Project J.A.R.S. updates and announcements

Project J.A.R.S. ...everyone thought our project was finished and that we faded into the world of big dreams without motivation. Well we have not gone anywhere, as mentioned in our last blog, we have been busy purchasing equipment and also researching startups. I must admit this was not an easy task, between our personal projects and personal lives (not to mention scheduling) we have been busy as beavers. 

I would like to thank +Ryan Satterfield for taking on the task of handling OneContech and all the Twitter feeds. If you haven't viewed his YouTube channel on Web Security you need to check it out...lots of great information from the internet security ninja himself. Thanks Ryan.

Whats new?

Project J.A.R.S. has been building the studio and making sure we have all the software necessary to move into the next Phase and start shooting videos for YouTube. Now let state for the record I am camera shy but thanks to +Jim Ault I'm actually getting comfortable with being in front of a camera in mass video sessions. This week is the last of the equipment builds and installations and although we are 2 weeks behind our original start time I think it works better this way, we got a chance to work out some bugs and also set some standards for video production. I feel like a kid with a new toy...geek. 

November will start the bi-weekly video channel that will be on YouTube. We will discuss new startups, issues with running a small business and of course technology. Project J.A.R.S. will also return to live Twitter feeds (@projectjars) and take questions and suggestions. You can also join us on our site www.projectjars.com for news and updates.

Bootstrappers

If you have a startup and have been looking for a free way to share your projects, inventions or just work for a cool startup we invite you to share with us. Project J.A.R.S. is the product of those of us with visions of the future and look to improve our communities. We also want to invite game developers and women in technology and business to share their experiences and stories so we can help spread the word on their projects. 

Well that's all for now make sure to follow us on Twitter @projectjars or here on Google +Project J.A.R.S 

Bootstrap Spotlight Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of Bootstrap Spotlight. It took a little bit of trolling to find the right startups but I think I have found some cool new startups that deserve a moment in the light. Now before we start I want to take a moment to let our readers know we have been on a little hiatus because it got really busy in our world recently and that meant we had to reorganize and re-prioritize our day to day activities. 

Fear not Project J.A.R.S. is not going anywhere, if anything we are improving on our mission to bring Bootstrap Startups and services to the attention of the masses. 

New Internet Startups

First up to bat Media startup Distractify  created by Quinn Hu ad Yosef Lerner. Distractify gathers all those interesting news stories and web links and drops them all in one place so that users can create stories or report on news that is important to them. According to his interview with Business Insider Hu wants "wanted to make people feel an emotion that is universal". Now that's a statement, I like the idea that news is not limited to reporters and that all topics have to have some global catastrophe attached to them. On their sight you can choose what stories you want to read under categories like News, Fun, Culture, Geek and People. I suggest taking a look at Distractify...you may find yourself wandering into a new world of news and information. www.distractify.com 

What did they name they baby?

I would like to thank yourstory.com for sharing the news about a new app that will help future parents pick a baby name. The app is called NameMyWorld which can be found in both the Google Playstore and IOS stores. According to the article NameMyWorld has redefined the business of naming a baby, which has always been a toss up in the past.  Every person with a weird name has always wanted to wonder "What were my parents thinking?" when it came to their birth name. Names like Werner, ShaquadiaMonique, Blu, Ragmen. (Not making these up people have these as first names)  According to the article:

"NameMyWorld is an app that helps parents name their baby. It  uses the principles of numerology to determine if a particular name will be suitable for the baby, and whether it is in sync with the baby’s date of birth or not. It is calculated by a unique algorithm in the app, which returns a percentage score for every name that parents wish to evaluate.

So parents, who are in the middle of naming their baby, can download the app for free and create a profile for themselves and their newborn. They are then required to punch in the names that they are considering for the baby to get the percentage score out of 100, and choose the one they like most out of the top names. To assist parents further with the selection, the app also provides a verdict like Best, Good, Average and Critical for different score ranges."

Talk about a relief just think how thankful your child will be when you tell them years later that he was named after an app..LOL For those of you interested here is a link to their video on youtube.

 Coloring Books 

Your reading the heading correctly, with the advances in technology is it hard to believe that kids activities haven't grown with the times. Introducing Kids Coloring Book.  Now using your tablet of Android smartphone you can share play time with the kids. According to their page in the Google Store:

 “Kids Coloring Book is an application that works fast! It will please kids of all ages, thanks to the richness of colors which magically appear at the touch of the screen. When you paint a line there is no delay. When you are filling in shapes, it fills right up to the lines you have just painted and works just as well on the many pre loaded pictures and drawing available. You can easily erase at anytime if you need to correct something. You can also save a picture and continue it at a later time.

So Install Kids Coloring Book today and see how quick and easy it is to use! Have fun with our coloring pages.

Your child can choose pictures from following categories:
1. Princess
2. Animal
3. People
4. Car
5. Face
6. Easter Holidays
7. Plane
8. Police cars, fire trucks and fireman and others.”

I think this is a wonderful application for parents and their kids, the app can help keep the little ones entertained while on those long road trips, or when parents have to wait in the doctors office…this will keep the busy for hours. This application gets to thumbs up from Project J.A.R.S.

Well that's all for this week on Bootstrap Startup if you like the spotlight share your projects with us and we will post them in our blog. Follow us @projectjars on Twitter or join us on our Google+ We look forward to hearing from you.

Bootstrap Spotlight

Bootstrap Spotlight Part 1

In today’s economic environment there is little or no room for chance and even less for attracting backers. Project J.A.R.S. understands this and has developed a way to get you the exposure you need to bring in real clients, investors and partners. Project J.A.R.S. will help shape the future of conferences by showcasing your ideas that matter in any discipline and create connections in an environment allows attendees and speakers from vastly different fields to cross-fertilize and draw inspiration from unlikely places.

Project J.A.R.S. is proud to announce the first edition of Bootstrappers Spotlight. (We will be a section to our website within a few days.) Once a month Project J.A.R.S. will spotlight bootstrapped startup companies, engineers, artist, programmers, musicians with the intent on shedding some light on what's next in the world of innovation. Project J.A.R.S. operates on the premise that not everyone can make it to a TED conference or join any of the major technology conventions. So we provided one for our members. 

Mobile applications

+Nguyen TAN PHAT has developed Appstruc their business model is simple "Appstruc is a small technology company with a big mission to change the business interaction with end customers. We focus on mobile app and we want to make mobile apps are more accessible to all businesses around the world. We are small but we are doing a big thing. We are making the best thing for every one from every industry." quoted from their site. This little beauty is in beta phase but get this, he developed the app for business owners who would like to build apps for their particular business. Now as you know I am not the best at coding but I can use an app like this because it allows you to modify your application and tailor it for your business. I suggest giving Appstruc a try and give us your feedback we would like to know your thoughts.

+FollowLater now these guys put some thought into this application. The premise is very simple, okay imagine your in say New York or Philadelphia and you are walking thru the shopping district and you see something you like but do not have the time or the money to stop in and purchase the item. According to FollowLater website "Customers walks into the store, naturally she likes something. But maybe she is not ready to buy it right now. She snaps the QR code with the phone, and then it goes to her wish list. You, the store owner, will see on your side what customers scanned and liked. We have created easy and simple to manage service for the customer, where the customer will have a reminder from us. You don't have to do anything except to print our free QR code. We will do the rest! Somebody might say this is old QR marketing, however we provide something better, this is the way to connect to the customer and get retention." quoted from their site. 

I see this as being a great way to get people to the brick and mortar businesses. Imagine if every time someone walked out of your storefront that they would have a virtual list of your products that they can purchase from you later. No more notes or guessing where you saw the item you were looking to purchase. Just snap a pic and buy it later from that same retailer. If you have a storefront business this is something you may want to promote with your customers. Return business is good business in my book. You can find more information about FollowLater on their site www.followlater.com

Sites Built to help you succeed  

I like startup developers who create websites with intent on helping others like themselves who are looking to build something new but don't have the money to purchase or license expensive software. Project J.A.R.S. has seen the development of websites specifically designed for the bootstrap community in an effort to help them with the management or development of their company or projects. As you may know when working as a team collaboration of ideas springs forth great products and services, but how do you and your team communicate these ideas? Emails, phones calls or weekly meetings? 

These forms of communication can get time consuming and even frustrating at times. When your working as a team you have to collaborate on everything from the company logo to the mission statement. Project J.A.R.S. is comprised of four brains who are constantly jumping back an forth between projects, research and our personal lives. We collaborate online using Google, but even Google has it's limits.....yes I said Google has limits!!! So to spare our members hours of emailing and phone calls we decided to spotlight Babele.

 

According to +Ruxandra Creosteanu is "an online platform that helps entrepreneurs and wannabes structure their business model in a collaborative way by receiving contributions from the community." This is a great way to figure out what you want to do if your thinking of starting a business. Babele has a ton of features that everyone needs when starting a business venture. With Babele you will be immersed in a community of people who will help you with your business plan and project management. They offer mentoring solutions so that you can make your company  project attractive to potential investors.

The community allows members to ask questions and share ideas without all the fees attached that you normally get from business coordinators or planners. It provides its members with "co-working spaces, incubators and accelerators. It's an online tool that strengthens the existing community of entrepreneurs by stimulating the collaboration between them and offering them access to an international network of mentors." quoted from their site. If you are looking for the tools of success Babele is one you should put in your belt.

"Sproutr is an open peer-to-community social network specifically for entrepreneurs to discuss ideas and solve problems. Users build a reputation based on other users voting on their posts/responses and are able to showcase themselves and their startups by building a high enough reputation." +Ryan Ovas I thought this was an interesting twist on social media, because on this site your reputation speaks volumes. Its hard to build a reputation online but I like this site because it follows a similar premise. Actions speak louder than your words... Having a solid reputation can enhance your business in ways I can't even verbalize. So many companies forget that your customers help build your reputation and its important for customers to hold vendors and service providers responsible for their work. 

Sproutr holds an interesting position our view, very few people are willing to lay it on the line to get the job done. Sproutr gives you the ability to build a community around your services or products which works as a two way street, you get honest feedback and at the same time you get to build your company credibility with consumers, your customers and potential business partners or investors.

Well that's all for Bootstrap Spotlight for this week keep an eye out for part part 2 next week.  If you have a bootstrap company, project, or technology you would likes us to showcase join us on Project J.A.R.S. or follow us on Twitter @projectjars and Google+

The world of Utilities is changing

The future of energy is changing

July 5th ,2014 Bill Sanderson published his article on the future energy, according to his article posted in MarketWatch. This is good news considering we are living in the age of technological innovation. The idea that you can have your own solar generator and produce power for use in your home at night is great. Imagine going through a hot summer without fearing the electric bill each month because your family leaves the air conditioners on all day. It's a cool idea and energy companies do not want you to know how much you can save by investing in solar energy products. 


In the past 10 years we have seen a boom in the solar technology industry, more and more companies and residential communities are seeing the advantage of having self generated power. It not only saves money on the light bill but it also helps the environment. Using solar panels on your home reduces the amount of grid energy you use therefore reducing the amount of resources required to produce that power. I know it all sounds a little crazy, but look around and you will see that people are starting to see that solar energy is a resource that we should take seriously. 

According to Bill Sanderson's article " Prices for home solar systems have dropped 10% a year for the last five years, according to Sanford C. Bernstein Research. Home solar installations already compete on price with utilities in Hawaii and Washington, D.C., Bernstein says. " That's important information to share, because as you know the power companies don't like competition, according to the article with the reduction in cost for residential and small business installation consumers are more prone to invest in a solar solution for power needs for their homes and business. The upfront cost are high but the return on your investment is worth every penny, after installation of solar panels on a home the monthly bills have dropped from $300 dollars to as low as $20 a month. Talk about savings...that's a pretty big one. 

The cost of installing solar panels on a home depends, but they have some cool payment options. You can lease the panels, or buy them outright, the choice is yours. If these are not options for you then you can choose other money saving options like Solar Generators, or Solar Furnaces that produce heat and electricity. Solar energy is a source of power that many have taking for granted but now that our climate and our environment is changing we need to harness this power, its clean, free and environmentally friendly..just ask any plant.

Your comments are welcome, feel free to comment on our blog. Follow us on Twitter @projectjars 

Project J.A.R.S. Updates, Gripes and Cool stuff

Project J.A.R.S. has had a busy month which is why I am doing the blog a few weeks ahead of our normal schedule cause we have found so many cool startups over the last few weeks. In our last blog we talked some of the problems startups experience and ways to keep themselves motivated. Well if you are looking for inspiration...lets start with Developer news and then we will move into the tech and business stuff that I think everyone will enjoy. 

YO! Not just a Philly Thing

Right off the top lets talk about how Mosche Hogeg, CEO of Mobli and Co-Founder of Yo. Now get this...Mosche Hogeg is located in Tel Aviv and he wanted a simple way to get in touch with his wife using his smartphone. He didn't want to bother with email, or send her a text. No those would lead to lengthy conversations which would suck up his valuable time. (Men we are short and to the point sucks right?) so according to him he wanted a one word notification that would "let the person know they were being thought of or were need." according to the Business Insider story by Alyson Shontell. Now let's stop here for a moment, as many of you know or may not know I'm from Philadelphia and we own and hold it as a cultural trait to use the word Yo for everything. In greetings it's  "Yo, wassup!", if we as Philadelphians see something surprising we say "Yooo!!!" with a few added words of course. 

When I saw this app I was so taken back by the fact that no one in Philly thought to build this app ourselves. So dug around and found that this idea for the app was actually kicked around for quite a bit before it was released. According to Tech Blogger Robert Scoble "This is the stupidest, most addictive app I've ever seen in my life" Well let me tell you our readers something, if your from Philadelphia or the surrounding areas Yo is word associated with everything from food to romance to everyday interactions. It's a calling card that identifies Philadelphians because just by how you say Yo, and use it in your daily life it will can tell the locals which part o the city you are from or if your a neighbor say from north or south New Jersey.

The power of Yo has reached an all time high and I am saying this without being funny, Yo thats wassup. because so far investors have committed 1.2 Million dollars so far for the app. I personally would like to thank Mosche Hogeg  for inadvertently paying tribute to a city and a culture I love very deeply, your million dollar app has a home right here in the city of brotherly love.

Wearables: the dawn of a new age?

Mark O'Neill wrote a very interesting story on Wearable in the workplace called Wearables At Work: Early Adopters Will Win according to him the age of the smartphone is reaching its sunset and the new dawn will bring forth wearable technology to replace it. I know this seems a little far fetched but its really not if you think about it. The clock is constantly ticking when it comes to how we use technology and it is speeding up. Now you can exercise without having a trainer just by downloading an app to your smartphone, you want directions to a restaurant put on your Google Glass and let it take you to your destination. Your watch is now moving in the direction of the Dick Tracy watch, now your calls are coming in on what used to be your time piece. I think we all must realize that our tech is catching up with our childhood fantasies. The days of watching Star Trek and saying that would be a cool device to own has just landed in our laps.

The future of technology has opened many doors that were once closed, we are seeing advances in medicine with the use of robotics and nano technolgy, not to mention learning more about the human brain by using technology to explore the most mysterious regions of the brain. Everything from buying a car to shopping for clothes can now be done with a simple click of a button. I think Mark O'Neill hit it on the head with this article. Take a moment to read it I think you will be very impressed.

Robots and self replication

+Fraser Cain from HeroX.com has offered an interesting challenge to robot builders, the challenge is to build a robot that can build another robot from raw materials then those two robots build another robot etc. etc. Robots that can replicate themselves is a cool challenge I mean think about tit you purchase one robot and it can build other robots to perform other task you need to have completed. Fraser has included rules to keep people from building Terminator robots, (which in my opinion is quite wise) to get more information go to herox.com  and checkout the rules and the reward of joining the challenge. Project J.A.R.S. is going to follow this challenge because we like to see innovators get the press and credit for their work. 

Solar Roadways

Okay this is the last one for the day, and you may have heard me talking about this tech before, its called Solar Roadways. Well here is a little background straight from their site to fill in the blanks 

"Years ago, when the phrase "Global Warming" began gaining popularity, we started batting around the idea of replacing asphalt and concrete surfaces with solar panels that could be driven upon. We thought of the "black box" on airplanes: We didn't know what material that black box was made of, but it seemed to be able to protect sensitive electronics from the worst of airline crashes.

Suppose we made a section of road out of this material and housed solar cells to collect energy, which could pay for the cost of the panel, thereby creating a road that would pay for itself over time. What if we added LEDs to "paint" the road lines from beneath, lighting up the road for safer night time driving? What if we added a heating element in the surface (like the defrosting wire in the rear window of our cars) to prevent snow/ice accumulation in northern climates? The ideas and possibilities just continued to roll in and the Solar Roadway project was born."

So far Solar Roadways has been very busy with their campaign on Indiegogo which was a huge success they have raised just over $2 million dollars for their project and it looks like they are ready to move to phase three. Solar Roadways is an example of environmental technology, they are developing a solution that has global ramifications. If they can get their solution to work with our roadways here in the United States and other countries they would be able to provide a cheap energy resource that we as global tenants can use everyday without adding to the problem of global warming. With Solar Roadways we could reduce the carbon footprint in our atmosphere drastically over a few years buy using a technology that depends on an abundant resource we call the sun. +Jim Ault one of the founders of Project J.A.R.S. has been following Solar Roadways and has committed Project J.A.R.S. and our resources to helping Solar Roadways via social media and other resources. This is what Project JARS is about supporting those with ideas that influence change. 

Well that's all for this edition of Project J.A.R.S. monthly blog. As always please feel free to drop us your comments and suggestions. You can find us on Twitter @projectjars or here on Google+ 

www.projectjars.com 

Common startup problems and how to stay motivated.

Progress in times of difficulty

It's been a few weeks and Project J.A.R.S. has hit a few snags. Like all startups problems arrive when our personal lives counter our dedication to completing business ventures. We have had members come and go, teams built and teams broken. The Project J.A.R.S. team members are not unlike the people, teams and small businesses we support. We are going through growing pains, and like all startups these pains can set you back, bring your project to a halt, or inspire you to move forward. Project J.A.R.S. is moving forward although we had to change gears to make our progress more productive.

As many of you know we have been looking for software developers and supporters to help with certain aspects of Project J.A.R.S. because let's face it no one can do it all. Like every startup in the history of the world we have encountered the following issues let's see if you can relate:

• Managing work and Home: any business venture, entrepreneurial idea requires commitment. It requires balance of family and business which in itself is a job. The managerial staff and team members all have lives outside our current project and from time to time they come into conflict. If your working on a bootstrap budget you know this can be a serious issue when trying to pay a mortgage, car insurance, college tuition, babysitters, etc.with all that the pressure is intense and can spread into your project causing stress that spreads across your team.                                                                           
• Solution: Break out the calender and start rescheduling parts of your projects, stretch out non-critical completion dates. Take time to step away from the project to complete family responsibilities first, work responsibilities etc then come back to your project. You will have better focus and less interruptions which will allow you to complete your project task.                      
• Trying to do it alone: you cannot I..... repeat you cannot run a project by yourself. It may seem cost effective but its actually more discouraging than anything else. If you are experiencing the problems discussed in bullet one then I can guarantee you are going to be very stressed and get very little done. It's a good idea to ask for help, add some team members or partners to your project or business idea.                                                            
• Example: Lawyers, and accountants will always keep you from making common business mistakes people make when doing it by themselves. These types of professionals are work as needed only and they will protect your interest legally and financially.                                         
• Money: The major reason most startups and small businesses fail is because of the lack of funding and bad money management. If you are planning to get a loan, then here is a piece of advice, make sure your loan covers the worst case scenario, not what you think you will need to be successful the successful one. Why? well when getting funding and I am using a loan as example people only request what they will need if their idea is a success, but as you know most projects hit set backs, rental cost , insurance issues, legal issues, payroll shortages, product or services are not ready for the projected completion date, same products or services bring in less ROI than you originally thought...shall I go on?                                                                                                                        
• Solution: Plan out as much of your project as possible, research your idea the profitability of your idea. Audit yourself, and plan your finances accordingly, I cannot stress this point enough because there is always going to be a setback or a ton of setbacks when starting on a new venture. Here at Project J.A.R.S. we have had many setbacks, and without careful planning we would have folded before we even got a started. Money is a crucial tool in business and like any tool if not managed correctly you will hurt yourself or others will hurt you if you are not prepared. Planning for the worst case scenario allows you to have capitol for those emergencies or unexpected expenses that arise removing the stress of trying to find that last $5,000.00 dollars you needed for say production or licensing. Its a good idea to think your project through before starting it helps on the long road to success.

Staying Motivated

Project J.A.R.S. is on course for success, we have made some changes to management staff and reset completion dates in order to make sure when we role out OneConTec that we are prepared to service our many members. We do not want to hype up our services and deliver junk. We have had meetings with our advisors and team members which produced solutions to many of our internal problems. Project J.A.R.S. is motivated by the bootstrap community and their support. We feel the energy of success and it has helped us in ways that I cannot put into words. Removing negative opinion, and following the examples of those who came before us fuels our desire to deliver.

We would like to thank +Natasha Green creator of the #theSalon  +Carlos Romero CPirate Radio and Ikohaus Digital Art +Saul Fleischman and #Ritetag and all the members of The Women in Tech Community and The Startup Bootstrappers Community on Google and all of our mebers and friends who support our efforts. You keep us honest and working hard and we can't ask for more than that.

Time and Productivity

Project J.A.R.S. has been very busy, hence why our blog is just now getting published. In the past few days we have had meeting with potential partners and a slew of ups and downs when dealing with the developers. Since our last post we have been working very hard to build an environment that is user friendly but full of features. This not an easy task but with all things that will be great their must be some room for mistakes and problem solving. In all my years I have never heard of a business or project that got everything done the first time around. Project J.A.R.S. is no different, we have made some mistakes, but we learning how to improve ourselves as a team.

Project J.A.R.S. is a dynamic entity that is constantly changing and that's a good thing because that makes us viable. The #onecontec site is progressing well +Ryan Satterfield is in charge of that side and I can tell you he is on it like a dog with a bone. The Project J.A.R.S. is on a pause for a few days, but sign up is going great. Using twitter we have made a lot of new friends and supporters for #projectjars which is great because that means that people are starting to understand what Project J.A.R.S. is all about. Since we are venturing into a new territory by tapping into bootstrapped communities and small businesses we believe its best that they have more input as to how our project is developing.

We are actively recruiting people, groups and startups to help with our project, its important that they help because our project is dedicated to supporting them. We have had introductions to women groups that are doing ground breaking things in the world of technology, but they are not getting the exposure they deserve because of bias. We are supporters of groups like #blackgirlscode and #Women Techmakers communities. Its the job of J.A.R.S. to help get these communities the exposure they deserve and the help create a culture that respects its members regardless of gender or ethnicity. As a society building on technology we have to be better than that...we have come to far to be so for behind socially..its embarrassing on some levels...Project J.A.R.S. is trying to level the playing field because we have zero tolerance for bias now enough about the social-political stuff lets get to some cool news.

Project J.A.R.S. Hang Outs on Air is coming soon

Project J.A.R.S. will be hosting Google hangouts soon so keep an eye out. We plan on talking about Project J.A.R.S. and its development and at the same time answer your questions ( I am totally excited about this!!) about what J.A.R.S. is all about. We will also start hosting hangouts and spot light cool projects, and startups to give them some room to talk about whats going on with their projects and business giving them an opportunity to get some feed back from their peers. we hope this will foster in some networking opportunities for everyone. 

I know from experience video hangouts are cool, you meet the most interesting people, now i am going to pause here for a moment and say, the hangouts will be held during normal hours ( I know a lot of you guys will find this funny since I am always online at 3 am) what can I say I am a night owl....or vampire depends on who you ask. Okay well that's all the news for now...follow us on Twitter @onecontec @projectjars or catch us on Google +Jars Storm