Apple’s iPad: Entrepreneurs Will Love It – When They’re Not Working
February 10, 2010 by Justin
If you keep up on technology news even a little, you know that Steve Jobs recently announced the late-March launch of Apple’s new tablet computer, the iPad. The buzz about the device is in full swing, so we scanned reviews and public opinions from all over the web, to answer the one question we’re most concerned with: Will entrepreneurs want to be first in line at the Apple store on release day?
The short answer is, “probably not.” Don’t misunderstand – this is a very cool device. It does all an iPod Touch does and gives you more room in which to do it. Several apps, such as email, the photo app, and maps, have been revamped for the iPad as well. And there is no doubt developers are by now feverishly working to tweak their already-compatible 140,000+ iPhone apps to look great on the iPad’s larger screen.
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So it’s not that the iPad isn’t useful or exciting; it’s just that (priced between $499 and $829) it is very unlikely to take the place of your comparably-priced laptop or desktop, for work purposes. By nearly all accounts, this is more of a device for home and fun than for work. In fact, it seems the reviews of the iPad can’t help but refer to lounging at home: “…seems like it would be a great way to read a book, curled up on my couch,” (SF Chronicle) and “…a casual computer for the living room couch.” (CNET)
Now, if your business involves reviewing websites or HD YouTube videos, or reading books, the iPad might be an additional tool for you. There’s no denying the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen offers a great web experience, and the included new iBook software makes reading books on the iPad a pleasure. But if you’re looking to do the kind of work most of us in business need to do, you won’t be pitching your laptop for the iPad. Even with the available iWork suite ($79 extra), a lack of multitasking abilities, no SD or USB slots, and a smaller-than-standard on-screen keyboard might make serious work a challenge.
Based on feedback from several reviewers (Macworld, PC Advisor, and Gizmodo for instance) and scores of laypeople (example), the Apple iPad is seen by most as a larger version of the iPod Touch/iPhone. If you consider those devices business tools, and you like the idea of an enlarged version, have a closer look at the iPad. If not, stick with the solutions you use now for business and think about getting an iPad for fun.
What do you think of Apple’s new iPad? Is it something you think you’ll buy when it is released? Share your opinion below.
The Top 3 Education/Book Sites
As the popularity of social media expands in the online community, it is little wonder that a variety of second-generation social bookmarking sites have materialized, dealing with a wide variety of categories. In the category of education and books, there are dozens of social bookmarking sites and we have determined the top three within this hierarchy. These sites serve as the perfect gathering place for millions of avid readers, creating a potentially attractive advertising arena for publishers; however, commercialization appears to be in its infancy.
When we were creating this list, we took into account a lot of information, including current levels of membership, visitor traffic, user-friendly accessibility, member features and innovation. So, the Blogtrepreneur Top 3 favorites - drumroll please…
1. LibraryThing
According to our research, LibraryThing has the highest number of unique monthly users and site visitors, and has some 650,000 registered members (according to Zeitgeist overview, January, 2009). This places LibraryThing well ahead of its rivals. We particularly like its interface and usability, though. LT allows you to keep a convenient catalog of book collections and browse others. They give book recommendations and hook you up with other book lovers. For true accessibility they allow you to access your catalog from places like your mobile phone. Further, their format allows you to catalog and categorize your collection simply and very easily.
2. Goodreads
Like LT, Goodreads allows you to catalog your entire collection within your profile. Their database is pretty comprehensive. The application is clean—but a little bare. Goodreads does offer you flexibility, though as you can arrange your books in a variety of ways – author, title, rating, etc. LibraryThing allows you to show which users are borrowing and who’s next in line to borrow each book. This feature is great for those who have large collections, and can allow you to keep track of your loaners; Goodreads should adopt something like this. This site does appear to focus more on ratings than actual formatting and cataloging. In their favor, however, they do have a nifty little widget, which allows you to incorporate your reading habits, according to your Goodreads profile, on a compatible social network or blog.
3. Shelfari
Shelfari’s design is very clean and appealing, They make it very easy to add books to your shelf, you can categorize and tag your books and friends and set up different groups. We think that the orientation of this site is maybe a little too laid-back for those who are seriously looking for a tool to organize their personal collection. Shelfari is arguably the more commercialized out of our top three, as it has enjoyed a considerable infusion from Amazon. They do have just a few too many “cutesy” effects and pop-ups for our liking, but this site is still one of the leaders in the growing field of more than 30 similar sites.
So do you agree? What would your top 3 education and book sites be? We want to hear your thoughts.
Matthew Toren
From Rags to Riches - The Levi Roots Story
May 1, 2009 by Justin
Levi Roots is an entrepreneur who followed his passions. He never gave up - determined that he could make a living from doing the things he loved.
The inspirational Levi Roots was born Keith Valentine Graham/Tanyue in Jamaica in 1959. His parents moved to the United Kingdom when he was 4 years old, leaving him and his siblings in the care of his grandmother. It was his grandmother, Miriam, who helped him learn to appreciate the raw ingredients that surrounded him. With these vibrant ingredients she taught him how to blend flavours to produce the unique cuisine of the Caribbean.
At the age of 12 Levi was uprooted from everything that he knew to be reunited with his mother and father in the United Kingdom. He joined them in London - which must have seemed very bleak at that time in the nation’s history, to a young man from such a vibrant culture.
Levi lived in South London with his parents and his 5 brothers and sisters. His father was a rat-catcher in London - and the family lived, as most Londoner’s did, in the working class traditions. Levi missed Jamaica dearly, and to compensate for this he immersed himself in both Reggae Music and Cooking.
Levi started recording and performing Reggae in the 1970’s, first as part of a band, Matic16 with his brothers, and then later on as a solo artist. He set up his own record label in 1982, Conqueror Records, which he then sold, and in the 1990’s he started Soundbox Music. He has received considerable acclaim in the musical world, and in 1998 he was nominated for “Best Reggae Performer” at the MOBO (Music of Black Origin) awards.
Throughout this time his interest in Caribbean Cuisine never waned. In the early 1990’s he perfected the sauce that was used on the annual food stand that he and his family ran at the Notting Hill Carnival. In 2006 they sold 4000 bottles of the sauce on this stall. It was apparent by this time that in order to achieve his goals he would need to obtain funding, and to this end he started to take the sauce to food trade shows. He was spotted at one of these shows by a BBC researcher who asked him if he would like to appear on Dragons’ Den.
Levi wowed the panel and TV audiences alike with his unique musical pitch to the Dragons. Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh offered Levi £50,000 in return for a 40% stake in his business, which he gladly accepted.
Since winning funding on this TV programme, his business and brand has gone from strength to strength:
- He still owns Reggae Reggae Sauce with Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh – they are currently diversifying their range to include other sauces.
- The sauce is now sold nationwide in the United Kingdom. In some supermarkets the sauce has out sold the ketchup brand leader.
- He opened his own restaurant and takeaway service in 2007, Papine Jerk Centre, Lavender Hill, London.
- The fast food chain Subway started to sell the Reggae Reggae Chicken Sub in its UK outlets in 2008.
- He has brought out a cookbook (Reggae Reggae Cookbook, Collins, 2008).
- He has made appearances on various TV programmes, from Harry Hill’s TV burp through to cooking programmes such as Ready Steady Cook and Market Kitchen.
- He has his own series starting on the BBC in 2009, called Caribbean Food Made Easy, where he takes the viewers to the Caribbean to explore various food histories, as well as taking his own special food out on the road for people to try across the United Kingdom.
- He has a new Album in the works due for release in 2009.
- He is also a widely sought after entrepreneurial/inspirational/motivational speaker.
So, what’s the lesson here? If you are sitting there with an idea - which you truly believe in, it can take several years of dedication and hard work to make it a reality, but on the other hand, sometimes it only takes a single day to turn everything around.
For more information about Levi Roots, check out the following links:
http://www.reggae-reggae.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/levirootsmusic
Can you think of any inspirational entrepreneurs who have a story to tell about getting to the top? Or perhaps you yourself would be an inspiration to us all? Leave a comment and tell us about it!
Matthew Toren
T3Leads - CPA Network Review
January 11, 2009 by Justin
In the ‘make money online’ realm, there are literally hundreds of ways to do so, whether it be through blogging, e-commerce, affiliate marketing, SEO, a number of other ways, or a combination of them all!
One of the popular ways to make money using your website or your marketing skills is through affiliate marketing and CPA networks. But yet there are still tens or hundreds of them out there. So finding the right company to work with is important - be sure that they fit to your needs, are providing you with the best service possible, and you are able to effectively make money with them. I mean, that is what is important isn’t it?
Who are T3Leads?
One of the growing CPA networks that I am reviewing here is T3Leads. T3Leads is a pay-per-lead affiliate network that sells leads through an auctioning system which they say will help to maximize your profits. Being a pay-per-lead network, T3Leads pays you whenever a visitor to your site clicks and provides the lead information relevant to the advertiser, the product, or the service. This means that you do not know how much you are going to get paid for every lead you make, because they are auctioned off to the highest bidding company in that area.
What do T3Leads Offer?
T3Leads currently deals mostly with the following types of companies: debt settlement, credit cards, home improvement, insurance, tax debt, mortgage loands, payday loans, auto loans, and foreclosure. Notice anything that these industries have in common? They all have been in the news, in the United States, as having hard times and causing the rough economic status of the country.
It will be interesting to see how this area of focus plays out to the company because they claim be paying some pretty hefty payouts on leads, sometimes more than $30.00 PER lead. Anyway, this is just one aspect to consider when looking at which affiliate networks you may work with - the industries that they focus on dealing with and what kind of diversity they offer.
The Other Perks
Motive Interactive - Advent 2.0 Review
January 10, 2009 by Justin
We all know there are ways to profit from the tedious updates and maintenance of your blogs and sites. We’re always searching for the ultimate way to make money online. You’ve probably looked at several affiliate networks that seem appeasing yet too good to be true because you haven’t received that check and it’s been months. Well, there is a (sort of) new affiliate program in cyberspace that will blow the others away.
So what’s the affiliate network I speak about? For aspiring and current web publishers, you will find the Motive Interactive Advent 2.0 user-friendly platform a breath of fresh air. This affiliate network makes it a breeze at picking the top performing offers. With their variety of features, receiving higher payouts is easier than flying a kite, and this sponsored review should give you all the information about this network.
Tell me more: About Motive Interactive
The Motive Network - powered by Advent 2.0 has come a long way since being launched in 2006 by a gentleman named Brendan Smith. The founder has most definitely created technology we can all learn and trust.
The new platform is much easier to use than any other system on the market. The Motive Network ties in the best of both worlds, allowing publishers to earn an income and advertisers to create leads. Advent provides many features that most networks do not offer. As time progresses, so does technology, “Advent is built on a model that is highly scalable and adaptable to future enhancements as the industry changes.” Advent has the right mindset and I’m pleased to discuss the awesome features and benefits that have me and others raving.
