Business 2.0: What could be more American than a recreational vehicle? How about an 18-wheel semi that, at the press of a remote control, “pops up” into a motel with room for nearly four dozen people?
Surprisingly, however, this supersize RV is being made not by a U.S. company, but by a Spanish one. Hotelmóvil is the brainchild of Fernando Saénz de Tejada, the 36-year-old CEO of SuiteMóvil. He got the idea three years ago on a pilgrimage to a shrine of the Virgin, where he and thousands like him had to sleep outdoors. “In the events sector,” Saénz says, “the principal inconvenience is the lack of infrastructure.”
A Hotelmóvil arrives at the site – campground, beach, woods, etc. – looking very much like a standard semi. You simply detach the cab and press “Play” on a handheld remote to start the 30-minute hydraulic unfolding process. Four legs lower to the ground to stabilize the structure, the second story rises to a height of 20 feet, and the first-floor rooms slide out, Transformer-like, to the side.
When all is finished, you have 11 bedrooms with private bathrooms and a second-floor outdoor terrace. The rooms come with hardy wood-and-metal furniture bolted down inside; bunk beds can be added to sleep as many as 44. The hotel includes perks such as heating, air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, and Wi-Fi. The first five units will roll out of the factory in Italy in early 2008, and Saénz says he’s already received inquiries from hospitals, travel companies, and even the Formula One racing circuit. The standard Hotelmóvil will sell for $500,000 or rent for about $8,000 a weekend.
New hotels start popping up [Business 2.0]
Author: Pamela Swift
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How To Check Out Your Competitors
StartupStudents: Today we’ll be discussing ways to gather intelligence on your competitors. This can be useful in a variety of ways such as identifying cutomer habits, picking up on competitor workflow processes, and so on. With such fierce competition in todays market along with ever changing consumer opinions, it’s imperative that you stay one step ahead of your competition.
Quickly, here are some things to think about when checking out your competition.
* Remember that your competition is not necessarily who you think it is
* Your customers determine who the competition is by patronizing those establishments
* Be sure to broadly define your competition at the start, and carefully move inwards through the industry to determine all competitors.
And now for a few pointers on checking out your competition:
* Pretend to be a customer
* Talk to the business owners and find out as much as you can from them
* Talk to their customer’s and get a feel for why they utilize your competitors service or product
* There are tons of great resources out there, so use them! Internet, public filings, local libraries, etc.
* Go to industry trade shows, seminars, and conferences
* Complete a competitive matrix
Checking Out Your Competition [StartupStudents]
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Lyro Online Business Cards
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Lyro: Lyro is a service that helps people expand their individual-level professional identity on the Internet. In today’s global economy, it is more important than ever that each of us is discoverable online. Using technology, innovation, and user-driven features, it is the mission of Lyro to empower our customers through the formation and marketing of their personal-level professional brand, resulting in improved visibility and broader opportunities.
We provides an open, fully searchable, and user-driven tool for professional branding on the web. Some time back we had a thought – more of a question really. Why isn’t basic business contact information internet searchable and controllable at the individual level? As we looked at the marketplace, nowhere could we find a truly “open” product that made this information accessible online and also put control of the information in the hands of the individual. As we played around with new ways of displaying people’s basic contact information, the simple concept of an online business card emerged. After a little research, we realized that no one else was providing open, easily accessible online business cards. Although a web-based business card concept was novel, we questioned whether an online business by itself would be compelling enough to grow in popularity with millions of users. That more we talked with our customer base, the more we realized that they desired a product whose features were entirely driven by fellow users.
Lyro – http://www.lyro.com
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Brainstorming For Biz Ideas
WhatIThinkAbout.com: 1. Since the point of a business is to trade things, we should start by thinking about what other people need. This is easily done by just thinking about the things you think “sucks”. Do you wish you can get from point A to point B without having to drive? Do you wish that it was easier to clean your bathroom? Are the current solutions for these problems really horrible in your opinion? There are just tons of things throughout the day that you wish were better. Make a long list of all of these things.
2. Go down your list of things. Is there anything in there that you are particularly interested in? For example, let’s say one of the things on your list if that you think people need to be hugged more and you happen to like hugging people. This would be a perfect business opportunity to consider because you understand why people want to be hugged and you already know how to solve that problem (by hugging them). Circle all of these opportunities that you are interested in and have some expertise in (or would like to spend the time and acquire that expertise).
3. Who are your potential clients? Well, if we go back to the hugging example, it’s potentially everyone. Of course, people are probably not going to buy hugs for themselves, but someone can definiately buy it for someone else, kind of like a birthday card or a singing telegram. “Buy a Hug For a Friend”. “Buy a Hug For Your Sweetie on Valentine’s Day” (like if you’re far away or something). This step determines how big your market is and ultimately, how much money you can make.
4. How hard is it to get into the business? This is important to know because it determines how hard it is to get started, and more importantly, how hard it would be for other people to copy you should you become successful. The hugging business seems relatively low barrier of entry to me, since anyone can just make a website or list an internet ad (pretty easy to do). However, if you eventually establish a brand, like “Mom’s Hugs” or something, then that would become a barrier to overcome for your competitors.
How To Come Up With Good Business Ideas [WhatIThinkAbout.com]
Marketing Idea Blog: Despite some companies’ best efforts, women are still hungry for products and services that address their needs and solve the problems that are important to them. Here are some things to remember – “What women want,” if Mel Gibson will allow me to borrow a phrase. Coincidentally, they all begin with the letter C. So let’s ditch the Four P’s and lay out the Four C’s: the Four C’s of marketing to women.
Community. Women want to belong to something larger than themselves. If you can create a place where we can gather, you’re ahead of the game.
Conversation. What happens when women gather? They talk. In addition to being part of a community, we want to contribute to the conversation going on within that community. We want to share our experiences, report our problems, offer encouragement and support.
Convenience. From stay-at-home moms to high-powered corporate leaders, from students to grandparents, we all want to recapture more of our precious time and spend it on something we love doing rather than on something we have to be doing.
Cost. Hey, we’re not stupid. We know when something’s a good value, and we know that “cost” isn’t just the price. So don’t just paint it pink and mark it up 20 percent – figure out a way to make it unique to women, or find a way to promote it that pushes our buttons – we’re smart, we’ll get it!
Four C’s of marketing to women [Marketing Idea Blog]