If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Wouldn’t it be great if you could send a letter to someone and not have to kill a tree, print the darn letter, sign it, get that yucky stamp and envelope glue on your tongue and you could do [...]

Image by Getty Images via @daylife I wrote a post a week or so ago that introduced Zaplee – very exciting software that gives small and medium sized businesses access to call centers via Skype which does away with expensive infrastructure and significant delays in setup.  A free trial has literally just been launched via [...]

Andrew, What a great pick-me-up after a long week to read your take on our site. I’m glad you like it and I’m flattered you chose us as one of the sites you review. I understand your suggestions, and will take a look at those elements with a fresh eye. We’re continuing to improve the [...]

3Luxe.com is a product search engine with a difference…other search engines use algorithms, numbers and fractions as the cogs and wheels to regurgitate a whole string of very near misses to everyone that plugs in a search phrase. 3Luxe uses no algorithms or numbers…it more relies on the taste and interpretive skills of its founder [...]

As never before the ability of online networks has the potential to shape the world.  Tumpang is preparing to take advantage of this dynamic by offering people who come together online the ability to put their joint purchasing power to work.  The Tumpang model is interesting.  Manufacturers are asked to discount their products if Tumpang [...]

I wish I could tell you all about Flixor but I’m not allowed to today.  What I can say is that Flixor is a very cool up and coming company focused on tools that have both consumer appeal but also the potential to revolutionize the advertising industry.  I recommend you go to http://www.Flixor.com, bookmark it [...]

For anyone that has read any of the posts on this blog, you’re probably used to seeing a review of the business model of an up and coming young company.  Today’s post is different. It’s a Startup ‘Quick Intro’. My goal is to intersperse the usual type of postings with ‘Quick Intros’. We’ll see what [...]

Lief Larson here. One of the founders of Lyro. Thanks for taking a look. If we lifted up the skirt on our long-term objectives, that wouldn’t be much fun now would it?

Plaxo is already following us. We launched web searchable digital business cards before they did. We had the social aspects before them. But that doesn’t matter. We like Plaxo. We even like Goliath LinkedIn. Both companies are good at what they do

Lyro is a new web based application that allows people to create and share online, searchable digital ‘business cards’ across multiple.  It isn’t so much a social network as much as personal ‘branding’ and broadcasting but saying that, as well as the core elements of creating a digital online business card (think a micro Plaxo) there [...]

Bringsome is a pre-beta, very early stage company and website that has ‘legs’.  By legs, I mean it has the potential to expand it’s service offering and revenue streams as the business grows.  So what is BringSomes business?  Helping people connect together to BringSome products from one country to another.  No, don’t think illicit drug [...]

TableXChange is exactly what the name implies – a website that helps people secure hard to get reservations at some of the most exclusive restaurants.  Want to impress by taking a date to Il Mulino’s to sample the divine Italian food of Chefs Fernando and Gino Masci but didn’t think to book ahead?  If you’re [...]

Image via CrunchBase Our Million Dollar Startup Game blog covered ‘Amie Street’ back in February.  I hate to say “I told You So” but Amie Street has just finalized it’s Series A funding round and the interesting piece of information is that Amazon.com lead this funding round.  Our blog gave Amie Street one of the highest [...]

Social Flowers is an innovative idea!  If you are part of a social network (and let’s face it…who isn’t nowadays) then using ‘Social Flowers’, you can send flowers, gift baskets, balloons to another member of your social network even though you don’t necessarily have their contact information, name, address etc. Business Model: Like most online [...]

PlanHQ.com is an online Business Planning and startup development tool.  Doesn’t sound very sexy does it but you’d be wrong. Having been crazy enough to start three different businesses, I can painfully testify that writing and even more challenging…sticking to the thinking within a good Business Plan is extremely tough.  Plan HQ is an innovative web application that helps [...]

The creative guys behind the recently reviewed ‘HireThings’ were kind enough to answer some of the questions that came up and give us a sneeky peek into how they will be moving their already exciting business foreward…Thanks HireThings! “Nahum Wild | hirethings.com | IP: 131.203.101.14 Hi Andrew, great article. You’ve obviously done your research and [...]

Continuing on with online P2P hire theme, here’s a new one from New Zealand.  HireThings is a P2P rental marketplace across multiple categories spanning products, places and services that offers hourly, 4-hour, daily, week, and month rates.  HireThings has a nice ’look and feel’, and easy to use and intuitive interface.  Nice design & UI guys!   Business [...]

ILetYou hasn’t even launched yet but this site is going to be HUGE! HUGE I tell you!!!! Cackle…Cackle! What’s the basic idea?  People with DVDs and games at home set up their own ‘online rental stores’ and rent their own DVDs and games to others. The more people who sign up the more variety and eclectic the [...]

Farecast is a new way of approaching online travel purchasing that could change how we all shop for online travel. This could be a real winner if they can get the average consumer to buy into the concept.  It’s about time that there was some real innovation in the online travel space.  My personal experience [...]

CherryPicka is a very early stage South African site that has an innovative business model.  CherryPicka is an online new product showcase which allows customers to purchase and try new and recently launched products at a significant discount to the recommended retail price and encourages them to write reviews. Business Model: CherryPickas encourages companies with new products [...]

Quintura just responded to yesterday’s post “Quintura: A $Zero Virtual Investent”. ” Yakov Mar 2nd, 2007 at 1:54 am Edit Hello Andrew! Very interesting post as well as the other reviews! Don’t you know that Quintura stands for quintessence or pure essence of searching. Try to make Quintura your homepage for a week and then give [...]

Quintura is a new search engine that has chosen a tag cloud metaphor as the means of search.   Business Model: This is a beta site launched in the last few days so its not too surprising that there are not too many obvious ways of generating revenue for Quintura.  There are a number of tabs beneath [...]

Ning is a new’ish company with some recently released technology that will skyrocket this company into the stratosphere.  It’s the first company that I’m aware of that has created an easy to use, drag and drop, easy configuration site for users to create their own Social Networking site.  Literally within minutes you can have your own Social [...]

Just after the last post ‘Geni: A $500K Virtual Investment’, Geni were kind enough to respond with the following: “Geni JoAnne Feb 26th, 2007 at 4:46 pm Edit Hi Andrew. Excellent blog. We are considering adding premium services to our site in the future–the basic service will remain free.” JoAnne – Thank you for letting [...]

Geni is a very interesting online service that leverages an easy to use flash interface and viral tools to create family trees.  One interesting concept to prove or disprove is that the whole world is related in one way or another. Could Geni be the solution to world peace?    Business Model: I have been unable to [...]

uWink is a restaurant concept that blends affordable food, hip surroundings and a digital screen that can be used for ordering food, playing games, hitting the internet and getting more ketchup.  The brain child of uWink is Nolan Bushnell, former CEO of Atari and founder of Chuck E. Cheese. Business Model: uWink seems to be driven by a [...]

In my opinion Amie Street is one of the most exciting new businesses I have seen in a while.  So what’s the basic idea?   Business Model: There are a number of elements: An ‘iTunes’ for Independent bands and musicians.  With Aime Street they can get an audience, get paid and perhaps get ‘discovered’. Listening members join [...]

Zlio is an interesting online service begun in France but seems to be making its way to the US and other countries.  Business Model: Users of Zlio can set up their own online store for Free in under five minutes even if they don’t have anything to sell by choosing products from a catalog of thousands [...]

After scratching my head for a few days considering what more could possibly be added to the already significant contributions made by the blogging community, I came up with the following idea.  The Million Dollar Startup Game! The basic idea is that I’ll take a look at new, buzz ridden startups or early stage companies [...]