This Easter HitMeUp have created the perfect way to combine your favourite childhood activity with their new location-based app. Starting tomorrow from 8am, various companies will be hiding treats all over London for you to find using the HitMeUp app. Treats include papery fun from the folks at Foldable Me, delectable jams from Rubies in the Rubble, and winter-fighting burgers from Burger Bear.
For more information, check out the HitMeUp blog and download the app from the App Store.
Imagine a work schedule not measured in hours, days, and weeks, but in tasks completed. Welcome to the new world of flexible working that combines the freedom of freelance with the financial security of full-time employment. Recent research has shown that a flexible schedule improves productivity, is actively cost effective, and encourages creativity. Sick days are also reduced and it helps build the company's reputation as a forward-thinking workplace that keeps employees happy.
So why are offices holding back on making the all-important change?
Insecurities are one of the main reasons, from the bosses (who worry about a lack of control) and the employees (who are concerned that their absent desk will promote negative attitudes). Breaking the 9-5 mentality is hard too, as our lives outside of work are also built around this schedule.
As new startups emerge, they have the power to decide how best to structure their time to fit their tasks.
In the last twenty-four hours the tech world has been aflutter with the news that Summly was sold to Yahoo! for the princely sum of $30 million (with 90% of that being in cash). Not too shabby for 17 year old creator Nick D'Aloisio, who said that process has given him "an appetite for starting companies".
Skeptics may say that $30 million is an extraordinarily large sum for an app which is only just about to reach one million downloads since it's launch in December 2011. Clearly there is a lot more going on here than just a startup acquisition; Yahoo! have been buying a range of small mobile startups ever since CEO Marissa Mayer joined nine months ago.
Are Yahoo! staking a claim that the future will be mobile-only, instead of being mobile-first?
Importantly, this move by Yahoo! indicates a bright future for startups. It proves that large brands are willing to invest time and money into new industries and the brains behind them. Also, it shows what a difference having the right mentoring can make, as Summly was backed by a range of ventures and well-known names in tech as well as media.
"Words, words, words" spoke Hamlet, and even over 400 years later, he's still got a good point. To state the obvious, words are pretty important. Of course I would say this, given that it's my job to write, but words are also crucial for startup businesses too, for which language can be a barrier or a booster. In order to get beyond the bedroom and into the boardroom, you need to have your idea clearly defined to accurately communicate it to friends, mentors, and brands. But with new technologies, how do you describe your ideas with words which are outdated, irrelevant, or confused?
One answer is to simply create new words which adequately describe your product and message. We have seen it happen almost inadvertently as internet giants secure themselves as a firm fixture in our daily lives. We tell each other to 'Google something', are encouraged to 'like' a page, or read a news report about trolls (please, do not feed them).
Of course, creating new words can be a tricky business. Sure, Shakespeare made it look easy by inventing over 1,700, but there are a few things to be clear on, so check out our tips below.
1. Experiment
It is a developing process to define your word or words, so don't be afraid to test them out to see what sticks. Share your thoughts with friends, at networking events, and on social media channels to see what generates the best response. You'll soon realise which terms flow and which don't quite make the cut.
2. Embrace the challenge
There's no denying that it is tricky and may feel like a never-ending struggle. But the hard work could make you a wordsmith pioneer of the social internet age, so always have the challenge at the back of your mind while you're eating lunch or commuting.
3. Don't push it
The internet is a fickle place where memes can be created in hours, forgotten in a day, and ridiculed in a week. Terms cannot be forced onto the general public, but rest assured that if it resonates with them it will stick.
4. Protection
Once you're sure that your invented word is uniquely perfect, look into to patenting it for protection from envious others.
For more top tips and discussion, you can follow me at @ColliderMindy or @Collider12.
[gallery type="slideshow" ids="303,304,305,306,307,308"]
Great first #BrandDay at Ingenious Media with partner brands @Unilever, @creativeengland, @bauermedianews, @BBCWLabs, @BoschAppliances, @cbsoutdoor and @williamhillnews, and advisors @KSTechnology and @TaylorWessing.
The awesome @Collider12 startups are, @HitMeUpApp, @locomizer, @Moment_Us_, @avocarrot, @seekerind, PlayDibs, @MiappiApp, ADDICO and @whichsocial.
It was great to see the beginnings of this productive collaboration.
