понедельник, 28 февраля 2011 г.

Pre-worn jeans repaired and resold to create †broken in’ look

Original: Pre-worn jeans repaired and resold to create 'broken in' look

Faced with a crowded market of brands jostling for recognition, fashion brands can always rely on sky-high prices to create demand for their wares. However, French label A.P.C is taking a different approach. Although their regular collections are well respected amongst fashion aficionados, a new range of customized pre-worn jeans is blurring the traditional boundaries between second hand clothing and new fashion products.

With a new store in New York focusing primarily on their classic denim range, A.P.C are also introducing a range of pre-worn 'Butler Jeans' — as reported by the New York Times. Drawing on the 'one man's rubbish is another man's treasure' ethos, the store will offer a new service reaching out to owners of old A.P.C jeans. Those who prefer their jeans to look new will be able to return their worn jeans and buy a new pair at cost. The old pair will then be stitched up and repaired in any way necessary, marked with the initials of the previous owner, and then sold on to customers who prefer their jeans to have a 'worn in' look. The name comes from a nineteenth century custom of the English aristocracy where butlers would break in their masters' trousers in an effort to help them avoid appearing nouveau riche.

A.P.C certainly have status as a fashion label, but faced with stiff competition they may have also found a status story to get their wearers talking again. (Related: T-shirts saved with handstitched lettering & sold to new ownersFrom recycled leather scraps, purses with a story One-of-a-kind kids' clothes, locally made from reclaimed discards.)

Website: www.apc.fr
Contact: usonline.apc.fr/catalog/contact

Come Buy Something

Original: Come Buy Something

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Mon, 2011-02-28 10:29.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.somethingstore.com/

Back in the summer of 2007, Sami Bayrakci was surfing the Internet looking for a birthday present for a friend. After an hour of browsing, he decided it would be much nicer if somebody would just make the decision for him. The idea for SomethingStore.com was born: a customer would pay a flat price for an unknown item.

"I shared my idea with my friends," says Bayrakci, now 34. "Most of them thought it wouldn't work out -- nobody would pay for something they don't know."

But Bayrakci wanted to give it a try. After all, it wouldn't cost him a whole lot to get started. He invested $3,000 for supplies, designed his own simple website, and started off selling small, lightweight items, in order to keep shipping costs down. Fashion accessories available at liquidation prices were Bayrakci's best bet.

But he also threw in some expensive goods, like a digital camera and an iPod shuffle. The average price of all the goods had to be under $5, but Bayrakci needed to keep his customers curious and coming back for the thrill of the hunt.

Bayrakci sold about 1,000 "somethings" in each of his first few months. In its first full year, 2008, SomethingStore was profitable -- but demand fell during the recession, and 2009 wasn't so lucky. By 2010, SomethingStore was back in the black.

The key is that people are suckers for a surprise. "Curiosity gets the best of them," Bayrakci says. He keeps some pricey items in the mix: iPod touches, a Wii system, and even a Dell laptop that retails for $600.

"There is an anticipation of getting a really good bargain for $10," he says. There's that, plus -- who doesn't like getting a surprise in the mail?

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - CNNMoney.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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

google_ad_client = "ca-pub-9095123295552398"; google_ad_host = "ca-host-pub-1556223355139109"; google_ad_host_channel = "L0007"; google_ad_slot = "4866884086"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250;

Original Monopoly Game Sold For $150K

Original: Original Monopoly Game Sold For $150K

воскресенье, 27 февраля 2011 г.

Eco-flooring saves wood by following trees' natural curves

Original: Eco-flooring saves wood by following trees' natural curves

Eco-conscious alternatives to traditional wooden flooring typically rely upon cork or other non-hardwood materials for their sustainability. A new Dutch innovation, however, earns its green credentials by cutting floorboards in such a way as to follow the hardwood's natural curves.

Aiming to bring to the mass market what it says has long been the domain of a few dedicated craftsmen, Bolefloor manufactures solid oak flooring with curved lengths that follow a tree's natural growth. One result of the technique is that no two Bolefloors are alike. In addition, Bolefloor claims that their wood scanning systems, tailor-made CAD/CAM developments and innovative optimization algorithms allow more floors to be created from the same amount of wood. Bolefloor manages and tracks each board from its raw-lumber stage through to final installation. Pricing, the company says, is "not considerably more than today's fine wood flooring."

Bolefloor's dealer list will be published in April; in the meantime, it's seeking partners around the world. One to help bring to eco-minded consumers in your neck of the woods? (Related: One tree planted for each wooden watch soldAt Vermont workshop, make your own hyperlocal dinner table.)

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

Spotted by: Martin Poltimäe

Zipz Success Story

Original: Zipz Success Story

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Wed, 2011-02-23 11:07.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.zipzshoes.com/

In 2004, John Stefani was at a family reunion barbeque when the conversation turned to the massive number of dirt-caked children's shoes flung around. John's dad Jerry commented on how cool it would be to have an interchangeable shoe -- one where you could mix tops with bottoms and throw the dirty piece in the wash.

The idea stuck. John and his siblings left musing about mix-and-match footwear. They sketched shoes held together with Velcro, buttons, clasps and pins. After fiddling around drawing various prototypes, Jerry had the eureka moment: a zipper!

It took five years of development and three prototype iterations to bring Zipz to market. "With boots and things, zippers are pretty common place," John says. "Tennis shoe factories are not used to working with zippers."

In 2010, Zipz' first year of sales, the company grossed $1 million. The shoes, which retail for $45 a pair, are available online and through boutique retailers. Distributed in 40 countries, the shoes have drawn particular interest in Europe, Japan, and the Middle East.

Foot Locker will start carrying the brand in April, and 2011 looks to be "a far better year," says John, the company's CEO.

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - CNNMoney.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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Yo

Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 25

Original: Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 25

суббота, 26 февраля 2011 г.

Multi-touch digital books for iPhone and iPad

Original: Multi-touch digital books for iPhone and iPad

Digital books continue to thrive thanks to Amazon's Kindle and other such devices. However, whereas most e-books still adhere to many of the conventions of reading online, Push Pop Press is a startup that aims to do away with much of that and put multi-touch manipulation at the forefront.

Based in San Francisco, Push Pop Press is still gearing up to launch its new digital book line for iPhone and iPad. What it aims to deliver, however, are books that let readers explore photos, videos, music, maps and interactive graphics through a new physics-based multi-touch user interface. There are no status or tab bars taking up space; rather, the entire screen is filled by content, Daring Fireball reports. Users manipulate each book by swiping and pinching; to play a video, they simply tap play and it does so in place, for example. When the user zooms in or out on a video, the zooming tracks the pinching of their fingers "precisely and instantly". In short, whereas "Kindle and iBooks seem to have the goal of reproducing what is possible in paper books," Push Pop seeks to discover what can be done "with the idea of a 'book' if we eliminate the limitations of ink and paper, rather than mimic them," the review concludes.

Push Pop's first title will be available for iPad and iPhone later this year. One to get involved in early? (Related: Book-video hybrid delivers a new reading experienceJapanese service enables e-book creation on demandFree e-book streaming and sharing with ad support.)

Website: www.pushpoppress.com
Contact: twitter.com/pushpoppress

Spotted by: Jenn Hertzig

Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 25

Original: Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 25

Zipz Success Story

Original: Zipz Success Story

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Wed, 2011-02-23 11:07.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.zipzshoes.com/

In 2004, John Stefani was at a family reunion barbeque when the conversation turned to the massive number of dirt-caked children's shoes flung around. John's dad Jerry commented on how cool it would be to have an interchangeable shoe -- one where you could mix tops with bottoms and throw the dirty piece in the wash.

The idea stuck. John and his siblings left musing about mix-and-match footwear. They sketched shoes held together with Velcro, buttons, clasps and pins. After fiddling around drawing various prototypes, Jerry had the eureka moment: a zipper!

It took five years of development and three prototype iterations to bring Zipz to market. "With boots and things, zippers are pretty common place," John says. "Tennis shoe factories are not used to working with zippers."

In 2010, Zipz' first year of sales, the company grossed $1 million. The shoes, which retail for $45 a pair, are available online and through boutique retailers. Distributed in 40 countries, the shoes have drawn particular interest in Europe, Japan, and the Middle East.

Foot Locker will start carrying the brand in April, and 2011 looks to be "a far better year," says John, the company's CEO.

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - CNNMoney.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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Yo

пятница, 25 февраля 2011 г.

Zipz Success Story

Original: Zipz Success Story

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Wed, 2011-02-23 11:07.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.zipzshoes.com/

In 2004, John Stefani was at a family reunion barbeque when the conversation turned to the massive number of dirt-caked children's shoes flung around. John's dad Jerry commented on how cool it would be to have an interchangeable shoe -- one where you could mix tops with bottoms and throw the dirty piece in the wash.

The idea stuck. John and his siblings left musing about mix-and-match footwear. They sketched shoes held together with Velcro, buttons, clasps and pins. After fiddling around drawing various prototypes, Jerry had the eureka moment: a zipper!

It took five years of development and three prototype iterations to bring Zipz to market. "With boots and things, zippers are pretty common place," John says. "Tennis shoe factories are not used to working with zippers."

In 2010, Zipz' first year of sales, the company grossed $1 million. The shoes, which retail for $45 a pair, are available online and through boutique retailers. Distributed in 40 countries, the shoes have drawn particular interest in Europe, Japan, and the Middle East.

Foot Locker will start carrying the brand in April, and 2011 looks to be "a far better year," says John, the company's CEO.

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - CNNMoney.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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Yo

International Movie Snacks

Original: International Movie Snacks

Social network aggregator switches between personal and business profiles

Original: Social network aggregator switches between personal and business profiles

In recent years social networking has become so ingrained in online culture that many users will own several different social networking profiles, sometimes with two or more profiles on the same social network designed for both business or personal use. Whoopaa is a new social network aggregator designed to bring both business and personal social networking profiles into one online space.

The new service can integrate with users' Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, presenting them all on one site. Users can then mark these accounts as associated with either their business or personal Whoopaa profiles. Once Whoopaa has been linked up in this way, users can switch between their business and personal profiles at the click of a single button, instantly viewing all the social network activity attached to the Whoopaa profile selected — neatly arranged in one time-line. Users can send direct messages, invites and wall posts to their separate social network accounts from within the Whoopaa site, as well as sending messages directly to other members' Whoopaa inboxes. An iPhone app is currently in development.

With the increasing importance attached to online identity, both in personal and business terms, the demand for aggregators has seen no shortage of contenders. However, for social networkers who prefer to keep these profiles separate, Whoopaa set itself apart with a neat headline feature. (Related: B2B social network connects small businesses online.)

Website: www.whoopaa.com
Contact: support@whoopaa.com

Spotted by Sheila Wigman

четверг, 24 февраля 2011 г.

Zipz Success Story

Original: Zipz Success Story

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Wed, 2011-02-23 11:07.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.zipzshoes.com/

In 2004, John Stefani was at a family reunion barbeque when the conversation turned to the massive number of dirt-caked children's shoes flung around. John's dad Jerry commented on how cool it would be to have an interchangeable shoe -- one where you could mix tops with bottoms and throw the dirty piece in the wash.

The idea stuck. John and his siblings left musing about mix-and-match footwear. They sketched shoes held together with Velcro, buttons, clasps and pins. After fiddling around drawing various prototypes, Jerry had the eureka moment: a zipper!

It took five years of development and three prototype iterations to bring Zipz to market. "With boots and things, zippers are pretty common place," John says. "Tennis shoe factories are not used to working with zippers."

In 2010, Zipz' first year of sales, the company grossed $1 million. The shoes, which retail for $45 a pair, are available online and through boutique retailers. Distributed in 40 countries, the shoes have drawn particular interest in Europe, Japan, and the Middle East.

Foot Locker will start carrying the brand in April, and 2011 looks to be "a far better year," says John, the company's CEO.

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - CNNMoney.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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Yo

Caricature Yourself: FlipFace.me

Original: Caricature Yourself: FlipFace.me

New Hindi website supports and connects young Indian entrepreneurs

Original: New Hindi website supports and connects young Indian entrepreneurs

It's no secret the amount of hard work and planning that it takes to transform a creative idea into a successful business, and while entrepreneurs have long been supported in countries such as the US, such assistance is not so forthcoming in developing economies. Aiming to tackle the problem, FledgeWing has just released a Hindi version of it's support site for young Indian entrepreneurs.

Founded by NYU Stern graduates Lewis Drummond and Joshua Meyers, the platform enables users to pitch new ideas and receive feedback and input from both peers and mentors – the quality of which is regulated by a user feedback system. There is also an area dedicated to group collaboration on projects, and a page listing events which the budding entrepreneur may find useful to attend. Furthermore, the site hosts numerous case studies and articles for students to study and learn from.

As websites such as Bitsy have already identified, working in small businesses can often be a challenging experience. Services such as FledgeWing aim to tackle these challenges with a genuinely useful range of services. And by combining this functionality with a focus on the Indian market, Fledgewing's founders could be tapping into a goldmine of potential new businesses. (Related: Daily tips for startups, distilled from books old & new.)

Website: www.fledgewing.in
Contact: www.fledgewing.com/?page=contact

среда, 23 февраля 2011 г.

Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 23

Original: Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 23

Zipz Success Story

Original: Zipz Success Story

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Wed, 2011-02-23 11:07.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.zipzshoes.com/

In 2004, John Stefani was at a family reunion barbeque when the conversation turned to the massive number of dirt-caked children's shoes flung around. John's dad Jerry commented on how cool it would be to have an interchangeable shoe -- one where you could mix tops with bottoms and throw the dirty piece in the wash.

The idea stuck. John and his siblings left musing about mix-and-match footwear. They sketched shoes held together with Velcro, buttons, clasps and pins. After fiddling around drawing various prototypes, Jerry had the eureka moment: a zipper!

It took five years of development and three prototype iterations to bring Zipz to market. "With boots and things, zippers are pretty common place," John says. "Tennis shoe factories are not used to working with zippers."

In 2010, Zipz' first year of sales, the company grossed $1 million. The shoes, which retail for $45 a pair, are available online and through boutique retailers. Distributed in 40 countries, the shoes have drawn particular interest in Europe, Japan, and the Middle East.

Foot Locker will start carrying the brand in April, and 2011 looks to be "a far better year," says John, the company's CEO.

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - CNNMoney.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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Yo

Hotel 'minibar' offers up food for the mind

Original: Hotel 'minibar' offers up food for the mind

After years of catering more or less exclusively to the physical comfort of their guests, hotels have now begun to pay attention to patrons' social and intellectual needs as well. That's why we've seen efforts to help guests connect with each other — such as at New York City's Pod Hotel — and it's also why we've seen hotels offering night school programs and even readers in residence. The latest spotting? Minibar for the Mind, an initiative just launched through a partnership between Morgans Hotel Group and The School of Life.

Launched late last month at Morgans' two London properties, Minibar for the Mind was created exclusively for the hotel chain by The School of Life and now offers guests at several of its hotels what it calls "a midnight feast of intellect, inspiration and ideas." Priced at USD 56, the custom-made box contains a thought-provoking alternative to the usual minibar fare. Included within the box are a set of 250 cards featuring conversation-starting questions, quotations and provocations; a thought-provoking volume of the best columns written by The School of Life's faculty and friends; two tailor-made "reading prescriptions" from The School of Life's Bibliotherapists designed to evoke moods of relaxation or seduction; and a blank journal with pencil for personal reflection.

Continuing the theme of mental stimulation, Daily Aphorism cards are now provided at turn-down service across all Morgans hotels, while guests dining at select properties are offered a Conversation Menu that features an entertaining selection of conversation prompts. A series of talks is also being hosted by The School of Life at various Morgans hotels. Finally, at Morgans' St Martins Lane hotel in London, The School of Life has curated what it calls "Semi-Automatic," a vending machine installed there for a limited time that offers up a selection of products including Bibliotherapy Gift Vouchers and limited edition design objects.

Man cannot live on comfortable bedding and gourmet food alone, to butcher the well-known phrase, so it's inspiring to see hotels recognizing that fact with food for the mind and soul. Other hoteliers around the globe: what about you?

Website: www.morganshotelgroup.com/so/schooloflife.html
Contact: jacqueline.schuerlein@morganshotelgroup.com

вторник, 22 февраля 2011 г.

Starting a Movie Streaming Site

Original: Starting a Movie Streaming Site

Buried In Style

Original: Buried In Style

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Sun, 2011-02-20 10:42.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You



http://www.couturecaskets.com/

"It was just a fluke, actually," Venus Smith says of how Couture Caskets got launched.

A few years back, Smith was in California visiting her brother, a mechanic who appreciates nice cars. They spotted a 1956 Thunderbird -- her brother's favorite.

"We went and sat down and ate some pizza and started talking, and I said, `Man, wouldn't you love to be buried in something like that?'"

That was it. A business was born.

"As soon as I said it, I knew it could be done," says Smith, 42. It took her two years to develop a prototype and get a trademark. Initially Smith wanted to build the caskets out of environmentally sound products, but she ran into too many barriers to making her Couture Caskets eco-friendly.

The company officially opened for business on Nov. 29, 2010. Smith works from home, but has to outsource a lot of the productions steps. She commutes from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to have the caskets painted.

Smith started with caskets for pets, but says her next step will be designer human caskets. She understands that for some, the notion is unsettling: "It is a fresh idea, but it still affects a lot of people in strange ways." Younger people seem to be more into the idea of a Couture Casket, Smith notes.

Thus far, she hasn't sold any caskets.

Retail prices for in-stock pet coffins -- ones shaped like a bone or a house -- start at $395. Custom-made pet caskets go for $995 on up. But that's a bargain compared to a human casket, which Smith expects to sell for a $9,995 entry-level price tag.

"I believe the idea is going to catapult once I have a human casket so that people can see the visual," says Smith, who is working on a Vintage 1966 Shelby Cobra. "Once it catches on, I think it will be like wildfire."

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - CNNMoney.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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

The ongoing boom in social networking means most of us are far more connected than ever before, and a brief browse of online photo albums can offer a cheerful reminder of this newfound popularity. But when the computer is off, Social Print Studio can provide the analogue equivalent to the online album.

The site creates posters generated from Facebook friends' profile pictures, Facebook photo albums, Twitter followers, and even Tumblr accounts. Alternatively, these same pictures can be printed as stickers or turned into albums. Taking the idea one step further, Social Print Studio recently collaborated with social media blog Mashable, wallpapering an entire wall of their New York office using fans' Facebook profile pictures, thereby creating the "world's largest real-life Facebook wall".

With an iPhone app in the pipeline, and a spin off photo-sharing website SuperEgo.me hoping to rival sites such as Pixable, the next few steps for Social Print Studio may be back into the digital world they draw upon. But for now, Social Print Studio's real-world products offer a simple and compelling reminder of users' online popularity. (Related: Animated photo printing for everyoneNew instant print kiosksHave phone, will print)

Website: www.socialprintstudio.com
Contact: hello@socialprintstudio.com

понедельник, 21 февраля 2011 г.

Weekend Thread: Do You Use Twitter?

Original: Weekend Thread: Do You Use Twitter?

Buried In Style

Original: Buried In Style

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Sun, 2011-02-20 10:42.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You



http://www.couturecaskets.com/

"It was just a fluke, actually," Venus Smith says of how Couture Caskets got launched.

A few years back, Smith was in California visiting her brother, a mechanic who appreciates nice cars. They spotted a 1956 Thunderbird -- her brother's favorite.

"We went and sat down and ate some pizza and started talking, and I said, `Man, wouldn't you love to be buried in something like that?'"

That was it. A business was born.

"As soon as I said it, I knew it could be done," says Smith, 42. It took her two years to develop a prototype and get a trademark. Initially Smith wanted to build the caskets out of environmentally sound products, but she ran into too many barriers to making her Couture Caskets eco-friendly.

The company officially opened for business on Nov. 29, 2010. Smith works from home, but has to outsource a lot of the productions steps. She commutes from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to have the caskets painted.

Smith started with caskets for pets, but says her next step will be designer human caskets. She understands that for some, the notion is unsettling: "It is a fresh idea, but it still affects a lot of people in strange ways." Younger people seem to be more into the idea of a Couture Casket, Smith notes.

Thus far, she hasn't sold any caskets.

Retail prices for in-stock pet coffins -- ones shaped like a bone or a house -- start at $395. Custom-made pet caskets go for $995 on up. But that's a bargain compared to a human casket, which Smith expects to sell for a $9,995 entry-level price tag.

"I believe the idea is going to catapult once I have a human casket so that people can see the visual," says Smith, who is working on a Vintage 1966 Shelby Cobra. "Once it catches on, I think it will be like wildfire."

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - CNNMoney.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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

Music fans have already been playing an increasingly significant role in the funding and management of the bands they love, but a new site aims to give brands a chance to get involved as well. Toward that end, fanatic.fm is a music sponsorship platform where brands and bands can find each other.

Rather than paying for advertising spots on music destination sites, brands participating in fanatic.fm set up a pool of funds for a branding campaign and invite only the musicians they feel best portray their brand image. They essentially bid on musical projects such as a band's new album, in other words, giving bands a chance to control which sponsors they work with. Once a relationship has been formed, the sponsor pays the band in question a set cost per play on the fanatic.fm player, which can be embedded in any site or social media page. Sponsors themselves, meanwhile, can use the band's music within their own social media campaigns as well as co-promoting directly on a band's music player. In all, musicians take 70 percent of the total sponsorship revenue, while California-based fanatic.fm takes 30 percent. Both parties also donate 2.5 percent each to the charity of the band's choice.

Remember the days when musical artists were at the mercy of the record labels? Well, those days are gone. A model to apply to other forms of art and entertainment, or to target to specific genres and niches? (Related: Bands offered a unique website for every songAnalytics tools help music bands uncover local demandOnline tool gives musicians one-stop band management.)

Website: www.fanatic.fm
Contact: contact@fanatic.fm

воскресенье, 20 февраля 2011 г.

B2B social network connects small businesses online

Original: B2B social network connects small businesses online

We've seen plenty of social networks appearing over the last few years, from sites helping commuters meet others on the go, sites for sharing fitness activity, and even sites for dogs to connect. Now there's Bitsy, a new B2B online network that offers an online marketplace and social features.

Bitsy serves as a way for small businesses to communicate and link up, as well as claiming to offer relief from the loneliness that can come from working alone. The site features a blog with advice, hints and tips, and it also hosts a directory where businesses can buy or list services. Claiming to be "the friendliest business to business marketplace on the web", the site also incorporates many of more traditional features associated with social networking, such as the ability to add friends, update statuses, and create and join groups — with the most interactive businesses being featured on the homepage. It's free to become a member, and for GDP 1.60 a month members can become sellers, enabling them to list their service in the Bitsy directory for a further GDP 5 a month.

Small businesses have a lot to gain from the experiences and expertise of one another. Bitsy has tapped into this, offering startups the chance to find the help they need; with the added transparency offered by networking features. Time to remind yourself that you're not alone!

Website: www.bitsythis.com
Contact: www.bitsythis.com/contact

Buried In Style

Original: Buried In Style

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Sun, 2011-02-20 10:42.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You



http://www.couturecaskets.com/

"It was just a fluke, actually," Venus Smith says of how Couture Caskets got launched.

A few years back, Smith was in California visiting her brother, a mechanic who appreciates nice cars. They spotted a 1956 Thunderbird -- her brother's favorite.

"We went and sat down and ate some pizza and started talking, and I said, `Man, wouldn't you love to be buried in something like that?'"

That was it. A business was born.

"As soon as I said it, I knew it could be done," says Smith, 42. It took her two years to develop a prototype and get a trademark. Initially Smith wanted to build the caskets out of environmentally sound products, but she ran into too many barriers to making her Couture Caskets eco-friendly.

The company officially opened for business on Nov. 29, 2010. Smith works from home, but has to outsource a lot of the productions steps. She commutes from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to have the caskets painted.

Smith started with caskets for pets, but says her next step will be designer human caskets. She understands that for some, the notion is unsettling: "It is a fresh idea, but it still affects a lot of people in strange ways." Younger people seem to be more into the idea of a Couture Casket, Smith notes.

Thus far, she hasn't sold any caskets.

Retail prices for in-stock pet coffins -- ones shaped like a bone or a house -- start at $395. Custom-made pet caskets go for $995 on up. But that's a bargain compared to a human casket, which Smith expects to sell for a $9,995 entry-level price tag.

"I believe the idea is going to catapult once I have a human casket so that people can see the visual," says Smith, who is working on a Vintage 1966 Shelby Cobra. "Once it catches on, I think it will be like wildfire."

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - CNNMoney.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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

суббота, 19 февраля 2011 г.

B2B social network connects small businesses online

Original: B2B social network connects small businesses online

We've seen plenty of social networks appearing over the last few years, from sites helping commuters meet others on the go, sites for sharing fitness activity, and even sites for dogs to connect. Now there's Bitsy, a new B2B online network that offers an online marketplace and social features.

Bitsy serves as a way for small businesses to communicate and link up, as well as claiming to offer relief from the loneliness that can come from working alone. The site features a blog with advice, hints and tips, and it also hosts a directory where businesses can buy or list services. Claiming to be "the friendliest business to business marketplace on the web", the site also incorporates many of more traditional features associated with social networking, such as the ability to add friends, update statuses, and create and join groups — with the most interactive businesses being featured on the homepage. It's free to become a member, and for GDP 1.60 a month members can become sellers, enabling them to list their service in the Bitsy directory for a further GDP 5 a month.

Small businesses have a lot to gain from the experiences and expertise of one another. Bitsy has tapped into this, offering startups the chance to find the help they need; with the added transparency offered by networking features. Time to remind yourself that you're not alone!

Website: www.bitsythis.com
Contact: www.bitsythis.com/contact

Nonconformist Subscription

Original: Nonconformist Subscription

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Sun, 2011-02-13 10:23.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.weeklyindie.com/

Curation and subscription services seem to be a match made in heaven, as we've already seen in examples purveying everything from art to beauty samples to women's panties. Now, whereas music services typically bombard users with millions of songs to choose from, WeeklyIndie has opted for a curated subscription model, delivering 10 hand-picked indie songs to subscribers each week.

New York-based WeeklyIndie invites independent artists to submit songs to its site, and it screens through thousands of such songs every week. After selecting the ones it likes, it signs distribution deals with the artists involved. Then WeeklyIndie sends out links to its worldwide base of subscribers to enable them to download the 10 chosen songs. Customer subscriptions cost USD 7 per month.

With benefits for consumers — who get help wading through the vast ocean of songs out there — and artists, who get well-deserved exposure and payment for their work, WeeklyIndie may just have hit upon a new model for music discovery. One to watch!

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

Link of the day - If You Sell Link s On You

Free Legal Advice In 140 Characters

Original: Free Legal Advice In 140 Characters

пятница, 18 февраля 2011 г.

Nonconformist Subscription

Original: Nonconformist Subscription

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Sun, 2011-02-13 10:23.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.weeklyindie.com/

Curation and subscription services seem to be a match made in heaven, as we've already seen in examples purveying everything from art to beauty samples to women's panties. Now, whereas music services typically bombard users with millions of songs to choose from, WeeklyIndie has opted for a curated subscription model, delivering 10 hand-picked indie songs to subscribers each week.

New York-based WeeklyIndie invites independent artists to submit songs to its site, and it screens through thousands of such songs every week. After selecting the ones it likes, it signs distribution deals with the artists involved. Then WeeklyIndie sends out links to its worldwide base of subscribers to enable them to download the 10 chosen songs. Customer subscriptions cost USD 7 per month.

With benefits for consumers — who get help wading through the vast ocean of songs out there — and artists, who get well-deserved exposure and payment for their work, WeeklyIndie may just have hit upon a new model for music discovery. One to watch!

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

Link of the day - If You Sell Link s On You

Website Helps Entrepreneurial Students Get Their Ideas Off The Ground

Original: Website Helps Entrepreneurial Students Get Their Ideas Off The Ground

Group buying and curated local deals for pet owners

Original: Group buying and curated local deals for pet owners

Group buying is a trend we've been tracking for years, but it was only recently that we came across an application of the concept to pet care products. Sure enough, that's the premise behind Coupawz, a soon-to-launch group buying site for pet owners.

Gearing up to launch next month, Coupawz aims to offer a variety of daily national deals that can be shipped across the United States, as well as a curated selection of local, hand-picked deals, starting with Austin, Texas. Discounts of as much as 50 percent will be offered through the site on products and services including grooming, veterinarians, boarding and more. Coupawz is currently inviting interested consumers to sign up for its email list in advance of its official March launch; for each person to do so, it will donate one free bowl of food to Austin Pets Alive. Support for other U.S. cities is coming soon, it says.

Is there any limit to groups' purchasing power? We're thinking not. Which product category will you help to benefit from this trend? (Related: Broker creates local groups for collective solar purchasingOnline retailers install widget to enable group buyingGroup buying for new parents.)

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

Spotted by: Courtney Berry

вторник, 15 февраля 2011 г.

Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 14

Original: Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 14

Nonconformist Subscription

Original: Nonconformist Subscription

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Sun, 2011-02-13 10:23.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.weeklyindie.com/

Curation and subscription services seem to be a match made in heaven, as we've already seen in examples purveying everything from art to beauty samples to women's panties. Now, whereas music services typically bombard users with millions of songs to choose from, WeeklyIndie has opted for a curated subscription model, delivering 10 hand-picked indie songs to subscribers each week.

New York-based WeeklyIndie invites independent artists to submit songs to its site, and it screens through thousands of such songs every week. After selecting the ones it likes, it signs distribution deals with the artists involved. Then WeeklyIndie sends out links to its worldwide base of subscribers to enable them to download the 10 chosen songs. Customer subscriptions cost USD 7 per month.

With benefits for consumers — who get help wading through the vast ocean of songs out there — and artists, who get well-deserved exposure and payment for their work, WeeklyIndie may just have hit upon a new model for music discovery. One to watch!

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

Link of the day - If You Sell Link s On You

An urban winery & tasting club for Denver

Original: An urban winery & tasting club for Denver

It's been a few years since we've covered an urban winery. Following our look at Crushpad back in 2005, we also featured City Winery in '08. The latest spotting? Now reaching beyond San Francisco and New York, there's The Infinite Monkey Theorem, a winery and tasting club in Denver.

The Infinite Monkey Theorem makes no pretensions about having a vineyard of its own. Rather, "we buy the best grapes and we make ridiculously good wine," in the site's own words. It's primarily local fruit that's used, according to the site, and the results of IMT's efforts are now available in 125 local restaurants, wine bars and stores. Also on offer are private tastings and tours for groups of 10 or more at USD 50 per person, as well as periodic pairing dinners with chefs from local restaurants. USD 1 from each bottle sold is donated to the University of Colorado Cancer Center.

Even if a winery has no vineyard of its own, that's not to say it can't still offer a heady dose of (still) made here appeal. Who will open the first local urban winery near you?

Website: www.theinfinitemonkeytheorem.com
Contact: drink@theinfinitemonkeytheorem.com

Spotted by: Sarah-Jane Johnson

понедельник, 14 февраля 2011 г.

Nonconformist Subscription

Original: Nonconformist Subscription

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Sun, 2011-02-13 10:23.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.weeklyindie.com/

Curation and subscription services seem to be a match made in heaven, as we've already seen in examples purveying everything from art to beauty samples to women's panties. Now, whereas music services typically bombard users with millions of songs to choose from, WeeklyIndie has opted for a curated subscription model, delivering 10 hand-picked indie songs to subscribers each week.

New York-based WeeklyIndie invites independent artists to submit songs to its site, and it screens through thousands of such songs every week. After selecting the ones it likes, it signs distribution deals with the artists involved. Then WeeklyIndie sends out links to its worldwide base of subscribers to enable them to download the 10 chosen songs. Customer subscriptions cost USD 7 per month.

With benefits for consumers — who get help wading through the vast ocean of songs out there — and artists, who get well-deserved exposure and payment for their work, WeeklyIndie may just have hit upon a new model for music discovery. One to watch!

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

Link of the day - If You Sell Link s On You

New beer brand offers company shares with each carton sold

Original: New beer brand offers company shares with each carton sold

Rather than being crowdfunded in the manner of BeerBankroll or OurBrew, Broo is a new Australian beer brand that is giving away shares in its new company with each purchase made.

Launched on Australia Day in January this year, Broo aims to be Australian through and through. Now, as part of a one-time offer that continues through the end of this month, it's also aiming to give local buyers of its beer a stake in the company. Consumers need only purchase between one and 50 cartons of Broo online for AUD 54.99 each, and they're entitled to 10 free shares in the company for every carton they purchase. As many as 10 million shares will be given away, according to the company's prospectus. Available also at select Australian retailers, Broo is donating AUD 1 to flood relief from every carton sold.

For a brand that's built on (still) made here appeal, channeling shares into local hands is a smart strategy for public relations, in particular. One for inspiration!

Website: www.broo.com.au
Contact: enquiries@broo.com.au

Spotted by: Caralee Caldwell

Weekend Thread: What Do You Want to Know?

Original: Weekend Thread: What Do You Want to Know?

воскресенье, 13 февраля 2011 г.

Nonconformist Subscription

Original: Nonconformist Subscription

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Sun, 2011-02-13 10:23.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.weeklyindie.com/

Curation and subscription services seem to be a match made in heaven, as we've already seen in examples purveying everything from art to beauty samples to women's panties. Now, whereas music services typically bombard users with millions of songs to choose from, WeeklyIndie has opted for a curated subscription model, delivering 10 hand-picked indie songs to subscribers each week.

New York-based WeeklyIndie invites independent artists to submit songs to its site, and it screens through thousands of such songs every week. After selecting the ones it likes, it signs distribution deals with the artists involved. Then WeeklyIndie sends out links to its worldwide base of subscribers to enable them to download the 10 chosen songs. Customer subscriptions cost USD 7 per month.

With benefits for consumers — who get help wading through the vast ocean of songs out there — and artists, who get well-deserved exposure and payment for their work, WeeklyIndie may just have hit upon a new model for music discovery. One to watch!

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

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

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

Link of the day - If You Sell Link s On You