Our client needs an unregistered (available) domain name for his Mobile Backend Infrastructure (he created a new startup that provides a hosted Platform As A Service (PaaS) for mobile applications)
The pay is $20 (goes to a person who makes the winning suggestion)
Full description is here
http://www.pickydomains.com/node/2705
Submission box for your submissions is on the same page, but you have to be logged in first (you can obtain your login here - http://www.pickydomains.com/contributor-info )
If you are interested in this type of work, we have around 40 orders currenly available with pay $20-$60 per winning domain suggestion. If you are unfamiliar with PickyDomains.com and how it works - go to the main page.
Jumat, 02 Maret 2012
Kamis, 01 Maret 2012
How One Couple Turned From Teaching To Filling Ink Cartriges (And Made A Million Meanwhile)
Site of the day - PickyDomains.com, world's first risk free naming agency
www.castleink.com
As a high-school English teacher Lauren Elward, 33, blew through hundreds of ink cartridges printing out syllabuses and handouts for her students.
Convinced there had to be a cheaper way to replenish ink, Lauren launched Castle Ink in 2005 out of her Greenlawn, N.Y., home. The company retails repurposed ink cartridges for printers and toners from at least seven different companies, including Lexmark and Epson.
Used ink cartridges are refilled with new ink and thoroughly tested before they are resold. Castle Ink also sells refill kits for customers who prefer to pour fresh ink into their used cartridges themselves.
"We've always been avid recyclers," said Lauren's husband Bill, 35. "Refurbished ink cartridges keep millions of pounds of plastic out of our landfills each year."
With no loans, the Elwards put $5,000 of their own money into the business, to hire a web designer and launch a website. There was, and still is, no storefront. Nor are there any additional employees. During the business' incubation stage, the couple kept their day jobs as a safety net.
n June, they crossed over the $1 million in revenue mark. "It was a big win, psychologically, the idea that you can do that on the side and out of your house," said Bill. "We've spent almost no money on marketing. We've been able to drive 100,000 visits a month just on Google alone."
This, in addition to keeping the business entirely virtual, allows them to offer competitive pricing even as more competitors crop up. "There are definitely companies out there that have a product like ours," said Bill. "Our customer service is one differentiating factor. We have a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee."
The company also pays for return shipping.
Karen Hall, a compliance assistant who orders office supplies on behalf of Home Loan Investment Bank in Warwick, R.I., from Castle Ink, agreed that Castle Ink's customer service is good. "When you ask a question, the turnaround time is 30 or 45 minutes," she said. "And, our delivery time is very quick -- within a day it is usually here."
In 2007, Castle Ink grew profitable enough that Lauren could fulfill her dream: to quit her teaching job. "She went on maternity leave and never went back" to work, said Bill. Eventually, they outsourced customer service, which includes inventory and filling orders. "For a long time my wife was handling all the customer service. That was a killer for her. Through a relationship with our vendor [in South Carolina], we were able to have them handle that," said Bill.
Their biggest challenge, however, even with Lauren devoted to just Castle Ink, is managing their time. Bill still works full-time in web analytics, digital strategy and online marketing at College Board, a not-for-profit designed to connect students with college opportunities. The couple is also raising two young children. Often their energy is zapped. That they cannot immediately act upon brilliant ideas or brainstorming sessions is frustrating.
Another hurdle has been to retain competitive pricing. "A lot of the dealers are importing out of China, and it's poor-quality ink," said Bill. "They're undercutting us by a few dollars."
Castle Ink counteracts that threat by promoting its recycle-friendly mantra, which wins over many customers. One fan is Nev Norona, who began buying ink cartridges from Castle Ink three years ago. "I have always returned my cartridges to them after they are depleted, since I know they will either recycle them or use them for other purposes," said Norona, who lives in Flint, Mich.
Remarkable hiring stories
In early 2010, the company launched an annual college scholarship fund, awarding $2,500 to a student expressing a passion for recycling and environmental conservation. An additional $1,000 was awarded last year as a "paperless scholarship" with an online application process. "We're trying to help students and get them to seek out higher education," said Bill.
Addie Spahr, founder of Green Living Consulting, agreed that Castle Ink's eco-friendly angle is a key to its success. "Building a culture of green is becoming 'smart business', and it seems that the companies making that connection are the ones staying afloat in tough economic times," she said.
For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.
[Via - CNNMoney.Com]
* - do you own a web-based business? We'd like to profile your website, too.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation
How Tyler Johnson Gets Millions, Builing Wilderness Trails
Zipz Shoes Success Story
Sauceaholic
Cool Startups - ReGreenCorp.Com
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
Site of the day - PickyDomains.com, world's first risk free naming agency
www.castleink.com
As a high-school English teacher Lauren Elward, 33, blew through hundreds of ink cartridges printing out syllabuses and handouts for her students.
Convinced there had to be a cheaper way to replenish ink, Lauren launched Castle Ink in 2005 out of her Greenlawn, N.Y., home. The company retails repurposed ink cartridges for printers and toners from at least seven different companies, including Lexmark and Epson.
Used ink cartridges are refilled with new ink and thoroughly tested before they are resold. Castle Ink also sells refill kits for customers who prefer to pour fresh ink into their used cartridges themselves.
"We've always been avid recyclers," said Lauren's husband Bill, 35. "Refurbished ink cartridges keep millions of pounds of plastic out of our landfills each year."
With no loans, the Elwards put $5,000 of their own money into the business, to hire a web designer and launch a website. There was, and still is, no storefront. Nor are there any additional employees. During the business' incubation stage, the couple kept their day jobs as a safety net.
n June, they crossed over the $1 million in revenue mark. "It was a big win, psychologically, the idea that you can do that on the side and out of your house," said Bill. "We've spent almost no money on marketing. We've been able to drive 100,000 visits a month just on Google alone."
This, in addition to keeping the business entirely virtual, allows them to offer competitive pricing even as more competitors crop up. "There are definitely companies out there that have a product like ours," said Bill. "Our customer service is one differentiating factor. We have a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee."
The company also pays for return shipping.
Karen Hall, a compliance assistant who orders office supplies on behalf of Home Loan Investment Bank in Warwick, R.I., from Castle Ink, agreed that Castle Ink's customer service is good. "When you ask a question, the turnaround time is 30 or 45 minutes," she said. "And, our delivery time is very quick -- within a day it is usually here."
In 2007, Castle Ink grew profitable enough that Lauren could fulfill her dream: to quit her teaching job. "She went on maternity leave and never went back" to work, said Bill. Eventually, they outsourced customer service, which includes inventory and filling orders. "For a long time my wife was handling all the customer service. That was a killer for her. Through a relationship with our vendor [in South Carolina], we were able to have them handle that," said Bill.
Their biggest challenge, however, even with Lauren devoted to just Castle Ink, is managing their time. Bill still works full-time in web analytics, digital strategy and online marketing at College Board, a not-for-profit designed to connect students with college opportunities. The couple is also raising two young children. Often their energy is zapped. That they cannot immediately act upon brilliant ideas or brainstorming sessions is frustrating.
Another hurdle has been to retain competitive pricing. "A lot of the dealers are importing out of China, and it's poor-quality ink," said Bill. "They're undercutting us by a few dollars."
Castle Ink counteracts that threat by promoting its recycle-friendly mantra, which wins over many customers. One fan is Nev Norona, who began buying ink cartridges from Castle Ink three years ago. "I have always returned my cartridges to them after they are depleted, since I know they will either recycle them or use them for other purposes," said Norona, who lives in Flint, Mich.
Remarkable hiring stories
In early 2010, the company launched an annual college scholarship fund, awarding $2,500 to a student expressing a passion for recycling and environmental conservation. An additional $1,000 was awarded last year as a "paperless scholarship" with an online application process. "We're trying to help students and get them to seek out higher education," said Bill.
Addie Spahr, founder of Green Living Consulting, agreed that Castle Ink's eco-friendly angle is a key to its success. "Building a culture of green is becoming 'smart business', and it seems that the companies making that connection are the ones staying afloat in tough economic times," she said.
For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.
[Via - CNNMoney.Com]
* - do you own a web-based business? We'd like to profile your website, too.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation
How Tyler Johnson Gets Millions, Builing Wilderness Trails
Zipz Shoes Success Story
Sauceaholic
Cool Startups - ReGreenCorp.Com
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
Site of the day - PickyDomains.com, world's first risk free naming agency
Rabu, 29 Februari 2012
Crazy Reader - 10 Weird Books You Are Sure To Enjoy And Learn From
Site of the day - PickyDomains.com, world's first risk free naming agency
1. We Are All Weird
Weirdness takes many forms. When everyone else is carrying nylon computer bags and sporty backpacks, weird people insist on an "old-fashioned" leather briefcase (guilty). Many people think it is weird to go to over 50 Grateful Dead concerts and own recordings of hundreds of their concerts (also guilty). Is it weird to spend six hours on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in a dingy rec room playing Dungeons and Dragons? To collect chewing gum wrappers and own over 2,000, with examples from over 50 countries? To read instead of watching television? To ride a bike instead of driving? The weird is us. And the weird is you.
2. Extreme Cuisine: The Weird & Wonderful Foods that People Eat
Jerry Hopkins has raised the bar in food scholarship - Extreme Cuisine is an extremely entertaining read and a primary source for anyone interested in how (with recipes) and what other (often rural) world cultures eat. A most worthy successor to Unmentionable Cuisine. Great color photography inserts. Hopkins provides scholarly detail about some subjects some pet-lovers might find less tasty (eating dogs, cats, horse, monkeys, etc), some which are most assuredly unknown by most (eating rooster combs, wattles & testicles) and has a good sense of humor by including dumpster diving and eating roadkill. As Anthony Bourain learned, Hopkins is the perfect guide, the "Old Hand" to the other (than American style packaged foods) food worlds.
3. Final Exits: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die
in 1700 there were less than 100 causes of death. Today there are 3,000. With each advance of technology, people find new ways to become deceased, often causing trends that peak in the first year. People are now killed by everything, from cell phones, washing machines, lawn mowers and toothpicks, to the boundless catalog of man—made medicines. In Final Exits the causes of death—bizarre or common—are alphabetically arranged and include actual accounts of people, both famous and ordinary, who unfortunately died that way. (Ants, bad words, Bingo, bean bag chairs, flying cows, frozen toilets, hiccups, lipstick, moray eels, road kill, starfish, and toupees are only some of the more unusual causes.)
4. Crazy: Notes On and Off the Couch
While the professionals are trying to help people resolve their problems, the therapists themselves are often depressed, anxious, and prone to panic attacks. They take antipsychotics, self-medicate with booze, and struggle in their own relationships. The ones who are providing the perspective are often the ones with the most on their plate. In short, they are just as "crazy" as the patients. Crazy is the story of how one mental health professional deals with his own personal problems and those of the people he treats. Part exposé and part memoir, it reveals what therapists really think about their profession, their colleagues, their patients, and their own lives.
5. Normal: Transsexual CEOs, Crossdressing Cops, and Hermaphrodites with Attitude
Amy Bloom's latest book, Normal, gives those of us who are familiar with her fiction another opportunity to luxuriate in her distinctive, elegant prose. Those not familiar with Bloom's work are in for a rare treat: a book which employs this writer's considerable talents (as both a psychotherapist and an artist) for an attentive and comprehensive examination of people whose lives include (but are not limited by) transgender, crossdressing and intersex issues. Bloom doesn't create "characters" in her exploration of these people; instead, she puts her artistry to work in giving voice to the living, breathing human beings who have the same range of responses as there are fascinating situations in this book.
6. Normal Gets You Nowhere
An amazing succession to her first book, "If You Have To Cry, Go Outside," Cutrone dives into deeper issues with complete honesty and witty humor that leaves readers feeling inspired. Topics in the book are what many people have contemplated between one another in conversations for years but have never had the nerve to stand up and defend their beliefs or opinions for the sake of revolutionizing change in multiple aspects of current issues and self-awakening. She stands up on a literary soap box to encourage people to question, reflect and embrace free thinking for positive reformations in society.
7. Encyclopedia of Unusual Sex Practices
You probably don't expect to find yourself compulsively reading a book called an encyclopedia of anything, but then you probably don't expect to be reading about men who coax angry bees to sting their penises in order to make the organ swell and become more sensitive. The 750+ listings here will propel you from amazement to amazement as they carry you from abduction as a sex act to zoophilia (sex with animals). You will be repelled and excited, entranced and titillated, shocked and sucked right into the world of sexual extremes and oddities. And, all the time, you'll be making mental notes of which entries you just have to tell this or that friend about.
8. Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original Psycho
In the autumn of 1957, the nation learned of a nightmare unfolding in the little rural town of Plainfield, Wisconsin. A local recluse and simpleton by the name of Edward Gein murdered Bernice Worden, the owner of the local hardware store. A murder, even in 1950's America, wouldn't grab the attention of most folks, but this crime did. Local police searching Gein's farmhouse uncovered a soul shattering house of horrors. Not only did they find murder victim Worden in the most degrading condition, the police also discovered pieces of human bodies inside the house. Gein had fashioned soup bowls out of human skulls, masks out of human faces, and furniture out of human flesh. Every hour spent in the farmhouse turned up even more horrors, enough to make even the most hardened cop sick to his stomach. As the official inquiry deepened, America learned that a human monster lived in the most unlikely of settings, a man who embodied virtually every ghastly psychopathology known to modern science. The name Eddie Gein became synonymous with evil and he quickly became part of the dark side of American pop culture.
9. Letters of the Lost - Suicide Notes
Letters of the Lost is a collection of suicide notes. For many victims of suicide, writing a letter, or an email was not on the agenda. This book communicates the terrible loneliness there is in deciding to kill oneself. It covers people from all backgrounds, ages and gender, and hopes to enlighten people on why so many of our friends and family decide they cannot take this life.
10. The New Weird
This avant-garde anthology that presents and defines the New Weird—a hip, stylistic fiction that evokes the gritty exuberance of pulp novels and dime-store comic books—creates a new literature that is entirely unprecedented and utterly compelling. Assembling an array of talent, this collection includes contributions from visionaries Michael Moorcock and China Miéville, modern icon Clive Barker, and audacious new talents Hal Duncan, Jeffrey Ford, and Sarah Monette. An essential snapshot of a vibrant movement in popular fiction, this anthology also features critical writings from authors, theorists, and international editors as well as witty selections from online debates.
[Via - Madconomist.com]
Want more weird?
Dumb But Profitable. 10 Million Dollar Ideas That Shouldn't Have Worked.
Stupid Shit People ACTUALLY Put On Their Resumes
35 Weird Facts You Never Heard Of
10 Things You Did Not Know You Could Buy On Amazon.Com
What If US Collapses? Soviet Collapse Lessons Every American Needs To Know
Selasa, 28 Februari 2012
Unusual Startups - Greenvelope
Site of the day - PickyDomains.com, world's first risk free naming agency
http://www.greenvelope.com/
Sam Franklin is not engaged to be married, but he spends most of his time thinking about wedding invitations.
In fact, the Seattle native, a marketing and entrepreneurship major at Washington University in St. Louis, is all about the bridal business. He started Greenvelope, an upscale electronic invitation service for formal events, from his dorm room in late 2010. Franklin, 21, got the idea after reading in USA Today that couples sent 1.2 million electronic wedding invitations in 2008 via Evite.com.
"At the time, Evite was the only big player in the field," he recalls. "It surprised me that people were using it to send wedding invitations."
Confident in the demand for upscale electronic invites, Franklin invested $50,000 in startup funds--half saved from running a pressure-washing business and delivering pizzas during high school and half from a loan from a family member--to create templates and develop software mimicking the experience of opening a traditional printed invitation.
Greenvelope launched in November 2010 with 20 templates for wedding invitations. "I saw the potential in the market, but I didn't put any numbers on paper; there was no formal business plan or sales targets," he says. "I hoped that through a good product and good customer service, the business would grow itself."
Greenvelope eschews ads in an attempt to maintain an upscale feel. Instead, it charges users to send invites: Template packages start at $100 for up to 300 guests; additional invitees can be added for a nominal fee. With the help of Google and word-of-mouth, the site generated $2,000 in revenue in its first month; revenue for the first year topped $70,000. Since going live, Greenvelope has sent more than 300,000 invitations.
When Franklin analyzed the sales data, he realized that engaged couples comprised just a fraction of his client base. To his surprise, businesses were customizing wedding invitation templates for corporate events. Following that discovery, business templates and corporate packages (starting at $10 per month for 50 contacts) were added to Greenvelope's offerings.
Community relations manager Paige Hamp uses Greenvelope to send electronic invitations internally at healthcare IT provider Allscripts. "In a time when we are working to be more environmentally responsible, the invitations are a green option that still feels personal and elegant," Hamp says.
Sales climbed to $10,000 per month in November 2011, allowing Franklin to hire additional staffers and expand offerings to 75 templates for weddings, corporate events and religious celebrations.
As a growing number of sites introduce formal designs and envelope automation, Franklin works to keep Greenvelope ahead of the curve. "The competition is always pushing me to come up with ways to do things better," he says.
Although Franklin plans to introduce new features and additional designs in the coming months, he wants Greenvelope to remain true to his core values: providing a service with a positive impact on the environment.
For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.
[Via - NicheGeek.com]
* - do you own a web-based business? We'd like to profile your website, too.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation
How Tyler Johnson Gets Millions, Builing Wilderness Trails
Zipz Shoes Success Story
Sauceaholic
Cool Startups - ReGreenCorp.Com
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
Site of the day - PickyDomains.com, world's first risk free naming agency
http://www.greenvelope.com/
Sam Franklin is not engaged to be married, but he spends most of his time thinking about wedding invitations.
In fact, the Seattle native, a marketing and entrepreneurship major at Washington University in St. Louis, is all about the bridal business. He started Greenvelope, an upscale electronic invitation service for formal events, from his dorm room in late 2010. Franklin, 21, got the idea after reading in USA Today that couples sent 1.2 million electronic wedding invitations in 2008 via Evite.com.
"At the time, Evite was the only big player in the field," he recalls. "It surprised me that people were using it to send wedding invitations."
Confident in the demand for upscale electronic invites, Franklin invested $50,000 in startup funds--half saved from running a pressure-washing business and delivering pizzas during high school and half from a loan from a family member--to create templates and develop software mimicking the experience of opening a traditional printed invitation.
Greenvelope launched in November 2010 with 20 templates for wedding invitations. "I saw the potential in the market, but I didn't put any numbers on paper; there was no formal business plan or sales targets," he says. "I hoped that through a good product and good customer service, the business would grow itself."
Greenvelope eschews ads in an attempt to maintain an upscale feel. Instead, it charges users to send invites: Template packages start at $100 for up to 300 guests; additional invitees can be added for a nominal fee. With the help of Google and word-of-mouth, the site generated $2,000 in revenue in its first month; revenue for the first year topped $70,000. Since going live, Greenvelope has sent more than 300,000 invitations.
When Franklin analyzed the sales data, he realized that engaged couples comprised just a fraction of his client base. To his surprise, businesses were customizing wedding invitation templates for corporate events. Following that discovery, business templates and corporate packages (starting at $10 per month for 50 contacts) were added to Greenvelope's offerings.
Community relations manager Paige Hamp uses Greenvelope to send electronic invitations internally at healthcare IT provider Allscripts. "In a time when we are working to be more environmentally responsible, the invitations are a green option that still feels personal and elegant," Hamp says.
Sales climbed to $10,000 per month in November 2011, allowing Franklin to hire additional staffers and expand offerings to 75 templates for weddings, corporate events and religious celebrations.
As a growing number of sites introduce formal designs and envelope automation, Franklin works to keep Greenvelope ahead of the curve. "The competition is always pushing me to come up with ways to do things better," he says.
Although Franklin plans to introduce new features and additional designs in the coming months, he wants Greenvelope to remain true to his core values: providing a service with a positive impact on the environment.
For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.
[Via - NicheGeek.com]
* - do you own a web-based business? We'd like to profile your website, too.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation
How Tyler Johnson Gets Millions, Builing Wilderness Trails
Zipz Shoes Success Story
Sauceaholic
Cool Startups - ReGreenCorp.Com
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
Site of the day - PickyDomains.com, world's first risk free naming agency
Senin, 27 Februari 2012
Free Domain Givaway
Our hosting partner is offering free domain giveaway. In addition to that, you'll get $25 coupon for Adwords and $25 coupon for Bing/Yahoo! search ads.
Jumat, 24 Februari 2012
Do You Have Nerves To Date?
Site of the day - PickyDomains.com, world's first risk free naming agency
http://dating.nerve.com/
As the stigma of online dating has faded dramatically, we have seen range of innovative approaches to matching singles. For example, we recently reported on DuoDater’s approach, which teams single friends up to arrange double dates with each other’s support. Now, Nerve Dating uses conversation prompts and live chat rather than requiring users to fill out a profile.
Where many dating sites require users to detail their vital statistics and personality, Nerve Dating aims to make users’ decisions more meaningful than a quick scan over a potential partner’s information and photos. On the website, daters fill out the gender, age and proximity range of their desired match. From here they can fill out a traditional profile or instantly share with others what they did last night, prompting a conversation much like it could happen at a real-life social gathering. Users can also react to others’ stories from the previous evening, immediately creating conversations around a common interest, for example.
Currently available in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, with plans to expand to Chicago, Boston, Washington, Seattle and Austin, Nerve Dating aims to combine some of the best elements of online and offline dating. An approach for your neck of the woods?
For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.
[Via - SpringWise.com]
* - do you own a web-based business? We'd like to profile your website, too.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation
How Tyler Johnson Gets Millions, Builing Wilderness Trails
Zipz Shoes Success Story
Sauceaholic
Cool Startups - ReGreenCorp.Com
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
Site of the day - PickyDomains.com, world's first risk free naming agency
http://dating.nerve.com/
As the stigma of online dating has faded dramatically, we have seen range of innovative approaches to matching singles. For example, we recently reported on DuoDater’s approach, which teams single friends up to arrange double dates with each other’s support. Now, Nerve Dating uses conversation prompts and live chat rather than requiring users to fill out a profile.
Where many dating sites require users to detail their vital statistics and personality, Nerve Dating aims to make users’ decisions more meaningful than a quick scan over a potential partner’s information and photos. On the website, daters fill out the gender, age and proximity range of their desired match. From here they can fill out a traditional profile or instantly share with others what they did last night, prompting a conversation much like it could happen at a real-life social gathering. Users can also react to others’ stories from the previous evening, immediately creating conversations around a common interest, for example.
Currently available in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, with plans to expand to Chicago, Boston, Washington, Seattle and Austin, Nerve Dating aims to combine some of the best elements of online and offline dating. An approach for your neck of the woods?
For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.
[Via - SpringWise.com]
* - do you own a web-based business? We'd like to profile your website, too.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation
How Tyler Johnson Gets Millions, Builing Wilderness Trails
Zipz Shoes Success Story
Sauceaholic
Cool Startups - ReGreenCorp.Com
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
Site of the day - PickyDomains.com, world's first risk free naming agency
Senin, 20 Februari 2012
Cool Startups - Recoil Winders
Site of the day - PickyDomains.com, world's first risk free naming agency
http://www.recoilwinders.com/
David Alden would call himself a Kickstarter success. The Park City local used the website, which helps to find funding for independent projects, to take his business idea from concept to complete.
Recoil, a plastic device similar to a fishing reel for wires, provides an easy solution to tidy up offices, entertainment centers or the ear buds in your pocket. Alden's Recoil is a simple plastic case that wires hook and wind into, keeping them neatly tucked inside the case.
"This is a lot more than a winder too," he added. "This is a management system that we're building."
Alden's idea came from a typical frustration as he was moving into his new home in Park City just more than a year ago. Despite meticulously building a home for his family that reflected their personal style and accommodated the furniture and art, he couldn't stop focusing on the chaos of wires strung throughout the house.
"I remember being mad that I hadn't designed in a place to hide all these wires and cables," Alden said. "Who likes to look at all these wires hanging everywhere?"
He ran to a nearby store to pick up a fishing reel. When he realized it would work, he started to think big.
"It was cool, but it wasn't very practical," Alden said. "A $300 fishing reel didn't seem like the best way to store a 50-cent cord, so right then I realized it was a matter of winding the cords up effectively."
Soon, he was on his way to China to develop and manufacture Recoil, but the company needed $60,000 before full production could begin and half of the project cost had to be paid up front. Alden paid the $30,000 and went home to start figuring out where he was going to find the other $30,000 to get the product into stores.
"I had begun production in China," Alden said. " It was all self-funded at first, and I remember scratching my head thinking 'How am I going to come up with the rest?'"
In stepped Kickstarter, and within three days of posting the project Alden had met his goal. And then some. The project has little more than a week until the Recoil project closes, but with nearly 2,000 backers and more than 900 percent of what he was asking for in funding, Alden said the website has made getting the business off the ground a snap.
"I never anticipated all the added benefits to having a successful Kickstarter project beyond the funding," Alden said. "The funding is great, but I never anticipated all the emails I've been getting from distributors, salespeople, retailers and online companies that want to sell Recoil."
He plans to use extra funding to expand the business.
Alden came across big investors, corporations that wanted to partner with him. Even the storage company where he plans on shipping the product contacted him through his Kickstarter account. He's sold 10,000 units so far without ever finding a distributor, reaching markets in Asia and Europe.
Since Alden watched his idea take off, he started building on his original concept with more products. He originally planned on selling 15,000 Recoils in the first year, but since that number was nearly matched in preorders, he's been at work refiguring sales goals and marketing.
"I always thought this was a product that could succeed," Alden said. "People really like it and I was always optimistic about its potential, but for it to have gone from nothing to so many different opportunities, I didn't know we'd have people speaking to us as though we're a well-established, multimillion dollar company."
For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.
[Via - ParkRecord.Com]
* - do you own a web-based business? We'd like to profile your website, too.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation
How Tyler Johnson Gets Millions, Builing Wilderness Trails
Zipz Shoes Success Story
Sauceaholic
Cool Startups - ReGreenCorp.Com
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
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http://www.recoilwinders.com/
David Alden would call himself a Kickstarter success. The Park City local used the website, which helps to find funding for independent projects, to take his business idea from concept to complete.
Recoil, a plastic device similar to a fishing reel for wires, provides an easy solution to tidy up offices, entertainment centers or the ear buds in your pocket. Alden's Recoil is a simple plastic case that wires hook and wind into, keeping them neatly tucked inside the case.
"This is a lot more than a winder too," he added. "This is a management system that we're building."
Alden's idea came from a typical frustration as he was moving into his new home in Park City just more than a year ago. Despite meticulously building a home for his family that reflected their personal style and accommodated the furniture and art, he couldn't stop focusing on the chaos of wires strung throughout the house.
"I remember being mad that I hadn't designed in a place to hide all these wires and cables," Alden said. "Who likes to look at all these wires hanging everywhere?"
He ran to a nearby store to pick up a fishing reel. When he realized it would work, he started to think big.
"It was cool, but it wasn't very practical," Alden said. "A $300 fishing reel didn't seem like the best way to store a 50-cent cord, so right then I realized it was a matter of winding the cords up effectively."
Soon, he was on his way to China to develop and manufacture Recoil, but the company needed $60,000 before full production could begin and half of the project cost had to be paid up front. Alden paid the $30,000 and went home to start figuring out where he was going to find the other $30,000 to get the product into stores.
"I had begun production in China," Alden said. " It was all self-funded at first, and I remember scratching my head thinking 'How am I going to come up with the rest?'"
In stepped Kickstarter, and within three days of posting the project Alden had met his goal. And then some. The project has little more than a week until the Recoil project closes, but with nearly 2,000 backers and more than 900 percent of what he was asking for in funding, Alden said the website has made getting the business off the ground a snap.
"I never anticipated all the added benefits to having a successful Kickstarter project beyond the funding," Alden said. "The funding is great, but I never anticipated all the emails I've been getting from distributors, salespeople, retailers and online companies that want to sell Recoil."
He plans to use extra funding to expand the business.
Alden came across big investors, corporations that wanted to partner with him. Even the storage company where he plans on shipping the product contacted him through his Kickstarter account. He's sold 10,000 units so far without ever finding a distributor, reaching markets in Asia and Europe.
Since Alden watched his idea take off, he started building on his original concept with more products. He originally planned on selling 15,000 Recoils in the first year, but since that number was nearly matched in preorders, he's been at work refiguring sales goals and marketing.
"I always thought this was a product that could succeed," Alden said. "People really like it and I was always optimistic about its potential, but for it to have gone from nothing to so many different opportunities, I didn't know we'd have people speaking to us as though we're a well-established, multimillion dollar company."
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[Via - ParkRecord.Com]
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