NYC Office Space and Entrepreneurs
The official blog of Sunshine Suites.
Location Based Social Media: Stalk Me, Rob Me, & Tell My Boss I’m Not Where I Should Be
by Sardar Law Firm
First, what is location-based or location aware social media : location aware social media allows users to opt-into an interface that can pinpoint their location when they post through GPS, mobile email, or text. In essence, online readers know where you are, when you are there, and what you may be doing there.
As soon as we heard: where you are and when you there, our ears perked up and we thought, “Would I want someone that I don’t know – who is not even in my online friend circle – to know exactly where I am?”
(more…)
One of the most exciting startups to take advantage of the location-based elements of social media is Yipit, the location-based deal-finding service that, amongst other things, helped me find a great deal on a Peacoat near the Tribeca Sunshine office (the office Yipit also calls home).
Sunshine is thrilled to announce that we’ve recently partnered with Yipit to present special, Shiners-only internal deals via Yipit for Sunshine-sales based more on entrepreneurial needs than fashion finds.
Rather than, say, a fantastic deal at a super-secret password-protected designer sample sale, the Shiners-only deals from Yipit consist of saving 38% on UPS shipping services, or 75% on Paychex payroll solutions. Essentially, these are deals tailor-made to the needs of the small business and startup communities that are harbored, fostured and nurtured within the Sunshine New York office space solution community, and just one more reason Sunshine is an essential facet of the entreprenurial community of New York.
By: Russ | Published: January 20, 2010 | Filed under: article, social media
I was pointed by a link (from a link, from a link…you know how it goes) to this article from bNet on 8 Ways to mess up, thwart, destroy and essentially ruin your business’s social media strategy, most notably point three:
Mistake 3: Act like you own the conversation
Social media is a conversation, and conversations — more so than ads — require tact.
Read the rest of the (at times eye-opening!) article here.
Reporter Jenny 8 Lee wrote about the awesome deal-finding service Yipit in the New York Times yesterday, and we at Sunshine couldn’t be more proud. The Yipit folks call Sunshine Tribeca their home, and we’re working on a cool Yipit launch video as you read this.
Yipit is really a service for anyone who has ever wished that coupons, hot deals and sample sales came tailored and targeted to where they shop, work and play. It’s the social money-saver for people who like to save as hard as they play.
Right now, the best way to connect with all the cool, personalized deals Yipit has to offer is via location-based social network Foursquare.
Follow Yipit on twitter.
Sunshine’s very own Sheheryar Sardar of the Sardar Law Firm has written an excellent piece about social media and contract law, and we’re thrilled to bring it to you here:
WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE CONTRACT
By Sheheryar Sardar, Esq., Sardar Law Firm LLC
www.sardarlawfirm.com
Social media has grown exponentially in the last decade, with enterprising companies creating uncontested market space in the world of online and digital industries. Whether its new search engines or unique services offered to niche markets within the browsing population, social media has transcended all ages, incomes and geographic regions. Due to the fast-paced nature of social media, ambitious entrepreneurs often overlook the need for contracts for their business. While staying ahead of the competition is paramount, creating and maintaining contracts will only enhance your edge.
Before you even start a company, or else plan on developing professional relationships with external agencies, prospective partners and employees, it is critical to understand the laws of contract. When there is a dispute, and often there is at least one during the development phase, all parties will look to the contract. As such, having a lawyer on board from the outset will always be an advantage for your business. Here is a brief list of issues to consider:
• Non-Compete Clauses: you want to protect your business by impeding your partners’ or employees’ rights to directly compete with your business if they leave. This would be framed within a specific time period, limited to a geographic area, but is very important because they possess inside knowledge of your competitive advantage.
• Non-Solicitation Clauses: you don’t want your partners or employees soliciting your colleagues or your customers away from your business.
• Non-Disclosure Agreements: NDAs are no unreasonable, so long as the language in the contract is clear on protecting your right to confidentiality.
• Moonlighting and Loyalty: This may or may not be necessary, depending on the nature of your business. A lawyer could assess its need once you discuss your goals.
• Ownership of Intellectual Property: You may want to protect any processes, templates, systems, or methods created by an employee by retaining any IP rights over them. A contract on the outset will provide necessary protections so that work product created under your business does not ultimately go to a competitor.
• Use, Licensing, Technology Transfer: Social media companies will likely need to outsource its products or services through other digital or online mechanisms, usually other companies. Often, partnerships are created to facilitate such business development. In this context, having contracts to protect the use and licensing of your work product, so that it doesn’t leak or be misused, will make your transitions to the next stage much more efficient. Similarly, if you are interested in commercially exploiting your methods, processes or inventions (Technology Transfer), you will need contracts to protect your financial interests.
Spending a little time on developing a legal structure through contracts, while slightly time-consuming, is a real investment in your social media business. Your business will make or break based on the contract, often when you must make strategic decisions for the success of your business. Retaining a contract lawyer will only enhance the probability of that success.
Sunshine recently put out the call to all our Shiners to create quick, fun content about themselves, their businesses and what they do at Sunshine for our blog. We’ll be posting this in different format-text blogs, vlogs, podcasts-in the coming days and weeks.
Up first: Hedgeable, the online trading and portfolio management company who base themselves out of our NoHo office. In their own words:
Are you feeling frustrated that you have some money, but have no idea how to manage it? Don’t have time to look after your current portfolio? Tired of paying for a broker that you never talk to, and who is content with letting you lose money? These are questions that everyday Americans with IRAs and 401Ks are increasingly asking themselves as they review their retirement in the wake of the financial crisis. There are really no good solutions for those looking to get cutting edge investment advice, while not shelling out a large amount in fees.
This is why we created Hedgeable.com. We bring sophisticated and powerful investing tools to everyday Americans to help them manage their portfolios. Hedgeable’s tools are easy to use and cover the entire lifecycle of investing, from investment education, to portfolio construction, analysis and management. Investing can be a very confusing and daunting task, which is why all of the resources on the site are extremely simple to understand.
Hedgable has the following three product offerings:
Portfolio Analyzer- 100% Free
• HPH Score Report™ acts similarly to a credit report, and provides an instant analysis on the health of a portfolio.
• eQuant™ tool provides detailed performance and risk reporting as well as interactive charts.
• Flash Advisor™ provides simple trade recommendations and fee savings.
Portfolio Builder- $49.99
• Custom built ETF portfolios based on our investment team’s market expertise
• Users aren’t placed into predetermined “buckets” like most products on market
Portfolio Manager- Free for 30 days; $19.99 per month thereafter
• Powerful technology platform giving those who want expert advice the ability to manage their own money, with professional oversight.
• Users receive periodic trade alerts to protect and grow their portfolio, which they execute at their discount broker.
• The platform also provides real-time performance and risk reporting, commentary, and dedicated customer support.
Hedgeable has been featured in The Economist, and on MSNBC, NPR, and numerous technology and finance blogs.
Follow Hedgeable on Twitter
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