Have a business idea and want some feedback? Jumping on the trend of crowdsourcing, IdeaOffer is an open call for small companies or startups with big ideas who want help making their idea a reality by throwing the idea out there to get feedback—both good and bad. Create a free account, set up a prize amount you’re offering for the help, and then see what the world has to say about your new product or service idea. You can ask the entire community, or set up a specific community of your family and friends. You can also embed the IdeaOffer project on your own website.
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Posts Tagged ‘Startups’
8 Cool New Social Startups
June 13th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen
If there’s any doubt that social media is just a trend, the startups that are sprouting around the country are quickly squashing that idea. We’ve been writing about a lot of cool social startups over at Tech Cocktail this spring. Here are 8 of my favorites:
1. Trendrr
Whether or not you are in marketing, you know that keeping up with social media in real-time is an extraordinary, time-consuming challenge. NYC-based Trendrr is a business intelligence platform that helps you listen, measure and respond to the conversation about your brand, media property, service or product as it’s happening. Sign up for a free 14-day trial to see how it works, or check out their managed services, which include a social media audit, reporting services, API access, information graphics and data visualization.
2. Hail to the Mayor App
Another NYC-based startup, Ludicast, which develops Web-based tools and apps, recently introduced a Foursquare app called Hail To The Mayor. You can use it to add your “anthem” to the jukebox of a bar when you check in.
3. StagePresence
Nuvixa, a Champaign, Illinois-based startup, has a really cool product called StagePresence that embeds video of you right into an online presentation. The result is a much more engaging visual communication tool that allows your body language and enthusiasm to add dynamism to your on-line presentation. It can be used for sales presentations, lectures, seminars, webinars, webcasts or video conferences. You can download StagePresence to try it out.
4. Weave the People
Weave the People also wants to make online communications more interesting, though their product was designed to increase the productivity of meetings, connect people, and provide an engaging way to view all of the attendees in a conference room. Weaves can also help conference organizers enhance delegates’ experience, increase sales, create a sponsorship opportunity, and provide a better networking experience.
5. Flimp Media
Boston-based Flimp Media has developed technology that allows companies to create interactive video brochures, thus making it possible to take the deep connection and engagement of video and convert it to sales leads. Flimp generates 4-7 times higher response rates compared to email marketing or static brochures, and viewer engagement is 1.3 minutes, 10 times higher than print, web pages, or email marketing.
6. Social Guide
Brooklyn-based SocialGuide wants to do two things: make TV-viewing a more social experience and help you find programs to watch when you are channel surfing and coming up empty. Their first real-time social programming guide tells you what the most popular programs are based on what people are watching and discussing.
7. SweetBaby
New parents, this one’s for you. Turn piles (or files) of photos of your child (or children) into an interactive, portable, and creative baby book with Sweet Baby, an iPad app you can download from the iTunes story today!
8. Addieu
Addieu is a new iPhone app that offers a quick and simple way to connect with everyone you meet on multiple social networks, including Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, as you meet them.
Image by Flickr user Melissa Sanders (Creative Commons)
Google+Small Biz Resource Tip: The Company Corporation
November 3rd, 2010 :: Rieva LesonskyS Corporation, LLC, partnership or something else altogether? How you structure your business not only affects your taxes, it also protects your personal financial and legal assets. Once you choose a legal structure, changing that structure is not a simple feat–so do your research beforehand and learn all you can. The Company Corporation website contains pages and pages of helpful information to help you decide on the right structure for you. The site also contains personalized information by industry. Then, once you’ve decided which route to go, you can incorporate or register your LLC right online. The Company Corporation is a one-stop shop where you can also purchase the appropriate business licenses and permits for your business, along with registering your business name and more.
DISCLAIMER: The information posted in this blog is provided for informational purposes. Legal information is not the same as legal advice — the application of law to an individual’s specific circumstances. The information presented here is not to be construed as legal or tax advice. Network Solutions recommends that you consult an attorney or tax consultant if you want professional assurance that the information posted, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular business.
Google+Three Key Things to Start Your Business on the Right Track
January 8th, 2010 :: Steven FisherThis month our theme across our blogs is “Planning/Starting Your Business”. To kick that off here on Grow Smart Business, we have a guest contributor, Richard Greenberg of “State of the Startup” to give some great advice on starting up.
So you’ve decided to start a new business? Congratulations! Let’s be sure you start on the right track in your endeavor.
First, we will assume you already have your idea, you product, service or profession. And moreover, let’s assume you already have sufficient capital (money) to create your business, and last long enough to pay your personal iving expenses and the costs to run your business until profitable. If you are single, this can be tough, if you have no other source of income. If you are married, and your spouse or significant other has a steady job, this usually makes things much easier and less stressful.
Where do we go from here? Well, having just your idea or product does not make a business. You need to consider these 3 key things:
1. Company Name: There are several local, state and federal agencies where you should check to see if the desired name for you business is already in use. The County Clerk-Recorder, the Secretary of State, the Federal TradeMark office, are most important. Looking on Google, and checking domain URL availability is not an official, legal check of business name use. If you are simply using your own name, such as in freelancing, then searching name availability isn’t typically necessary.
2. Type of Business Structure: From the simplest Sole Proprietorship, to the more complex Corporation or LLC, any business needs to be officially established, founded and registered with the local or state government. Just saying you have a new startup company holds no clout legally nor financially unless your venture can show verifiable existence through some government department as proof. Yes, this includes paying filing fees, though they are often modest. In some areas, $25 gets your business registered, and in others, it may cost $200 to $300.
3. Address: For the registration of your enterprise, no matter how small, you need a physical address to indicate to the government. You don’t need a huge live/work loft or high-rise office. Even just a co-working space at one of many shared office spaces around the country would be sufficient, as long as they allow you to receive mail there.
Once you have these 3 items completed, which can take a week to ten days in most cases, you’re solidly on your way. Other items which would then need to be attended to typically are:
- Obtain a Federal Tax ID
- Open a Bank Account
- If hiring employees, open the state and federal employer ID/Withholding Accounts and Unemployment Insurance
- If selling merchandise, obtain a State Sales Tax/Reseller permit
Remember, not all ventures start out complex and costly. The simplest and least expensive scenario is the Sole Proprietorship, where you yourself run all aspects of the business and perform all work personally. Then, as your product or service needs grow, change the business structure, move into bigger headquarters, hire employees and then the sky’s the limit!
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Richard Greenberg is a startup advisor in San Francisco CA, founder of SeedPort and www.StateofTheStartup.com , and has over 20 years experience of business formation, management and speaking.
His specialty is working with California-based companies, Corporate, LLC and Nonprofit startups. Prior to SeedPort Inc, Greenberg was founder and CEO of CaliforniaCompany.com, a startup service provider which operated between 1999 and 2006. He is on twitter at @RGreenberg
Google+Eight things to keep in mind on during your project
October 8th, 2009 :: Michael DoughertyIt’s time for another excited edition of “Mike Dougherty’s Eight Things”. In other posts in this series, I’ve gone over things to have figured out before you meet your designer, things to help you choose your next marketing piece, and things to think about before you start your logo. I’ll get back to other things about different pieces, like websites and such, but for now we’re going to talk about things to keep in mind during the project.
A project is much more than just figuring out what you want and hiring a designer. You have a place, and a job to do, in the project as well. Without any further ado, here are eight things to keep in mind during your project.
- Home Runs aren’t common. As a designer, there are reasons we do comps (mock-ups of the possible project design) and ask a lot of questions. It happens, but very rarely, that a designer will nail the exact nuances of a project on the first try. The main reason for that is we, designers, are not mind readers. We’re more like detectives trying to figure out what the final image will be by asking you for your input. We’re more like archeologists of imagination. We keep working till we find that magical, mysterious beast that is your project.
- The Milestones of your project. There are steps, in any project, that deliverables and notes are required. Make sure you, and your team if you have one, are keeping on schedule so that when it’s time for your approval, or notes, the window of time for response doesn’t turn into a gaping hole.
- Your approval process. It is critical for you to be fully, mentally and physically, present for the approval process. If you sign off on a design know now that you have just completed that portion of the project. Going back to make changes, because you didn’t invest the full amount of time you needed to make it right…is going to cost you time and money. Before you put your pen to paper to approve…see #8 of this list.
- That your scope isn’t being “creeped”. You, and your designer, agreed to a list of certain items, and tasks, that would make up this project. Adding things, after the project has been agreed upon and started, will cost you time and money as well. Rather than go on about it here, read my previous post “It’s called a SCOPE of work, you CREEP” here on GrowSmartBusiness.
- Your friends won’t live your choices. I’ve seen, time and time again, people take the comps, the designer gave them to approve, to their friends for feedback. Bottom line, you have to live with this design…not your friends. Very rarely will your friends be brutally honest with you. More often than not they will not want to hurt your feelings. A better source of feedback is your current, or prospective, clients. If you are unsure yourself it might mean that you aren’t happy with the design and can’t articulate why…which is ok, but work with your designer to see what you can do to get you to #8.
- The designers’ time is just as valuable as yours. When it comes time to meet with your designer, for the first time or on Milestone steps, make sure you dedicate that time to your designer. They cleared their schedule for you, and your project, the least you could do is do the same. Let the phone go to voicemail or someone else get it. The emails will be there after the meeting to be addressed. And for, Pete’s sake, do not try to close a sale while your designer is present. Yes, all of these things have happened in my presence and I’ve actually had to say, “If this project, and my time, is not important to you…then maybe we should put this on hold”.
- If you want to add more…it’s a new project. I know you love your designer and you two have become friends. Or you think you’re designer is such cool frood who knows where his towel is (if you get that reference award yourself 20 geek points…I’m keeping track), but anything beyond what was agreed upon, I hate to say this, is a new project and will add time and money (gee…do I sense a theme) to your project. Take a minute, if you haven’t already, and review the eight things to help you choose your next marketing piece. These could help ensure that you, and your designer, successfully get you to #8.
- You have to be happy with the results. This process takes time, but at the end of the day you, the client, ultimately have to be happy with the results. It’s partially your job to make sure you are. You need to be so excited about your marketing piece that you want to tell it to the mountains. If you aren’t, keep working with your designer to get there…as long as it is within the agreed scope of the project of course.I, personally, don’t believe in the “these are your only three choices to pick from” game that some designers play. I know that’s going to make me very unpopular, but ultimately we’re providing a service. IF your designer wants to keep you in a “only three choices” box that only allows you so much room…get a new designer, but know that you have to respect #6 to get to #8.
I want to know if there’s anything you think I’ve missed. Who knows, you could inspire another “Eight Things” list, which you would be credited for.
You can always reach me on Twitter by sending a message to @wickedjava, or on Facebook at facebook.com/mcdougherty.
As always dear reader, thank you for reading and stay wicked.
Google+Great Resources for Funding Your Business
September 9th, 2009 :: Steven FisherYou probably have figured out by now that I am resource and tip junkie. If there is anything that will help me run my business better and learn from others so I don’t make the same mistake, I am all in.
I recently came across this web site from Microsoft as part of the “Startup Zone“. This section of the site is an amazing list of blog posts, links to templates and great articles on raising capital. This is not limited to the venture capital side of fund raising but covers raising capital from banks, angels and government. It also includes great stuff on writing your business plan, building a financial model and doing your pitch.
You can find it at http://www.microsoftstartupzone.com/Resources/Pages/Get_Funding.aspx and I would take a few hours and dive into this stuff. You will learn a ton.
Google+Social Media: 10 Tips on Jumping In Feet-First Without Drowning
August 11th, 2009 :: Michelle Riggen-RansomThis post comes from one of our Grow Smart Business Expert Network members Michelle Riggen Ransom. She is Communications Director of BatchBlue Software.
There are a lot of resources out there explaining how to use social media for small businesses. Heck, we’ve even published an in-depth paper about it! But sometimes it’s nice to hear directly from someone who’s out there trying all this stuff to see what’s really worked for them.
How we do it
BatchBlue Software is a small company that makes BatchBook, a social CRM software for small businesses. Because we’re a growing company, we don’t have much of an advertising or marketing budget. Social media’s appeal for us has been that it is inexpensive (usually free except for time) and allows you to grow your network quickly. And once you get the hang of it, it’s actually pretty fun.
We’ve been in business for about three years and have enjoyed some great press, made some amazing connections and grown our business primarily by using social media.
Here’s what’s worked for us in helping our business get started with social media:
- Start a Twitter account. You’ll hear this from anyone and everyone talking about social media. That’s because it really is the best tool of them all for connecting with people, finding new contacts, even providing customer service. There are many, many posts out there about how to get started with Twitter for business. Here are just a few.
- Listen. Familiarize yourself with the main social media channels out there such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Ask your customers which ones they are using on a regular basis. For more options, check out BatchBlue’s Blue Paper or Mashable, a blog focused on Web 2.0 and social media news. Create accounts in a couple of social networks and just observe how people are interacting. You’ll learn a lot this way.
- See what your competitors are doing. Go to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and have a look at your competitors are doing in these spaces. If they’re not there, think about if it makes sense for you to be there (is the network you want to reach in that particular space? Maybe not.) If they are not there yet, this could be a tremendous opportunity for you and your business to be the first ones in your industry using some of these tools.
- Be nice. The real fun begins once you start participating. Social media is very much about helping others succeed, not just going after your own personal success. Karma goes a very long way online – if you help someone in some way (by providing a resource, a link, an answer to a question), they’ll both remember you and view you as an asset to their network.
- Share. Whatever your industry, you have knowledge that other people don’t. Run a fireplace supply store? Blog about when people should get their chimneys swept. Own a pet grooming business? Tweet some quick tips about clipping kitty nails (hint: there’s a lot of pet lovers on Twitter!). Social media is about communication: the more you share what you know, the more you’ll get interest in your company and the product or service you are providing.
- ABC (Always Be Communicating) The sales industry has the term “Always Be Closing.” Well, you should be doing that, too, but with regard to social media, the more information you put out there, the better (as long as it is relevant, interesting and not spammy!) At BatchBlue, we use our blog to talk about what’s going on behind the scenes with BatchBook, we use our Twitter account to communicate if our site has any downtime and talk about upcoming events, we share photos of staff events and conferences using Flickr. People want to do business with companies they feel they know; it was true 100 years ago and it is true today even though the rules and the tools have changed. Be open and honest about who you are as a company and that will earn you customer loyalty that no advertising dollar will ever buy.
- Don’t be creepy. There are a lot of great ways to use social media, but there are a lot of inappropriate ways as well. We call these people “Sleestacks”; folks who use social media to spam people, spy on people or in other nefarious ways. I wrote a post about Sleestacks here; read it so you know what to watch out for and how not to become one.
- Try new things. Something that has been very successful for us is starting the SBBuzz Twitter chat, where we host a weekly, two-hour chat session on Twitter for small business folks looking to connect with others. Our company president Pamela O’Hara and I started this just about a year ago at the Small Business Technology Conference in New York City and we now have over 9,000 followers on the sbbuzz Twitter account. We had never done this before, and, in fact, we’re still learning the technology ourselves, but we saw a need for this type of discussion and we’re excited to jump in and try and fill it. If new for you is simply joining Twitter or opening a YouTube account and putting up some product demos, try that. As I always tell my mom (who’s a small business owner herself) “You can’t break the Internet just by trying something out!”
- Manage your time. This is one I’m, admittedly, still learning. Social media can be very addictive and thus very time-consuming. The always helpful Chris Brogan, president of New Marketing Labs and a prolific writer on the topic of social media, recently wrote a great piece as part of a recent newsletter about how he manages his daily workflow when much of it involves being active various social media channels. I’m working on adopting some of his strategies to make my work day more efficient and productive.
- Go to social media-related events. You’ll find that you start making real connections with certain people online due to shared interests, sense of humor, etc. If you have a chance to meet with folks “IRL” (in real life!) at conferences or meet-ups, definitely do so; it will strengthen these connections and turn virtual friends into real ones. Eventbrite is a good place to find events that you may be interested in attending. You can search by industry, topic or location or even create an event of your own.
I hope you find these tips helpful. BatchBlue will be blogging here on the topics of social media for small business and managing your contact network on a regular basis, so please let me know in the comments if there are specific things you’d like to read more about. Thanks for reading!
ABOUT THIS GROW SMART BUSINESS CONTRIBUTOR:
As overseer of all things editorial and champion of the overall user experience, Michelle works as Communications Director for BatchBlue Software and ensures that the products meet BatchBlue customers’ needs. Prior to joining BatchBlue Software, her work as a consultant for web communications helped clients connect to their employees and customers using innovative technologies such as virtual user groups, intranets, and rich media.
Michelle honed her on-line customer advocacy skills at Amazon.com, where she worked as a project manager in the Customer Service department. After four years at Amazon, she joined Washington Mutual’s Corporate Communications department developing and managing web-based communications projects.
Michelle holds a Master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Washington and a degree in communications from Boston University. Originally from Cape Cod, she enjoys exploring the beach with her four-year old son and collecting children’s book illustrations. Descended from a long line of birders, she’s destined to become a crazy bird lady. For now, she’s named her new daughter after a songbird that heralds the arrival of spring.
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