By: Co-Editor, RB:
This next site is neither an oracle nor some sci-fi movie. It is simply a new way to compile news and its hook is kind of fun.
Brikut.com is a free service operated out of Sydney, Australia. Brikut.com provides local, regional, and international stories that are yet to happen (hence their slogan “stories of tomorrow”).
In a way it is like a news site, but the stories concern things that are soon to occur (e.g. Afghanistan Parliamentary Elections on Sept. 18, the new Queen Elizabeth formal naming ceremony on Oct. 11, and Earth Hour Day 2011 on Mar. 26).
At Brikut.com, users can get information about things that will happen in the future: when it is and the countdown. There is a little bit about the story and where the story is sourced from, and other user comments and hypes. Stories are all contributed by the users.
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By: Co-Editor, RB:
When you mention Memorial Day to most people, they either confuse it with Labor Day or think “three day weekend!” However, if you have lost a love one to any of the recent conflicts or you have heard family stories of those lost in Korea or the two world wars, you might feel differently.
So we are taking this opportunity to reflect on what Memorial Day is or is supposed to be and maybe those who do not give much thought to the day other than beach or picnic time will do so as well.
Following the end of the Civil War many communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. Some of the places creating an early memorial day include Sharpsburg, Maryland, located near Antietam Battlefield; Charleston, South Carolina; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; Petersburg, Virginia; Carbondale, Illinois; Columbus, Mississippi; many communities in Vermont; and some two dozen other cities and towns. These observances coalesced around Decoration Day, honoring the Union dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days.
Many of the states of the U.S. South refuse to celebrate Decoration Day, due to lingering hostility towards the Union Army and also because there were relatively few veterans of the Union Army who were buried in the South. A notable exception was Columbus, Mississippi, which on April 25, 1866, at its Decoration Day commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.
By: Co-Editor, RB:
It seems that foodie population in this country is growing exponentially. This would seem to be in stark contrast to the growth of obesity in this country. Logic dictates that the more you know about food, the less likely you are to eat in an unhealthy manner. Maybe both groups are growing, just like there are more people living in poverty while we have more millionaires than ever, even adjusted for inflation. My opinion is that technology has a lot to do with the ever-growing disparity between poor and rich. However, I will leave that analysis to social scientists, I am here to talk about food.
We have covered many food related sites in this space including Textaurant.com (Helping you avoid long waits at your favorite restaurants), iate.com (organizing your restaurant tweets); and tastespace.com (Search for a restaurant or bar based on social criteria). Now out of New York City comes theSUGGESTR.com.
Launched in February, theSUGGESTR is all about providing you personalized suggestions rather than a list of search results. They make personalized suggestions for restaurants, hotels and other businesses make sure you spend your money at places you’ll love.
The founders of the site admit that the site is not that simple to use. But once you understand it, the hope is that it will provide you with indispensable information.
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By: Co-Editor, RS:
As the decade came to a close, I took a small amount of time to reflect on another year of my life and how the business world has changed. For one reason or another, I started to think about various businesses that used to be in my neck of the woods on Long Island, New York.
One of the things I started to realize is that despite all of the advances in technology its impact on business over the last 10-15 years, the overall effect has not been good for the entrepreneur or the small business owner.
Can you imagine if you wanted to open a hardware store in the suburbs of any large or small city? Good luck. You will never be able to compete with the likes of The Home Depot. How about opening an office supply business? Once again, good luck, as Staples or Office Depot buys in such bulk that one cannot possibly compete on pricing or national advertising.
My recollection of the beginnings of this trend of “Big Business” domination ruining it for entrepreneurs, started in the mid to late 1980’s. It seemed that on every corner of the universe you were able to find a neighborhood video store. Then in the late 1980’s after Wayne Huizenga acquired the Blockbuster name, we started to see these mega-video stores all over the place. There were times you could find numerous Blockbuster stores within a few miles of each other. This phenomenon crushed the small mom and pop video retailer as everyone enjoyed the variety that Blockbuster could offer the consumer due to its ability to carry more inventory.
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By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:
As my readers know, this space does not focus solely (or even primarily) on gadgets or the latest technology craze. We focus on startups and issues affecting startups and small business. However, I was recently tipped of to the latest offering from Skullcandy.com. The company that recently launched new earbuds, and based on the fervor in which people espouse the “coolness” of Skullcandy’s other products, this interested me.
As an iPhone user and a user of many things Apple, I am consistently intrigued with how other users defend and protect their mode of headphone (be it earpuds, noise cancellers, etc.). Moreover, the type of headphone (or earbud) one uses can apparently say something about one’s style. Skullcandy has been wildly successful reaching that market.
Skullcandy is a privately held company based in Park City, Utah. Skullcandy designs headphones, mp3 player watches, audio accessories and other audio-enabled lifestyle products, such as backpacks with built-in speakers and iPod controls. Skullcandy also collaborates with select brands to integrate its audio technology into products from snow helmets to outerwear, apparel, packs and bags. Skullcandy gear is sold worldwide through top retailers, specialty outlets.
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By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:
Muumuu Heaven operators of MuumuuHeaven.com and its retail outlets, is a true small business success story. They offer one-of-a-kind eco-conscious clothing, jewelry, accessories, homewares and art. The traditional Hawaiian dress, the muumuu, is the inspiration and “objet d’art” that forms the basis for the business with fabric from muumuus transformed into beautiful handmade garments, products and stylish works of art with a contemporary Hawaiian flair. The muumuus are given a new life, hence the name, Muumuu Heaven.
Muumuu Heaven’s small business success story is a great one. Deb and Eric Mascia, a couple in their mid-30s, have built their business from the ground up. When Deb Mascia saw a huge trash bag full of muumuus being thrown out at the thrift store where she volunteered, she asked to keep them, knowing she could give them another life. While the traditional muumuu wasn’t really her style as a fashionable 29 year-old fresh from NYC, Deb was drawn to their wonderfully bright and colorful fabrics with Polynesian motifs. She took the muumuus home and used swatches of the material to create her own personal collection of chic dresses and skirts.
Each time Deb wore her own designs she received compliments from friends and was frequently stopped on the street by eager fashionistas who knew style when they saw it. . She started receiving orders for outfits, and the Mascias’ living room quickly turned into a dressmaker’s workshop.
To market her distinctive threads, Deb started hosting what she calls “skirt parties.” Groups of women would gather to gossip, sip champagne, try on Deb’s latest creations and of course, buy. Deb would not only walk away with all her outfits sold; she’d have pages of orders for custom-made designs.
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By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:
There is a great deal of educational content on the Internet; Wikieducator.org, edu.com, Educause, plus many institutions of higher learning offer educational content for free.
Now comes NalandaU.com, a site launched on November 6, 2009 and based in Chennai, India. NalandaU.com is a site with free educational content from top universities and other institutions. There are about 300 courses (6000 videos) in topics ranging from finance to quantum mechanics to iphone programming to macroeconomics. You can watch the lecture videos, take notes, connect with your Facebook friends, take tests, etc.
There are sample courses on the site. The site has one of the largest lecture video collections on the Internet. The site makes it easy to learn and understand ideas that text alone cannot teach. NalandaU.com categorizes and organizes content that makes it easy to find and discover what you need. The site also allows students to connect to each other, take notes and take tests.
As stated, they have about 300 courses in 75 subjects organized fewer than 10 top-level departments. Out of these include 47 are from MIT, 33 from Stanford, 24 from Yale, 11 from UCLA, 22 from Berkeley and 36 from Indian Institutes of Technology.
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By: The Editors and Employees of GreatStartups.com
We wanted to wish everyone a very Happy and Healthy New Year.
Greatstartups.com has made some great strides in 2009 and have the loyal readers to thank for our continued growth.
One of our many goals for 2010 is to add more companies to bring you on a daily basis.
A safe, healthy, happy and successful 2010 to all !!
By: The Editors and Staff of GreatStartups.com
Today is one of those few days that we are taking off to enjoy the Holiday.
We wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season.
We hope you all get a chance to spend time with family and friends this season. We thank you for your continued support.
By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:
Many new companies (and old) have a web presence or a website or are strictly a web-based business model. However, in many cases they are not fully exploiting all the web has to offer.
Software solution for Referral marketing, Buzz Marketing, Reward Systems, Viral Marketing, and more. Effective Internet Marketing Solutions to Build Customer Loyalty and a neat Word of Mouth Campaign. NextBee Media provides unique software solutions for the most influential section of the consumer chunk. NextBee is an effort to provide automation for the most effective marketing techniques.
NextBee.com offers what they call the “Premier Software Platform for Word of Mouth Marketing. The software solution provides for referral marketing, buzz marketing, reward systems, and viral marketing.
NextBee’s word of mouth marketing platform is built by analyzing tools and interface components needed for successful word of mouth marketing campaigns. The founding team spent years marketing both enterprise and consumer products, and most recently had the good fortune to work in the trenches of Web 2.0 world when they marketed their last venture, GetVendors (acquired by MatchPoint – a division of Connexus Corp).
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