Startup Profiles - Myschooldirectory.org

What: School directory sponsored by local businesses
Who: Gene Haba Jr. of Myschooldirectory.org
Where: Bridgeport, Connecticut
When: Started in 2004
Startup costs: Six figures
  
After 20 years as a national consultant for the Yellow Pages, it was no surprise when Gene Haba Jr. volunteered to create a parent directory for his daughter's school. But what had started as a simple project quickly turned into a substantially larger idea. Haba, 51, created a directory listing family contact information and using advertisements from local businesses.

"As I dug deeper into it, I started to see a bigger vision," he says. "Rather than just printing a directory, I saw the opportunity to turn it into a fundraiser." Haba noticed that parents were unhappy with the demands of current fundraising programs, which usually involved going out and selling something. In response to their concerns, Haba founded Myschooldirectory.org.

The directory is distributed for free to every family and faculty member. Funds are raised by parent volunteers selling $50 listings to businesses that have been recommended by families; about 80 percent of revenue goes back to the school. Other families, schools and businesses can visit the site for information about starting the program in their area. "The directory is bringing the community together," says Haba. "It's building value and building community." 

At his daughter's school, 173 businesses advertised in the directory raising $10,287 for the 2007-2008 school year. For 2008, Haba hopes to create directories for 150 schools and projects sales of $250,000. In the future, Haba also hopes to turn the business into a social networking site: "I want to be the MySpace or the Facebook of the school market."

[Via - Entrepreneur Magazine] 

ChefsLine.Com Success Story

 

What: Interactive cooking community
Who: Jennifer Beisser of ChefsLine Where: New York City
When: Started in 2006 Startup Costs: $61,000

Jennifer Beisser, who had a demanding job doing nonprofit community work, found she had little time to spend in the kitchen. Beisser, 39, started wishing she had professional help, which would motivate her to cook more often. Her big idea came on Thanksgiving Day while listening to her husband talk to his chef friend on the phone. Beisser began to wonder if getting cooking advice could always be that simple. 

In 2006, Beisser quit her job and devoted her full attention to launching ChefsLine, a subscription-based company with a mission to empower everyday people to become their own personal chefs. Through ChefsLine, members receive cooking and menu planning advice from professional chefs, either by phone or over the internet. "[Americans] are super interested in food, but that doesn't mean we can get food on our table," says Beisser. "We need to sit down together as families and enjoy that time." 

With a dietitian, a nutritionist and even a wine consultant on staff, Beisser's aim is for ChefsLine to be able to help with any cooking question or party planning need. For $15, users receive 30 minutes with a live coach online or over the phone, and for a $34.95 a month membership, they have unlimited access to the hotline and can even take a cooking class by webcam. The website also allows members to post questions for the staff.

In the future, Beisser hopes to expand internationally, adding chefs from other countries to the current staff of 25. With about 500 calls per month and a growing membership, 2008 sales projections are more than $200,000. Overall, Beisser loves that cooking no longer has to be a huge production. "I can now whip out a dinner party in a minute," she jokes. "It's 9:30 at night and I haven't cooked yet; I pick up the phone and know I'm going to have a really fun conversation."

[Via - Entrepreneur Magazine]