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Τρίτη, Νοεμβρίου 27, 2012

Web4Applications

I am taking an online class in Stanford University. The class is named Technology Entrepreneurship, and it is about how we can take an idea and develop it into a real venture. 
I am not good at new ideas, or to be more specific I am not good at entrepreneurial ideas, but for the purpose of the class I had to come up with a good idea.
So I came up with this portal, which it is now in Beta Version, (really a prototype), not fully functioning, but having some functionality.
It is called Web4Applications, and what it really does is to connect small business owners who have a need for an application running on the cloud for their business, with new applications developers who need their application to be promoted.
My first thought was that  every small businesses can have a great benefit and maximize their opportunities by the use of internet. Day to day operations can be facilitated by cloud applications, opportunities can be maximized by making new cooperations abroad, greater promotion of products and services can be achieved. But small businesses usually run by one or two persons, who may not have the time or even the knowledge to use internet for their benefit. Also the cost of hiring extra personnel for the internet is preventing. So I came up with a service doing just that, receiving a specific request from a customer, and through searching (googling) coming up with a proposal and eventually a solution. eg I want a list of companies in Texas that have the same product as our company has.
I want the appropriate for my business online application to keep my daily costs.
I want to renew my desks. Search for styles, prizes, etc.
This service will be paid by hour, and definetely it is cheaper than having permanent personnel, or using   your existing personel that they are hired for another position, to surf the net.
That was the first idea. However, I found out that it is not "difficult" to come up with an idea. The most difficult part is, as always, communication and promotion. Talk with people about your idea and get feedback. And of course give feedback ... to their feedback by taking action and making the neccessary changes to your initial thought. 
So if it is difficult for me to make my idea known, may be difficult to someone else too. If by "googling" someone does not get a good rank to their product, and stays behind, may be they need a boost. Many nice new web applications do not stand out from the crowd, because developers are not marketing persons and they do not know how to promote them. Also they may have not the money for google ads, to pay SEO people, etc. From a survey I run, most of developers use facebook, but is it the right environment for them?
There are of course many places to submit someone their work. But what if there was one main portal,  that web developers put their new product and someone can easily search and find what is needed?
So I came up with Web4Applications .

It is still a prototype and not fully fuctioning. What is mostly needed is a nice search. And of course a form where developers or other web professional can submit their products, which is not yet done. They can register though, and send us their web applications by mail, and so we can propose them to our clients who look for a relative application.
Developers have to pay nothing for registration and submition of their work. We will get our money from ads, when the portal become ... famous and we have many visitors who are searching. But until then, be patient!
And of course I would like to have your feedback.


Κυριακή, Νοεμβρίου 04, 2012

Βόλτα με ατμομηχανή| Haworth Station| Steam trains

To Haworth είναι ένα χωριό στoν μητροπολιτικό δήμο του Μπράντφορντ στο δυτικό Yorkshire της Αγγλίας. Βρίσκεται στα Πέννινα, 3 μίλια (4,8 χλμ.) νοτιοδυτικά του Keighley και 10 μίλια (16 χλμ) δυτικά από το Μπράντφορντ.
Το Haworth είναι τουριστικό μέρος γνωστό λόγω της σχέσης του με τις αδελφές Brontë, και τον διατηρητέο σιδηροδρομικό σταθμό του. 
Σχετικά με τις αδελφές Bronte, εκεί υπήρχε το πρεσβυτέριο όπου έζησαν τα περισσότερα χρόνια τους, και τώρα είναι μουσείο.
Στο μουσείο μπορούμε να δούμε τα προσωπικά αντικείμενα και τα έπιπλα των αδελφών όπως ήταν όταν ζούσαν εκεί.
Haworth - Steam train excursion
Όσον αφορά στον σιδηροδρομικό σταθμό, χρησιμοποιούνται ακόμα ατμομηχανές! Τουλάχιστον σαν ... ατραξιόν όπως την μέρα που τον επισκεφτήκαμε, τελείως τυχαία ομολογώ! Και ήταν μια χαριτωμένη εμπειρία.
Πήραμε το τρένο από το Haworth, πήγαμε μέχρι το  Keighley όπου έκανε τέρμα, και μετά πάλι πίσω! 
Haworth - Steam train excursion 
Αυτές οι βόλτες ήταν μέρος ενός φεστιβάλ μπύρας και μουσικής. Στο σταθμό του Keighley υπήρχαν κιόσκια με μπύρα 



Όμως και μέσα στο τρένο υπήρχε κανονικό real ale pub! Τέλειο; Εγώ πάντως το βρήκα μια γλύκα το όλο εγχείρημα.
Haworth - Steam train excursion

Στο βάθος camping area
Haworth - Steam train excursion
Η βροχούλα στο τζάμι
Φτάσαμε στο Haworth

City Park View from Dragon Thai

City Park View from Dragon Thai restaurant
Yesterday we had our lunch in Dragon Thai Restaurant in Centenary Square in City Park, Bradford. It is a buffet lunch and dinner, with chinese food, and very nice prices. The lunch is for 6.5pounds per person, from 12:00 to 6:00 pm and dinner starts after that time with 11.5 pounds per person. I do not know if the dinner buffet is bigger, because I just had lunch there. Some other time I shall go for dinner and I shall tell you. 
As I said earlier, it is chinese restaurant, but given from a Bradfordian point of view. Mixed with indian dishes, garlic potatoes and of course chips. It was a tasty food though.
More authentic is the personel, for the waiters/waitresses are indeed chinese, and I had a hard time to communicate properly. I mean I speak english the greek way, they speak chinese the bradfordian way, so we had a real nice talk! 
But all together was a nice experience and surely I shall visit Dragon Thai again!