WELCOME NATIONAL POST READERS!

There’s an article in this morning’s National Post about dadpreneurs.  The journalist was kind enough to mention both my company, MonkeyRed Designs and this blog. Now, if you’re coming to read the blog after reading the article, you’re probably going to be a little disappointed as it’s pretty obvious it hasn’t been updated for oh, 10 months or so.  Sorry about that  – things have been busy!

Things are only going to get busier though (second child on the way, business taking off in 2009), so here’s my proposal – are there any other dadpreneurs out there that want to make this a group blog?  We could offer a perspective on juggling work and family from across the country and across the world.

Get in touch via the comments if you’re interested!

An Office Space of One’s Own for Entrepreneurs – New York Times

Here’s an interesting story from the New York Times (registration may be required) about a working space for female entrepreneurs.

Within a few months of starting In Good Company Consulting, a business to advise female entrepreneurs, Amy Abrams and Adelaide Fives discovered that they shared something in common with many of their clients. They, too, needed office space that was well-located and professional with a place for private meetings. And they wanted to be near like-minded entrepreneurs.

[From An Office Space of One’s Own for Entrepreneurs - New York Times]

Bank helps clients buy homes that aren’t for sale

I really like this idea, but I’m convinced they stole it by tapping into my brain.

I’d often thought that when I was in the market for a new house, it would be a good idea to do a letter drop in the area I’d like to live in.

These guys have done it much smarter – using the resources of the web and a partnership with a financial institution. (link thanks to Springwise)

Aiming to invigorate a stagnating housing market, Dutch ING Bank is helping potential buyers bid on houses that aren’t yet for sale.

The bank’s WoonWaarUWilt (“LiveWhereYouWant”) initiative, which launched yesterday, lets clients make an offer on the house they’d love to own. ING is partnering with online real estate firm iBlue. After potential buyers fill in a form on www.woonwaaruwilt.nl, including their dream home’s address and the initial offer they’re willing to make, iBlue contacts them to discuss whether the offer is reasonable, and adjusts it if necessary. A mortgage consultant also determines whether the buyers would be able to finance the purchase.

iBlue then sends a preliminary offer to the property’s current owners, explaining the situation and inquiring whether they’d consider selling. As with other ‘Intention Economy’ real estate ventures we’ve covered before (in Finland and elsewhere), the reasoning is that many homeowners aren’t actively interested in selling, but can be persuaded to do so if the right offer comes along. By declaring their intention and backing it up with a lender’s financial approval, buyers can help eliminate the uncertainty associated with putting a house on the market. Meanwhile, the concept is a smart way for ING to get a head start on other banks when it comes to financing the transaction.

Making an offer is free for clients, but if the owners are interested in pursuing the offer, iBlue acts as the buyer’s agent and charges a commission once the deal is done. The Intention Economy was first described by Doc Searls as follows: “The Intention Economy grows around buyers, not sellers. It leverages the simple fact that buyers are the first source of money, and that they come ready-made. You don’t need advertising to make them.” Which offers exciting opportunities for businesses who are willing to shift from marketing to buyers, to facilitating their intentions.

Website: www.woonwaaruwilt.nl

[From Bank helps clients buy homes that aren't for sale]

Crowd managed TV production

My original career was as a TV producer, so I’m pretty intrigued by this idea.  Have You Got The Nerve aims to be a new type of TV production company: one that’s created, lead and inspired by a group of 3,000 executive producers. Fusing the collaborative power of the internet and the enduring mass appeal of television, Nerve will take on three genres: documentary, drama and entertainment. Content will be made both for TV and online viewing.

I love mashups

Check this one out.  Friends meets Superfriends.

Do you Facebook?

Personally, I don’t.  My problem is that I just don’t have the time or inclination to spend as much time on it as I would need to to justify it’s use.  (did that even make sense?)  Obviously, it’s bigger then me though (hard to believe I know) so if you do use Facebook, here’s a link to a bunch of ideas that might help you make money while you do.    Click here.

Business Idea of the Day

What about this one?  Eco starter kits.  Like other gift basket ideas, but with a green twist.  Instead of including cookies, cheese or fruit, these starter kits contain a number of green products, like long life lightbulbs, reusable water bottles and grocery bags and earth-friendly cleaning products.   What I like about this one is it could be small (just sell them in your own city) or big (you can definitely see this as a business with major franchise opportunities).

What’s a Dad to do?

There’s a very amusing post over in Blogfathers about how you react when you meet a new dad (or mom) at the playground and everyone hits it off.  You swap numbers – but never hear from them again.

Thursday Night Cooking

pan-fried lemon and garlic scallops

12 scallops, on the half shell
50g (1¾ oz) butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sea salt and cracked black pepper
½ cup watercress leaves

Remove the scallops from the shells and set aside. Wash and dry the shells and set aside. Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until melted. Add the garlic and scallops and cook for 1 minute each side or until cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the scallops back in their shells and spoon over the pan juices. Top with the watercress to serve. Serves 4.

Do you VOIP?

If so, this site might be helpful.  The site offers rates and customer reviews for roughly 1400 VoIP services around the world, and can display and sort calling rates between nearly any two countries.