The 411 on Google
Monday, November 26, 2007
This is pretty cool.
Google will look up business phone numbers -- like 411 (but for free). Simply call in and speak your request. The number is 1-800-GOOG-411.
Of course, Google doesn’t stop at the basics. It will connect you to the number you request. Or, you can request more information be sent via text message. It will even send you a map showing the business' location.
www.google.com/goog411/index.html
Labels: biz, cool stuff, helpful, lifestyle, places, tech, video, web, web 2.0
posted by Michael Tavani @ 11:27 AM |
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How to successfully pitch your idea
Friday, November 16, 2007
posted by Michael Tavani @ 2:58 PM |
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Original Yahoo business card
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
If this is authentic, this old-school and original-looking business card of Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang is a unique piece of modern history. The logo must be an original as I have never seen it used on the Yahoo site. I love how back in the day "http://" was used in the web address. Now a lot of companies don't even use "www".
Also, check out this pretty cool Flickr page with all kinds of creative and interesting business cards.Labels: biz, cool stuff, misc.
posted by Michael Tavani @ 5:31 PM |
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Newsweek's most influential in the sports biz
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Newsweek and ESPN the Magazine recently came out with their always impressive list of 100 most powerful people in sports.It's a great list but I found a couple of their "sub lists" and articles even more interesting. Check out the list of people highly influential in sports who you've never heard of and a profile of rising sports entrepreneur Casey Wasserman, how marathons are becoming a breeding ground for entrepreneurs, and careers that athletes have taken on after they retire.
posted by Michael Tavani @ 11:27 AM |
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Google voice mail?
Thursday, July 05, 2007
As if Google didn't already own the internet, they could get even more dominant. With their recent purchase of small communications company, GrandCentral (for $50 million), you just might be able to check your phone voice mail through a Google site."In a nutshell, GrandCentral is a service that lets you integrate all of your various phone numbers (home, work, cell) and voice mailboxes into one central account with one phone number. You access this account either via a Web interface or with any phone. All of your voicemails are there, and you can either listen to them or read them, or forward them to someone else."
Read the rest of the PC World article.
[via RW via AK]
posted by Michael Tavani @ 1:18 PM |
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The business of domain names
Saturday, June 16, 2007
If you're stuck in another generation and don't think domain names are big business, then you've got to read these two articles. Domain name purchases are the gold rush and real estate grab of the 21st century. I've been saying it for years and no one understands.The Domains Of The Day (Business Week)
How two Boston entrepreneurs are making millions from names as simple as chocolate.com
UE Note: About six months ago, I actually purchased chalklit.com. If they're making millions from chocolate.com, what is chalklit.com worth?
The man who owns the Internet (Business 2.0)
Kevin Ham is the most powerful dotcom mogul you've never heard of, reports Business 2.0 Magazine. Here's how the master of Web domains built a $300 million empire.
And for the shameless plug: chalklit.com, theyup.com (young urban professional), do26.com, oneatl.com, urbanatl.com, tensten.com, 5jive.com and thoinkbig.com are for sale. Contact me if you're interested.
posted by Michael Tavani @ 10:50 AM |
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Old businesses need to adjust to new technologies
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The advent of new technology has put many traditional industries out of business (camera film industry and see yesterday's post on pay phones). The rise of the internet has especially put many businesses out of order (travel agencies, local newspaper classified sections, etc).
Currently, there are two industries that are fighting to keep the rise of new technologies from affecting their business as they know it: the music recording industry and the real estate industry.
The music industry
Practically every person I know who has ever used a computer has downloaded a song from someone else. I bet executives in the recording industry have even done so. However, the practice of downloading (copyrighted) music is considered illegal and random people are getting letters in the mail demanding that they pay big money for those songs.
How can something that 90% of all computer users do, be illegal? The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has been overpricing their music (CDs cost less than a penny to make) for years and now finally our capitalistic nature has found a way around paying such high prices. Score for technology and boo to the RIAA.
Real estate industry
There was a piece on 60 Minutes this past Sunday talking about how the real estate industry has done very little to go online in terms of knocking out the 6% fee that agents get for showing off a house. An innovative company/website called Redfin is trying to break into the business by eliminating (and thus saving you lots of that 6%) the agent fees by showcasing your home online. Think about how much 6% is on a $250,000 house = $15,000. The Last Stand of the 6-Percenters - New York Times.
'
Maybe for years we've been over-paying in these industries. Other industries have adapted (newspapers going online, etc), now it's your turn.
Labels: biz, music, rants, trends
posted by Michael Tavani @ 11:12 AM |
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The Kobold Watch story
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Traditionally, I'm not a watch connoisseur. Among my collection of timepieces are a Nike stop watch ($50) and a New York City Chinatown Puma knock-off ($9 + $8 battery replacement). It's not because I don't appreciate high-end watch design and fashion (because I totally d0), it's just that I normally can't justify spending crazy amounts for something that does the same my thing my cell phone does.The highly enjoyable, increasingly profitable life of Michael Kobold
With that said, as of today I'm interested in the designer watch industry. I just finished reading a truly interesting article in Inc. Magazine about Michael Kobold, a German-born 27-year-old who started luxury watchmaker Kobold Watch Company his freshman year in college. Kobold has had a passion for watches since a young age and essentially became the first to sell luxury watches over the internet in 1999.
Kobold, the little watch manufacturer out of Pittsburgh who employs a staff of three, has become a big-time player in the interesting world known as the luxury watch business. The Kobold watches are truly fresh-looking and nowadays famous Kobold wearers include Bill Clinton and James Gandolfini among others.
The kicker: Kobold promises to produce no more 2,500 watches in a single year and the watches range from $2,400 to $30,000.
Read the intriguing Inc. article; it's worth the 7-page read. The Greatly Improbable, Highly Enjoyable, Increasingly Profitable Life of Michael Kobold
Labels: biz, fashion, lifestyle
posted by Michael Tavani @ 4:37 PM |
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I got beat to the punch on video resumes
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
My idea
Back in November of '06, I had a business idea that kept me up at night.
It was going to change the way people search for their career passions. It was going to make the job resume sexy and allow people to create their own career path. It was all planned out in my head. I even went as far as to quickly make a You Tube video (below) extolling its virtues & benefits.
Thoink Big: making the resume sexy
I had a couple of ideas for names, but settled on Thoink Big, in part because I already owned the domain. Young people would go to thoinkbig.com and upload a video that creatively and more effectively represented who they are to potential employers. It was going to replace the old-fashioned paper resume (big adjectives, cream-colored paper and all). And employers would log on the site to scout out what type of talent and creativity various job seekers really had.
The site came to be - unfortunately not mine
Brilliant idea, huh!? Due to lack of cash, time and high-end web programming skills, I did not go through with the concept.
But, in the mold of a great capitalist society, somebody else did.
Read the article: Job seekers begin to turn to video resumes for edge
Check out a video resume site: Work Blast
The concept of video resumes was inevitable. The old format prevented job seekers from allowing their "true colors" to come out - good or bad. Some people (me included) feel that once they get to the actual interview stage, the job is theirs.
Labels: biz, creative biz., trends, video, web 2.0
posted by Michael Tavani @ 5:53 PM |
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Small business resources
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Everyone wants to start a business. And there's even a CNNMoney article with the same name proving it to you.
"We are in the midst of the largest entrepreneurial surge this country has ever seen. According to Small Business Administration projections, nearly 672,000 new companies with employees were created in 2005. That is the biggest business birthrate in U.S. history: 30,000 more startups than in 2004, and 12% more than at the height of dot-com hysteria in 1996."
Also, check out these two great resources for small businesses & entrepreneurs.
- Small Business Trends
- USA Today Small Business
Labels: biz
posted by Michael Tavani @ 7:24 PM |
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Get LinkedIn
Friday, April 06, 2007
I've always heard of professional networking site LinkedIn, but never thought much of signing up - until today. I look at it as a My Space for young, creative business people. The online network includes more than 9 million professionals from around the world, representing 130 industries. For a young guy starting out in business, that's a pretty solid network. Read Guy Kawasaki's ten ways to use LinkedIn. Click here for a screenshot.
LinkedIn possible connections:
- Track other businesses/start-ups in your field of interest
- Re-connect with former colleagues or track down the pursuits of old friends
- Find potential clients, service providers, subject experts, and partners who come recommended
- Be found for business opportunities
- Search for jobs
- Discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals
- Get introduced to other professionals through the people you know
posted by Michael Tavani @ 12:13 PM |
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Company names
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
I love domain names and company names. Check out this interesting list of how famous companies came up with their names and a list of fictional company names from TV and movies.
Labels: biz
posted by Michael Tavani @ 12:50 PM |
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10 internet businesses you can start with less than $100
Monday, March 19, 2007
The best part about the internet is that it is the great equalizer. Anyone with a computer and an internet connection can compete with the biggest companies in the world. It's all about the idea and attracting the eyeballs of the masses.Check out Kineda's post, 10 Internet Businesses You Can Start with as Little as $100.
Labels: biz, creative biz., web, web 2.0
posted by Michael Tavani @ 8:19 PM |
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Entrepreneurial office spaces
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Back in May, I posted about how young, creative start-up companies were doing away with traditional offices and setting up shop in coffee shops. It's a great idea. Many new age companies can thrive on a computer and some creativity. No need to blow $2,000/ month in rent on that. Plus, coffee shops usually offer a free internet connection and a solid atmosphere.Now, there's a new trend in entrepreneurial workspaces - community office spaces. These co-working offices are popping up in a bunch of urban areas. They're unique work and office space for a wide variety of entrepreneurs, writers, and small businesses. (see Where the Coffee Shop Meets the Cubicle) Look at these photos.
Creative co-working offices
* 116 W. Houston - SoHo (NYC)
* ActivSpace - Seattle, Portland, Berkeley, San Fran
* Indoor Playground - Toronto
* Sunshine - TriBeCa, NoHo, Flat Iron (NYC)
Labels: biz, creative biz.
posted by Michael Tavani @ 7:38 PM |
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Great startup quote
Thursday, March 01, 2007
I saw this great quote on Particletree's 5 Reasons to Create Your First Startup post.
"The only way to train for a marathon is by running,
and the only way to train for a startup is by starting."
and the only way to train for a startup is by starting."
posted by Michael Tavani @ 11:23 PM |
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The Life is Good story
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Life is Good is an $80 million brand t-shirt and apparel maker. I don't necessarily love their products (something about too many pastel colors), but they have one of the best slogans around, which also happens to be their company name, website, and one of the most valuable trademarks ever. You see, you cannot trademark generic terms like "soccer team". "Life is Good" kind of falls under that category but the company was lucky enough to secure the trademark.Anyway, their company story is pretty classic - two brothers, lots of passion, garage startup, rags-to-riches type story. Here's the beginning of it:
In 1989, Bert and John Jacobs designed their first tee shirt. They knew nothing about the business. For five years, the brothers hawked tee shirts in the streets of Boston and traveled the East Coast, selling door-to-door in college dormitories. They collected some good stories, but were not very prosperous ...
Read the rest here and check out this Inc. Magazine piece on the company.
posted by Michael Tavani @ 9:05 PM |
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100 best companies to work for
Monday, January 08, 2007
3 great reads.> CNN/Money Magazine's 100 best companies to work for is always interesting. Gooess who's #1?
> 10 Hot Jobs for 2007
> How to launch a career with your blog
Labels: biz, creative biz., news
posted by Michael Tavani @ 7:45 PM |
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