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Written by: Ian Markowitz
Every month, dozens of new web startups enter the scene, offering everything from phone service to the latest and greatest Twitter integration. Below are some new startups which will help you do everything from branding yourself on the Web, to developing a phone system for a startup of your own, to even creating a catch-all website where you can find more websites like these.
Flavors.me
Flavors.me was a quick and easy reason for me to ditch my Web hosting this month. Although it is open to the public and is completely free,Flavors.me is in its early development stages. This website gives you a control panel which allows you to design your Flavors.me page with a background, color scheme, and font of your choice. From there, you add certain services like Twitter, Last.fm, and Facebook to your page and voila, your personal Flavors.me page is complete.
Completely simple in its functionality and minimalist in its design, with Flavors.me you can create simplistic personal pages which allow you to start your own home on the Web. Create your own Flavors.me page, by purchasing a domain name for yourself, forwarding it to your Flavors.me page and you have a simplistic, professional webpage for less than $1 a month. (www.flavors.me)
Phonebooth
Phonebooth is an excellent Web utility for any startup. It allows you to seem like a major company to your customers, without paying a single penny. Phonebooth helps you set up a virtual Web-based phone system which will forward your calls wherever you are. The free version of the program entitles you to 200 free calling minutes per month, a local phone number, and 50 free voicemail transcriptions.
One of the coolest parts of the system, though, is its ability to set up auto attendants. Auto attendants are the systems which answer phones when you call major corporations (“Press one for billing, two for support,” etc.). The ability for a small startup to set up a phone tree which will forward calls to its employees regardless of their location is invaluable. For example, imagine you were running a company with employees in California, Texas, and Boston. Phonebooth would allow you to set up a toll-free number and forward calls to each employee through the phone tree.
Phonebooth launched a few weeks ago at a major technology conference in Austin, TX and since, has been overwhelmed with requests to be added to its beta program. While the program is still in an early closed beta, it has the makings of an excellent Web alternative to expensive corporate phone trees. It’s amazing how any small company, through the use of the Internet, can seem as legitimate and professional as any multinational corporation with a few inexpensive Web utilities. (www.phonebooth.com)
Lifehacker
Lifehacker is a website which has rapidly been building a following since its founding a little over five years ago. It’s a website filled with tips, tricks, and interesting tidbits from across the Web, and is usually one of the many places I find out about new websites and utilities to simplify my life or to improve my computer. With an average of around 20 posts per day, there is always a new article to read or something new to discover.
One of the best aspects of the website is a feature they run called Hive Five. Hive Fives are times when Lifehacker readers submit their nominations for the best of something. For example, the two most recent nominations are for best backup tool and best tax preparation software. The five most popular submissions are then voted on by the website’s readership to determine the number one solution. (www.lifehacker.com)
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