Managing a rental property is no task for the faint of heart, and that challenge only multiplies as the list of properties grows. Fortunately, two companies on two different continents have come up with tools to help make the job easier.

Australian Streetfolio gives property managers a central way to manage their entire property portfolio themselves, without having to pay fees to an outside agent. A portfolio section gives an overview of all the owner's properties on a single page, including photo, cost, value, mortgage outstanding and other details for each. The property dashboard, meanwhile, zooms in with more detailed information about a property and its financials. Cashflow and analysis sections help manage those financials—including rent and taxes—while other sections provide at-a-glance details on mortgage, insurance and lease information, as well as contacts and reminders. Using Streetfolio for just one property is free; plans for more than one begin at AUD 7 per month.

From Massachusetts-based Investment Instruments, meanwhile—makers of Rentometer, which we covered not long ago—comes Rentomatic, a site that focuses on facilitating relations between property owners and tenants. A portion of the site dedicated to landlords provides a secure environment for managing properties, including quick views on upcoming or critical events for each; income and expense tracking tools specifically designed for real estate; and the ability to advertise multiple listings online, track important lease, rent and tenant information, and create detailed income and expense items. A separate tenant portion of the site, meanwhile, gives tenants a straightforward way to communicate maintenance requests, for example, as well as to make and track electronic rent payments. Launched in January, Rentomatic offers basic tools for up to 5 units for free, while the advanced plan costs USD 30 per month. Management of electronic rent payments costs USD 5 monthly per lease.

Once again, the web streamlines countless tiresome tasks in one fell swoop. That's the US and Australia taken care of; still plenty of room to spread! (Related: Using pictures to help tenants request repairs.)

Websites: www.streetfolio.com — www.rentomatic.com
Contact: media@streetfolio.com — www.rentomatic.com/contact

Spotted by: Bill McMahon

Back in 2006 we wrote about Babyplanners, a UK firm that helps parents-to-be prepare for the arrival of their first baby. Now Oregon-based Itsabelly provides similar services but with an eco twist.

Launched last year, Itsabelly offers personalized plans that can include whatever services an expecting couple needs, such as identifying the best baby items to buy or request as gifts; help finding a good doula, midwife, birthing center or prenatal yoga classes; guidance on baby-proofing at home; maternity clothes shopping consultation; private cooking classes focused on making homemade baby food; and assistance designing and decorating the baby's nursery. For families interested in taking a green approach to raising their children, Itsabelly can also help choose baby products that are eco-friendly and made from natural products—the Itsabelly Boutique has collected a range of organic and natural products from a variety of manufacturers. Itsabelly offers a complimentary consultation to discuss expectant parents' current situation and lifestyle needs, while the Itsabelly VIP Hotline offers clients unlimited consultation via phone or email. Pricing for Itsabelly's services can be by the package or a la carte.

Itsabelly currently serves families in the Portland and San Francisco Bay areas—which leaves how many other markets still to be tapped...? To make it easy, Itsabelly offers a Baby Concierge in a Box Kit to help entrepreneurs launch their own services. One to bring to your neck of the woods!

Website: www.itsa-belly.com
Contact: info@itsa-belly.com

Spotted by: Nancy Grossman

The line between kid and adult beverages began to blur a few years ago, when vintners began offering wines in Tetra Paks resembling juice boxes. Now, the confusion goes the other way with First Blush's Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay fruit juices. First Blush varietal grape juices are alcohol-free and entirely suitable for kids, with no added sugar or preservatives. Like wine, however, they're also full of polyphenol antioxidants. Launched last May, the drinks are available in upscale grocers such as Whole Foods and Wild Oats, along with delis and restaurants in select states nationwide. Retail pricing is about USD 4 for each 16-ounce bottle.

Juice is already well-entrenched in the world of 'snobmoddities', as we've noted before. But rather than focusing on organic ingredients, as so many others are currently doing, First Blush takes a different approach with its use of grape varietals. It just goes to show: not only can everything be upgraded, but there's usually more than one way to do so!

Website: www.firstblushjuice.com
Contact: sales@firstblushjuice.com

Spotted by: Martina Meng

Few things are more frustrating to those trying to effect social change than an effort that fails simply for lack of participation. The Point is a new activism site that avoids that problem by giving planners a way to organize fundraisers, rallies, boycotts and other events so that they occur only once enough people have promised to join in.

To do this, The Point takes the notion of the tipping point—that point at which group action will produce a clear result and inevitable change—and applies it to organizing group efforts. Those who join a campaign pledge to take specific action—to boycott a company, for example, or donate funds toward a cause—but no one actually acts until the campaign reaches its preset tipping point, or number of pledged participants. When that point is reached, however, the action is triggered and participants make their donations, attend the event or boycott the organization. The Point can also be used to organize anonymously until a campaign builds to a level that provides safety in numbers and allows people to reveal their identities comfortably.

Andrew Mason, The Point's founder and CEO, explains: “The Point is a new way of thinking about collective action. People need a way to know where their participation adds the most value. That’s what The Point offers—an environment where people are only asked to participate when their action can be combined with others to create a solution.”

There have been efforts in the past that used crowd clout and conditional participation—MyFootballClub, which we covered last year, comes to mind—but The Point takes a generalized approach and facilitates many different types of such efforts in one place. (Some, in fact, border on the frivolous, such as "John's Proposal" to a woman named Patty—which he'll make only if 999 people give their blessing.) Based in Chicago, The Point only just launched in late November, but in January it received USD 4.8 million from venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates; eventually, it plans to accept advertising as well. The site recently released an "Ultimatums" application on Facebook, and last month it was named a finalist in the SXSW Annual Web awards. Those in social activism will want to try the site out for their own organizing purposes. For all others, it's a model to emulate! (Related: Crowdfunding software development.)

Website: www.thepoint.com
Contact: info@thepoint.com

Spotted by: Bill McMahon

Korean-style frozen yoghurt stores like Pinkberry and Red Mango, which we featured in 2006, are popping up across the US, hooking consumers on a dessert that’s tangier and less sweet than fro-yo of yore. Entering a crowded market, a small Californian chain has come up with a simple sales model that sets it apart from the competition. Customers serve themselves at Yogurtland—choosing from 16 frozen yoghurt flavours and 33 varieties of fruit and other toppings—and pay USD 0.30 an ounce, no matter which toppings they’ve picked. To stress the simple pricing, it’s printed on staff members’ shirts.

Besides offering customers the opportunity to create exactly the dessert they want, it wouldn’t surprise us if the portions they serve themselves are larger than they would buy if faced with the choice between small, medium and large. One to look into if you’re thinking of bringing new style frozen yoghurt to other parts of the world.

Website: www.yogurt-land.com
Contact: info@yogurt-land.com

Spotted by: Amy Leung