So about a month ago Yahoo was doing a contest for small business owners that basically had us write in:
1. What our business was about,
2. What does our business need to be successful,
3. How can Yahoo make that a reality.
The prize was $25K in search mktg and a few other perks like meeting Ivanka trump and having an executive sponsor for a year. You also got some web site development and I think there was a small kitty of cash.
So I of course entered. Well.........I looked the other day after realizing I was probably not one of 5 finalists and what did I see? A BUNCH OF CRAP!!!!!!!!!!! I GOT ROBBED!!!!!! Of the 5 finalists - only one even had an interesting concept!!! AND it is clear that the rest of the world agreed with me because of how many votes the ONE guy got and how FEW the other schmucks got. And the contest is supposed to have 3 winners of the 5. So let's evaluate the losers that bypassed me:
1. Crooked Houses - the only good concept and he will win. Basically he makes customized easy to assemble playhouses that look like cartoon buildings - you know the slanted houses. I would even buy one if I had a kid. Go to his web site at www.crookedhouses.com (I think)
2. Willy Wonka - well that is basically what he is. He is a candy distributor. Now help me out here. The contest was to help people who NEEDED free marketing money to help make their business grow. yet this sap has like 5 full time employees and a freaking warehouse of candy - how the hell does he NEED extra money - he clearly is doing well enough already - oh and he has been in business for over 10 years. He was pretty whacked out like Gene Wilder in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as well.
3. The Fairy Lady - OMG - have we reverted back to the 70's???? So this hippie chick makes customized fairies and fairy dresses and anything fairy wise. Don't get me wrong - her fairy stuff looks nice, but way specific AND there is a bigger problem with her concept. it is not easily scalable because it is she who makes all the fairies and it isn't something you can just hire more admin people to come in and do - which means that if she gets slammed - oh well everyone will be on back order until next year Christmas. Seriously people - is anyone having a fairy fetish???
4. Moms On Edge - RIPOFF Artists. So they have a couple of kids and watched Supernanny a couple times. Big freaking whoop. These two ladies first of all look like Stay Home moms whose husbands are doing well enough they don't have to work and secondly, they basically just hand make the Supernanny style things like a portable naughty spot and some bath blocks that are supposed to be smart blocks or something. Now, I have a friend who has a kid and last I checked, Baby Einstein has a whole line of intelligence for your kid stuff. So ...........I just don't get it, other than they are clearly trying to appeal to a demographic of moms and young kids. BOOOOO!
5. The over the top sony play station keyboard. Ok well it isn't a sony play station control - it just looks like one on steroids. But it is a keyboard that allows you to be walking on your treadmill and type at your computer.......yeah cause when i am working out, that's what I want to do - type on my keyboard. Oh and no....it is not wireless btw. Not yet - but NASA wants one when it is. People - if you thought carpal tunnel was out of hand before - wait til you see this contraption.
So one of my big soapboxes is the fact that MY business actually HELPS people. It helps people continue their education!!!!! I guess maybe I had "too noble" of a concept for them and it wasn't weird and cool enough. But that wasn't the point of the contest. I cannot believe that I got lower on the totem pole than these people. How did this happen other than the Yahoo committee being completely inept at their jobs and identifying good business concepts??? I was sooo pissed off, I had started writing my letter to Yahoo telling them how inept they are. I even had the executive I was going to send it to. But I calmed down about 72 hours later and instead decided to bitch here. :) How nice of me. I also accidentally voted for the crap moms one when I meant to click on the video for them and didn't want to be called on it by Yahoo if they looked into my account - but that's between you and me. :)
Ok .....I feel better now.
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