The wisdom of the crowds has already been put to work to improve product design, provide personal style advice and resolve marital disputes, so why not use it to tackle the economy, too? In Ireland, a new grassroots initiative is aiming to do just that through a campaign to solicit ideas for economic recovery.

Launched just a week ago, the Ideas Campaign is asking the citizens of Ireland to propose innovative ideas to boost economic activity in the country across 19 key areas including manufacturing, technology, construction, retail and education. Ideas that will enrich the country through the arts, sports, and volunteer and community activity are being solicited too. Launched by businesswoman Aileen O’Toole, the campaign is an independent and nonpolitical effort funded by O’Toole’s business, AMAS. In addition to contributing practical ideas, visitors to the campaign's website can also leave messages of support. The campaign will run until 31 March. In April, its coordinators will use the ideas received to deliver an action plan to government with aggressive timelines for execution; an advisory group including senior figures from business, academia, economics and the public sector will participate at that point to ensure that recommendations are both pragmatic and achievable.

Within the first 24 hours of the campaign's launch, more than 450 people had submitted ideas on the site. Within just five days, more than 1,200 proposals had been made—a selection of which are posted on the site. All of which goes to show, of course, that there's never a shortage of ideas—on virtually any topic—when you ask the crowds. Ask, and you shall receive; don't ask, and you just might miss out on a winning idea. One to watch!

Website: www.ideascampaign.ie
Contact: info@ideascampaign.ie

Spotted by: Jonathan Kyle

More than 15 billion pieces of paper mail are sent in the United States each month, at considerable cost both to senders and to the environment. Zumbox hopes to change all that with a new, paperless alternative to the U.S. Mail.

California-based Zumbox has created an online mailbox for every street address in the US, including residences and businesses alike. So, anyone in the country can begin using Zumbox immediately on the web to send and receive all-digital mail for free. Senders simply upload an electronic document—Word and PDF are both supported, as are interactive formats like HTML, Flash, audio and video—and specify the recipient's street address. That mail then gets sent to the recipient's Zumbox electronically. At the other end, recipients see an image of an envelope and click on it to open it. They're then shown what looks like a duplicate version of what they'd normally find in their traditional mailbox.

Any content that can be printed can also be sent via Zumbox, including bills, statements, purchase orders, and other accounting documents, and senders can even incorporate a "Pay Now" button that links to the payment system of their choice. Zumbox has also implemented bank-level security, and is compliant with the security standards of the financial, healthcare, and banking industries. Analytics are available to help marketers track mailings and campaigns. Perhaps best of all, Zumbox relieves organizations interested in reducing their paper usage from the near-impossible task of gaining and updating recipients' email addresses. Receiving mail via Zumbox is free for everyone. Advertisers and marketers must pay USD 0.05 per street address to send mail through the service, as must individuals who want to send mail to more than 50 addresses per month.

Zumbox launched into limited public beta last month, and it will clearly take time before significant numbers of users sign on. One also has to wonder what would stop consumers from using Zumbox just as a catch-all for the mail they don't actually want to receive, keeping all those marketing offers and other "junk mail" out of their traditional mailboxes. Still, the paperless potential makes Zumbox an intriguing new contender. One to watch, try out, or get in on early...? (Related: Snail mail app for Facebook users — Send an email to post a letter — Free snail mail, sponsored by advertisers.)

Website: beta.zumbox.com
Contact: bizdev@zumbox.com

Spotted by: Treehugger via Raymond Kollau

Catering to customers who are tired of queuing outside club entrances before elbowing their way to the bar, The Gibson is a pseudo-speakeasy with a no-waiting and no-standing policy. The Washington D.C. bar, owned by Thievery Corporation's Eric Hilton, doesn’t publicize its address or phone number. Patrons who find their way to its unmarked door are shown to a table if one is free. If not, the doorman takes their phone number and alerts them by text message as soon as they can be seated.

Half of the 48 seats are booked in advance (reservations are encouraged), and the other half are reserved for walk-ins. The no-standing policy leads to a relaxed atmosphere where customers are made to feel like members, while a two-hour limit on tables keeps business moving and cocktails flowing.

Though unmarked doors and pseudo-speakeasies are hardly new on the nightlife circuit, the focus is usually on exclusivity for exclusivity’s sake, rather than on creating a comfortable experience for an establishment’s patrons. If you’re in the hospitality business, this is one to experiment with! (Related: Restaurants page waiting guests on their cellphones.)

Website: n/a
Address: 2009 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202-232-2156

Spotted by: Emily Wall

Instead of researching which bank offers the highest interest rate, Dutch consumers can now put their money up for auction, getting banks to bid on their savings.

After registering with new online facilitator Spaarbod, consumers state how much money they'd like to put aside, for how long and on which terms. The website automatically calculates the best rates that are currently available to all. At that point, consumers can sign up for that offer. However, they can also wait and see what banks will bid at auction. Spaarbod sends their data—minus personal details—to participating banks, who make an offer in a sealed-bid auction. Within a day, a user receives an email listing the five highest bidders, and can pick the best offer. The service is free for consumers, and banks pay a commission for every bid that results in a savings deposit.

Spaarbod's method is an interesting example of the intention economy at work. Buyers state a purchasing intention, and companies compete for their business. Which, in theory, turns selling into a buyer-oriented process, and alleviates the need for advertising. One to watch! (Related: Shipping market capitalizes on intentions.)

Website: www.spaarbod.nl
Contact: info@spaarbod.nl

Several years ago we covered junk-removal companies 1-800-Got-Junk and Any Junk?, based in Canada and the UK, respectively. Though we didn't know it then, turns out a like-minded company was being launched in the US around the same time. Epitomizing the brand name that says it all, College Hunks Hauling Junk has since grown from a temporary summer gig into a multi-truck, multimillion-dollar franchised business with locations across the United States.

Washington, D.C.-based College Hunks Hauling Junk taps local colleges and universities to find what it calls the friendliest and most trustworthy junk haulers in the industry. Serving both residential and commercial clients—past ones have included US Airways and the SEC—the company offers comprehensive service and upfront pricing that includes labour, disposal fees and travel time. College Hunks says it recycles more than 60 percent of the junk it collects, and it also donates a portion of its revenue to College Bound, a nonprofit scholarship program. Since its original founding in 2005, the company has expanded to employ more than 100 people in 14 locations including Orlando, Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and has been featured in SmartCEO Magazine, The Washington Post and on Oprah.com. This year, it expects to grow to 30 franchises, with overall sales of USD 10 million. Meanwhile, a new sister business—College Foxes Packing Boxes—was launched last year.

College Hunks is actively seeking franchisees across the country; one to bring to a junk-laden territory near you? (Related: Helping seniors relocate.)

Website: www.1800junkusa.com — www.collegefoxes.com
Contact: www.1800junkusa.com/aboutus-and-contactus — service@collegefoxes.com

Spotted by: George Palmer