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Another week, another selection of interesting new business ideas from around the world: playful water pumps in Africa, organic produce subscriptions around the world, online yearbooks in the US, banks for women in Austria and Bahrain, and more. Our next edition is due on 25 July 2006. In the meantime, check out our daily postings on www.springwise.com, send us your tips, and please don't forget to tell your friends and colleagues about us. Much appreciated! |
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Dandelife is a social biography network: a social network built around telling life stories. Building on the notion that stories are best shared, Dandelife offers everyone the opportunity to write and share their personal memoirs online, one story at a time. A user's 'vanity page' shows a horizontal timeline, with events neatly placed in history, as well as photos, videos, tags and favourite stories. Tagging is an important part of storytelling on Dandelife, allowing users to create common threads within their own stories, and connect with those of other members. Besides regular tags (relevant keywords for a camping trip could be 'camping', 'hike', and 'grizzly bear'), a user can also tag stories with the names of people involved in the story. Being thoroughly Web 2.0, Dandelife works seamlessly with Flickr and YouTube, letting users import photos and videos to illustrate their narrative. San Diego-based Dandelife, launched two months ago, is currently in beta and free to use. Other recent ventures in the same arena include OurStory, WikiBios, and Eternity4All (featured in Springwise in April 2006). It's all about what trendwatching.com calls life caching: collecting, storing and displaying one's entire life, for friends, family, or the entire world to peruse. Website: http://www.dandelife.com |
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Aarstiderne delivers boxes of organic vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and bread directly to the doorstep of customers every week or fortnight. Thirty thousand Danish households subscribe to the system of receiving a mystery box of organic food products on a regular basis. Customers pick a type and size of box, prepay one month in advance, and the content of the box is composed by Aarstiderne based on what's in season. Farmer Thomas Harttung, and local chef Soren Ejlersen, started Aarstiderne with the idea of partnering with local households to change the general perception on farming, food and sustainability. By sourcing organic products from local farmers and growers, Aarstiderne aims to raise awareness for sustainability and food quality. The boxes come with recipes and stories about growers, farms, the company, the food products and quality. The communication is honest and transparent – Aarstiderne lets the customers know how the farmers and Aarstiderne are doing whether the news is good or bad. Combining high quality organic produce with the sense of surprise that accompanies each box, and creating a sense of community by sharing recipes and stories, Aarstiderne has both created a niche and filled an existing need in the organic food market. Similar concepts exist in the US (Door to Door Organics), Sweden (Ekolådan), The Netherlands (Odin), and the UK (Riverford), to name just a few. Not an entirely new idea, but one whose time has come to be widely adopted! Website: http://www.aarstiderne.com Forward, comment or link to this entry » Spotted by: Steen Voigt Olsen, Ida Larsson |
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A PlayPump is a children's merry-go-round/roundabout attached to a water pump and water storage tank, that provides clean drinking water to children and families in rural Africa. PlayPumps aren't new (the non-profit venture was founded in 1994), but considering that more than 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack adequate access to safe drinking water, and more than 4.5 million children worldwide will die of diarrhea and water-related diseases this year, this is one smart business idea that can't get enough coverage. The idea is brilliantly simple. Children spin on a merry-go-round, water pumps from below the ground, up into a storage tank just a few feet away, creating a safe, plentiful supply of water. Each installation pumps up to 1,400 liters per hour with less effort than any other manually operated pump. For an initial investment of USD 9,000, PlayPumps are installed near communities and schools. Maintenance is carried out by a local entrepreneur trained for the purpose. Maintenance costs are covered by advertising: billboards on two sides of the 2,500 liter storage tank are reserved for commercial advertising, while other two carry social and public health messages. Beyond the immediate health benefits provided by access to clean water, PlayPumps also significantly improve the situation of girls and women, who would otherwise spend hours each day fetching water instead of going to school. PlayPumps are manufactured and installed by South-African Roundabout Outdoor Ltd., with funding coming from an international coalition of governments, NGOs, companies, foundations and individual donors. Last September, Roundabout started expanding its operations to Mozambique, and Swaziland is next in line. Now what bottler, beverage brand, and/or toy manufacturer is going to jump on the opportunity to sponsor, even brand these things? Website: http://www.playpumps.org |
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Earlier this year, we wrote about Japanese retailer Ranking Ranqueen, which takes a radical approach to sales. Every product in the store is part of a top 3, 5 or 10 list. Whether it's the top 3 bath powders, the top 5 nose hair removers, or the top 10 pasta sauces. Popularity and ranking are based on sales data from parent company Tokyu's department stores, and numbers from independent research companies. Needless to say, the store is an excellent place to survey the latest consumer fads and crazes. Ranking Ranqueen takes curated consumption to an extreme, and caters to people's love of numbered lists (to see how popular lists are online, just check out web buzz tracker popurls.com). The stores are tiny, and located in high traffic areas like train and subway stations. Although Ranking Ranqueen hasn't released sales figures, Tokyu recently announced that monthly revenue per store is up 10 to 20 percent over the past year, and there are plans to double the number of stores to 15 by 2008. Time to bring the concept to the rest of the world?! Website: http://www.ranking-ranqueen.net |
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Austria's first bank for women was recently opened by Raiffeisen in the ski resort town of Gastein. The concept was developed in association with Emotion Banking, which conducted extensive studies about women and finances, and how they interact with banks. Emotion Banking came to the conclusion that women approach finances differently than men do, and that a dedicated bank for women would better serve Raiffeisen's female customers. The current set-up includes an inviting lounge-like interior, that includes a play area to keep children occupied. Female employees assist customers, taking extra time to explain products thoroughly, and to build a strong relationship with their customers. The concept might be a first in Austria, but isn't altogether new on an international scale. From Citigroup's Women & Co, which we covered a few years ago, to the Royal Bank of Canada, many financial institutions are recognizing that women often have their own needs and goals when it comes to money and finances. And this segemented market is continuously evolving; according to a recent report by research firm Aite Group, "Highly-educated women leaving the U.S. workforce to raise children are creating a new, highly lucrative consumer segment for financial firms." The market, which the group dubbed 'Ivy League Moms', is sized at roughly USD 10 million U.S. households with investable assets of USD 6.5 trillion. Leading the way are banks for women in Islamic countries. Microcredit providers like Grameen Bank have long placed special emphasis on providing loans to women. In Pakistan, First Women Bank was founded in 1989 and strives for the economic empowerment of women. Saudi Arabian women, although not allowed to vote or drive, have the right to control their own finances, and Saudi banks have been devoting extensive resources to 'ladies banking' over the past few years, with separate entrances, distinct product offerings and a staff consisting entirely of women. Meanwhile, Bahrain announced it's own first two weeks ago: the first bank for women in the Gulf region. The Masrafy Bank has been granted a licence to start the first Islamic investment bank for women, aimed at targeting high net worth women across the Gulf region. The venture could be lucrative, as studies by backer Abu Dhabi Investment House show that women in the region have funds worth USD 38 billion, with no credible investment avenues for investing those funds in a private and professional manner. So: is gender-segregated banking the way forward, in all parts of the world? We'd love to hear what you think, so please share your view by adding a comment below, and feel free to include examples of similar concepts that we've left out. |
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Now a US phenomenon, Facebook enables 7.7 million members with a valid email address from a supported college, high school or company to create a profile to share information, photos, and interests with their friends. Sure, there are numerous sites like this, but opportunity, especially outside the US, remains: this is not friendsreunited.com: this is capturing a new generation in such a way that they will never need a reuniting website! More of an ongoing meeting space, Facebook actually ranks as the seventh-most trafficked site in the US. Next? While Facebook is inviting college students, AND high school students AND companies, the inevitable nouveau niche-ification of everything reaching mass status has already lead to the success of more closely focused myyearbook.com, which has specifically targeted high school students. (The idea for the company was hatched out by two high school students during their 2005 Spring Break.) One million of them have already signed up, avidly adding their collections of videos, notes and photos in school-diary style. Opportunities abound: in those countries where even the paper version of a yearbook isn't yet part of school culture, this is your chance to introduce a new tradition and do it web 2.0 style, with all the scaling advantages that virtual has over physical. Facebook started a few international sites, but not extensively. Partner or take the lead. After all, this needs a local touch! Furthermore, for any brand directly or indirectly targeting students (and what brand isn't!), this is where your eyeballs are (whether Generation @ wants to interact with you is another matter; for some tips and examples, check out trendwatching.com's special on youniversal branding). We invite you to add your own country's equivalents to Facebook and myyearbook.com if they exist: just click on the comments below. Quick, easy, and no strings attached. Website: http://www.facebook.com Website: http://www.myyearbook.com |
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Bacardi Bespoke is a service from Bacardi in the UK that brings bars to customers' homes or offices. The bars come complete with glasses, ice, equipment, expert cocktail mixologists, a portable bar and a DJ. Naturally, the bartenders make everything with Bacardi, having created new versions of classic cocktails to incorporate Bacardi rum. Cocktail lists are personalised to a host's taste and a party's theme or vibe. In essence small-scale sponsored and branded events, Bespoke home parties are subsidised by Bacardi, so prices aren't as high as would be expected from a professional service (contact Bacardi Bespoke for details). Spiked with a splash of tryvertising, Bacardi Bespoke is great example of what trendwatching.com has defined as the insperience trend: consumers' desire to bring top-level experiences into their domestic domain. Product seeding combined with something consumers want -- no reason why this wouldn't work equally well for other brands and other industries. Be inspired, and get the party started! Website: http://www.bacardibespoke.com Forward, comment or link to this entry » Spotted by: Karen Ashby |
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In the San Francisco Bay area and Atlanta, two e-commerce companies are betting on the appeal of almost-instant delivery. Back in the '90s, Kozmo offered speedy delivery of anything an urban dweller might want or need fast, without leaving their home or office. Pack of diapers or a bag of Cheetos - everything was delivered under an hour. No delivery fee, and no minimum order amount. Although they turned a profit in New York, Kozmo expanded to other cities too quickly, infamously burned through USD 280 million in venture capital, and went bust in 2001. Kozmo's former CTO went on to launch MaxDelivery in 2005, which we featured earlier this year (along with Turkish After-9). We recently came across two more ventures that are giving the instant gratification model a try. San Francisco-based LicketyShip is currently in beta, and delivers to select areas around the Bay (including San Francisco, Berkley, Oakland, San Jose, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Santa Clara, and Marin). Besides what seems like a more prudent approach to spending VC dollars, LicketyShip delivers within two hours instead of one, and charges around USD 20 for delivery. Also, instead of holding inventory or employing a stable of bike couriers, LicketyShip works with local retailers and delivery companies. An extensive database continuously tracks product and courier availability. The company's database features over 20,000 articles, including lots of electronics and office supplies. On the east coast, Zifty has been offering Atlantans fast delivery since 2004. Zifty delivers food, movies, magazines, snacks, and household goods in about an hour, and partners with restaurants to deliver meals. The company employs drivers, but keeps costs down by paying them per delivery. All orders have a delivery fee of USD 0.99, and an additional USD 2.99 is added for orders from restaurants. Orders with a subtotal over USD 50 get free delivery, and those placed more than 2 hours in advance get 50% off the fee. Minimum order size is USD 9.95. Now that everyone's online, and consumers are willing to pay extra to save time and get instant gratification, similar uber-convenience concepts are popping up in cities around the world. One to copy to your neck of the woods! Website: http://www.licketyship.com Website: http://www.zifty.com |
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School lunches are a hot topic across the world: from British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's Feed Me Better campaign, to Two Angry Moms trying to improve school lunches in the US. Both are aiming to get junk food out, and bring whole foods in. The situation is slightly different in The Netherlands, where children traditionally went home for lunch, and school cafeterias are an anomaly. These days, however, more and more Dutch children are 'staying over' for lunch at school. Soda and chips are gaining ground, and childhood obesity is on the rise. Two entrepreneurs came up with their own solution to the lunch problem: Lunch4Kids. Packaged like a McDonald's Happy Meal, each lunchbox contains sandwiches, a drink (milk or juice), a piece of fruit and a snack (yoghurt, a cookie, a baby cucumber, etc). Parents order online, specifying which foods their youngsters will leave untouched, and anything they're allergic to. The lunchboxes are delivered to participating schools every morning, and invoices are sent directly to parents. This keeps things simple for schools: nothing to administrate or refrigerate. Besides the obvious advantages of balanced meals and healthy variety, there's also a high convenience aspect to Lunch4Kids. Parents don't have to worry about what to pack, or panic if they've run out of fresh bread or juice boxes. According to parents who participated in the trial-run, this alleviates morning stress and makes breakfast a time to enjoy with their families. Lunch4Kids was soft-launched at five primary schools over the past few months, and parents and schools aren't the only ones that like the concept. Large food brands, including Unilever and Danone, are itching to get in on the action. We can't blame them -- this business idea incorporates some of the biggest and enduring trends around, from an obsession with health and craving convenience, to the power of design and customization/personalisation. Some yummie opportunities here! Website: http://www.lunch4kids.com |
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