If there is any skill that is necessary across all kinds of jobs, its the ability communicate effectively. While communication is a skill that can definitely be taught and developed, it’s much easier to nurture when you’re using the right tools. That’s why work communication tools have always been a big business. Some of the latest trends have been in the form of project management and online chat tools. But what about tools for people who work in jobs that might require something like a walkie-talkie? Cell phones and text messaging might have changed those jobs a little bit, but there’s more room for technology. That’s why Lua was founded in 2010. They’re a New York, NY based company that is focused on “empowering mobile workforces by giving them access to the people and information they need to get the job done from the field or the office.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
business development,
design,
engineering,
Internships,
marketing,
New York,
online marketing,
software development,
telecommunications,
web development
For most of us social media is a time waster. It’s mindless entertainment that fills in gaps in our days. But for some people it’s a job. For them the mobile app just won’t do. They need power tools to manage all of their social media accounts, and that’s exactly what Sprout Social offers. They’re a Chicago, IL based company that offers “a management and egnagement platform for social business.” Sprout Social’s software offers all of the tools that one might need to engage with customers, publish content, and analyze the effectiveness of social marketing. This kind of platform is a must have for any company that takes social seriously.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
communication,
community management,
customer service,
design,
engineering,
Illinois,
Internships,
marketing,
mobile,
online marketing,
paid,
product development,
product management,
quality assurance,
quality engineer,
sales,
seo,
social media,
software development,
web development
When I think about potential new websites that I’d build, I usually look for underserved niches–gaps to fill. There are so many companies building large generalist sites that you really need to do something different to have a chance at building a real business. At least that’s my take. Emerge Media has a completely different philosophy. They are a Chicago, IL based company that is “taking on the essential roots of everyday tasks and breathing real life into the technology behind them.” They’ve been launching new sites in broad niches with a lot of competition. It seems crazy to me, but it might just work.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
analytics,
data,
design,
Illinois,
information technology,
interactive media,
Internships,
marketing,
media,
online marketing,
paid,
product management,
sem,
seo,
software development,
user experience,
web development
Who doesn’t love a good t-shirt? For me it’s all about comfort. That’s why I generally pick solid colored tees made out of high quality fabrics. For others it’s more about expression–you want your shirt to say something about who you are. If what you’re saying about yourself with your shirt is that you have a good sense of humor, then BustedTees mint be the place for you to shop. They are a New York, NY based company that was started by the same team as CollegeHumor. They started in 2004 because they wanted “people to have fun, laugh, look good, feel comfortable, get good jobs, get sweaty dancing and go home with someone who also did those things.” It’s amazing what something as simple as a t-shirt can do for people.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
apparel,
community management,
design,
e-commerce,
fashion,
humor,
Internships,
marketing,
New York,
online marketing,
paid,
social media
If you’ve watched The Office at all, you know that the office supply industry is not only mind-numbingly boring, but it’s also dying a slow, painful death. And if you pay attention to the news, you know that Detroit is a dying city with nothing good going on. So what if I told you that there is an office supply startup based in Detroit, MI that is anything but boring and growing rapidly? Their name is Chalkfly, and they provide “the supplies you need to do your best work.” There are a lot of narratives working against Chalkfly, but they’re just narratives. Results are what matter, and Chalkfly already claims brands like Foursquare, Moosejaw and Etsy as clients.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
analytics,
data,
design,
e-commerce,
graphic design,
Internships,
marketing,
merchandising,
Michigan,
online marketing,
sales
For a long time marketing has been about piggybacking on other people’s content. You buy ads in newspapers, during tv shows, and on billboards (I guess scenery next to the highway is content?). At some point marketers realized that they could become the content creators–that’s what soap operas were originally about. Today social media has forced nearly every brand into content creation. Doing it right on all of the important platforms is really hard. That’s why Chute, a San Francisco, CA based company, has developed a “visual content engine for brands” that makes “it easy to keep pace with your customers and create compelling, fresh content to engage with your fans, build awareness and, ultimately, increase conversion.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
advertising,
California,
customer service,
Internships,
marketing,
online marketing,
public relations,
social media,
software development,
unpaid,
web development
I come up with a lot of business ideas. More often than not I find that someone is already doing it–and usually I’m fine with that. It’s cool to see someone putting the idea to the test since I can’t try most of the ideas that I come up with. A lot of my ideas center around a thesis that more and more people will forgo traditional jobs and instead make a living (or at least supplement their incomes) by reaching new markets through the Internet. Vayable is a company based on this thesis. They are a San Francisco, CA and New York, NY based company that offers “a home for anyone looking to experience honest, local culture through experiences created and hosted by passionate local Insiders.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
business development,
California,
communications,
community management,
engineering,
Internships,
marketing,
New York,
online marketing,
paid,
sales,
travel
If you like nice stuff but don’t like spending money, then you should always at least consider buying things used. Occasionally there’s an ick factor, but most of the time “pre-owned” stuff is perfectly good and less than half the price. Sometimes it’s even more valuable–like in the case of antique furniture–but today we’re talking about furniture that comes at a discount. That’s what AptDeco offers. They’re a New York, NY based startup that allows you “to buy or sell furniture without the scams, hassle, or creepy people going into your apartment.” This is actually something that I would use if it was available in Chicago because I’m currently trying to sell a couch.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analytics,
community management,
customer service,
furniture,
interior design,
Internships,
marketing,
New York,
online marketing
Pretty much everybody in the business world has heard the saying “if it matters, measure it.” But what happens when you’re measuring so many different things that you stop paying attention? It’d be a lot easier if you could look at every important data point in one view–a dashboard. That’s exactly what SumAll offers for people who do business online. They’re a New York, NY based company that allows “you to see all your information in one place and provide you visibility into the past, present, and future.” It would be a lot harder to drive a car if you had twelve different dashboards for each important data point. The same can be said for running a business, which is why SumAll pull everything into one place.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analytics,
data,
design,
engineering,
graphic design,
Internships,
marketing,
New York,
online marketing,
social media,
software development,
web development
I’m an outdoorsy guy who is stuck in a city that is at least a couple hours away from most of the things that I want to do. As a result I spend a lot of time visiting what my wife calls “fishing websites” (that’s exactly what they are). One upstart that caters to guys like me is Huckberry. They’re a San Francisco, CA based company that “is like your favorite store, your grandpa’s favorite store, and your favorite magazine all rolled into one.” It’s pretty much the intersection of yuppie and outdoorsy with a tiny bit of hipster here and there. It’s for “dudes in the middle”–the kind of guys who go camping one weekend and to a black tie wedding the next weekend.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analytics,
business development,
buyer,
California,
copywriting,
customer service,
design,
e-commerce,
e-mail,
editorial,
Internships,
marketing,
merchandising,
online marketing,
outdoors,
paid,
production,
writing
Few things make me happier than spending time outdoors. Fly fishing is my main sport, but I can enjoy almost any activity that doesn’t put me at too much risk of injuring myself so that I can’t fish. One of the fun things about being an outdoor enthusiast is collecting gear. Even when you’re stuck in the city, you can buy new stuff, clean it, repair it, and get it ready for your next big trip. If you’re thinking about buying new gear, you need to check out Backcountry. They are a Park City, UT based company that gets “get people who get outside—plain and simple.” They’re all “about gear, grit, and connecting people to their passions.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
e-commerce,
e-mail,
engineering,
information technology,
Internships,
marketing,
merchandising,
online marketing,
outdoors,
planner,
recycling,
software development,
Utah,
web development
Yesterday we took a look at an online marketing company. Today we’re going to do the same. While today’s company offers many of the same services, the difference is that they tend to work with larger, national clients. This may seem like a small distinction, but the level of competition can make it seem like a different business. WPromote is an El Segundo, CA based company that calls itself “the country’s leading Online Marketing firm, delivering incredible results for [its] Search Engine Optimization, PPC Management and Social Media clients.” That’s big talk, but they must be living up to it if companies like Toyota, Ford, TOMS, Tumi, and Southern New Hampshire University are hiring them to do their online marketing.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
advertising,
California,
design,
e-mail,
graphic design,
Internships,
marketing,
online marketing,
sem,
seo,
social media,
software development,
unpaid,
web development
Online marketing seems to keep getting more complex. Now that every big brand is throwing money at every marketing platform they can, it’s getting a lot harder to drive results. What used to be something that a lot of companies could do themselves now requires an agency. One such agency is OneIMS. They’re a Skokie, IL based company that offers “everything from services like branding and web design to online marketing strategies like SEO and PPC.” Their clients range from small local business to national brands with e-commerce companies falling somewhere in the middle.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
advertising,
Illinois,
interactive media,
Internships,
local,
marketing,
online marketing,
sales,
sem,
seo,
software development,
web development
If you’ve been looking for a job for any amount of time, you’ve probably interacted with dozens of applicant tracking systems. In case you’re not aware, they’re the software that companies use to post jobs and… track applicants. A lot of them suck for the end user (you), but a few offer pretty good experiences. One of the better ones is The Resumator. They’re a Pittsburgh, PA and San Francisco, CA based company that helps “great people build great companies” by bringing “talented professionals and compelling companies together.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
analytics,
business development,
California,
engineering,
human resources,
Internships,
marketing,
online marketing,
paid,
Pennsylvania,
recruiting,
sales,
software development,
web development
Having a personal chef would be pretty life changing. Not only would it make healthy eating much easier, but it would also free up a ton of time. Unfortunately, most of us can’t afford to employ a chef full-time. So how can regular people get the personal chef experience? Kitchensurfing is a New York, NY based company that matches “up chefs and people who need a cook at high and low price points and for a variety of types of engagements, from cooking lessons for the kids to fried chicken parties to 10-course anniversary dinners.” Almost anyone can afford a personal chef when it’s only for one night.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
business development,
California,
culinary,
customer service,
design,
food,
Illinois,
Internships,
marketing,
New York,
online marketing,
paid,
product development,
product management,
software development,
web development
The last time that Amy and I reserved a rental car, they didn’t have a car for us when we showed up. It was straight out of Seinfeld’s The Car Reservation, except the agent didn’t even try to help us. We ended up having to spend $250 on an Uber to get us to the wedding on time. I wish I could say that it’s the last time that I’ll ever use a rental car company, but it won’t be. However, I am tempted to try something new like RelayRides. They are a San Francisco, CA based company that connects “vehicle owners whose cars would otherwise be idle with people who need a car.” It’s a model that makes sense, even if it feels a little uncomfortable at first.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
analytics,
automotive,
California,
cars,
communications,
community management,
customer service,
design,
engineering,
finance,
Internships,
marketing,
mobile,
online marketing,
operations,
planning,
software development,
travel,
user experience,
web development
As I mentioned earlier in the week, media and advertising are all about demographics. Unless you have the targeting capabilities of a Facebook or Google, it’s almost always better to build your properties targeted at a specific group. For SheKnows it’s all about women. They are a Scottsdale, AZ based company that has built a “women’s lifestyle media platform” that “allows brands to distribute authentic content and integrated advertising at scale.” What kind of scale? 40 million unique visitors per month. That’s a lot.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
accounting,
advertising,
analyst,
Arizona,
beauty,
blogging,
community management,
editorial,
entertainment,
food,
human resources,
interactive media,
marketing,
media,
media planner,
New York,
online marketing,
planner,
product management,
promotions,
recruiting,
sales,
social media,
strategy,
video,
writing
I haven’t worked in a real office since my internships during college, but that office had a great cafeteria. The food was always pretty good, and the view was spectacular. The chef also made really great cookies in the afternoons. A lot of companies aren’t big enough to have a cafeteria, but they still want to offer in-house food options for their employees. That can be a huge hassle, but not with Cater2.me. They are a San Francisco, CA based company that “was founded with the goal of connecting inspired kitchens with the masses.” A lot of companies have complicated systems for ordering food in. Cater2.me does all of the administrative stuff so that employees stay well fed and productive.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
California,
engineering,
food,
Illinois,
Internships,
marketing,
Massachusetts,
New York,
online marketing,
operations,
project management,
restaurants,
sales,
software development,
Texas,
Washington DC,
web development
Events are inherently social. A lot of time who is going to be there matters more than what is going on. Yet all of our major social networks are about showing off what we’ve already done. If we’re going to broadcast our lives, it might make sense to let other people in on the fun. Fever is a New York, NY and Madrid, Spain based startup social network that is “changing the way people make plans.” Their idea is to take event discovery away from the calendar and make it all about the people.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
design,
events,
international,
Internships,
marketing,
New York,
online marketing,
photography,
sales,
sem,
seo,
social media,
social networking,
Spain,
unpaid
Think back to all of your years of school. Your teachers created a lot of content that helped you learn, but they also got a lot from educational publishers–textbooks, worksheets, tests, and more. Developing that content can be a painstaking process, so a lot of the times the publishers look outside for help. Since 1982 they’ve been turning to Quarasan, a Chicago, IL based “full service conceptual developer of content for publishers of educational materials and products.” They say that they cover the Pre-K-16 market, which, I think, means that they also develop materials for undergrad.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
copywriting,
editing,
education,
Illinois,
Internships,
marketing,
online marketing,
project management,
social media,
writing
Fashion trends are fascinating. I generally dress the same way that my parents dressed me when I was four, but I understand the urge to get ahead of the latest styles. Some people just have a sense for fashion and can pull it off on their own, but most need help. That’s why the fashion media is so big. The Internet is only making fashion move faster, and that means that the media has to be faster too. StyleCaster Media Group is a New York, NY based company that aims “to bring style to the people, empowering millions of readers to discover and share their style through inspiring features, expert tips, and innovative resources.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
advertising,
analytics,
beauty,
blogging,
design,
editorial,
fashion,
fitness,
graphic design,
information technology,
Internships,
marketing,
New York,
online marketing,
social media,
software development,
style,
unpaid,
web development,
writing
Think about all of the e-mail lists that you’re subscribed to. Now think about how many of those e-mails you delete, mark as spam, or totally ignore. Every one of those senders includes you when they brag about the size of their lists, but you’re pretty much worth nothing to them (you may even have negative value). Businesses that do e-mail right know that keeping your lists manicured is a smart business decision. Unfortunately, that’s a lot easier said then done, which is why company that are serious about e-mail use FreshAddress. They’re a Newton, MA based company that helps “companies that depend on email to drive revenue by building, updating, segmenting, and cleaning their email lists.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
design,
e-mail,
graphic design,
information technology,
Internships,
marketing,
Massachusetts,
online marketing,
paid,
product management,
sales
When my wife gets sick, I swear that she takes her temperature every 15 minutes (she also considers 98.6 a fever because her temperature is normally lower than that). I don’t even bother taking my temperature unless I’m worried that I’m very sick. Thermometers can be important tools for tracking health, but most of us don’t use them to our full potential. Kinsa is a New York, NY based company that is changing the way that people take their temperatures and monitor their health. They’ve developed a smartphone compatible thermometer that combines with an app to provide a completely new type of health tracking technology solution.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
community management,
health care,
Internships,
marketing,
medicine,
mobile,
New York,
online marketing,
operations,
quality assurance,
social media,
software development,
unpaid,
web development
I always get confused by the terms modern and contemporary. To me they sound like they should mean the same thing, but they don’t–at least when you’re talking about art. Modern means that it was “produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s,” while contemporary means it was produced very recently. MOCA is the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and they are the only museum in L.A. that is entirely dedicated to contemporary art. Their definition includes works that date back to 1940, so I guess some of their contemporary art may also be modern art–though I definitely could be wrong about that.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
California,
development,
Internships,
marketing,
member services,
museum,
non-profit,
online marketing,
public relations,
social media,
unpaid
I haven’t updated my business cards in years; in fact, I’m not sure that I’ve given anyone a business card in at least a year. I do most of my business online, so it makes sense that I don’t use a lot of paper products. More and more people are moving in my direction, so if you are going to use printed materials, they need to pop–they need to be able to compete with the interactivity of a website. MOO is an East Providence, RI based company that loves to print. They’ve even invented a word to describe what they do: “printfinity.” It’s a technology that they’ve developed that allows you to “print a different photo or design on every Business Card, Sticker or Postcard in a pack.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
brand management,
communication,
customer service,
international,
Internships,
marketing,
Massachusetts,
online marketing,
paid,
printing,
Rhode Island,
sales,
united kingdom
I’m pretty bummed that we’re going to have to wait almost a full year for a new episode of Mad Men now. If you need your fix, you’re going to have to take a look inside a real advertising agency. Today we’re going to do that for you, and the focus is going to be Mason Zimbler, an Austin, TX based “integrated agency rooted in the digital space.” They’re owned by a bigger company called Harte Hanks, but they seem to operate mostly on their own by combining “a love of creative” with a “desire for results.” They have quite a roster of big name clients, so they must be very good at finding that balance.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
advertising,
analytics,
community management,
design,
information technology,
Internships,
marketing,
online marketing,
paid,
social media,
software development,
Texas,
web development
The Yankees are in Chicago for a full week! I went to the game last night at Wrigley (and I’m going again today), but the Yankees lost, and we got soaked by a thunderstorm as we left the stadium. I was also annoyed because I tried to buy tickets off of StubHub a few hours before the game but couldn’t. They used to stop selling two hours before the game but have since changed that to six hours. I was still able to get tickets at well below face value, but I had to do it at the stadium at the last minute. The policy change was forced by Major League Baseball and its teams to try to prop up ticket resale values for season ticket holders, and it’s completely unfriendly to fans. That’s what happens when the “disrupter” gets co-opted by the big boys. Now it’s time to look for a new disrupter, and it might just be TiqIQ. They are based in New York, NY, and they aim “to make buying event tickets more transparent, efficient, and simpler.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
customer service,
data,
entertainment,
events,
Internships,
marketing,
music,
New York,
online marketing,
paid,
social media,
sports,
writing
What if I told you that there was a product that could increase your personal privacy, reduce your heating and cooling costs, and make your home much more stylish? You might think that I was talking about some sort of new home automation/security system, but I’m really talking about blinds. You know… shades, drapes, curtains, window treatments. You can buy all of them from Blinds.com, a Houston, TX based company that is “the world’s largest online window covering store.” In fact, they’re twice as big as their closest competitor.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
blogging,
customer service,
data,
design,
information technology,
interior design,
Internships,
marketing,
online marketing,
paid,
sales,
social media,
technical support,
Texas
Businesses are always looking for ways to extract more value from their customers. Sometimes this means “sharing” customers with other businesses. I’m sure you’ve seen (and probably ignored) plenty of cross-promotional offers. The problem is that they often get in the way of what I’m trying to do right now. Maybe I’d actually take advantage of them if they were made a little more seamless. That’s what Cartera Commerce is doing. They are a Lexington, MA based company that offers “a comprehensive, fully-managed, performance-based offer platform for card issuers, frequent flyer programs and merchants.” What does this mean? I get offers through bank cards, credit cards, and loyalty programs. I can opt in with a click or a tap, and all I that I have to do to redeem the offer is use my card.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
advertising,
e-commerce,
Internships,
marketing,
Massachusetts,
merchandising,
online marketing
Over the past 7 years, I’ve heard from a lot of frustrated college grads who can’t find jobs. Some of the most frustrated have been international students. They came to the U.S. to get an education, and they’d love to stay here and put that education to use. Unfortunately, the current laws make that extremely difficult. Right now we have a system that is both unfair and economically damaging. We can do better, and FWD.us is a San Francisco, CA based non-profit lobbying organization that wants to make that happen as soon as possible. It was “started by key leaders in the tech community to promote policies to keep the United States and its citizens competitive in a global economy—including comprehensive immigration reform and education reform.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
advocacy,
California,
Colorado,
fellowship programs,
Florida,
Illinois,
Internships,
marketing,
Massachusetts,
New York,
North Carolina,
online marketing,
organizing,
paid,
policy,
public policy,
research,
social media,
software development,
Texas,
web development
