it can help pinpoint the most important results. Then, too, there are the possibilities for companies and brands to shape the results of searches on their names. Corporate accounts and the ability to purchase packs of PreSearch URLs are coming soon, Vizibility says.

Website: www.vizibility.com
Contact: info@vizibility.com

Spotted by: Dagmar Gaede

Offer Me A Trip!

Original: Offer Me A Trip!

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Wed, 2010-04-28 08:38.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You

http://offermeatrip.com/

We've seen myriad variations on the travel-planning theme, but when it comes right down to it, most options still fall into one of two categories: DIY options involving the web or purchased services from a paid planner. OfferMeaTrip, on the other hand, aims to combine the best of both worlds with a service in which consumers dictate what they want and agents bid for their business.

Users of London-based OfferMeaTrip begin by telling the service what kind of trip they'd like to take, including how much they want to spend over how long a time and what types of activities they enjoy. The company's network of approved travel agents—it accepts se]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

Link

Using Photos In Your Small Business PR

Original: Using Photos In Your Small Business PR

Self portrait
Creative Commons License photo credit: Mitra Mirshahidi-

When dealing with PR issues there are so many things that most of us business owners wonder about and may even struggle with. One of the biggest things that business owners struggle with is how they can go about incorporating photos into their PR for their small business. I have included some great helpful tips on how you can go about this in an easier fashion.

Quality photos for head shots: An important tip for photos in small business PR, it's always important for you to have professional-quality head shots of your executives ready for any member of the media that may run a story on your, your company or any member of your executive team. If there is absolutely no budget for a professional photo, learn how to take your own photo. Understandingmarketing.com.

Incorporate your customers into these photos that you are using in your PR. Have someone take some really great photos of you interacting with your customers, this will show more people that you  truly are a people person and truly care about your customers.

A really great way to use photos in PR is by including them on small business website. Take a bunch of pictures that may include head shots of your team, the building where you are located, pictures of you and your team interacting with your customers and any other photos you may deem necessary and put them up on your website as down loadable photos so that your customers and potential new customers may view them at their convenience.

четверг, 29 апреля 2010 г.

Offer Me A Trip!

Original: Offer Me A Trip!

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Wed, 2010-04-28 08:38.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You

http://offermeatrip.com/

We've seen myriad variations on the travel-planning theme, but when it comes right down to it, most options still fall into one of two categories: DIY options involving the web or purchased services from a paid planner. OfferMeaTrip, on the other hand, aims to combine the best of both worlds with a service in which consumers dictate what they want and agents bid for their business.

Users of London-based OfferMeaTrip begin by telling the service what kind of trip they'd like to take, including how much they want to spend over how long a time and what types of activities they enjoy. The company's network of approved travel agents—it accepts se]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

Link

Supporting bees by getting beekeepers online

Original: Supporting bees by getting beekeepers online

Much has been written about declining honeybee populations and the danger this could have for the rest of our ecosystem, including food production. One solution is to support beekeepers, which is where Heimathonig comes in. Launched in Germany earlier this year, it's a directory that helps consumers find and buy from local beekeepers.

According to Heimathonig, there are over 85,000 beekeepers in Germany, most of whom are too small to build and maintain their own website. On Heimathonig, they can create a profile that includes information about their bees, the flowers they gather nectar from, where they're based, etc. Beekeepers can use Heimathonig to sell their products online, and can also link to their own website if they have one. The company charges an annual listing fee of EUR 60.

Honey is a deeply local product, inherently connected to the plants and meadows surrounding a colony's hive. Yet only 20 percent of the honey consumed in Germany is produced locally. (The other 80 percent usually comes in jars proclaiming markedly un-local "mixed EU and non-EU origins"). Combined with consumer interest in local food, that sounds like a sweet opportunity for growth. Time to partner with Heimathonig and start connecting beekeepers with honey-lovers in your own country? (Related: Web developer focuses on farmsBritish supermarket builds bee hotels to help pollinate local cropsAn Etsy for artisanal food.)

Website: www.heimathonig.de
Contact: www.heimathonig.de/kontakt

Be More Creative In 2010

Original: Be More Creative In 2010

New Year 2010 Fireworks, Singapore
Creative Commons License photo credit: Eustaquio Santimano

If you still haven’t made your New Years Resolution yet, a good one in business may be to become more creative for the new year. We are at the very bottom of an economic crisis so there is only up for us to go, and this can actually be a great thing. Starting completely over from scratch can mean so many different brand new ideas that can prove to be more beneficial than the old ones we had.

If the need for ideas is great and the supply of creative thinkers is limited, then it’s easy to see that becoming a better creative problem solver is an awesome way to increase your value. It’s also fun and incredibly fulfilling to know that you have the capability to generate valuable ideas – on demand! As stated on Innovationtools.com.

The opportunities for your new creativity are endless! The way you market, advertise, your target audience, the products and services you intend to offer for the new year, new promotions, coupons sales, discount programs, as well as the way you do business in the inner office workings of your company.

вторник, 27 апреля 2010 г.

America's Most Promising Startups - WeddingPaymentPlan.Com

Original: America's Most Promising Startups - WeddingPaymentPlan.Com

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Thu, 2010-04-22 10:35.
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You



http://www.weddingpaymentplan.com/

A wedding is one of the most important days of your life. It can also be one of the most expensive, running $28,000 on average, according to some estimates. For those who don't have that much, there's a new company out of Norwell, Mass., that could help: Wedding Payment Plan will finance your wedding. Scott Almeida, 35 ://pickydomains.com/">this site

[Via - BusinessWeek.Com]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

Dutch city launches iPhone app for lodging civic complaints

Original: Dutch city launches iPhone app for lodging civic complaints

Potholes, stray garbage, broken street lamps? Citizens of Eindhoven can now report local issues by iPhone, using the BuitenBeter app that was launched today. After spotting something that needs to be fixed, residents can use the app to take a picture, select an appropriate category and send their complaint directly through to the city council. A combination of GPS and maps lets users pinpoint the exact location of the problem, providing city workers with all the information they need to identify and resolve the problem.

The application covers a wide range of familiar nuisances, from broken sidewalks to loitering youth (who will hopefully respond favourably to having their picture taken by concerned citizens). Compared with lodging a complaint by phone or in writing, BuitenBeter creates a nearly frictionless experience and will no doubt prompt a wider group of people to become active reporters of issues that need the city's attention.

Besides giving people an easy way to send through detailed reports, city officials also believe the concept will create shorter lines of communication, and will facilitate quicker feedback from local government to citizens. Developed by mobile solutions provider Yucat, the BuitenBeter app will soon be available for Android and Windows Mobile phones, too. Eindhoven has signed on for a twelve-month trial, and Yucat hopes to roll out the system to other cities in the near future. (Related: In San Francisco, civic complaints via TwitterNYC challenges developers to create apps using city dataTagging repairs for local government.)

Website: www.buitenbeter.nl
Contact: info@buitenbeter.nl

Why Do Your Competitors Have More Business Then You?

Original: Why Do Your Competitors Have More Business Then You?

Google history: hourly search activity
Creative Commons License photo credit: luc legay

Often times we see that our competitors are lapping in the luxury of big business while we maintain just enough to keep us afloat. We then begin questioning this fact, why do they have more business then we do? I recently came across an article located on Retaildoc.com that covers the main reasons why this could be happening to you so that you can change things accordingly.

  1. They are hiring better people from the get go. Have you ever tried to train someone to be a “people” person when they can’t stand people to begin with? It’s next to impossible.
  2. They understand exactly what their products and services can do to better their customers lives, and they can also explain these features to their customers in such a way that it doesn’t make them feel stupid.
  3. They make more profit then you do. Plain and simple, the more profit you have the more you can do with your business and thus bring in more business.
  4. Their products and or services stand out from everyone else’s within their niche, meaning they offer a truly unique product or service that cant be found anywhere else.

They don't keep comparing themselves to others but hold themselves accountable for their actions, choices in products and people they employ.

понедельник, 26 апреля 2010 г.

America's Most Promising Startups - WeddingPaymentPlan.Com

Original: America's Most Promising Startups - WeddingPaymentPlan.Com

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Thu, 2010-04-22 10:35.
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You



http://www.weddingpaymentplan.com/

A wedding is one of the most important days of your life. It can also be one of the most expensive, running $28,000 on average, according to some estimates. For those who don't have that much, there's a new company out of Norwell, Mass., that could help: Wedding Payment Plan will finance your wedding. Scott Almeida, 35 ://pickydomains.com/">this site

[Via - BusinessWeek.Com]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

Leanpub encourages authors to publish early & edit often

Original: Leanpub encourages authors to publish early & edit often

As a published author and startup founder, Peter Armstrong began to see similarities between (self) publishing a book and running a startup. Particularly a lean startup, which emphasizes rapid development and early, frequent iteration based on customer feedback. This prompted him to launch Leanpub, which helps bloggers put those lean practices to work to turn their content into books.

Bloggers begin by signing up with the site; for authors who don't already have a blog of their own, Leanpub will create one for them. Leanpub will then turn the user's blog into a PDF book. What's essential to the lean publishing concept is that Leanpub lets authors publish and sell in-progress books. It allows for easy updates and automatic distribution to existing readers, allowing for a cycle of early feedback and constant improvement. Using Leanpub is entirely free; the company supports itself by taking a 25 percent cut of the sale price of users' books. (Typically, author royalty is 10 percent of the publisher's revenue, which is 50 percent of the sale price, Leanpub points out.) Venture Hacks recently published a 1,000-page book through Leanpub that's continuously updated; pricing is USD 19. Now in early public beta, Leanpub says it will add support for MOBI and EPUB formats soon.

As consumers are increasingly captivated by the iPad and other e-reader devices—and as authors risk getting caught in pricing wars between publishers and e-book distributors—an alternative model will surely find a warm welcome among bloggers and other 'lean authors' the world over. One to localize for the creative masses near you...? (Related: Business model book follows its own adviceFrom online baby blogs to printed baby booksBlog's 52 recipe contests to spawn crowdsourced cookbook.)

Website: www.leanpub.com
Contact: peter@leanpub.com

Spotted by: Daniel Tenner

Minnesota Inventors Congress

Original: Minnesota Inventors Congress

воскресенье, 25 апреля 2010 г.

Mistakes In Your Copy To Stay Away From

Original: Mistakes In Your Copy To Stay Away From

I tend to scribble a lot
Creative Commons License photo credit: Unhindered by Talent

Copy Blogger:

Content is king, but if the king looks like a toad, no one will know he's royalty. On the one hand, your blog theme might be drop-dead gorgeous. But if your writing isn't compelling, readers won't stick around to read it.

The number one mistake that people make when writing their copy is that it’s incoherent and over complicated. Be as clear as you can for your readers and try to keep it simple as most people are busy and don’t have time to read long drawn out copies.

Another huge mistake that you most definitely want to avoid is having a copy that is boring and doesn’t engage it’s audience. No one wants to read something that doesn’t catch their attention right off the bat and continues to keep their attention. Peoples time is important to them and they always want something to read that is interesting and inspiring at the same time.

By far one of the biggest mistakes that people tend to make is that their copy is far from being believable. If your readers can’t even believe what they are reading, then most likely they wont want to follow up on what is being offered to them in that copy.

America's Most Promising Startups - WeddingPaymentPlan.Com

Original: America's Most Promising Startups - WeddingPaymentPlan.Com

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Thu, 2010-04-22 10:35.
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You



http://www.weddingpaymentplan.com/

A wedding is one of the most important days of your life. It can also be one of the most expensive, running $28,000 on average, according to some estimates. For those who don't have that much, there's a new company out of Norwell, Mass., that could help: Wedding Payment Plan will finance your wedding. Scott Almeida, 35 ://pickydomains.com/">this site

[Via - BusinessWeek.Com]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

Tech store brings innovation to developing nations

Original: Tech store brings innovation to developing nations

One of the most challenging aspects of humanitarian aid is connecting those who generate innovative solutions with those who need them. That's where Kopernik comes in: a grassroots platform designed to help bring breakthrough technologies to developing nations.

The process is straightforward and transparent: Kopernik showcases exciting tech products by inventors and technology providers, like an online store. Next, vetted organizations in developing countries submit short proposals explaining how they'd use those products. Finally, 'the crowds' browse proposals and donate funds to those they'd most like to see realized. Once enough money has been raised, Kopernik transfers the funds to the technology provider, who then ships directly to the receiving organization. Completing the loop, the receivers report on how the products are being used and provide feedback on the technology's effectiveness. Updates are posted on Kopernik's website, so that contributors can track the effect of their donations. Kopernik charges for-profit technology providers a fee of 5% of sales made through the site, and also takes a 5% cut of donations.

Launched in February, New York-based Kopernik has already formed partnerships with over a dozen tech organizations, and more than 200 non-profits have applied to be part of Kopernik's network. So far, it has facilitated the distribution of several products including the Life Straw, a low-cost water filtration device, and Firefly, a solar-powered LED lantern. (Related: Matching donors & classroom needsPrizes for academics who solve real-world problems.)

Website: www.thekopernik.org
Contact: kopernik@thekopernik.org

суббота, 24 апреля 2010 г.

America's Most Promising Startups - WeddingPaymentPlan.Com

Original: America's Most Promising Startups - WeddingPaymentPlan.Com

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Thu, 2010-04-22 10:35.
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You



http://www.weddingpaymentplan.com/

A wedding is one of the most important days of your life. It can also be one of the most expensive, running $28,000 on average, according to some estimates. For those who don't have that much, there's a new company out of Norwell, Mass., that could help: Wedding Payment Plan will finance your wedding. Scott Almeida, 35 ://pickydomains.com/">this site

[Via - BusinessWeek.Com]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

Why I Didn’t Think Of That

Original: Why I Didn't Think Of That

Tech store brings innovation to developing nations

Original: Tech store brings innovation to developing nations

One of the most challenging aspects of humanitarian aid is connecting those who generate innovative solutions with those who need them. That's where Kopernik comes in: a grassroots platform designed to help bring breakthrough technologies to developing nations.

The process is straightforward and transparent: Kopernik showcases exciting tech products by inventors and technology providers, like an online store. Next, vetted organizations in developing countries submit short proposals explaining how they'd use those products. Finally, 'the crowds' browse proposals and donate funds to those they'd most like to see realized. Once enough money has been raised, Kopernik transfers the funds to the technology provider, who then ships directly to the receiving organization. Completing the loop, the receivers report on how the products are being used and provide feedback on the technology's effectiveness. Updates are posted on Kopernik's website, so that contributors can track the effect of their donations. Kopernik charges for-profit technology providers a fee of 5% of sales made through the site, and also takes a 5% cut of donations.

Launched in February, New York-based Kopernik has already formed partnerships with over a dozen tech organizations, and more than 200 non-profits have applied to be part of Kopernik's network. So far, it has facilitated the distribution of several products including the Life Straw, a low-cost water filtration device, and Firefly, a solar-powered LED lantern. (Related: Matching donors & classroom needsPrizes for academics who solve real-world problems.)

Website: www.thekopernik.org
Contact: kopernik@thekopernik.org

пятница, 23 апреля 2010 г.

America's Most Promising Startups - WeddingPaymentPlan.Com

Original: America's Most Promising Startups - WeddingPaymentPlan.Com

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Thu, 2010-04-22 10:35.
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You



http://www.weddingpaymentplan.com/

A wedding is one of the most important days of your life. It can also be one of the most expensive, running $28,000 on average, according to some estimates. For those who don't have that much, there's a new company out of Norwell, Mass., that could help: Wedding Payment Plan will finance your wedding. Scott Almeida, 35 ://pickydomains.com/">this site

[Via - BusinessWeek.Com]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

No-sweat online publishing of (amateur) sports tournaments

Original: No-sweat online publishing of (amateur) sports tournaments

Last year we wrote about Fantastar, a website that helps amateur sports clubs attract financial support through fantasy sport leagues based on their own teams. Switching the focus from fantasy to reality, Konkuri allows sports and games enthusiasts to manage and publish real tournaments.

Conceived by Bologna-based web agency Koinema, Konkuri (the Esperanto word for "to compete") is a free-to-use tournament and league management web application that caters for tournament organizers of all kinds, from amateur competitions to online matches between friends. Supporting the majority of sports and games, Konkuri lets users create a tournament site, with round-robin scheduling, brackets, playoffs, etc. Match dates and times can be posted, results and standings shared, a tournament blog maintained, and all involved can comment on posts and matches.

Launched last fall, Konkuri has already hosted over 20,000 tournaments worldwide, with teams in Italy, Brazil and Spain taking the lead. One to try out or partner with?

Website: www.konkuri.com
Contact: mlarosa@koinema.com

Keeping Earth Day Revolving Year-Round

Original: Keeping Earth Day Revolving Year-Round

четверг, 22 апреля 2010 г.

Remote (grand)parents read bedtime stories by web video

Original: Remote (grand)parents read bedtime stories by web video

While most will agree that bedtime stories are best delivered in person and as live performances, that isn't always an option. Coming to the aid of remote parents and grandparents everywhere, technology-enabled web recordings offer an alternative; we previously highlighted Speakaboos and Readeo. Along similar lines, A Story Before Bed lets users record audio and video of themselves reading children's stories, synchronized to the pages of an onscreen book. The site was created by Jackson Fish Market to make it easy for parents away on business, remote grandparents, split families and mili

How it works? Readers chooses a story from the rapidly expanding library of over 60 licensed children's books and record themselves reading it using a webcam. The storyteller's voice is heard and their face appears, picture-in-picture style, on a fullscreen image of the book being read. Recording a story is free, and the service charges USD 6.99 if the user chooses to save the recording and forward the story link to its intended audience. Adding blanket-top convenience to its service, A Story Before Bed recently launched an iPad app for viewing recorded stories.

There are plenty of opportunities for other services that will allow consumers to be "guest participants" from afar. Apply to the niche of your choice! ;-) (Related: Wedding webcasts.)

Website: www.astorybeforebed.com
Contact: sleepy@astorybeforebed.com

Spotted by: Judy McRae

America's Most Promising Startups - WeddingPaymentPlan.Com

Original: America's Most Promising Startups - WeddingPaymentPlan.Com

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Thu, 2010-04-22 10:35.
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You



http://www.weddingpaymentplan.com/

A wedding is one of the most important days of your life. It can also be one of the most expensive, running $28,000 on average, according to some estimates. For those who don't have that much, there's a new company out of Norwell, Mass., that could help: Wedding Payment Plan will finance your wedding. Scott Almeida, 35 ://pickydomains.com/">this site

[Via - BusinessWeek.Com]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

Business Has Kids Cheering †Hooray’

Original: Business Has Kids Cheering 'Hooray'