Startup News

Boostchatter incentivizes social media interaction

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Entrepreneurship
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May 8, 2012

When Jason Haines and Tommy Tayman were pulling all-nighters at Centre College, they figured it as a temporary, college-only experience. Little did they know that, years later, they’d be driving across the state, locking themselves in a shared office and cranking out code until the wee hours of the morning. These days, the pair is looking for a little more than good grades. Their new company, boostchatter, is a social rewards program that allows businesses and other organizations to incentivize social activity on Facebook and Twitter. “It gives businesses or organizations a way to reward customers for being active on social media – it could be commenting, liking stuff, checking stuff, tagging, retweeting," Haines says. "Any of the social actions you perform as a user, you can incentivize users for doing them." For a small retail shop, that might mean free coffee, a t-shirt or a coupon. For awareness groups or nonprofits, it could be a trinket for some type of medical awareness or a chance at earning points to redeem for merchandise. Basically, the business or organization can set up its own rewards that make sense to its own users. Boostchatter isn’t the first post-college project the two have collaborated on. In 2004, they partnered to form Optimle, a custom application and web development firm headquartered in Cincinnati. So, when Haines packed his bags and drove down to Knoxville, where Tayman lives, at the end of last year (typically a slow time for web developers), it wasn’t unusual for them to spend 10 or 12 hours – or more – each day hashing out ideas for boostchatter. A private beta for the project is currently in the works. By Robin Donovan

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Artist brings passion for glassblowing to OTR
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Architecture + Design
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May 1, 2012

Amanda McDonald has an unusual problem for an artist: she has too many interested buyers and not enough pieces of her work. Her newly launched company, Goose Alley Glass, harnesses her love for glass blowing, but lacks one important component of the craft: a standalone studio. Currently, McDonald rents space from other studios by the hour, but her first order of business is to open her own studio. “The initial start-up cost is pretty high, which is why a lot of glass artists travel,” she says, pointing out that she’ll need a furnace, which must run 24 hours a day, in order to work. She maintains a temporary showroom at Findlay Market, but has no regular hours because, well, it’s hard to be at an offsite studio and in a shop at the same time. Still, she arranges tours and sells commissioned pieces on request. As a painter, McDonald was drawn to the strong, bright colors created when sunlight pours through stained glass. In fact, it’s how she got into glassblowing. “Today, stained glass is made from mass-produced, flat-sheet glass, but originally, it was blown,” she explains. “As soon as I got interested in that, I started working in a gallery attached to a glass blowing studio, and the owner started teaching me to blow glass. I fell in love with it, and 10 years later, I’m still doing it.” Her work is a combination of personal style and function. She wants people who come to her studio to have the same experience she did: seeing the glass blowing process alongside finished pieces. The challenge, she says, is creating glassware, jewelry, servingware, lighting and interior decorating items that people will choose instead of mass-produced glass.  “For functional glass items, why wouldn’t you just get something off the shelf at Target?” she asks. “We work hard to provide unique, contemporary work that will have a style of its own.” Working with one other artist, McDonald says her priority right now is keeping enough glass on the shelves to entice shoppers. Her dream? To create a space where “anyone will be able to walk away with a memory,” she says. She hopes to have her studio open by next spring. By Robin Donovan

For businesses, QuickBooks help at intersection of accounting, IT
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Diversity
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May 1, 2012

As a double major in business and business informatics at Northern Kentucky University, Katie Bunschoten isn’t a typical student. Along with raising her daughter and going to school part-time, she also runs KHBOffice, ltd., a company that helps businesses create more efficient and affordable accounting and data tracking processes. Much of what Bunschoten does is education about Intuit’s accounting software, Quickbooks. This can mean anything from teaching a business how to use the software to helping a business owner integrate a CRM (customer relationship management software) with it.   After freelancing in Quickbooks advising for several years, Bunschoten knew many local businesses had a need for affordable integration of accounting functions and operational software, such as plug-ins used to track sales, leads or customer support. These days, she gets calls with requests ranging from, “I’ve had Quickbooks for a month just sitting on my desk,” to “I’ve been using this for a few months, but I’m not sure what to do with it at this point.” “We want to be really good at bookkeeping, and we want to keep it affordable,” Bunschoten says. “A lot of people who use the software [Quickbooks] would be put off by a CPA’s high rates.” Accordingly, she says she often helps entrepreneurs understand how to be more strategic about using their most important resource: time. Bunschoten is also quick to say that she’s not a replacement for a CPA. Instead, she says, “We try to be an avenue of communication between people and CPAs. We want to have a CPA in the project as well, but we don’t want them to spend their time on a lot of minutiae we could be taking care of.” So, how does someone with a family, a job and a university course load manage her own time? “My three-year-old daughter, Abby, tells me when it’s time to shut down,” Bunschoten says. “Ice cream time at the end of the day is mandatory.” By Robin Donovan

A homecoming, a food truck and a grilled cheese for any occasion
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Entrepreneurship
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April 24, 2012

Emily Frank hasn’t been to culinary school or worked fancy restaurants. She hasn’t even worked in the restaurant business much. After moving to Boston and Chicago, she worked in the print industry for 15 years, slowly building up a catering business on the side. That side business evolved into a portion-controlled, fresh-to-order meal delivery service. “That was when I really discovered that I loved cooking and was good at it,” Frank says. “I’m not trained by any means professionally, but it’s just something I picked up and enjoyed doing.” Frank’s latest venture, C’est Cheese, is a labor of love that celebrates her close family (who inspired many menu items), her love of cooking and the budding Cincinnati food truck movement. C’est Cheese, which isn’t yet cruising the streets, does have a menu ready to go. That menu is pretty simple: grilled cheese in 20 varieties, tomato soup and a seasonal soup. Frank especially recommends two sandwiches on the menu, including the Hollywood, which comes with grilled hot dogs, American cheese and pickled vegetables. Frank admits it “sounds so bizarre,” but has been a focus-group favorite. The Bad Girl (three cheeses, a drizzle of honey and homemade raspberry sauce on French bread) is another favorite, and honors Frank’s current status as a finalist at Bad Girl Ventures.   Until the truck is ready, Frank is serving sandwiches for special events, parties, focus groups, office get-togethers and anything and everything else. Her only regret is that she didn’t come home sooner. “It was a big change. I resisted it for a long time, but now I’m kicking myself. I have a 20-month-old nephew that was a catalyst for me coming back,” she says. “I knew that if I wanted to start my own business, I could afford to do that a little easier in Chicago or Boston where I was before, but it’s also important for me to play an active role in my community, and it was easier to do that in Cincinnati. After 15 years, I was ready to come home.” By Robin Donovan

Amy Elisabeth finds unusual inspiration behind the lens
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Arts + Culture
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April 24, 2012

While the rest of us were shopping for chocolates, stuffed animals and red Mylar balloons for Valentine’s Day, Amy Spasoff grabbed a bag of conversation hearts. She wasn’t sure what they’d be good for, exactly, just that they seemed like the right thing to grab at that moment. Spasoff’s newly launched photography studio, Amy Elisabeth Photography, showcases these little moments of inspiration. And if Spasoff’s not always sure why she’s picking up a vintage hat here or a never-to-be-eaten bag of candy there, it all finds a permanent home eventually. In the case of the candy hearts, Spasoff poured them into a wine glass, crafting a close-up for a young model, whose portfolio – and that photo in particular – recently won her a coveted agency booking in New York. “I love when a girl will smile on camera or laugh, so I really think that my specialty is getting a clean, beautiful, happy and fun photo -- the kind of photo that you look and makes you smile,” Spasoff says. She recently signed on as a photographer for a local talent agency, has worked with many young women just breaking into modeling. Spasoff started photography as a hobbyist, but when a friend insisted on paying her to photograph an event, she realized snapping photos could be a full time job. When she was laid off from a writing position, she decided to pursue her passion full-time. That meant some serious time behind the lens and in the classroom. Spasoff is currently a Bad Girls Ventures finalist, so in between bookings, she’s attending classes through BGV, learning to be a businessperson and a creative. The result? A lot of questions. “I just completed my marketing plan and that’s in full effect. I’m also working on my business plan … I literally sit in these classes and I’m like the obnoxious kid sitting in the front of the class asking a million questions. I’m really just trying to take it all in,” she says. By Robin Donovan

Stress-free registry allows friends, family to send cash for wish-list items
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Entrepreneurship
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April 17, 2012

The striking difference between in-store (and even some online) registration systems and Tony Alexander’s latest company, SimpleRegistry, is that gift givers on the website aren’t actually buying a tangible gift.  After registrants create an online compendium of desired items, friends and family members are invited to donate funds toward all or part of each item.   For one couple, the cost of an expensive SLR camera was divided into 10 chunks, each sponsored by a different friend or family member, which allowed the couple to purchase the camera themselves, using the money donated by their loved ones. Women in their early-20s to mid-40s make up the bulk of SimpleRegistry users. The service can be used over and over for events from weddings and honeymoons to baby showers, anniversaries, parties and other celebrations. Fees associated with the site generate profit, but can be varied based on individual need. For example, couples can choose between a 3.5 percent transaction fee deducted from cash gifts they receive (which covers the cost of accepting credit cards) or pass the fee along to the gift giver, so that a $100 gift costs $103.50. The site also offers a one-time, $35 charge designed to reward repeat customers. “If someone signs up but never receives a gift, we don’t make any money at all,” Alexander says, pointing out that the company barely breaks even on credit card transaction fees. Right now, Alexander says, registrants tend to be concentrated along the east and west coasts, where people tend to be most tech savvy. However, he emphasizes that SimpleRegistry is not an alternative registry system. “If you can go to Target and register, you can put the exact same things on your registry on SimpleRegistry.”  In other words, it’s for everyone. By Robin Donovan

LSP Ware’s cloud-based scheduling, billing lessen hassles for linguists
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Research + Innovation
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April 10, 2012

Many entrepreneurs have been advised to launch their companies with the urgency of someone whose house has gone up in flames. Phyllis Smith had the misfortune of experiencing this situation more literally – as her nonprofit employer underwent a merger, and she was about to launch her own company, her home burned to the ground.   Smith and her husband, Doug, spent more than 18 months haggling with their insurance company, which delayed the launch of LSP Ware, a cloud-based program that matches linguists with organizations that need a translator or interpreter. LSP Ware was written by Doug, founder of the software development company Xseena Group, to replace an older system with a trio of hassles: cumbersome paper bills generated for language-service providers, mystery checks mailed to interpreters and administrative exceptions created by scheduling. The program allows organizations to log in online, post jobs or search for providers. Meanwhile, interpreters log in separately, and can search for and accept jobs online, or even connect to the site with a mobile device to find directions to the jobsite. To date, Smith’s clients seem glad to have tried the program – one even wrote to thank her for a well-organized bill. Already developing a plan to nationalize LSP Ware’s user base, Smith also hopes to expand to users in other industries, which may one day include salons or other service providers. For the moment, however, she’s intent on cornering “a very niche market.” “There are about 2,000 language service providers in the U.S. as of the 2007 economic census,” Smith says. “A lot of things are done very manually in this business – we’re trying to change that.” By Robin Donovan

Air Corks releases a better way to preserve wine
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Architecture + Design
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April 10, 2012

There’s something inherently sad about uncorking a bottle of wine, only to realize it’s turned to vinegar. Maybe it’s the wasted money or the expectation of a pleasant post-workday buzz gone bad. Whatever it is, Eric Corti hates it. As Corti points out, even if you drink cheap wine, it hurts to waste it. He’s not a big fan of vacuum-pump devices, either. “You put the stopper in the top, you pump the heck out of that thing almost until you can’t anymore, but I would set the bottle on the counter and think, ‘I just did that, but I still see a lot of air coming in contact with my wine, so I don’t really understand how that’s working or why that’s any better.’” Starting with toy balloons, he began experimenting with another way to keep air away from wine. The resulting product, dubbed “Air Cork,” comprises a hand-operated pump and inflatable balloon that fits inside wine bottles. An independent sommelier who reviewed the product found no residual flavors from the balloon and, in fact, said the product was more effective than corking alone at preserving wine. Designed for affluent imbibers as well as those seeking a lower-priced product, Air Cork works equally well on all types of wine, according to Corti, who notes, “The goal is the same whether you have the $20 bottle or the $200 bottle. It’s not an expensive device; if you manage not to throw out two half bottles of $20 wine, you’re going to pay for it.” So, where does a practically minded wine lover in Cincinnati buy a bottle or savor a glass? Corti and his wife frequent Piazza Discepoli in Glendale and West Chester’s Little Sonoma with friends. By Robin Donovan

Energy auditor matches property owners with funding, services
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Diversity
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April 3, 2012

When she’s not giving public presentations about energy efficiency, Toni Winston, founder of Tiburon Energy & Construction is trying to convince wary homeowners that making their homes more efficient doesn’t require a large outlay of cash up front. Winston and her company offer energy audits – comprehensive whole-house inspections to determine the efficiency of the house as a system – and recommends ways you can save money on your utility bills by making your home more efficient.  She’ll even do the work for you. “We do everything except equipment replacement. We don’t replace heaters and air conditioners; we bring in subcontractors,” she says. Most of Tiburon Energy & Construction’s business comes from homeowner-to-homeowner referrals and, in general, the older the home, the more the potential savings. Some businesses also take advantage of Tiburon’s services. Unlike private homes, businesses typically see the best return on investment from lighting improvements. One problem, Winston says, is that people simply don’t know that there are government funds available for these types of home improvement and even for assessments. She works closely with the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance, a steward of federal funds which helps connect qualified homeowners with up to $4,200 for energy conservation improvements. In addition, “Hamilton County has a wonderful property improvement program, which buys down home equity loans by 3 percent; the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance also has a financing component called the GC-HELP Loan,” she says. So, if you, like Winston, have been dreaming of green roofs, urban agriculture and long-term community sustainability, it may come with a very reasonable price tag.   By Robin Donovan

Planting local roots helps advice website blossom
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Diversity
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April 3, 2012

Brette Borow hasn’t been home in days, weeks, oh, who’s counting? Although she technically lives in Los Angeles, her business, GirlsGuideTo, planted roots in downtown Cincinnati, too. These days, the advice website aimed at women 18 to 35 is taking off, and Borow is "pretty much living out of a suitcase," as she expands her staff, works on a redesign and conducts the perpetual business development every startup demands. Although Borow grew up in Chicago and now lives in Los Angeles, she set up an office in Cincinnati to tap into the region’s Midwestern roots and the concentration of colleges in and around the city. "Our [readers] are very much your everyday girl and our audience is really the girl next door. She’s relatable and I think that the Midwest is a prime example of that," Borow says. Despite her own marketing background, Borow has a small marketing budget: “There are ways to grow your audience without spending millions and millions,” she says, noting GirlsGuideTo’s continuing rise in reader engagement and traffic. GirlsGuideTo started off as a website whose content was mostly created by website visitors who asked and answered questions amongst themselves. With the recent addition of a Cincinnati-based editor, Katie Ostoich, the site is shifting to primarily editorial content focused on popular topics. “I wanted to make sure GirlsGuideTo wasn’t just a place where women came when they had a problem, but a place they were coming on a daily basis, basically getting the information and advice they needed whether or not they were actually asking a question,” Borow says. By providing a safe place for women to ask questions, seek advice or simply read, she may be doing just that. By Robin Donovan

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