Need Advice on A New Business Concept:

[jfrutkin]

Hi Everyone,

We recently started a website: ideaarchitectsonline.com The idea behind the site is you get paid for submitting novel business ideas. We pay $50 for a quality new business idea. Looking forward to hearing everyone's feedback regarding the website. Thank you.

Best,
Jeff

[R Hagel]

Hi Jeff,

You say this:

Originally Posted by jfrutkin

We pay $50 - $2,000 for a quality new business idea. Since I am new it is hard to get people to come to the site and submit ideas.

Your website basically says the same thing.

Yet your TOS says this:

Furthermore, Ideaarchitectsonline.com is free to use for any purpose whatsoever, without any compensation to you, anything you transmit or post, including but not limited to art, ideas, concepts, know-how, or techniques contained in any communication you send to the Site.

There's a big disconnect there.

I understand the "CYA" thing with the terms of service. But it creates a big trust issue.

Imagine an "idea person" hitting up your site to see if he can cash in on his ideas. He's not an entrepreneur, so he's not really interested in pursuing the ideas himself. He sees your site as a perfect opportunity to turn his brain-children into at least a few bucks...

Until he finds out that your TOS says you can take his ideas, do whatever you want with them... and don't owe him a cent.

So... why would he even bother submitting if your TOS doesn't bind you to compensating him if you use his idea?


Just something to think about as you work on launching this idea.

Cheers,
Becky

[netcatapult]

Becky makes a valid point and you might want to clarify this issue. In regards to getting more people to your site.. what kind of web marketing are you doing for the site? If you are not already doing it, you should optimize your site for organic SEO, build links, social media marketing and also consider ppc marketing for testing.

[Preben Frenning]

OMG! The concept for this site is JUST WHAT I NEED to blow out some steam!
I seriously have 2 entire books filled with idea's, and I'm not able to put even half of them to action.

But I'm not just giving them away of course, like Hagel states, you will need to fix the TOS first.

[Preben Frenning]

Originally Posted by threatlevelorange

Not only that, but what determines whether I get paid $50 or $2000??? That is a HUGE difference!

BTW, I have ideas up the yin yang that will make you RICH. I'd bring you alot of great engineers and inventors and business consultants if your site is legit.

lol, very true!
I'd hate to sell a million dollar idea for $50!

If you could elaborate a bit on what determines the value of the concept, as well as rights etc. that would be good.

[JohnMcCabe]

Jeff, I took a look at your site. I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.

1. It looks like you want other people to stock a website that as yet doesn't exist, one with which you hope to sell websites based on the ideas submitted.

2. The only specific promise of compensation is $50 for "approved" ideas, with only very vague criteria for approval by some mysterious judging panel.

3. According to your TOS, you can do anything you please with any idea submitted, approved or not.

4. The only way to get additional compensation is via some undefined popularity rating, either on this site or the as yet non-existent one.

5. Your contest has too many holes to even start on, but the biggest objection I have is the entry requirement of 5 "approved ideas". My reaction is that you want to string along prolific idea submitters, milking them for all you can and building a bank of "unapproved" ideas to stock you new website.

To be very blunt, without making any direct accusations, in my personal opinion, the whole thing smells like a scam to me. (How's that for a CYA?)

[acedalright]

You are walking a fine line between being shady and being legit. You need to either make clarification on the above points or change your methodology of the site.

I wish you well.

[jfrutkin]

Wow, thanks everyone for the feedback.

We made a number of changes to the site based on the group's comments.