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Another week, another mixed bag of interesting new business ideas from around the world: poolside climbing walls, innovative use of consumer technology by local government, eye-catching funeral art, and more. Our next edition is due on 27 June 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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New York restaurant booking service PrimeTime Tables - "specializing in impossible reservations" - has created a bit of a storm in the NYC/food blogging teacup. The service, touted as a very exclusive dining club, can procure members short-notice reservations at the hottest restaurants in New York, Miami, Colorado and The Hamptons, many of which are booked weeks in advance. The company was founded by Pascal Riffaud, former concierge at hotels like the St. Regis in New York and the Ritz in Paris. Mr Riffaud also runs Personal Concierge International, a concierge service that can enhance its members' lives in many ways, including access to 'fully committed' restaurants. Premium membership costs USD 450 per year, plus reservation fees (free for reservations acquired the same day before noon), while non-members pay between USD 35-45 per booking, depending on how far in advance they book (48 hours - same day). Considering economics is grounded in scarcity and top, prime-time tables in any metropolis are very scarce indeed, it's a business idea that could take flight in other cities, too. Whether or not you're morally outraged by tables being scalped ;-) Website: www.primetimetables.com Spotted by Urbandaddy |
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In March last year, we wrote about a city council project in Lewisham, UK that allows citizens to send camera-phone pictures to their local council to report stray garbage, unwanted grafitti, etc. Two new spottings show that the concept is catching on. The local government of Amsterdam's Geuzenveld district just launched an online tool that lets people pinpoint neighborhood problems on Google Maps. After filling out an online form, a marker is placed on a Google map of the area, along with information on how the complaint is being dealt with. The district is counting on the service to save time and money. Currently, a street lantern that's out of order will lead to numerous calls and emails to the district (roughly 40% of all complaints are sent by email/internet forms). Once people get used to checking the map to see if someone else has already reported an issue, the amount of redundant notifications will presumably decrease. Geuzenveld also hopes residents will feel more involved now that they're actually able to track how their complaint is being followed up, and that local maintenance crews will be motivated to keep the map as empty as possible, solving close to 90% of all issues within 2 days. New York, meanwhile, isn't one to fall behind. Later this year, the city's 911 call centers will be able to receive camera-phone pictures and videos taken by residents and visitors, straight from the scene of a crime. 311 non-emergency call centers will be similarly equipped at a later stage, allowing New Yorkers to document and photographically report on 'quality of life problems'. Has (local) government in your neck of the woods found smart ways to use new consumer technology? Share it in the comments! |
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Bavarians flying home to an barren kitchen needn't worry. While waiting for their luggage to come down the conveyor belt at Munich Airport's Terminal 2, they can order food off a billboard and pick it up on their way out. The billboard (view a close-up) shows a pan-Asian menu and Mangostin Restaurant's phone number. "Empty fridge? Order now and pick up your food on Level 5 in 10 minutes. It couldn't be simpler!" We couldn't agree more. Nothing like a bit of daily lubricant to make consumers' busy lives easier. (Incidentally, Munich Airport is no stranger to innovation. It's been home to the world's first airport microbrewery since 2003, as well as a boutique specializing in erotica.) Website: www.mangostin.de Spotted by: Monique van Dusseldorp |
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Opening this Saturday in Graton, California, Art Honors Life is a gallery that will showcase the work of artists and artisans who create urns and other funeral vessels. The gallery's owner previously organized exhibitions of funeral art and also runs Funeria, an online arts agency that promotes and sells original, finely handcrafted urns, vessels and personal memorial art. Art Honors Life will feature more than 50 works of art by North American and European artists. Vessels on offer include everything from ceramic stoneware pillow boxes to a glistening aluminum rocket ship. Also included are products made exclusively for Funeria, such as small wooden boxes made from cedar and maple salvaged from the Pacific Northwest's old growth rainforests - "for every nature-loving individualist, there's a perfectly beautiful former tree just waiting to carry them home". As cremation rates are rising (from 21.1 percent a decade ago to 32 percent in 2005 - source: New York Times) and are predicted to increase even more, this is definitely a growth market for artists and entrepreneurs who can offer alternatives to somber and impersonal urns. For more inspiration, check out Funeria's Ashes to Art catalogue (PDF). Website: www.funeria.com Spotted by: New York Times |
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Creating an offline presence for a popular online destination, Etsy is setting up shop, er lab, in Brooklyn. Etsy, the online marketplace for handmade goods that we mentioned last year, features over 26,000 sellers from across the world. The website has been growing at a very healthy pace since it launched in June 2005, as consumers from around the globe increasingly value the originality of handmade items and enjoy buying from individuals instead of mass retailers. Etsy brings it all together with a great user interface and sophisticated search tools that let buyers find everything from scented soy candles (USD 5) to a tennis ball chair (USD 275). 307,076 items were sold from June 2005 - December 2006. And now the company has a brick-and-mortar space at 325 Gold Street in Brooklyn. The new studio will serve as Etsy's headquarters, and allow members to meet up and use communal equipment like a silkscreen press and a letterpress. The Labs will host parties, trunk shows, seminars, workshops, a lending library and more. In their own words: "We intend to use the Brooklyn Etsy Labs as, well, a laboratory, to see if we can build it into a self sustaining entity. If so, we one day hope to recreate the Labs in cities across the world and give all makers of things a place to gather, learn, share, and create." For more examples of companies that are helping consumers beef up their status skills, check out trendwatching.com's briefing on the subject. And if you own an online venture, 2007 may be a good year to create some offline buzz as well. Website: www.etsy.com Spotted by: apartmenttherapy.com |
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Scramble to the top and drop down with a splash. Made from fiberglass finished with a non-slip surface, AquaClimb climbing walls are a novel addition to public and residential swimming pools. A modular system of 3' x 3' (1 x 1 m) fiberglass panels allows walls to be configured to fit any pool width and height. The panels include rock features, inset and protruding handholds, which can be moved around to vary climbing difficulty. Although the default color scheme is aqua (blues and greens), custom colors are available to match a pool's surroundings. Any poolside product obviously needs to be very safe. AquaClimb states that its walls are safer than slides or diving boards, since children start off in the water, instead of running around the pool's edge. Also, AquaClimb frames tilt over the water, keeping falling climbers away from the side of the pool. The company recommends roping off a 10 foot area from the AquaClimb to establish a 'drop zone'. The walls don't come with weight or age restrictions, and are sturdy enough to hold adults. Prices start at USD 10,490 and average delivery time is four to six weeks, with demand obviously peaking during the summer months. Customers include public swimming pools, summer camps, residential pools, schools, recreation centers and water parks. AquaClimb is manufactured by Pyramide USA Inc., a leading sport climbing wall provider based in Virginia. The company currently only has international dealers in Australia and Western Canada, and welcomes dealer applications (dealers@aquaclimb.com). Website: www.aquaclimb.com Spotted by: notcot |
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