We're deviating from our regular schedule to bring you the best new business ideas of 2007, featuring our personal favourites. This isn't a trip down memory lane—all of these smart concepts will continue to provide entrepreneurs with plenty of opportunities in 2008. Next up: telecom and mobile.

1. Teaching people to use their feature-rich phones: Since the dawn of the personal computer age, millions of us have attended training classes to learn how to build better spreadsheets and killer PowerPoint presentations. Now, as cell phones and other mobile gadgets become increasingly complex and loaded with features, entrepreneurs are finding similar opportunities in the mobile market. More »
2. Voice to text dictation from any cell phone: Turning any cell phone into an eager personal scribe, Jott transforms spoken messages into text. After signing up for the service online and validating their phone number and email address, users dial Jott’s toll free number, speak for up to 30 seconds and then hang up. Jott transcribes the spoken words into writing, and sends the message to its destination as an email or text message. More »
3. Launch your own mobile network: We've written about mobile virtual network operators for gay customers, for 16-24 year olds and for charity. Now, anyone can start their own MVNO using Sonopia, which launched earlier this week. Sonopia works with Verizon to handle calls and data transfer, and lets anyone from rock bands to church groups set up their own mobile network brand. More »
4. Zero cents per minute: Blyk, a mobile virtual network operator that launched this year, bills itself as a pan-European free mobile operator for young people. The company offers 16 to 24-year-olds 217 texts and 43 minutes every month, for free, funded by advertising. More »
5. Selling wine by sms: After encountering a great wine in a restaurant or at a friend's house, instead of vowing to remember the name and vintage, Dutch consumers can now dash off an sms to BuyYourWine.com. The online wine seller quotes them a price and delivery details, and customers can order a bottle or case by texting back. More »
6. Build your own mobile phone: US start-up Bug Labs wants to harness consumer creativity by enabling tech-savvy do-it-yourselfers to create their own mobile devices. The company has designed several basic hardware modules that snap together like building blocks to perform whatever mobile function their owners desire. More »
7. A Blind Call: accidental charity: Every cell phone user has done it: forgot to lock their phone's keypad and accidentally called the first person in the contact list. Usually some unlucky person by the name of Aaron or Abigail. Belgian ad agency Duval Guillaume came up with a clever campaign that turns accidental calls into semi-accidental donations to the Belgian League for the Blind. More »
8. Mobile loo locator: While some mobile services work towards such lofty goals as helping people find their soul mates, or making local government more efficient, others focus on more basic needs. San Francisco’s MizPee and London’s SatLav are location-based services that let people use their mobile phones to find the nearest public toilet. More » and more »
9. Nutritionists on speed dial: Most dieticians agree that food awareness and healthy eating habits beat a fad diet any day. The problem is that most people don't have the discipline, time or interest to continuously track what they're eating and how many calories each meal or snack adds to their daily intake. Two services, in Japan and Canada, let consumers use their cameraphones to track their meals and have them analysed by nutritionists. More »
10. Dialogue t-shirts: T-shirts have long been conversation starters, letting their wearers express bold political views, support their favourite artist or display their quirky sense of humour. Reactee takes the interaction to another level by harnessing the power of text messaging, creating t-shirts that "text back". More »

We're deviating from our regular schedule to bring you the best new business ideas of 2007, featuring our personal favourites. This isn't a trip down memory lane—all of these smart concepts will continue to provide entrepreneurs with plenty of opportunities in 2008. Today: fashion & beauty. Enjoy!

1. Full provenance sweaters: Brands are increasingly sharing detailed information on their products' sources and background. In the Netherlands, new knitwear brand Flocks gives customers details about the individual animals that provided the wool for their sweaters and mittens. More »
2. DIY dress design: Couture gets personal with StyleShake—a new online venture that lets creative customers design their own duds, picking from a selection of quality fabrics and putting together dresses from virtual pattern pieces to create truly personal pieces that can be delivered to their door in as little as 10 days. More »
3. Wedding boutique for gay men: With same-sex marriage and registered partnerships now legal in a growing number of countries, a whole new bridal industry is springing up to cater to the demands and wishes of gay and lesbian couples. Spotted in Barcelona: BY, Europe's first wedding shop for gay men. More »
4. Sampling salons for cosmetics: Given the overwhelming array of cosmetics and high price tags on many department store offerings, it's no wonder customers are wary of plunking down their hard-earned dollars without first trying a product. Department store make-up counters have long offered testers, but not without a sales pitch. Cosmetics shoppers in Tokyo now have an alluring alternative—sampling salons. More »
5. Socks with a story: Swiss Netgranny is a collective of 15 grannies who knit socks on demand and sell them online. Customers can choose their favourite granny from a gallery of Grosis. More »
6. Web retailer helps find the perfect fit: Every body is different, and just five or six percent of bodies fit the model that most designers use as their standard. Which is why MyShape, a women's apparel retailer, is using proprietary technology to customize selections to a customer's individual shape. More »
7. Baby clothes rental service: Since newborns grow out of a clothing size every month or so in the first half year of their lives, German Lütte-Leihen came up with a solution: a layette rental service for a fixed fee per month. Clothes are delivered by post. Once babies grow out of a size, the set can be exchanged for the next size up, free of charge. Like Netflix for baby clothes. More »
8. Cosmetics brand prices everything at $1: Take a high-margin product like cosmetics, and cut prices by at least half. Now add online accessibility with customization, community and values. Throw in a pinch of demystifying expert advice, and you've got e.l.f., which sells cosmetics for eyes, lips, face and nails for just one dollar per item. More »
9. A social marketplace for clothes hounds: Now that social networks have become a regular part of the fabric of modern life, segmentation is well under way, with communities popping up all over focused on specific groups and interests. Case in point: OURthreads.com, a social marketplace designed specifically for users interested in fashion, clothing and accessories. More »
10. Manicures on the go: In this perpetually time-crunched era, it's no secret that finding time for personal grooming services like haircuts and manicures can be a challenge. Which is why :10 Minute Manicure is going after consumers whose nails need some speedy attention in airports in busy commercial centres. More »

We're deviating from our regular schedule to bring you the best new business ideas of 2007. Over the next two weeks, we'll feature our personal favourites, categorized by industry. This isn't a trip down memory lane—all of these smart concepts will continue to provide entrepreneurs with plenty of opportunities in 2008. First up: automotive. Enjoy!

1. Person to person parking space rental: Peasy.com is an online marketplace for parking spaces, enabling drivers to search for and book spaces before they leave home, and letting British homeowners monetize unused parking spaces by adding them to the network. More »
2. Stress-free car shopping: American buyers who are in the market for a new car, but don't want the headaches of searching and haggling for the best price, now have an alternative that can help them sidestep the usual dealership woes. More »
3. Integrated auto insurance for teens: A combined package of insurance and a GPS tracking device (the 'Safety Beacon'), Teensurance offers parents the ability to monitor their teenager's behaviour on the road. More »
4. Mobile car rental, wherever it's needed: Aiming to become more nimble, car rental company Europcar is introducing mobile car rental facilities in the UK. Small rental booths are hooked up to the company's central booking system and are manned by an agent during peak hours. During off hours, customers can drop off keys and make their own reservations over a built-in reservation hotline. More »
5. Car dealership catches female fever: Although research finds that women are responsible for the bulk of purchasing decisions, one arena that continues to overlook this important target market is auto dealerships. Not so at Vancouver's Clutch. More »
6. Ridesharing with a social twist: One of the problems with traditional carpool matching sites has been the anxiety most people feel when faced with the prospect of sharing a car with someone they don’t know. The solution? Tap into the power of social networking. More »
7. Insurance discounts for GPS-guided drivers: Drivers who use GPS devices are less damage-prone than their old- school brethren. Which is why a Dutch insurance company is giving them 10% discount on their auto insurance. More »
8. Crowd clout & Japanese auto parts: An Australian start-up is focusing on a 'group buying' niche: parts for Japanese performance cars. Auto Group Buy aims to combine the purchasing power of car owners with a keen passion for modifying, tuning and styling their vehicles. More »
9. Zipcar uses mobile GPS to pinpoint nearest car: Zipcar members can use their GPS-enabled cell phones to find the nearest vehicle and make an instant reservation, making spontaneous car-sharing easier than ever. More »
10. Navigate with your own voice: While most personal navigation devices come with a variety of voices to select from, from soft-spoken to stern, they all get boring after a while and aren't, well, personal. Now they can be: it's possible to have your own voice, or that of a loved one, tell you when to turn right. More »

While most personal navigation devices come with a variety of voices to select from, from soft-spoken to stern, they all get boring after a while and aren't, well, personal. To the rescue comes YourPND. For EUR 6.95, users can record instructions on www.yourpnd.com using their computer's microphone. Recording a full set of instructions takes 7 minutes. Once they're done, YourPND creates a file that the navigation device will be able to use, and gives full instructions on how to install.

Instead of the basic "Turn right at the next junction," users are encouraged to get creative, adding their favourite catchphrases. Or someone's name: YourPND is pitched as a perfect gift. Customers can record instructions and have them sent to a recipient on a USD flash drive, for EUR 19.95 including shipping. YourPND currently only supports TomTom's navigations devices, with other systems to follow soon. Another smart example of personalization as a business concept! (Related: Insurance discounts for GPS-guided drivers.)

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

Spotted by: RK

We first covered "a deal a day" websites in 2006. Since then, the concept has proliferated, with niche and regional players joining the field. Nonetheless, Ideeli, which is due to launch next week, caught our eye.

Like Woot and others, Ideeli creates buyer excitement with deep discounts and by only selling one item at a time. Unlike Woot, Ideeli is members-only and new users need an invitation to sign up. Members are alerted by email when sales start. Premium (1st Row) members also receive a cell phone alert and have access to sales one hour earlier than 2nd Row members. The subscription service provides an additional stream of income for Ideeli—1st Row members pay USD 7.99 per week, billed to their cell phone. While in testing mode over the past 6 months, 10 percent of members chose to sign up for 1st Row access.

Besides making money through subscriptions and on items sold, Ideeli is also supported by sponsors looking to promote products. Brands can sponsor weekly giveaways or have Ideeli include samples with customer purchases.

The New York venture is focusing on the female market, selling luxury handbags, sunglasses and jewellery for 50 to 90% off the original price. As Ideeli puts it: "It's like a sample sale, but no getting elbowed."

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

Spotted by: Sara Jacobsen

Norwegian Jule Tre Fra Skogen ("Christmas trees from the forest") believes that every tree is unique, and shouldn't be sold anonymously. So, founders Anders and Bartosz trekked into the woods with a camera and took pictures of the trees they liked, and gave them names inspired by their appearance: Kjedelig Tre (boring tree), Jesus Gran (Jesus spruce), Voldsomt Ordinær Gran (Highly ordinary spruce), etc.

The snapshots were posted online to let customers find a tree they like the look of. Trees are priced at NOK 300 (USD 54 / EUR 37.50) and reserved by emailing Jule Tre Fra Skogen. Anders and Bartosz then head back into the forest to carefully chop down the selected trees for delivery to Oslo. Customers can pick up their tree at a central meeting point or have it delivered for an extra NOK 100 (USD 18 / EUR 12.50).

While your inner Grinch might find the concept overly whimsical, JTFS's personal touch is entirely in line with a strong consumer trend—the desire for authenticity and story elements. Buyers don't just like picking a tree with a name, they also enjoy sharing the whole story with friends and family. "The tree? Yeah, we bought it online, from these crazy guys who went out and took pictures of trees and gave them names. We picked this one, and they went back and got it for us." Start preparing now to set up something similar locally in time for next year's holiday season. And how about Easter eggs from a personable hen of your choice?

Website: www.juletrefraskogen.no
Contact: anders@juletrefraskogen.no

Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen

Get people from the same industry into a room together, and they'll invariably spend the whole time talking shop; get them into a social network together, and the whole industry could benefit from the discussion. That's a rough approximation of the idea behind FohBoh, a new vertical social network dedicated to those involved in the global restaurant industry.

California-based FohBoh (a play on the insider terms "front of house"—FOH—and "back of house," or BOH) is designed to enable connection, communication and commerce among employees, owners, operators, vendors, suppliers and service providers of the restaurant and hospitality industries worldwide. Personal profiles, blogs, forums, groups, photos and videos are among the social networking tools available to members of the site, which just launched in November. Beginning in January, it will kick off a rewards program that gives members the opportunity to earn points for community participation, redeemable for gifts and shadow stock in FohBoh. Membership on the site is currently free, but in the future FohBoh plans to offer value-added, subscription services such as a job bank and restaurant marketplace. It also plans to host sponsored live events in regions around the globe and travel excursions for networking and education. Advertising opportunities are coming soon too.

General-purpose professional networking site LinkedIn currently boasts more than 17 million users, but there are 40 million workers or so involved in the global restaurant industry alone, FohBoh says. Time to unleash the vertical contenders—in hospitality and beyond!

Website: www.fohboh.com
Contact: support@fohboh.net

Spotted by: Mark McKellier

Local artists have long donated their talents in support of charities—to the benefit of both. Artists get name recognition, and worthy causes receive cash from the sale of donated works. British venture Part of It shows how the concept can be streamlined and taken online, and in a way that perhaps more effectively harnesses the creative energies of the artists who are showcased. While many charities solicit donated works from artists as part of a fundraising effort, Part of It invites artists to submit works in support of causes they themselves are passionate about. Money from the products’ sales, of course, goes to the charities they’ve chosen. The likely theory being: an artist just might channel some of that passion into a superior work.

The bright designs of Part of It’s t-shirts and tote bags support causes ranging from saving polar bears to combating dyslexia. That’s also in keeping with a philosophy shared by founders Christopher Sleboda and Kathleen Burns who are themselves artists. “Activism,” the pair say on their website, “can be fun, personal, beautiful and engaging.” Bios of contributing artists help establish links between products, creators and buyers. That kind of person-to-person connection is eons removed from what consumers experience at large retailers when purchasing mass-produced items marked with a charity badge denoting that an (often undisclosed) portion of proceeds will be donated to a good cause. We're not saying that massive fundraising doesn't make a huge difference to charities. But—as is the case in many areas of business—small can be big for social entrepreneurs looking to make a connection while making a difference.

Website: www.partofit.org

Spotted by: Ozgur Alaz

Coffee drinkers around the world are expected to consume almost 7 million tonnes of the stuff each year by 2010, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, and that means a heck of a lot of spent grounds to dispose of. Rather than throw the nitrogen-rich material into landfills, global chain Starbucks has found a greener solution by giving it away to consumers with gardens.

Eco approaches may be all the rage today, but Starbucks's Grounds for Your Garden program actually began as a grassroots initiative back in 1995. After growing steadily for almost a decade, it was officially launched in 2003, offering up free spent coffee grounds to North American customers year-round on a first come, first serve basis. Grounds are packaged in reused coffee bags and sealed with simple directions for using them in the garden or compost pile, where they can help improve soil quality.

“Coffee grounds are a valuable source of nutrition for the garden," explains Ben Packard, director of environmental affairs for Starbucks. “Reusing coffee grounds in the garden is a great alternative to disposing this rich resource from our stores. It’s a win for gardeners and a win for Starbucks.”

Indeed, now that the spotlight is shining full-force on companies' environmental practices, this kind of approach really is a win-win for everyone. It's relatively low-cost and easy to implement, but it means less waste in the landfills, a benefit for consumers and their gardens, and a warm and fuzzy green image for Starbucks—definitely worth emulating!

Website: www.starbucks.com/aboutus/compost
Contact: www.starbucks.com/customer

Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen

Two days ago, we covered a Brighton grocer who only sells products produced within 50 miles of his store. Opening today on the other side of the Atlantic, is a Brooklyn establishment that operates on a similar premise.

Urban Rustic, located in Williamsburg, is a grocery store and café that aims to connect local urbanites with local farmers and producers, much like farmers' markets do. The store will primarily sell food and dry goods produced less than 100 miles from Brooklyn. Anything from farther afield will be sourced from sustainable sources.

One of the shop's founders is Aaron Woolf, who produced and directed King Corn, a documentary about America's most productive and most subsidized grain. It's no surprise, then, that Urban Rustic is well-stocked with stories: from details about its upstate New York apple and arugula farmers, to the provenance of the store's timber, sustainably milled from Woolf's own property in the Adirondacks. More uber-local grocers to follow soon, no doubt!

Website: www.urbanrusticnyc.com
Contact: 236 N. 12th Street, Williamsburg

It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it—pick up dog waste, that is. Rather than struggle with plastic bags, dog owners now have a tidier and greener alternative: the Skooperbox.

Skooperboxes are small, pop-open boxes made from 100 percent recycled materials. Complete with lid and a scraper, each Skooperbox makes it quick and tidy to clean up Fido's mess. The boxes are available in two sizes and are completely biodegradable in less than a month—as opposed to plastic bags, which are thought to take at least 100 years to degrade.

Skooperbox's founders explain: "We at Skooperbox are ordinary pet owners who were dissatisfied with the choices available to us to clean our pet waste. We also knew plenty of good people who did not pick up because of lack of a good product. Picking up the warm squishy mess is gross enough, but when the bag breaks or if you find a hole in the bag while you're picking up, it can really ruin your walk."

You can say that again! California-based Skooperbox was founded in 2005 but spent more than a year perfecting its products, which are now available in retailers throughout North America as well as online. One to bring to the rest of the scooping world?

Website: www.skooperbox.com
Contact: comments@skooperbox.com

Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen

Anyone who's ever travelled is surely familiar with the dreaded Manila Folder—that sheaf of printouts, receipts and tickets we rely on to stay on schedule during a trip. Now TripIt promises to free us from those manila shackles with an online service that organizes all the pieces into a single, consolidated itinerary.

Users begin by simply forwarding all their travel confirmation emails to TripIt. The site can accept booking confirmations from most travel agencies, airlines, hotels, rental cars, rail providers and even restaurants. All information is kept strictly secure and confidential, and TripIt's "Itinerator" automatically combines everything into a single master itinerary. TripIt then searches the web for complementary information, including Google maps and directions, weather from the NOAA, SeatGuru airplane seat advice, Wikipedia city information, current events information from Eventful, city photos from Flickr, and dining reservations from OpenTable. Users can print out their itinerary and go, or they can customize it with additional maps and directions, notes and webpages. Itineraries can be accessed while on the road from a mobile device, synched into Google or Outlook calendars using iCal, and also shared with friends, family and colleagues through the site's social TripIt Friends component. TripIt is free to users around the world; advertising and referral revenue opportunities are in the works.

TripIt was launched into beta in September by a San Francisco-based team including former executives from online travel firm Hotwire. They explain: "We are frustrated travellers who have worked in both travel and technology for a long time. We know firsthand that using the Internet to make travel plans and organizing the details is difficult and time consuming. And, the problem is getting worse as more people choose to make their own travel plans and as online travel options continue to proliferate."

TripIt's mission is to simplify the Internet travel experience, and by combining an email-enabled mashup with social networking, it appears to be succeeding. The site was a finalist at the TechCrunch40 conference in San Francisco as well as one of just six Launch Pad finalists at the annual Web 2.0 Summit. The company is open to partnership possibilities. One to investigate—or emulate?

Website: www.tripit.com
Contact: partners@tripit.com

Spotted by: Linda Smith

In the past, we've covered concepts created by Dutch Postbank that focused on helping children find their inner entrepreneur. A new initiative, Speel Goed met Geld (roughly: Play well with money), enables 'kidpreneurs' to earn money not for themselves, but for children in war-torn areas including Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Money earned through Speel Goed met Geld will be donated to War Child, a non-profit organisation that provides psychosocial aid to children who've been traumatised by war.

Launched today, Speel Goed met Geld is essentially an online marketplace for toys. Children who'd like to sell a toy can upload a digital picture and add a description to their classified ad. Buyers pay the price set by the seller, the money is collected by Postbank on behalf of War Child, and the bank adds EUR 2.50 to each donation. If a toy robot is sold for EUR 10, War Child receives a donation of EUR 12.50. Once the toy has been sold, the seller receives a confirmation from Postbank and can contact the buyer to arrange shipping. (Postbank suggests that buyers pay for postage.)

While Postbank's previous efforts focused on helping children earn, save and spend money, Speel Goed met Geld demonstrates how money can be used to help others, and not just by donating cash or goods directly to a cause. More engaging than traditional toy drives, Speel Goed provides a thoughtful example for other social entrepreneurs and marketers looking to activate consumers (and their brand).

Website: www.speelgoedmetgeld.nl
Contact: info@speelgoedmetgeld.nl

We recently covered Australian NapkinAd, which distributes free,* ad-emblazoned napkins at food courts. Now US-based NapAd has picked up on the same theme but played it in bars and nightclubs instead. NapAd, which just launched this fall, uses what it calls high-definition napkins to bring marketers' messages directly into the hands of urban consumers when they're relaxed and uninterrupted by other media. The photorealistic, 5-by-5-inch cocktail napkins are distributed free to NapAd's network of bars, nightclubs and lounges; in exchange, the venues serve them with drinks to their patrons, who can then be exposed to the messages printed on them for hours at a time.

Targeting is customizable within NapAd's network, so that if an advertiser wants to reach males aged 18 to 34 in Garden City, Kansas, for example, NapAd might tap into a network of sports bars in the area. The company is currently focusing its program on Manhattan, but it's planning to add five more markets in 2008 and can serve areas requested by clients as well. A typical New York City campaign with 1 million NapAds starts at about USD 27,500.

NapAds is part of Maryland-based guerilla marketing firm JI Worldwide, which was founded by 28-year-old Jay Jaber, a finalist in the 2007 Wall Street Journal’s Creative Leaders Challenge. The company (which also sells its napkins under the name HDN—High Definition Napkin) is now seeking distribution partnerships with major airlines, cruise ships, bars and lounges, and is also interested in hearing about other collaborative opportunities, Jaber says. It's a big world out there—so many bars, so many patrons, so little time… ;-)

Website: www.napads.com
Contact: jay@napads.com

Spotted by: Bill McMahon

* Check out the hygienia trend briefing for more about 'free love' and the opportunities it creates for entrepreneurs and marketers.

The supermarket business is about as mature as an industry can get. Giant chains with centuries-worth of collective management knowledge compete fiercely in hundreds of markets for margins amounting to just pence on the pound. Even so, entrepreneurs have succeeded in nibbling away at mega chains. From online grocery ordering to gourmet and ethnic food stores, entrepreneurs can still find plenty of opportunities to disrupt the long-established grocery-chain paradigm. And the consuming public will thank them for it. The crowds that gather at farmers’ markets provide proof that consumers welcome changes in how they buy groceries.

UK grocer Sussex and the City is one of the latest disrupters. The store sells staples such as jams, nuts and biscuits, along with beer and wine. The point of difference: all the wares are produced within 50 miles of Sussex and the City’s location in Brighton. Thus customers aren’t simply stocking their pantry shelves, they’re demonstrating some healthy local pride, and getting guaranteed freshly delivered foods in the process. Equally important, Sussex and the City’s customers help support small-scale local food producers. (For much more on the comeback of all things local, check out trendwatching.com’s still made here briefing.)

It’s important to note that the store's founder, Duncan Innes, did his homework. Before launching the business, he managed a local Japanese restaurant, a role that acquainted him with quality suppliers in the area. But the concept could be easily replicated just about anywhere. Local food producers have flourished throughout the industrialized world thanks to the popularity of farmers’ markets. Many have won devoted followings. And those same eager buyers would likely welcome a year-round store selling their favourite local foods. (Related: Order online from local shops.)

Website: www.sussexandthecity.co.uk
Contact: duncan@sussexandthecity.co.uk

Spotted by: Clare Griffiths

Nearly 21 million people in the United States have diabetes, and for many of them, checking blood sugar levels is a daily ritual. Why not brighten up that disagreeable yet necessary task by carrying your testing supplies in an attractive case, wondered Rickina Velte? When she was pregnant with her second son, Velte was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and instructed to test her blood sugar several times a day. The problem, she explains on her website, was that the utilitarian bags that come with glucose meters clashed with her personal design taste. They tended to get lost in her purse and they were an unwelcome message to the world about her illness.

So in typical entrepreneurial fashion, Velte first searched for cheerier bags to carry her testing supplies. Finding none, she decided to make them herself. The result? Virginia Beach-based Stick Me Designs, which sells styles that range from denim to floral, via a website that puts a positive spin on the disease. Velte wisely enlists customer input for new designs, helping build loyalty in the process. That could be an important factor in her long-term success, since many of those customers likely will face a lifetime of daily tests, and decide that one attractive carrying bag (priced at USD 34.99) just isn’t enough.

Stick Me Designs may be on to something. A recent BusinessWeek article noted that more manufacturers are looking to aesthetics in order to make diabetes management more palatable for sufferers. “The goal,” according to the magazine, “is to provide diabetics with equipment that fits as seamlessly into their lives as, say, an iPod, complete with an intuitive interface and a ‘cool’ design factor that encourages patients to monitor their health and self-treat the disease.”

Velte’s success at putting a positive spin on managing her own disease should be an example for other entrepreneurs: products that add a level of cheerfulness to the tasks of disease management will be welcomed by patients, and targeting a defined groups of consumers can offer unique marketing opportunities, using platforms such as syndrome-related user groups, websites and blogs.

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

Spotted by: Susanna Haynie

The brainchild of a mother of 4, Margo MacDonald Redfern, Flattenme has developed a line of storybooks that can be personalized with a child's photo, making them part of the story. In addition to their photo, a child's name is also incorporated in the text and illustrations, creating a highly personalized product that children seem to love.

How it works? Customers simply upload their child's (or pet's) photo to flattenme.com, indicate their name and gender, and select a book. Flattenme does the rest, using high-quality digital printing, and the book is delivered 10-14 business days later. Personalized books are saved in the company's database for simple reordering. Flattenme has released four titles since it launched in August: Tuesday Mushroom King (about wood sprites), Here There Be Pirates (for aspiring Johnny Depps), The Potty Dance (for those who refuse to go) and My Little Monster. The latter can feature pets as well as children.

Books are hard cover and full-colour, and sell for USD 33. Flattenme currently only ships within the US and Canada, but international shipping is in the works. French, German and Italian versions are available, with more languages to follow soon.

We've featured dozens of business concepts that use personalization, from bank cards to passenger jets, but this is definitely one of the cutest. Giving customized publishing a gravanity* twist and targeting parents, grandparents and other gift-givers is a smart move. One to bring to other parts of the world?

Website: www.flattenme.com
Contact: hi@flattenme.com

Spotted by Bjarke Svendsen

* Gravanity is what our sister-site trendwatching.com dubbed the enduring trend of catering to consumers who want to leave 'something' behind in print, audio or imagery. It's a goldmine of inspiration for entrepreneurs and marketers.

You can't be all things to all people, as the saying goes, and guided tours are no exception. Now Urban Gentry is offering a set of customized, insiders' tours of London for those interested in art, fashion or other elements of style.

Featuring a team of guides that includes artists, designers, journalists and trend spotters, Urban Gentry serves up small, specialist tours that take participants well off the beaten path. The focus of each tour can be chosen by theme—"Creative London," for example, or "London Close Up"—or by interest, such as art, fashion, interiors or shopping. The Art Insider half-day tour, for example, starts in London's hip east end enclave of Shoreditch, "the epicentre of contemporary bohemia," and continues further east into Bethnal Green, winding its way through artists' works and exhibits. The 7-hour Home Style tour, on the other hand, takes participants through London's interiors and furnishings shops and studios, highlighting the eclectic choices on offer. Pricing is GBP 159 for half-day tours, GBP 269 for those lasting a whole day. Personalized tours are also available.

Urban Gentry just launched earlier this year. For style-minded consumers with the resources to afford them, its tours will offer a fresh, new way to learn about the parts of London that interest them most. This is customization at work once again, creating a new niche market for an old type of service. Bespoke Tokyo has Tokyo covered with its "urban safaris for savvy city trekkers", and we've also spotted Eye Prefer Paris. Who will take Antwerp, L.A., Sydney, Hong Kong...? The sky's the limit on the opportunities for this one. Just pick a city and a target audience.

Website: www.urbangentry.com
Contact: london@urbangentry.com

Spotted by: Joe Swinkels

Any florist or gardening company can place potted plants in an office, then dutifully drop by to water them when needed. But it takes skilled artisans to create the indoor walls of greenery that are indoorlandscaping’s speciality. The German firm’s Grüne Wand (green wall) adds a welcome green element to sterile office environments and improves air quality while taking up less floor space than potted vegetation does.

Indoorlandscaping isn’t the only company creating green walls for public spaces. Green Fortune, launched by two Swedish entrepreneurs, has already amassed an impressive list of international clients, placing their Plantwalls in offices, stores, restaurants and even car dealerships. Likewise, French artist Patrick Blank’s meticulously sculpted Vertical Gardens have transformed ordinary walls in Paris and elsewhere into works of foliage art.

From LEED certification to green roofs, commercial buildings are being swept up in a big eco-wave. Which isn’t just good and necessary, but also creates a host of new business opportunities for entrepreneurs—whether creating their own eco-friendly concepts, or partnering with up-and-coming players like Green Fortune and indoorlandscaping. And how about making green indoor walls feasible and affordable for private homes? (Related: Urban farming.)

Website: www.indoorlandscaping.de — www.greenfortune.com — www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com
Contact: look@indoorlandscaping.de — info@greenfortune.com — info@murvegetalpatrickblanc.com

Spotted by: Susanna Haynie

Home cooking is a basic pleasure that gets denied by busy schedules all too often, and at least part of the reason is the time that must go into shopping for and preparing ingredients before the cooking can begin. We've already covered a few examples of semi-cooking purveyors (most recently: Kit a bien manger), and now I Love Mother has come to the table—so to speak—with more ways to help consumers serve up freshly cooked meals at home.

Customers of the Singapore-based service, which just launched in October, begin by going to ilovemother.net and choosing from a wide variety of menus. Meals are presented in categories, such as "Quick & Easy," "Something Special" and "Comfort Classics," and can include side dishes, desserts and wines. Next, once their selections are made, customers are presented with a list of the ingredients required. After indicating the number of servings needed they can approve the list as is or make modifications to suit their palates and the supplies they already have at home. I Love Mother will then shop for the required ingredients at restaurant suppliers and fresh food markets on the morning before the meal is to be prepared and deliver them in the afternoon. All items are delivered in exactly the quantities needed, so there's no waste, and for those who desire, I Love Mother will even chop and prepare them so they're ready to throw in the pan. Customers pay just the cost of the ingredients plus a SGD 5 delivery charge, along with variable fees for the optional slicing and dicing. Most recipes can be made in 30 minutes, and I Love Mother provides step-by-step instructions.

I Love Mother currently delivers to locations all over Singapore, and has already fulfilled about 50 orders since its launch without any advertising or PR. It also has big plans in the works, including upgrade options to premium and organic ingredients, special detox menus, healthy versions of classic junk foods, and a 2008 marketing campaign. Ultimately the company hopes to roll out to other regions, founder Christine Lim says, and it's open to mutually beneficial partnership opportunities.

As a team of busy urbanites ourselves, we're betting there is pent up demand for dining-insperience enablers like this in cities around the globe. Paris already has Kit a bien manger; how about London, New York, São Paulo?

Website: www.ilovemother.net
Contact: help@ilovemother.net

Spotted by: Lesley-Anne John

Most of us realize there are changes we should make in our lives to become more environmentally friendly, but overcoming inertia and actually doing it can be another matter. Now a few different companies offer starter kits to help make those changes happen.

Greensender, which just launched in October, sells green gift boxes designed to help people start embracing simple green practices. Each Greensender box contains a reusable aluminium water bottle, a reusable organic cotton grocery bag, an energy-efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb and an organic cotton T-shirt—all selected for their easy integration into people’s everyday lives, Greensender says. Prices are USD 49.99 for the Big Greensender Box or USD 39.99 for a version without the T-shirt; individual items are available separately as well. Logo-emblazoned versions can also be purchased for corporate or event purposes, and New Jersey-based Greensender donates at least one percent of its sales to 1% For The Planet.

GoGreenGift, meanwhile, packs a reusable bag with a CFL bulb; a low-flow shower head; organic fruit leather, coffee and tea; assorted herbal body care products; and its GoGreen EcoGuide. The kits are available in original and deluxe versions for USD 45 and USD 63, respectively.

Virginia-based Green-kits, which launched earlier this year, offers a variety of eco kits including basic and deluxe starter kits along with packages focused on cleaning, the kitchen, and baby care. Prices begin at USD 10.

A full 87 percent of Americans are "seriously concerned" about the environment, according to the 2007 GfK Roper Green Gauge study, yet only 30 percent of the population is actively 'green'. The remainder, and the rest of the over-developed world? Nothing short of a ripe opportunity!

Websites: www.greensender.com — www.gogreengift.com — www.green-kits.com
Contact: sales@greensender.com — Trish@GoGreenGift.com — info@green-kits.com

Spotted by: Daphne Tan

Music fans are increasingly being recruited to fund the recording efforts of their favourite bands (to wit, for example: Sellaband), so it's no surprise to see that they're now being explicitly involved on the promotion side as well. Similar to GoodStorm's MixTape, which we covered earlier this year, Mixaloo is an online venture that lets music lovers create, distribute and sell custom mixes of the tracks they love and receive a share of the profits in return.

Mixaloo, which just opened its doors to the public a few weeks ago, allows music fans to choose from more than 3 million songs when they create their mix, including every major label and thousands of independent artists. Based on their searches, Mixaloo also suggests related artists to consider. Once users finalize their mix, they can distribute it with 30-second song samples inside a widget to any personal or social networking website, or email it directly to their friends.

Creating and distributing the mix is free, and users can personalize its appearance by uploading images, adding titles and selecting from different widget formats. Visitors and friends can then listen to the clips for free; if they like the mix, they can purchase and download it. Best of all, when someone makes a purchase, the original compiler of the mix receives half the profit from each sale--generally between 8 and 20 cents per track, Mixaloo says--along with points that can be redeemed for Mixaloo merchandise such as T-shirts and audio gear.

"Everyone's favourite songs are closely tied to the experiences and memories they represent, which makes creating and sharing mix tapes such an enjoyable way for people to express themselves," explains Mark Stutzman, Mixaloo's cofounder and CEO. "We created Mixaloo to merge that experience with the viral nature of blogs and social networking communities, giving users the added incentive of earning cash for popular mixes. This 'social record store' creates a vast network of personal recommendations to increase sales and visibility for artists of all sizes."

Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based Mixaloo is open to advertising and partnerships, but it currently offers its service only to US users. As fans continue to play ever-larger roles in the music industry, however, it's a good bet this type of service will spread quickly. With one part crowdsourcing, one part viral marketing, one part profit-sharing and one part great music, sounds like this mix could be a hit... (For more on rewarding consumers for their valuable efforts, see trendwatching.com’s Generation C(ash) briefing.)

Website: www.mixaloo.com
Contact: sales@mixaloo.com

Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen

We've covered taxis for women in the past, and have noticed that the concept is spreading. The latest incarnation we spotted is Turkey's Pudracar.

Instead of offering women lower rental rates, which many mainstream rental companies do, Pudracar provides an upgraded service that's undeniably feminine. A fleet of pink BMW 3 Series cars has been fitted with custom interiors in camel-coloured tweed, dark grey and soft pink, accentuated with twinkly bits of crystal.

Besides sex-neutral goodies like DVD players, LCD screens an iPod and wireless internet access, Pudracar also added specially selected snacks, cosmetics and make-up tools. The Istanbul-based service comes with a female driver, in livery to match the car's interior. No word yet on pricing, but rates are likely to be as premium as the offering.

The concept, which was developed for Europcar by marketing agency Agras, is clearly going after a subset of luxury-minded women who enjoy indulging their inner Barbie. While other women might object to gender-specific car services, entrepreneurs across the globe, from London and Istanbul to Tilburg and Moscow, seem to have found their niche. For more on creating and adapting products and services for women, check out trendwatching.com's recent Female Fever briefing.

Website: www.pudracar.com

Spotted by: Gökhan Tahtacı

Two and a half years ago, Zopa launched its social finance concept in the UK. Yesterday, they finally went live in the US. While the basic principle is the same—consumers lend to other people instead of banks, and both parties win—Zopa US deviates from the path taken by its British sibling.

While Zopa UK uses a number of methods to keep lenders' money safe—extensive profiles include a potential borrower's credit rating; risk is diversified by spreading money across a number of borrowers; Zopa works with a collection—Zopa US takes security a step further by federally insuring all funds through credit unions.

Instead of lending directly to borrowers, lenders buy a Zopa CD (certificate of deposit). To buy a Zopa CD or borrow a Zopa Loan, members need to be a member of one of Zopa's partner credit unions. If they're not already a member, they can sign up online. After buying a Zopa CD, the member must pick at least one borrower to help. And this is where it gets interesting: by choosing the rate at which he or she 'helps' a borrower, the lender controls how much lower a borrower's monthly payments will be. APY for a CD is currently at 5.10%, with APR for the borrower ranging from 8.75% to 16.99%, depending on credit history. Feeling philanthropic? Set a lower rate for the borrower. More of a Scrooge? Keep a larger portion of the spread to yourself.

This system not only sets it apart from Zopa UK, but also from the company's main US competitor: Prosper. Both Zopa UK and Propser let their internal markett of borrowers and lenders determine the going rates, and neither offers the security of a guaranteed loan. The safer route provided by Zopa US could help it tap into the very social market of loans between family and friends: the same audience that CircleLending focused on (now Virgin Money US).

According to Online Banking Report, a research firm, roughly USD 100 million in new person-to-person loans will be issued this year, mostly by Prosper, with new P2P loans expected to jump to as much as USD 1 billion in 2010 and USD 9 billion in 2017 (source: Wall Street Journal). Which makes it a very interesting market to watch, or to join if you're in financial services. (Related: Zopa's launch in Italy and Peer-to-peer lending for 1.3 billion peers.)

Website: us.zopa.com

Do a web search for indoor composting, and you'll find plenty of useful step-by-step guides that explain how to build your own indoor composting system, complete with a friendly menagerie of worms. The systems are clean and produce great mulch, but not every consumer wants to deal with worms, let alone have them munching away in their kitchen. San Francisco-based NatureMill came up with a solution: an indoor composter that doesn't use worms, doesn't attract flies and isn't smelly.

The units are small enough to fit in regular kitchen cabinets, can process up to 120 lbs (55 kg) of organic waste per month, and use just 10 watts of energy. Composting takes place inside a sealed inner chamber. Air is drawn into the chamber by a small fan, and a mixbar and heater keep the process moving along at the correct temperature. A red light indicates when the cure tray needs to be emptied—about once every two weeks—and the end-product is rich compost fertilizer.

The units sell for USD 299–399. An outdoor version (USD 399) takes care of pet droppings, too: "for up to 2 large dogs, or 4 cats, rabbits, hamsters, snakes or other small animals." NatureMills ships worldwide, but international shipping is costly. The company is building a global network of dealers. Time to contact them if you import or sell eco/household/kitchen products.

While homemade, non-electrical versions bag their users more brownie—er, greenie—points, NatureMill’s solution still trumps the alternative of not composting at all. Like the household recycling plant we featured last year, NatureMill takes a green concept and makes it easy for households to incorporate into their daily routine. More to follow, please! (Related: Full-service home composting.)

Website: www.naturemill.com
Contact: www.naturemill.com/help/comments.html

Spotted by: Jill Fraser Crowley

Every cell phone user has done it: forgot to lock their phone's keypad and accidentally called the first person in the contact list. Usually some unlucky person by the name of Aaron or Abigail.

Belgian ad agency Duval Guillaume came up with a clever campaign that turns accidental calls into accidental donations to the Belgian League for the Blind. They're asking people to add 'A Blind Call' to their list of contacts (for those of you in Belgium, the phone number is 070 222260). Every time the number is called, A Blind Call is given a cut of the call's proceeds. Calls are cut off after 30 seconds, and the cost to the dialler is never more than EUR 0.75.

Not only will the proceeds help the League for the Blind fund useful projects and research for sight-impaired people, every Alice, Alan and Abdullah will be spared a few coat-pocket soundtracks. ;-) (Related: Calling for a cause.)

Website: www.ablindcall.be

Spotted by: Sheila Wigman

Human beings have long wished for a way to know what their genes hold in store for them. It’s a wish that’s starting to be fulfilled with the emergence of personal genome services. Three contenders in this area have all made announcements within the last few weeks: deCODEme, 23andMe and Navigenics.

For an introductory price of USD 985, Iceland-based deCODEme scans more than a million variants in an individual's genome and calculates the risks of developing 17 different diseases, including asthma, multiple sclerosis and diabetes. The analysis uses a simple cheek swab, and the results also allow consumers to learn about their individual traits and genetic ancestry, as well as comparing their genetic profiles with those of a friend or relative. All data is stored securely online and the company provides updates as new scientific developments emerge.

23andMe, meanwhile, offers a USD 999 service that uses a saliva sample rather than cheek swab and analyses some 600,000 genetic variants. Consumers can use 23andMe's web-based interactive tools to explore the results, investigating their origins and genetic connections with others as well as understanding how the latest genetic findings apply to them. Currently, California-based 23andMe offers its service to US consumers only.

Finally, early next year California-based Navigenics will begin offering a USD 2,500 saliva-based service that maps an individual's genetic makeup and then compares it with current research on the genetic bases of 20 actionable conditions such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Included among the results are assessments of the individual's risks relative to those of the general population and suggested steps the consumer can take to minimize the chances of developing a disease. Also included are a consultation with a certified genetic counsellor and a one-year subscription that continuously checks test results against new developments in genetics.

These are obviously highly specialized services, but their promise has drawn the attention of major investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, Sequoia Capital and Google. Opportunities here? How about developing auxiliary services? With a wealth of sophisticated scientific data at their fingertips, consumers will increasingly need trusted medical consultants to help make sense of it all and navigate follow-up steps as needed, from additional testing to dietary advice.

Websites: www.decodeme.com — www.23andme.com — www.navigenics.com
Contact: support@decodeme.com — help@23andme.com — tellmemore@navigenics.com

Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen

Back in April, we featured Tadacopy—a Japanese company that provides free photocopies for students. Advertisers sponsor the free service by having Tadacopy print their ads on the reverse side of the copy paper.

A variation on the theme was just launched in the Netherlands. Students at the University of Utrecht can sign up with StudyPrint. After registering with their university email address to prove they’re students, they can upload documents to StudyPrint’s website and pick them up by entering a code on the printer, or can bring their files to the print station on a USB flash drive. Emailing documents to a dedicated email address is a third option that StudyPrint is currently developing.

The printed sheets, black and white only, have a horizontal, banner-style ad at the top and bottom of several pages, plus one full page ad per batch. Advertisers only pay for the number of students that printed documents featuring their ads, and can choose whether they’d like their ads to appear every 5 pages, or every 20. Offering advertisers an integrated campaign, StudyPrint will also add banners to emails sent to registered users. Potential benefits for advertisers? Students should, in theory, have warm fuzzy feelings for advertisers that offer them something useful for free. Ads will be viewed several times, since most printed material will be used both for classes or projects, and reviewed for exams.

The startup, which was launched by four students, is currently operating just one printing station on the University of Utrecht’s campus. They aim to expand the concept to other universities and colleges soon. Free love knows no bounds! ;-) (Related: Free notepaper for students.)

Website: www.studyprint.nl
Contact: info@studyprint.nl

Spotted by: Marit Hoekstra

We’ve covered premium chocolate in the past, featuring companies like Max Brenner and the 100% Chocolate Café. Nonetheless, we were intrigued by a premium chocolate concept featured in trendwatching.com’s latest briefing.

Sir Hans Sloane, based in London, offers clients a bespoke chocolate portfolio. Customers work with the firm’s master chocolatier, Bill McCarrick, to discover which types and flavours of chocolate they enjoy most. Much like an expert vintner helps clients stock their cellar with wines that please their palate, Sir Hans Sloane designs a unique chocolate profile for each client. No two customers share the same profile, and their selections are logged in a ‘Keeper’s Book’ for future reference. Once the selection had been made and catalogued, the chocolates are made to order and packaged in a handmade wooden box.

Sir Hans Sloane’s chocolate premiumization doesn’t stop there. While other artisanal makers pride themselves on using only the finest raw materials from Madagascar or Ecuador, Sir Hans Sloane is the only chocolate studio in the UK to do its own conching—a refining process that involves up to 72 hours of rolling liquid chocolate to bring out flavours and a silky texture. Bespoke & premium: it’s a combination that should inspire entrepreneurs to come up with their own unique offerings for consumers who want to experience something über-upgraded, created just for them. (Related: Custom-blended teas.)

Website: www.sirhanssloane.com
Contact: bill@sirhanssloane.com

Students at Cornell, USC, Princeton and a handful of other US universities now can pool their resources in a handy online forum at TheCollegeFreeWay—a network for sharing notes, outlines, essays, problem sets, study guides and more. Users can search by university, course or type of document needed. While anyone can view the materials, students must register to upload or download documents, rate them or make comments. Students can register directly through the site or can sign in via their Facebook accounts.

While the site might not be a huge hit with professors, the site was not designed with cheating in mind, but rather to streamline the process of combining notes and other resources—which college students have been doing for ages—in a more convenient and organized fashion. And as long as TheCollegeFreeWay sticks to student-generated materials, copyright infringement shouldn't be an issue with school faculty.

As the name suggests, the site is free to use and is financed through Google ads. As with any venture that relies on user-submitted content, getting off the ground can be tricky. But while the offerings are limited for now (the site currently lists ten schools, but only has documents available for half a dozen), once the buzz gets around campus, things could quickly take off. Now may be the time to start up duplicates for colleges or even high schools in other countries—or to consider how this type of sharing might make sense for professional networking in other industries.

Website: www.thecollegefreeway.com
Contact: www.thecollegefreeway.com/feedback.php

Spotted by: Bill McMahon

Back in June, we covered a location-based service—MizPee—that lets people use their mobile phone to find the nearest public toilet. The same idea just popped in London, dubbed SatLav and launched by the City of Westminster (one of London's central boroughs, and home to most of the city's popular shopping and entertainment venues). After texting 'toilet' to 80097, users receive a text message with the details of the nearest facilities and their opening times.

Pitched by industrial designer Gail Knight, SatLav was the winning entry in a city council innovation competition. (Earlier this year, Gail Knight developed a pedestrian navigation system that points pedestrians in the right direction by way of two rings that vibrate when they need to make a turn.)

While SatLav just got started, San Francisco-based MizPee has expanded its coverage to 14 North American cities. More smart location based services to follow? (Related: Luxe London loos and Zipcar uses mobile GPS to pinpoint nearest car.)

Website: www.westminster.gov.uk

Spotted by: RK

Genealogy buffs can now pull together the fruits of their hard work and research into handsomely bound self-published books and family tree posters thanks to Ancestry Press, a new venture recently launched by Ancestry.com. Customers who already have their pedigree information archived on Ancestry.com can easily transfer their family trees, facts, photos, stories, historical documents, recipes and more to formatted templates—or blank pages they can design from scratch—for printing. And those who aren't yet Ancestry.com users can set up accounts quickly and easily.

Books are hand-bound and printed on 100-pound gloss, acid-free, archival paper with hard leatherette covers that can be stamped with custom two-line titles in gold foil. Pricing is currently at USD 29.95 for a 24-page book. Customers can add extra pages for just 39 cents each up to a total of 100 pages. 18-by-24-inch family tree posters (additional sizes coming soon) are available at an introductory rate of USD 19.95 and can feature up to six generations. There are volume discounts, too, for those who might like to purchase multiple copies as gifts for family members. Turnaround time is two to three weeks.

Much like the TasteBook customized cookbooks we recently featured, this is another great example of self-publishing targeting a niche market—clearly a trend for entrepreneurs in the publishing arena to keep their eyes—and thinking caps—focused on.

Website: www.ancestrypress.com

Spotted by: John Boufford