Growing Business lists hot Web 2.0 businesses, Innocent Drinks on blogging

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Web 2.0 is covered in the July/August edition of Growing Business magazine (£3).  In the article "Web 2.0 & what it means for you" ("Trends and ideas behind the latest online businesses - and why you need them too"), Jon Card examines the phenomenon of social media and names exciting new UK businesses (and how these startups were financed).

Two of the Web 2.0 businesses listed were mentioned in a Guardian article I referred to in an earlier blog post, the printing company Moo (allowing users to upload images and design their own cards) and the recruitment website Zubka.  Here are Jon's others:

  • Nixxie - "the UK's first contextual advertising company"
  • Seatwave - An online market for unwanted sports, theatre and concert tickets (I love the name and concept)
  • Reevoo - A product review site (reviews are written by people who have bought products by their partners)
  • Where Are You Now (WAYN) - A travel social networking site
  • Travel Intelligence - Hotel reviews, travel recommendations and special offers
  • Not On The High Street - A portal for small retailers
  • King - An online games community
  • Media Stores - Build your own online store
  • MyDeco - I'm unsure why this was included, as the site hasn't actually launched yet.  It will focus on interior design and decorating

In addition to the aforementioned hot businesses, 4 great places to network are identified: The Internet People, Second Chance Tuesday, OpenCoffee Club and The Mandrake Club.

Separately in the magazine, the power of blogging as a way of engaging with consumers is cited by smoothie business innocent Drinks as a daily "lesson" (p.41).  innocent's Dan Germain says that exchanges readers of the company's blog are carried out openly, "no smoke, no mirrors".