Meet friends of friends, create an online community, share photos, journals and interests with a growing network of mutual friends – that was the concept behind myspace.com. In a similar attempt tiredandtested.com (UK based) and sportsmates.com (US based) have recently introduced to the online world social networking sites specifically for sports players and fans.

Both sites are aimed at the sports nut, be it a player, fan, club, league or just someone trying to organise an event or social sporting network. For people from any sporting background, any level, any age. Both networks enable users to create user profiles, friend lists, set up email lists, and find other members who share common sporting interests or live in a similar location.

tiredandtested.com, developed by Chris Ward (of Friends Reunited), Mike Lee OBE and supported by Terry Venables (England assistant manager), allows the user to create a real social space from a virtual home. “Tired and Tested gives every sports fan, player or club the chance to live a little of the lifestyle of a sports pro,” says Venables.

The site offers a lengthy list of features which enables users to:
• personalise player profiles, choose their favourite sports and clubs,
• create and run their own club, league or event website
• add their favourite pro clubs and players
• meet like-minded sports fans and players
• join sports teams and clubs in their area
• organise fixtures, results and tables
• keep up-to-date with breaking sports news
• write match reports in their online scrapbook,
• share photos, blogs and videos
• create their own teams kits and add them to their profile.

sportsmates.com enables users to start their own club, the club doesn´t even have to be a real existing club, it can be completely virtual and users can invite other users from anywhere and everywhere to join and play in the virtual club.

Unique to sportsmates.com is the introduction of a ranking system which enables users to earn points and a corresponding ranking for positive contributions (e.g. on message boards, adding useful links, and having highly ranked contributions by other users). Likewise abuse of the system results in point deductions. This enables a self-policing community wherein members can quickly gauge another member’s credibility and reputation by looking at their ranking.

By recruiting friends, users can earn even more points, then when those friends recruit their friends, the initial user gets a kickback as well. However if those friends lose points due to abuse, so too does everyone in the hierachy. Hence encouraging members to only introduce friends that they know will make a positive contribution to the site.

Revenue generation for sportsmates.com is initially achieved through advertising, but they quickly hope to implement a model which that combine sponsorship, opportunities for the inclusion of brands, e-commerce, offline and online events and paid services.

As the online community continues to embrace and welcome the online social networking space, it opens up the gates for more and more niche communities to come to the party. Like-minded individuals who share similar interests are going to create strong communities that are more likely to stand the test of time. Find a niche that brings people together (check out our previous post on Mesh Tennis), one that evokes true passion amongst its users, and watch the advertising dollars roll in.

Website: www.tiredandtested.com
Contact: www.tiredandtested.com/contact.html

Website: www.sportsmates.com
Contact: suggestions@sportsmates.com

Low literacy levels in Africa are part-and-parcel of everyday life, and seriously reduce the effectiveness of health care literature. In association with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, Books of Hope has designed and produced interactive, multilingual Speaking Books that can be seen, read, heard and understood regardless of someone's reading ability.

Each Speaking Book consists of 16 pages of culturally appropriate illustrations supported by straightforward and easy to understand text in a variety of languages. Every page has a corresponding push button that triggers a sound track read by a well-known local personality. So whatever a reader's level of literacy, the information will be clearly understood. Topics include HIV and AIDS, TB, Malaria, Suicide Prevention and Diabetes. Speaking Books are distributed to rural and disadvantaged communities worldwide.

This is a major breakthrough in presenting complex health issues in countries where low literacy levels are prevalent, giving everyone access to vital health care information. Of course the concept of a Speaking Book can be applied just as successfully to a wide range of needs, from educating children to providing instruction manuals for products or services.

Website: www.booksofhope.com
Contact: bjusa@hargray.com

No other substance screams WAKE UP as effortlessly as coffee. Australian company Muzz Buzz has capitalised on the realisation that people want their coffee to be quick, convenient and satisfying. At Muzz Buzz, all consumers need to do is drive thru. After all, in-transit consumption is designed with one purpose – saving time.

Craig Muzeroll, founder of Muzz Buzz, identified a gap in the Australian market and decided he wanted to give Australians a reason for getting out of bed in the morning. That reason became Muzz Buzz, a growing franchise drive-thru coffee chain which offers quality coffee at a reasonable price and convenient (high traffic flow) locations.

Premium coffee beans and unique Muzz Buzz flavours tempt consumers' tastebuds and since inception the Muzz Buzz menu has expanded to include convenient-to-eat-while-driving food. (Let’s just hope the government doesn’t ban drivers from eating and drinking while driving...)

The drive-thru coffee franchise is not an entirely novel concept – Starbucks opened its first drive-thru in Southern California in 1994, and small, drive-by coffee shacks exist in many parts of the world. But it's not hard to identify the potential of drive-thrus in a speed and coffee-crazed world. Franchise opportunities for Muzz Buzz are currently available in Australia and New Zealand, and for similar ventures elsewhere check out Java Joz and Bear creek Coffee.

Website: http://www.muzzbuzz.com.au
Contact: info@muzzbuzz.com.au

A month after launching, music portal Sellaband just announced that it has signed up over 250 bands from more than 30 countries. As described in our previous article, Sellaband enables fans to invest in bands they believe in. More than 1,500 fans have signed up so far, buying over 2,500 stocks (or parts, as they're known on Sellaband). Parts let bands and 'believers' share profits from cd sales and advertising revenues on www.sellaband.com.

One band, Nemesea, is close to USD 10,000 in budget, and has attracted fans from all over the world. The band is determined to reach the end goal of USD 50,000, which will let them record an album with professional help. On the production side, Sellaband has formed partnerships with renowned producers such as Chris Kimsey, Haydn Bendall, James Poyser and Tony Platt, who've worked with a host of music legends, ranging from Bob Marley and the Rolling Stones to Jill Scott and The Roots.

May bands and fans continue to unite! It's a fun investment for consumers and a great new way for bands to get their first album produced.

Mumbai rivals the pace of the fastest cities around the globe. And just like everywhere else, junk food is an easy and popular meal option. To the rescue comes Calorie Care, which delivers healthy food to a customer's door. Calorie Care is India’s first calorie-counted meal delivery service, and their mission is to make it easy, convenient and fun for Mumbaikars to eat healthy food.

Calorie Care sets itself apart from other delivery restaurants by creating individual menus for each customer. Upon first contact, a Calorie Care nutritionist spends an hour with a client to understand his or her health needs and taste preferences. The nutritionist team then designs a personalised food plan that caters to these needs and preferences.

From their personal menus, customers can choose six daily meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and three mid-meal snacks. Meals are delivered at three separate times during the day, so that everything is fresh. Ideal for anyone wanting to lose weight, for business people on the run, or for busy families who can't find the time to prepare healthy meals. Calorie Care's service is currently only available in Mumbai, but the company does plan to expand to other Indian cities. Franchise opportunities are available.

Website: http://www.caloriecare.com
Contact: sales@caloriecare.com