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New business ideas featured this week: instant translator for IM conversations, buy-one-give-one applied to housing, premium chocolate from tech-forward chocolate makers, and more. Our next edition is due on 20 February 2008. 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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Visits to auto garages are rarely a pleasant experience, fraught as they are with jargon-filled descriptions, unclear pricing and less-than-pristine surroundings. Not so at the UK's HiQ chain, which is rebranding itself as the transparent, no-stress fast-fit tire company. As part of its rebranding (and premiumizing) effort, which launched last year, HiQ promises never to use hidden costs or perform any work without the customer's permission. It also pledges to use only plain, jargon-free English in its communications with customers, and to undergo routine audits to maintain national standards. An online tire finder, meanwhile, lets customers find the tires they want online—without any sales pressure—and book a fitting at their convenience. HiQ's site also offers educational information on buying tires, as well as a do-it-yourself guide. Perhaps most tangible, however, is the new design at the chain's first post-rebranding store in Nottingham, which virtually screams transparency with a clean, black-and-white colour scheme, clearly worded signs and even glass walls that let customers see onto the shop floor themselves. “The redevelopment of our Nottingham centre reflects extensive research that highlighted what we suspected—that customers are negative about visits to fast-fit centres because premises are dirty, staff are either unhelpful or speak in technical jargon and prices are unclear,” managing director Neil Burrows told Motor Trader. There's no denying that the auto industry as a whole has been sorely in need of some transparency. Add to that a premiumized experience amid a sea of cost-cutting competitors, and there's no telling how far this competitive advantage might go. One to make universal! (Related: Car dealership catches female fever.) Website: www.hiqonline.co.uk Spotted by: thecoolhunter.net
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The wired population may be able to zap messages around the planet in an instant, but whether those messages are understood is another matter. Language barriers still exist, and that's where a new service called SpeakLike plans to make its mark. SpeakLike bills itself as the first instant messaging service for accurate, real-time translation chat across multiple languages, making it possible for users to type text in their own language and have others see it in theirs, accurately and within seconds. Whereas most current translation options rely either on machines, which are notoriously inaccurate, or on human translators, which are costly and time-intensive, SpeakLike uses a combination of both to improve accuracy and reduce costs. Users begin by downloading some free software from the service. Then, when they send some text, a human translator for SpeakLike checks and corrects the machine translation of that text in real time, allowing those on the receiving end to see it in their own languages, quickly and correctly. While not accredited translators, SpeakLike's translation staff are bilingual and capable of conversation-quality translation, the company says; they are also bound by strict confidentiality agreements and a code of ethics. New York-based SpeakLike was launched into beta at the end of January, and is currently still for use by invitation only. Its services are available only in English, Spanish and Simplified Chinese at the moment. More languages are coming soon, however, as is an option for users to get transcripts of their conversations. Premium, enterprise and integrated web services—including support for legal and medical translation specialties—will be added later, SpeakLike says. Following its beta period, SpeakLike's introductory pricing will start at USD 0.10 per short translated message. Cultural homogenization notwithstanding, the world is not that small when there are barriers to communication. By breaking those barriers down, SpeakLike—and the many minipreneurs that may follow in its footsteps—stand to win. Website: www.speaklike.com Spotted by: Ozgur Alaz
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Last December, we featured a company that’s applying customization to cellphones. By plugging together different modules and maybe adding a few lines of code, a mobile device from Bug Labs can be customized to suit its owner’s (changing) fancy. zzzPhone is taking a different approach by allowing customers to select their preferred features online and then manufacturing a phone for them within 15 days. (A few options lead to longer delivery times of up to six weeks.) Phones are custom-built and shipped directly to the customer from a factory near Shenzhen, China. Prices start at USD 149 for the basic unit, which is available in a range of colours. Customers can tweak to their heart’s delight, adding a camera (up to 7 megapixels), GPS, flashlight, stereo speakers, software, a touch screen, upgrading processors and boosting internal memory up to 4 GB. Another nifty feature, and one that most network-bound phones don’t offer, is the option of two SIM card slots, enabling buyers to use two phone numbers or accounts on one phone. The start-up claims to use the same components as major brands like Motorola, Nokia, Palm and Samsung. Mimicking Dell’s mass customization model for personal computers, American-owned zzzPhone could tap into a broad base of tech-craving customers who care more about features and pricing than brand names. zzzPhone has launched an aggressive reseller plan in hopes of quickly expanding sales. Customized phones can also be ordered and manufactured in bulk, which suggests that an entrepreneur could specify features and software designed to serve—say—physicians or stock traders, and resell to a niche market. Plenty of business opportunities here! Website: www.zzzphone.com Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen
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Serious chocolate lovers may be excused for knowing little about the manufacture of their favourite food, engrossed as they typically are in its consumption. But a new San Francisco start-up has just become one of only a few major chocolate manufacturers in the United States, and it's taking a high-tech approach to the confection of this ages-old delight. The company's "obsessively good" dark chocolate is created in limited run, "beta editions" that are available only online and at its factory store. Continuous flavour development and customer feedback mean that varieties are constantly evolving, with new versions emerging as often as every 36 hours. TCHO also aims to change the way people describe chocolate, and has created a new taxonomy based on common-sense terms like "nutty," "fruity" and "chocolatey" to help people find the types they like best. Its products are named accordingly, such as the recent Beta C Ghana 0.2x release, for example, in which the "C" stands for chocolatey (and status skills go to consumers who learn to interpret the rest!). Finally, TCHO embraces a social mission that goes beyond Fair Trade to help farmers by transferring knowledge of how to grow and ferment better beans, allowing them to escape commodity production and become premium producers. TCHO's 50g chocolate bars, wrapped in plain-brown paper, are priced at USD 4 each. We've already covered the rise of chocolate into a snobmoddity, with premium vendors such as UK-based Sir Hans Sloane and experience-rich chocolate "bars" and lounges popping up around the world. Right on cue, TCHO is also planning a tasting room "as gracious as a European Grand Cafe and a remarkable space in which to experience TCHO’s chocolates and drinks." Let's hope this trend never fades! Website: www.tcho.com Spotted by: Claudia Kishler Rice
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People band together online to date, discuss politics or lose weight. Now a US website called Greenopolis has created a community whose members help each other live in a more earth-friendly manner. After registering on Greenopolis, which is still in beta, visitors complete an online survey that analyses their daily activities to determine how ‘green’ their lifestyle is. Based on the survey findings users receive a coloured badge, which shows other members just how much of a friend to the earth they really are. Orange badge holders need to clean up their environmental act, and solid green badge holders are on the right track. By participating on the site, users are awarded points, which are displayed for other members to see (sometimes, peer pressure can be used for good). More points—and corresponding changes in badge colour—show that they’re becoming more environmentally responsible. Plus, when the site officially debuts, points can be used to receive discounts on sustainable products. Greenopolis founders also want to make the badges portable, so that members can post them on their blogs and social network pages. As a concept, Greenopolis’ point system also seems highly portable. It’s easy to imagine similar website helping diabetics better manage their disease or kids improve their exercise habits. (Related: Doing the green thing.) Website: www.greenopolis.com Spotted by: Ozgur Alaz
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The US health-care industry may be best known for its problems, which currently include a labyrinth of Byzantine rules and regulations, covert pricing schemes and millions of citizens without insurance. At the end of January, however, a Minnesota-based site launched that just may give the industry the shake-up it so desperately needs. Carol, also billed as The Care Marketplace, describes itself as an online shopping mall that gives consumers everything they need to shop, compare and purchase health care much the way they do other goods and services. Focusing on the Minneapolis and Twin Cities area, consumers can go online to compare the cost and quality of more than 350 health services from local, competing health care providers and doctors, and then select the option best suited for them. Participating providers create condition-specific care packages of related health care services, such as common immunizations, neck and back pain diagnosis and treatment, pregnancy classes, a year’s worth of diabetes care, or in-home check-ups. Each provider specifies on Carol's site what's included, the location of treatment, the types of patients treated (men, women or kids) and the total price of the package, along with quality information and customer ratings. Carol, meanwhile, works with insurance companies to verify consumer membership and provide cost estimates for care packages. The result is that consumers can apply their health insurance benefits and instantly view base prices and estimated in-network and out-of-pocket costs for each health care service. Carol's services are free for consumers with or without health insurance, and appointments can be scheduled online through the site. Thirty Minneapolis-area providers have already joined Carol, which plans to expand to additional US markets over the course of this year. Health-care entrepreneurs: This could do for health care what Travelocity did for airline reservations. Pay close attention! (Related: Doctor 2.0.) Website: www.carol.com
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Donating money to charitable causes is all very well and good, but there's usually an abstractness about it that makes one wonder if the funds are really helping those who need it. A new project by California eco-urban design firm LJ Urban aims to make giving more concrete—quite literally—by matching its sales of homes domestically with funds to build homes in the impoverished African nation of Burkina Faso. LJ Urban has designed a new eco-urban community of 35 LEED ND Certified homes in the urban core of Sacramento, its home town. The community is suggestively named Good, and for each home within it that gets sold, LJ Urban has committed to funding the complete training of a West African mason to build sustainable homes for families in Burkina Faso. By partnering with the Association La Voûte Nubienne (AVN), which has already trained about 60 local masons to build durable homes out of earth bricks and mortar, LJ Urban aims to go beyond just providing homes to impart enduring skills and jobs to the local community. Taking the notion a step further, LJ Urban has also opted to skip the expensive marketing campaign to promote its Good community, and to use that money to train more African masons instead. So, for every 100,000 people who visit LJ Urban's new, dedicated website by July 1st, the company will fund the complete training of another local Burkina Faso mason—up to 20 in all through this viral approach. The Good project was inspired by Toms Shoes, a project that donates a pair of shoes for every one it sells. "[That] approach captivated us because it broke through the 'charity fatigue' all of us have felt at one time or another," LJ Urban's team explains. "The question then became: 'What if we could do something like that with our houses?'…" The project is also reminiscent of One Laptop Per Child's (OLPC's) "Give One Get One" campaign last year through which consumers could donate a laptop and get one for their own use at the same time. A model of giving to bring to your neck of the woods...? Website: www.dosomegoodnow.com
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With today's airline baggage restrictions and cramped cabin seating, travelling light makes more and more sense. A new service from Dubai-based Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts helps travellers do just that by allowing them to pre-order items from the hotel's retail offerings and have them waiting in their room when they arrive. Founded in 1997, Jumeirah operates hotels in Dubai, London and New York, as well as 14 retail stores within those hotels. The company's new pre-arrival service allows guests to choose from a range of personal-care products in the online Jumeirah Collection—including sunscreen, toothpaste and baby wipes by familiar brands—as well as a selection of books by current authors for entertainment. Orders are wrapped and left in guests' rooms before they arrive, and the cost of the products is simply added to the room charge. Parents of young children in particular would doubtless appreciate a wider range of products to choose from, including bulky items such as diapers and more items for kids, but Jumeirah's concept is a good one. Items in its retail collection are priced in a manner befitting the hotels' luxury clientele, so the pre-arrival service will enhance not just customer convenience but also the profitability of each guest stay. Other hotels: time to start thinking ahead! (Related: Helping parents travel lighter.) Website: www.jumeirahcollection.com/PreArrival.aspx
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Sporting goods retailers that cater to divers, bicyclists and skiers strive to build their customer base into a community, frequently organizing outings, classes and gear clinics. The events cement long-term customer relationships and the experiences help those customers make the most of their purchases. (See our sister-site trendwatching.com’s briefing on status skills for more examples of helping customers master skills.) A Florida extreme sports store called Adrenalina has gone to the next level by bringing the excitement of its surfing products right into its shopping mall space. Enter the FlowRider: an in-store surfing simulator that creates an artificial wave using highly-pressurized water. Beginners and experts alike get to try out wakeboards (mini surfboards) right in the store. As they balance on boards held aloft by an endless barrage of water, other customers in the store can watch their antics from behind floor-to-ceiling windows. FlowRiders can be found in water parks and even on cruise ships. But Adrenalina is the first retailer to install them, creating a powerful attention-grabbing attraction at its Miami and Orlando stores. Surfers pay USD 20 for a half-hour session, and Adrenalina generates repeat visits through club memberships that let boarders use the facility 6–12 times per month. Combined with a wide range of surf gear, the store lets consumers experience the surfing lifestyle, trying before they buy. Adrenalina aims to expand the concept across the US. One to replicate in other countries or for other sports? Website: www.adrenalinastore.com Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen
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Back in 2006 we covered GoinGreen's G-Wiz electric cars. Recently, we've begun seeing several options emerge in battery-powered trucks, serving the business market. In London, Electruc distributes the French-built Mega Multitruck, which is designed for inner-city use. With speeds up to 30mph and a range of up to 60 miles, the Mega Multitruck can handle payloads from 300kg to 530kg, depending on body type. The Mega Multitruck charges from a standard 13amp (3 pin) socket, and five body types are available, including modifications for espresso carts or mobile fruit stalls. As with electric cars, the Mega trucks are exempt from congestion charges and road tax, and they are eligible for free parking in many London boroughs. Pricing starts at GBP 45 per week, based on a 60-month contract; average yearly running costs are just GBP 215, or between 2p and 3p per mile, Electruc says. On the other side of the Atlantic, California-based ZAP (which stands for Zero Air Pollution) sells a range of electric vehicles, including both cars and trucks. The company's 3-wheel Xebra Electric Truck, for example, offers speeds up to 40mph and a range of 25 miles per charge. Both flatbed and dump-truck styles are available, as are left- and right-hand steering. The suggested retail price is USD 12,500, and operating costs are between 1 and 3 cents per mile. This fall, Zap will also begin selling the Zap Truck XL, a 4-wheel vehicle with a payload of 770 lbs, maximum speed of 25mph and a range of 30 miles. Estimated MSRP is USD 18,500, and operating costs are about 3 cents per mile. With their financial and environmental advantages, demand for vehicles like these will only increase. Transportation entrepreneurs: time to make "emission-free" your mantra! Website: www.electruc.com — www.zapworld.com Spotted by: Ben Wraith
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Though by no means ubiquitous, household energy monitors have been around for some time. A few new entries into the space, however, add a splash of colour and style to make understanding energy consumption more intuitive. Wattson, first of all, is a sleek, aesthetically pleasing device that shows homeowners through both numbers and colours how much energy they are using in their home. Consumers begin by attaching to their electricity meter or fuse box a transmitter device, which can measure both single and 3-phase systems. That, in turn, beams information directly to the freestanding wattson device elsewhere in the house, where it instantly displays current usage. Wattson's LED display can represent energy use in euros, dollars, yen or pounds, while its pulsing, coloured light also reflects the amount of electricity being used, ranging from cool blue for small amounts to red for high energy consumption. The wireless wattson display is portable, and when appliances are switched on or off, it indicates how much energy they use. Homeowners can store up to 4 weeks of energy-use history on the device and download it for analysis on software that comes included; a forthcoming community feature will let wattson owners compare their usage. Wattson was listed in Stuff Magazine's "Cool List" of the top 10 gadgets of 2007. It is priced at GBP 149.50 from UK-based DIY KYOTO. The Home Joule, meanwhile, resembles a nightlight and plugs into any outlet in a home. The device displays not just energy usage, broadcast wirelessly by the consumer's energy meter, but also the real-time cost of energy, which comes wirelessly from the energy company. The colour of light emitted by the device represents the costs of the moment, with yellow and red light indicating expensive energy costs, while green means energy is cheaper. The idea is that consumers can then modify their consumption accordingly, switching off discretionary appliances at peak times of the day. The Home Joule is from Ambient Devices and is currently available only to customers of Consumer Powerline's demand-response program. Finally, though not truly an energy monitor, we can't resist mentioning Ambient's beautiful Energy Orb, which also emits different colours of light to represent pricing information. This time, however, the device emitting the light is an egg-shaped orb that plugs into an outlet. The Energy Orb has been adopted by Pacific Gas & Electric and other US energy companies, and is priced at USD 149.99. With energy prices heading nowhere but up, so, too, will demand for devices like these. One to get in on early, especially outside the US! Websites: www.diykyoto.com — www.consumerpowerline.com — www.ambientdevices.com Spotted by: Vibeke Viteri
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Last fall we covered StyleShake, a site that lets consumers design their own dresses, and recently we came across a like-purposed site called Studio 28 Couture. Founded in February 2007, Studio 28 focuses on dresses that have vintage appeal. Customers begin by selecting a bodice style for their dress, followed by the skirt style. They can then choose from more than 100 fabrics and trims, including many antique-style florals and prints. The resulting dresses are made individually in the U.S.A. by Studio 28’s seamstresses from 100% cotton fabric, and each dress's USD 200 price includes one free alteration. Those unsure of what they want can send Studio 28 a full-length photo of themselves, and the company's advisors will offer suggestions on the most flattering styles and colours. Studio 28 also sells a selection of its dresses through retailers near its Pittsford, N.Y., offices. As we noted in last year's post, it will be nice to see this type of DIY approach brought to other types of clothing, including shirts, pants and swimsuits, as well as ways to enable consumers to monetize what they create. Either way, though, it's further evidence that consumers really do like making—or at least designing—it themselves! Website: www.studio28couture.com Spotted by: Dan Nice
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