Springwise: Promising new business ideas for entrepreneurial minds

Customizing sneakers with removable stickers

2008-09-05T08:03:01Z

Hard on the heels—so to speak—of our story about sneaker customization at Keds Studio last week comes another spotting in the world of customized footwear: Sneakart, a site that lets users personalize sneakers from any brand via specially designed removable stickers.

Still in beta, UK-based Sneakart offers users the opportunity to customize their sneakers via Sneakskin, a super-thin, flexible, durable and waterproof graphic film that can be applied to white, light-coloured and metallic shoes. Printed with non-toxic ink in the UK, Sneakskin is 100 percent PVC-free and can be peeled off and replaced at will. It's available either in sheets of individual stickers or in 22-by-29-cm sheets of patterns that the user can cut to fit the areas to be covered; either way, one or two sheets is typically enough to customize one pair of shoes, Sneakart says. Sneakart offers a wide variety of patterns and designs ranging in price from about GBP 4.95 to 5.95 per sheet, but users can also create their own artwork and upload it to the site. They can choose either to keep their design private, for their use only, or to make it public and offer it up for the use of others as well. The motivation to go public is considerable: each time a public design is purchased, Sneakart credits the designer's account with 10 percent of the sale price, available either as a credit toward further Sneakart purchases or via direct payment. Sneakskin peels easily off its backing paper for application, and sticks on shoes with regular daily wear for a few months. Sneakart donates 10p from every order it receives to Street Kids International, and it has also offset its 2008 carbon footprint twice over through PURE's renewable energy projects in India, Brazil and China.

There's no doubt customization is a good thing, but rewarding consumers for their customer-made innovations just may knock this one out of the park. Next, how about helping to bring this concept to other types of shoes, handbags or even cellphones and personal gadgets? (Related: New sneaker brand relies on crowds for design.)

Website: www.sneakart.com
Contact: www.sneakart.com/bin/WebObjects/SneakArt.woa/wa/contactPage

Spotted by: DawnRae Knoth

Generating electricity by working up a sweat -- update

2008-09-05T00:37:43Z

It's no longer unheard of to use the energy people expend dancing to power night clubs and cell phones, as we've reported on a few occasions over the last few months. So it seems only natural to see health clubs getting in on the action with ways to capture the energy of working out.

Last year we covered efforts along those lines at Hong Kong's California Fitness gym, and now a brand-new gym in Portland, Ore., is doing something similar—inspired, in fact, by the Hong Kong example. The Green Microgym, which just opened last week, is a 2,800-sq-ft neighbourhood gym that generates a significant portion of its own electricity through the sweat-producing efforts of its members. Fully equipped with name-brand cardio equipment, a full weight room and a room for yoga/stretching, movement and core training, The Green Microgym uses a combination of solar and pedal electricity for a chunk of its energy needs. Solar panels atop the site generate almost 3 kilowatts of electricity, while the gym's Team Dynamo and Spin Bikes—engineered by founder Adam Boesel to connect to wind-generator motors—can collectively generate up to 750 watts. In addition, the Green Microgym is working on ways to capture the excess energy from its elliptical trainers as well.

The Green Microgym also aims to use less resources than the average health club. Its SportsArt EcoPowr Treadmills, for example, use 30 percent less electricity than others, and the facility features EnergyStar-rated (and member-controlled) ceiling fans, compact fluorescent lights, lower-energy LCD TVs and double-flush toilets. It also avoids the need for large water heaters by not offering showers. Floors are made from recycled rubber, marmoleum, and eco-friendly cork flooring; billing is paperless; and the gym uses nontoxic soaps and cleaning supplies. Membership costs USD 100 for enrolment and USD 49 in monthly fees--USD 29 per month for the first 100 members to join.

Boesel says he hopes to generate as much as 40 percent of his gym's energy needs, with improvements as time goes on, and he now offers consulting to help other gyms set up green initiatives of their own. Fitness entrepreneurs in London, Paris, São Paulo—how about you?

Website: www.thegreenmicrogym.com
Contact: www.thegreenmicrogym.com/index.php?memberid=1

Spotted by: C. Tynan

Click to buy: fashion blog is a street version of shopping mags

2008-09-05T00:25:51Z

Most street-style fashion blogs serve their readers primarily as sources of inspiration, but a new London-based blog has added an e-commerce twist to let readers click on looks they like and purchase them on the spot.

Stitsh, which launched earlier this year, offers up galleries of photos of real men and women on the London streets wearing a wide variety of looks and styles. In addition to having subjects sign photo releases, Stitsh's photographers also find out about the clothes they are wearing and hunt them down in retail stores, forging e-commerce partnerships wherever possible. Users of the site, which is ultimately much like a blog version of shopping magazine Lucky, can then just click on items they're interested in and be taken to stores where those items—or very similar versions—can be purchased. Photos are arranged by gender, and items are also tagged for easy searchability.

“The way I shop is I look at what people are wearing,” Stitsh founder Dom Fendius told Women's Wear Daily. “When the street-style blogs came online, I thought, wouldn’t it be great if I could buy the clothing worn in those photos?”

Stitsh is partially funded by ads, but it also works on a commission model, WWD reports. Specifically, each Stitsh reader who clicks through to the site of an online retailer such as Topshop, Miss Selfridge, House of Fraser or French Connection and buys something there earns Stitsh a commission of up to 12 percent. Some stores will even pay Stitsh the commission for shoppers who return to buy something as much as 30 days later, according to WWD. Stitsh currently covers just the streets of London, but Manchester, Stockholm and New York are reportedly in the works. One to partner with or emulate in other parts of the world...?

Website: www.stitsh.com
Contact: dom@stitsh.com

Spotted by: Susanna Haynie

Gift-giving simplified through a prepaid plan

2008-09-04T09:30:47Z

Everyone likes getting a thoughtful surprise, and giving them isn't so bad either. But it's not always easy to find the time to shop and send something or, for that matter, to remember to do so. A Brazilian startup has come up with a solution: prepaid plans for multiple gifts over a set period of time.

Targetting male gift-givers, Ticket to Mind offers four different plans: Basic, Plus, Advanced and Express, ranging in price from BRL 19.90 to BRL 69.90 per month (USD 12.00-42.00 / EUR 8.25-29.00). The Express plan, for example, is aimed at "conquering a new love or renewing an existing one", and TTM will send three bouquets of flowers over a four-month period, at random times. The sender receives a notification before each bouquet is shipped, and the flowers include a card with a message based on information provided by the sender.

Other plans include a wider variety of gifts: chocolate, toys, cosmetics and "spicy" items. Prices for each plan include products, shipping and notifications, with no additional costs charged. No mention of TTM is made on the gifts or packaging: the company wisely points out that they're keen to remain completely invisible to the recipient. Once they've signed up for the service, gift-givers can track shipments online and—depending on the plan—pick a few of the gifting dates. But not all of them. After all, the whole point is to be thoughtful not just on Mother's Day or Valentine's Day, but throughout the year. We're reminded of a trend name that our sister-site trendwatching.com coined a few years ago: planned spontaneity, which sums up the service perfectly. Amazon.com & e-commerce friends: one to add to your services? (Related: Never forget to send a birthday card again.)

Website: www.tickettomind.com.br
Contact: www.tickettomind.com.br/site/contato.asp

Spotted by: Tiago Lucci

Upgraded popsicles, Mexican style

2008-09-03T09:05:26Z

Anyone who has ever visited Mexico may already be familiar with paletas, the traditional frozen delicacies. Now a North Carolina confectioner has built a business on the paleta with a four-city chain of shops.

Based in Durham, NC, LocoPops serves up popsicles that are a far cry from what most Americans are used to receiving from the Good Humor man. A variety of different flavours are available each day, including some based on cream and others based on juice or water. Mexican favourites like creamy lime, mojito, tamarind, hibiscus and mango-chili are frequently on offer, as are more American varieties like cookies and cream and strawberries and cream. Also making a regular appearance are foodie-style combinations like pear cardamom, pineapple basil and white chocolate tangerine. In addition to innovative flavours, however, LocoPops also makes an effort to use locally sourced and organic ingredients whenever possible. For instance, many of the herbs used to flavour LocoPops come from local sources through SEEDS (South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces), a nonprofit aimed at involving urban children and teens in organic gardening, according to the News & Observer. The dairy products used in cream-based LocoPops reportedly come from Jackson's Dairy in Spiveys Corner. LocoPops are priced at USD 2 each.

Originally launched back in 2005, LocoPops has been featured in Food & Wine magazine and recently opened shops in Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Hillsborough. Reportedly, it's also begun offering PetPops for patrons' four-footed friends. What more can we say? There's nothing that can't be upgraded, and empires can be built on the strength of a single product. Pick the right one, add a dash of creative flair, and you could find your own place in the sun! (Related: Grown-up ice cream van and—to point out another product that's been successfully upgraded over the past few years—Chichi cupcake delivery and Sprinkles Cupcakes.)

Website: www.ilovelocopops.com
Contact: (919) 286–3500

Spotted by: Susanna Haynie

Motorcycle hearses offer a (life)stylish final ride

2008-09-02T11:07:09Z

Aside from eco-burials and artistic or branded urns, not a lot has changed in how we typically honour the dead. A few new hearse options have popped up in recent years, however, that offer the biker crowd a way to give loved ones an unconventional last ride.

The Tombstone Hearse Company, for example, offers transport of caskets or urns in a motorcycle-drawn nineteenth-century style hearse. Tombstone also offers the option of touring on favourite roads or past sentimental places along the way to the final destination. The Pennsylvania-based company has affiliates nationwide as well as in England and the West Indies. Prices for motorcycle hearse services begin at roughly USD 650.

Texas-based Black Diamond Motorcycle Hearse, meanwhile, offers coach and driver services for prices beginning at USD 400, while Maryland-based Mid-Atlantic Motorcycle Hearse Company serves the mid-Atlantic region for prices starting at USD 795.

The California-based Black Velvet Motorcycle Hearse company, on the other hand, uses a 2002 Harley Davidson Road King Classic and attached hearse to transport the dead while the addition of a custom 2007 Liberty sidecar allows widows to ride along.

There are other contenders as well, but the category as a whole is yet another beautiful illustration of the profitability of appealing to the massive ageing baby boom generation and its various hobbies and lifestyle choices. Whether through supermarkets, being spaces, driving services or hearse services, the opportunities are many to take traditional offerings and tailor them for this unique demographic. The reward? If you're lucky, you might just earn your own little piece of HOG heaven! ;-)

Websites: www.blackvelvethearse.com — www.tombstonehearse.com — www.bdmotorcyclehearse.com — www.midatlanticbikehearse.com

Spotted by: David Brundage

An Etsy for artisanal food

2008-09-02T09:27:49Z

Consumers interested in handmade goods already have online marketplace Etsy to help them find new treasures, and now Foodzie aims to bring similar capabilities to the food lovers of the world.

Based in Boulder, Colo., Foodzie is an online marketplace dedicated to helping consumers discover and buy food from small artisan producers and growers. The site acts as an aggregator that focuses on gourmet and organic health foods, allowing small producers to set up storefronts to display and sell their products. Though Foodzie hasn't yet officially launched its full marketplace, three producers are up and running in a "sneak preview" version of the site: Seth Ellis Chocolatier, Boulder Popcorn and Tetulia Teas, all out of Colorado. Nicely designed producer pages feature not just a selection of products for sale online, but also information on ingredients and allergens, tags, photos and background details on the people behind the store. Foodzie operates on a commission-based model whereby producers pay the company a fee of 20 percent for each transaction conducted through the site, allowing the producers to keep a full 80 percent of what they charge. (Traditional retailers, by contrast, often charge fees as high as 50 percent.)

Foodzie was founded as part of the 2008 TechStars incubator program, and is currently seeking USD 350,000 in seed funding. Not only is it another nice example of a curated marketplace—allowing consumers and small producers to find each other as never before—it's also one artisan food makers will want to get in on as soon as possible!

Website: www.foodzie.com
Contact: bizdev@foodzie.com

Spotted by: Susanna Haynie

In the Philippines: free phone love with a viral twist

2008-09-01T14:20:29Z

Regular Springwise readers no doubt remember Blyk, the Finnish free mobile operator that targets 16- to 24-year-olds with its ad-funded service. We covered Blyk's British rollout on several occasions over the past year or so, and now one of our spotters has come across a similar concept that recently launched in the Philippines.

ümobile is an invitation-only mobile service and community that targets 15- to 35-year-old Filipinos with what it says is the first ad-funded mobile network in Asia, offering a range of telephony services including calls, texts, MMS, internet surfing and downloads. Beginning in June, when the service was launched by Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise (CURE)—part of Philippine telco Smart—potential users were invited to apply for membership through a series of invite codes that were given away virally (and free) by already-accepted members or through online social networks. Young consumers with codes could then fill out ümobile's membership application, which includes a range of personal information as well as lifestyle questions such as preferences in movies and music and whether or not they go to a gym, for example. Also required is a willingness to accept ads, of course.

Based on their answers, Filipinos who were approved by Aug. 31 were given their ümobile SIM cards for free—delivered at no charge—along with a free PHP 100 load every month for the next six months. Just how many ads users will be sent each day isn't yet clear, but viewing them earns further rewards in the form of free loads or discounts and freebies. A portion of the revenues generated by a brand’s campaigns is given back to subscribers, who can then purchase ümobile services or pursue product offers.

Is there any market free love can't conquer? Seems unlikely. Mobile operators: where will you spread some love of your own...?

Website: www.umobile.com.ph
Contact: customerservice@umobile.com.ph

Spotted by: Matthew Cua

Grocer lets customers direct its community giving

2008-08-29T15:53:23Z

When corporations donate to charity, it's often far-flung global causes that benefit. That's still entirely commendable, of course, but British grocer Waitrose recently launched a locally focused giving program that enlists customers' help in focusing on issues closer to home.

Kicked off last month, Waitrose's Community Matters program assigns each store GBP 1,000 each trading month to donate among three local organisations such as community groups, schools or local divisions of national charities. Customers nominate the organisations to benefit, and Waitrose's local democratic bodies make the final selection. Customers are then offered a token each time they shop that can be inserted in any of three Perspex tubes—one for each of the selected charitable groups. At the end of the month, the pile of tokens donated to each organisation is weighed and the beneficiaries receive a corresponding proportion of the cash. Following a trial in four Waitrose stores, the Community Matters program is scheduled to be in place at all branches in the next two weeks.

A similar program is in place across the Atlantic at upscale chain Whole Foods, where customers who bring their own bags are rewarded with "wooden nickels" that can be deposited in boxes assigned for donation to select local charities. And as interest continues to grow in all things local (see our sister site trendwatching.com's still made here briefing for more on that trend), consumers will increasingly appreciate having a direct hand in choosing who to help in their local community. One to emulate around the globe!

Website: www.waitrose.com
Contact: customer_service@waitrose.co.uk

Spotted by: Maria Dahl Jørgensen

Intention-based shipping in the Arab world

2008-08-29T07:24:38Z

When we wrote about Texas-based uShip last year, we noted that there were few—if any—equivalents on other continents. As if on cue, earlier this year a new company with a similar model entered beta in the United Arab Emirates.

Like uShip, Dubai-based Darrb (which means "way" in Arabic) is a delivery service marketplace that aims to connect people who have something to send with people who are willing to do the delivering. In eBay fashion, the process begins when a user posts an item they want to have delivered. Those interested in handling the job—known on the site as "Darrbers"—then bid for it with the lowest price and fastest delivery time they can offer. Darrb sorts all bids by both price and promised speed, with a third factor—quality of service, as measured by the deliverer's past customer ratings—available as a deciding factor. Once the user selects a Darrber and the job is done, he or she can enter feedback and ratings that get attached to that shipper's account for use by future users.

Using Darrb during its beta period is free, and will remain so for users, the site says. Shippers will eventually be charged membership fees. More than 100 Darrbers have signed on with the site since its launch, and those numbers will likely increase soon: Earlier this month the team behind Darrb launched eMapia, a map-based online marketplace that lets users search by country for things for sale around the world, and it plans to promote the use of Darrb for shipping those items.

Profits await those who can capitalize on the intention economy, as we've noted before in several related examples. Nice to see the concept spreading around the globe! (Related: Ride-sharing for packages.)

Website: www.darrb.com
Contact: www.darrb.com/contactus.php

Spotted by: Susanna Haynie

A renter's guide to Portland's green buildings

2008-08-28T15:12:37Z

We've written about a site that makes it easier for architects and designers to create green buildings, but a separate challenge is helping eco-minded consumers find those green apartments, homes and offices, since their sustainable nature is not always obvious from the outside. Enter GreenRenter, a new site that aims to connect owners of green buildings with tenants who might want to rent them.

Launched earlier this year, GreenRenter offers a guide to the green commercial and residential property in the Portland, Ore., area. Separate sections for residential and commercial offerings list a variety of homes, offices, restaurants and retail space—searchable both by what's out there in general and what's currently available—with integrated Google Maps to show prospective tenants where they are all located. Buildings included need not be LEED certified, but they must include at least one feature in any of seven key green areas: energy, water, building materials, operations, building surroundings, certifications and awards or other innovative green features. Ultimately, GreenRenter plans to rate buildings listed on its site, it says, as well as to expand beyond the Portland area to other US cities. It's also working on a separate site focused on sales of green buildings. Using GreenRenter is free for both owners and tenants.

It's not yet clear how GreenRenter will become sustainable itself, but the site's "business philosophy" section mentions both the triple bottom line and the prospect of future products and services. One to partner with in cities around the US and the rest of the world?

Website: www.greenrenter.com
Contact: www.greenrenter.com/contact

Spotted by: Susanna Haynie

Weeknight clubbing for the 9-5 crowd

2008-08-28T10:41:36Z

Nightclubs may operate seven days a week in many cities, but working professionals who partake in their late-night offerings outside of the weekend tend to regret it the next day. With such schedule-bound partiers in mind, Toronto's Gladstone Hotel recently launched an earlier alternative that still lets revellers get to bed on time.

The Gladstone's Granny Boots series of dance parties take place each Wednesday night beginning at 7:30 and ending promptly at 10—"so you can go home, watch 'Law and Order' until 11 pm and go to BED," as the hotel puts it. The events are held in the Gladstone's Melody Bar, which is already famous for weekend karaoke nights, and feature different performances and livingroom DJs each week. Admission is free.

We also spotted something similar in Belgium, where Bart Van Orshoven's After Work Parties draw large crowds—and corporate sponsors—in various venues in Antwerp, Gent, Leuven and Brussels. The parties start at 7 pm and doors close at 9 pm to ensure a decent-sized crowd from the start. At 1 am, everyone is sent packing.

Of course, in addition to the legions of business people and other working stiffs out there who can't afford to stay up late, there's also the substantial crowd of older people who still like to party but simply don't want to be up during the wee hours. Catering to such consumers could be the key to attracting a whole new segment. As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm—or, in this case, the entertainment dollars! ;-)

Website: www.gladstonehotel.com/events/show.cfm?id=791 — www.afterworkparty.be
Contact: dance.granny.boots@gmail.com — bart@afterworkparty.be

Spotted by: Anita Windisman

Crowdsourcing a make-it-yourself restaurant

2008-08-28T09:33:56Z

A new restaurant project has joined the crowdsourcing fray: Arne Hendriks is asking fellow members of Instructables to participate in creating a restaurant in Amsterdam. In his words: "I will open an open-source restaurant that is completely made of, and only serves food based on the original instructables all the members on instructables.com have made or will make. I mean, every chair, dishwasher, menu card, light etc and all the food, will together be the restaurant. And I would like to ask you guys for your brilliant, funny, original ideas concerning all aspects restauranty. Inside the restaurant everything will be presented with the original instruction and accreditation to the maker."

Suggestions from Instructables members have started to pour in, from using graph paper table clothes to adding a "making space," as well as thoughts on names for the restaurant and what the wait staff should wear. This isn't the first restaurant project Hendriks has developed; he also created the Night Garden, a temporary restaurant and "sub-technical indoor garden" that served over 30 types of sprouted micro-greens.

While there are similarities with another crowdsourced restaurant we recently featured, Hendriks' project is cleverly tapping into the creative talents of an existing community, and has a very strong focus on MIY (make-it-yourself). As he points out: "In some restaurants you can buy the stuff you see, in this restaurant you'll go home knowing how to re-create what you just enjoyed, be it the food or the chair you sat on." Nice!

Website: www.instructables.com/group/instructables-restaurant

Spotted by: Franziska Luh

The milkman returns to Manhattan

2008-08-27T11:21:04Z

All that's old is new again... Last week, we wrote about a bank that brought back the shoebox as a no-tech organizing system for their time-starved clients. Now, one of our spotters alerted us to the return of the milkman. Delivering organic milk to customers' doors in glass milk bottles, the Manhattan Milk Company is reviving old-fashioned dairy delivery.

For a USD 5 delivery charge, Manhattanites can get a weekly delivery of fresh milk. The company's driver loads up his truck on Wednesdays at 4 am and delivers to all of Manhattan, picking up empty bottles when he drops off the full ones. The milk is sourced from 51 Amish farms in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, about 160 miles southwest of New York City, and is also sold at the Batch store on 150B W. 10th Street.

While we hope MMC switches to electric or pedal-powered delivery vehicles for its many stops and starts in the city, the concept has an undeniable still made here charm that will appeal to consumers' sense of nostalgia. And what about combining dairy delivery with the community supported agriculture ventures that deliver organic fruit and veg from farms to households across the world? Convenience, charm, organic and local—combine that with business smarts, and it's hard to go wrong. (Related: High-end dessert trucks.)

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

Spotted by: Esther Chang

Publisher launches academy for aspiring writers

2008-08-26T23:12:18Z

Faber & Faber, which describes itself as one of the last of the great independent publishing houses in London, recently launched an academy for aspiring writers. The Faber Academy's inaugural creative writing course will take place from October 9–12 at Shakespeare & Company, the fabled English bookstore in Paris. Novelist Tobias Hill will be teaching a four-day course that focuses on "How to Tell a Story Without Telling Your Readers What to Think," with Jeanette Winterson joining in for a two-part seminar on authenticity and voice in fiction. The course costs GBP 500 excluding travel and accommodation (but including lunch) and tickets were sold out within days of going on sale. A second course—also taught by Tobias Hill—will be held in London from October 30–November 2, and the publisher plans to organize future sessions in Dublin, Edinburgh and Berlin.

Viewed through a consumer trends lens, the Faber Academy is a clear example of what trendwatching.com dubbed status skills: "In economies that increasingly depend on (and thus value) creative thinking and acting, well-known status symbols tied to owning and consuming goods and services will find worthy competition from status skills: those skills that consumers are mastering to make the most of those same goods and services, bringing them status by being good at something, and the story telling that comes with it." Other successful examples include the Nikon School and the BMW Performance Driving School.

By helping aspiring novelists hone their writing skills under the tuition of its well-known authors, Faber & Faber builds a stronger connection with its core customers (participants are likely to be readers and good customers), and promotes powerful word of mouth marketing, since participants will no doubt be eager to share their Faber Academy experience with friends and family. All of which is great PR for Faber & Faber, and emphasizes their dedication to writing and writers, as opposed to mega-publishers who often seem solely focused on the bottom line. Last but not least, the courses could provide a welcome additional stream of revenue. If your brand isn't already boosting its customers' talents and abilities, this is one to learn from ;-) (Related: Out-of-print books, printed on demand by Faber Finds.)

Website: www.faber.co.uk/article/2008/7/tobias-hill-paris-course
Contact: patrickk@faber.co.uk