Wednesday, January 14, 2009

New Ideas

From a weekly email I receive from Springwise.com:

It's time for your weekly fix of entrepreneurial ideas! Our latest issue is now online. Here's
a quick run-down of the promising new businesses Springwise featured this week:


GardenerMatching would-be gardeners with arable land
Food & beverage / Eco & sustainability

A new campaign in the UK aims to match unused plots of land with
keen would-be gardeners, with the goal of using more arable land to
grow fresh fruit and veggies.


Woman wearing headphonesMusic and coaching for runners
Lifestyle & leisure / Entertainment

Online services are popping up to offer music mixed with coaching,
for runners who need a bit of extra inspiration. For music-loving
entrepreneurs, it's a nice little niche with low start-up costs.


Home Depot gift cardService exchanges unwanted gift cards for cash
Financial services / Life hacks / Retail

GiftCardRescue buys and exchanges unwanted gift cards, allowing
consumers to trade them in for cash or gift cards from their favourite
stores.


Obama coffee artFree Obama-themed coffee love for UK consumers
Food & beverage / Marketing & advertising

As the inauguration of Barack Obama draws near, global fascination
with the US president-elect is reaching a fever pitch. Across the Atlantic,
Krispy Kreme UK is joining in by giving out free Americano coffees.


Happy dentistA simpler way to make a doctor's appointment
Lifestyle & leisure / Marketing & advertising

ZocDoc offers New Yorkers a simple, fuss-free way to make dentist and
doctor appointments online, as well as the opportunity to rate and review
medical practitioners.


Illustration of two women whisperingMore mixers for babysitters & moms
Life hacks

Sitter-seeking parents and fully screened babysitters have the opportunity
to meet and mingle at Sitter Soirees networking events, which enable both
families and sitters to find a good match.


Cloth napkinsReusable lunch box napkins
Eco & sustainability / Food & beverage

Founded by a mompreneur, Happikins are reusable napkins designed
to cut down on the waste associated with kids' school lunches. One to
launch locally?


Screenshot of Pledgehammer's websiteA public incentive to stick to one's goals
Lifestyle & leisure / Non-profit, social cause

Pledgehammer gives resolution-makers a way to make a public
commitment to their goals. Users pledge to donate money to charity
should they fail to keep their promise.


Hands playing a Wurlitzer organApple rolls out star-studded music tutorials
Education / Entertainment

Apple has added Artist Lessons to its popular GarageBand application,
with tutorials by performers such as Sting, Norah Jones and Sarah
McLachlan.


Man playing the drumsLeague lets amateurs join a rock band for 10 weeks
Entertainment / Lifestyle & leisure

League of Rock, a new music-based community, lets hobbyist rock
musicians join a band for 10-week sessions, without having to give up
their day jobs.


Dining stone set for dinnerPreheatable dining stones keep dinner warm
Food & beverage

Preheated in the microwave and placed under a diner's plate, Dining
Stones' precision-cut granite stone discs keep meals steamy until the
last bite.


"Design" image from Est. Today's websiteOnline community offers DIY fashion for tweens
Fashion & beauty

A new community and design studio gives tweens an online canvas
along with a set of tools to create, share and buy their own T-shirt
designs.


Close-up of Ecofont typeGreen-minded font uses less ink
Travel & tourism / Marketing & advertising

Eco-conscious consumers can now download a free font that uses up
to 20 percent less ink than traditional fonts, thus reducing consumption
of ink cartridges and toner.


Two people in a Zero Star hotel roomSwiss bomb shelter becomes 'zero star' hotel
Food & beverage

A new Swiss hotel offers budget barracks-style accommodation in a
shared underground room. There are no windows or heating, but guests
will have a great story to tell ;-)


"Is it your time to quit?" billboardAppealing to gravanity of smokers who plan to quit
Life hacks

Pfizer is giving would-be quitters the chance to have their photo posted on the
Reuters or NASDAQ billboards in the heart of New York City's Times
Square, to share their no-smoking resolution with the world.


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