Thanks to a bountiful stream of spottings from our Springspotters network, as well as entrepreneurs pitching their own businesses, we get our hands on more great new ideas than we know what to do with ;-) Naturally, we don't want to deny our readers these nuggets of inspiration. So, from now on, we'll briefly cover an extra five ideas each Friday. Enjoy!
Remember the fireplace and fish tank videos, that you popped in the VCR to simulate a roaring fire or happy guppies on your TV? ChillArt is the thoroughly updated and upgraded version. The British company has created a range of escapist films with laidback soundtracks, covering four themes: earth, wind, fire and water. Not quite as New Age as that sounds, the TV art DVDs are used in cool bars and hotels around the world, and are sold to consumers through their website. Limited sample versions are available for iPods, cell phones and PSPs. Great opportunity if you're a budding musician or video artist: create and sell your own moving wall art to grace millions of flat screen TVs. Or, pick your niche and specialize in iPod and iPhone videos, for consumers who want to unwind on the move.
Website: www.chillart.tv Contact: info@chillart.tv Spotted by: Macky G.
First Gift is preparing parents for summer at the beach. Since kids are apt to wander off at one time or another, the Dutch company is selling pint-sized bandanas that can be printed with the child's name and parents' cell phone numbers. With the aim, of course, of returning the little treasure to its rightful owners. (And protecting their heads from the sun.) Sounds like a nice and easy seasonal business to launch: with a textile printer, a laptop and a stack of colourful bandanas, you can set up shop at the beach’s edge. Perhaps in combination with an ice cream truck?
Website: www.firstgift.nl Contact: www.firstgift.nl/shop/contact.php
Foonz lets anyone call a group of friends or colleagues with one phone number, charging only the cost of one call. How it works? Customers go to www.foonz.com, create an account, and the enter cell phone numbers for specific groups: family, carpool group, daughter's hockey team, etc. Once the group has been entered, the customer can dial the group's allocated number from their cell phone, and all the people in the group are contacted by text message with a number to dial for the group call. It brings the ease of conference calling to consumers; perfect for planning get-togethers, send a message to team members, or just chatting with a group. Boston-based Foonz splits revenues with the phone company that calls are made through. One to start up outside the United States?
Website: www.foonz.com Contact: www.foonz.com/contactUs.php
We previously covered Ecoist’s candy wrapper handbags, made from snack packaging and other recycled materials. In a similar shiny and colourful style, comes eco-fashion from Austria. design196567’s skirts, jackets, hats and bags are made from recycled plastic bags, which are folded and woven into funky patterns. Available from a handful of boutiques in Austria and Finland. For eco-aware brand snobs, how about skirts made solely from Louis Vuitton or Viktor & Rolf bags?
Website: http://members.aon.at/design196567 Contact: design196567@aon.at Spotted by: Magdalena Höller
While the citizen journalist ventures we've covered before were focused on all types of (serious) news, People Paparazzi is solely focused on snapshots of celebrities. The agency rewards its amateur paparazzi well, from USD 4,500 for a pic of Colin Farrell kissing a girl in a New York pub, to USD 20,000 for a shot of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Canada. People Paparazzi finds buyers for scoops, and takes 40% of the sale price. One to set up in every country, to make sure that local celebrities don't feel left out?
Website: www.peoplepaparazzi.com Contact: urgent@splashnews.com
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I believe First Gift's bandanas are a bad idea. A pedophile using the child's name, could pretend to know the child or be sent by their parent to bring them to the parent.
Bill | April 23, 2007 12:27 AM