| July 24, 2008 |
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In This Edition:
Jessica Hammock takes the cake for June's Best Small Business Idea. Jam at BizJam Get it out there Jeffrey Hollender and Diane MacEachern lend an ear (and a keyboard). Women represent, and a hello to Seattle blobbers.
And the winner is… Jessica, a Teach for America
alum and doctoral candidate at Emory University, will develop astronomy curriculums
for underprivileged youth. Hammock will use ideablob's $10,000 prize to purchase telescopes
and offset startup expenses.
Hammock's company, Project Epiphany,
offers urban elementary and middle school students the chance to use real telescopes to learn the
principles of astronomy and explore the night sky. Hammock hopes the project will inspire future
astronomers and provide children with hands-on activities and astronomy field trips to dark sky
sites where students can see the stars in a way that is impossible in an urban environment.
Project Epiphany has grown
naturally out of my interests in science education and social justice," said Hammock." With this award from
ideablob. com, I'll be able to get kids out of the city to experience real
astronomy with real equipment." Hammock plans to use most of the $10,000 prize to buy equipment like a solar telescope, so kids can look
at the sun during the day. She also plans to use the award money to pay for web design and additional field
trips. Ideablob will visit Jessica in Atlanta to present her with the
$10,000 check at the Fernbank Science Center on July 25th.
Spanking New: As of last week, ideablob users can now post links such as www.ideablob.com and http://ideablob.com directly within any advice given. Try it out at ideablob.com.
Tip of the Week: Marketing your company during start-up and throughout its duration is huge to its success. Marketing expenses through traditional media tend to cost a fortune, and it's all about getting the most bang for your buck. So consider viral marketing; it's cheap, it drives traffic, and it's a heckuva good time. Here are a few tips.
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Out on the Town: Curt Rosengren, a blogger from Seattle, was in the audience. In a post following the event, Curt wrote, "For me, it was the best part of the entire conference. Not so much because of the specific advice being given, but because of the energy that was flying around the room as people just about jumped out of their seats wanting to help. It was inspiring, primarily because it reinforced one of my basic beliefs in life. 'People want to help.' The people in the audience weren't just offering their advice and ideas because they were supposed to. They were doing it because they wanted to. They were excited about it." We were excited to be a part of it too. We see it every day on ideablob, but there is nothing quite like the energy we make when we collaborate and give. Many thanks to Lara, Dan, Amanda and the many Biznik volunteers who made the event so worthwhile.
A Word of Advice: We're putting a little spin on this week's Word of Advice. Coming all the way from Niagara
Falls, ideablob user, odicabs, has been making a whirlwind of activity varying from
idea submissions to helpful comments and advice. "Ideablob provides the perfect outlet for my creativity," says Odi Cabansay (odicabs). "Instead
of scribbling my concepts on a pad which eventually ends in the trash can, I simply post my
thoughts on ideablob.com." "It's really amazing how varied and wild people's opinions are, and it's equally fun to read
ideas from different people. Ideablob is a testament to the undying human spirit." Cabansay also
stated that his experience on ideablob.com 'makes you feel that as
long as we still have people wanting to change this world for the better, we're not doomed after
all.' We appreciate your outlook, odicabs! Guest Advisor Spotlight: They sure knew what they're talking about. Jeffrey Hollender and Diane MacEachern
make us proud to call them our newest guest advisors! Jeffrey Hollender, President and Chief Inspired Protagonist of Seventh Generation,
makers of environmentally safe cleaning products,
is a well-respected leader in the socially aware and environmentally responsible business
communities. Hollender is an entrepreneur at heart and has developed Seventh Generation into the
leading brand of green cleaners, laundry detergent, dishwashing soap, diapers, baby wipes,
tampons, recycled toilet paper, tissues and paper towels. He will be sharing his expertise
with ideablob during the week of July 21, 2008. "One big part of Seventh Generation's mission is
to help the wider business community move to a model of deeper business purpose, where
bottom-line growth is merged with making a difference in the world. Being a guest advisor
on ideablob is another way we can fulfill that mission." Diane MacEachern is the founder and president of
Big Green Purse. A best selling author and award-winning entrepreneur,
MacEachern specializes in teaching the public (especially women entrepreneurs) to take
actions that will make a difference through her books, articles and speeches. She also
helps environmental organizations engage more women as members, activists and donors. MacEachern is an expert on how to use the marketplace to protect the environment. Her
new book, "Big Green
Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World,"
helps consumers choose what to buy in order to influence manufacturers to go green.
Useful Links for Small Businesses:
http://www.netimpact.org/ Blobbing Buzz:
Women Represent Hello Seattle We had a blast - thanks to everyone for coming. If you want us to drop by your neck
of the woods, don't be shy. Send us a note and we'll
pencil you in. |
