Business & Professional
ENTREPRENEUR
e-Commerce
Three young professionals look to
the Internet for their livelihoods.
Art Aisner
Special to the Jewish News
T
he .com bubble burst nearly a
decade ago, but you wouldn't
know it talking to some local
entrepreneurs who are building start-up
businesses by fusing the power of inge-
nuity with the Internet.
From professional networking to
scrap booking, to improving how and
when we listen to music, they are find-
ing niches in existing markets and are
among a growing group of small busi-
nesses capitalizing on the Internet's
speed and connectivity.
For Michael Fleischmann, owner of
Southfield-based Voxit LLC, going to
the Web was a no-brainer. His idea for a
Web page that combined the best attri-
butes of existing social and business
networking sites developed while surf-
ing for something like it, in frustration.
"I was using the Internet and I came
across a lot of real and unfilled gaps out
there said Fleischmann, 25. "I looked
for one place where I could stay con-
nected to my friends, talk about issues
of the day, organize my busy schedule. I
couldn't find one:'
Using his knowledge of computers
and a little inspiration from co-founder
Chuck Donnelley, his cousin and busi-
ness professor at UCLA, Fleischmann
created www.Vreebit.com. His skills,
cultivated since his early teen years
while attending Andover High School in
Bloomfield Hills, developed the first site
that combines social networking tools
with a business framework for tech-
savvy professionals.
Members of the free site can share
photos, links and status updates while
also searching for jobs, maintaining
contact lists and networking for clients.
And it's all available through a user-
friendly site protected by patent-pend-
ing security technology.
The site launched in September and
has already attracted members from
more than 50 countries, Fleischmann
said. The Web site is also unique by
rewarding members for adding new
contacts or referring new members,
with "VreeBees," a virtual currency.
Fleischmann said the company just
unveiled its "Leaping For" program,
which rewards local non-profit organi-
zations of a user's choice by converting
24
February 4 • 2010
JN
VreeBees to cash donations based on
that person's on-line activities.
Jake Sigal is also bringing his innova-
tions in digital radio and sound to the
marketplace with his Ferndale-based
company Myine Electronics — myine.
com.
Though only 27, he's developed more
than a dozen successful products, includ-
ing devices for XM Satellite Radio, and
the original USB turntable — which
converts vinyl records to digital formats.
On his own since 2008, the former
Delphi engineer just launched his latest
brainchild, the Ira wireless Internet radio
adaptor. The device works with a wireless
Internet connection to play free digital
music anywhere in the world without
needing a computer.
He goal is to make the experience
of listening to one's favorite music as
convenient and enjoyable as possible.
His target audience is Baby Boomers
who are busy and don't necessarily want
to master every particular application
a product has to offer, but want the
advantages of using the technology.
"This is not electronics for dummies,
but I found a problem in the market and
I looked at how to bring them [users]
into the technology without having to
have an engineering degree said Sigal,
a native of Columbus, Ohio.
Hit commitment to making it all
available on the Internet is a given.
"People understand that they can go
to the Internet and not have to pay retail
margins that are usually four to five
times higher that are in the store he
said. "In this economy, everyone wants a
good deal:'
Low prices on brand-name products
are what Robb Lippitt of Bloomfield Hills
believes will draw people looking for a
cheaper way to memorialize their price-
less memories to www.scrapbuck.com .
The site offers roughly 3,000 items from
names brands in the market and sells
more than 1,500 products for just $1.
"People love this hobby [scrapbook-
ing], are passionate about it, but it has
become so expensive said Lippitt,
41. "Even at these much lower prices our
margins are still sufficient to allow us to
create a successful business model:'
It also helps that business partner
Leonard Zucker of Huntington Woods
has longstanding relationships with
close-out distributors and spent a career
Michael
Fleischmann:
"l believe that
long-term viability
is contingent
upon delivering
a service of real
value and utility,
not just marketing
hype."
Jake Sigal:
"The key
to making
a product
successful is
to go build
a prototype
and figure out
what makes it
unique."
Robb Lippitt:
"We believe that
any business
that has solid
fundamentals,
strong margin
and fills a true
customer need
is as sexy as
business gets."
finding products that are priced dis-
proportionately to their value. Zucker,
known locally for founding the 1/2 Off
Card Shop, was working as a manufac-
turer's representative for a scrapbooking
company when he contacted Lippitt.
They realized a tremendous opportu-
nity awaited the first business to offer
consumers lower prices on premium
quality scrapbooking materials. Lippitt
said he provided the Internet and tech-
nological component of the business.
Part of their strategy is to build a
scrapbooking Internet community that
will not only build a customer base, but
also market itself to scrapbookers either
frustrated by the strip-mall stores or
looking for the convenience and savings
of shopping on-line.
Like Fleischmann and Sigal, if Lippitt
fears another "bubble burst" coming,
he's not showing it.
"What the bubble burst taught me
is that only real, solid businesses sur-
vive and grow:' he said. "You have to be
focused on building a business from the
ground up. Anything that is all smoke
and mirrors, even if it draws attention
for a while, won't last:'
❑
Jimmy Wolk stars in Front of the
Class.
Actor Discusses
Disabilities Film
Actor Jimmy Wolk will make a pre-
sentation at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb.
7, at Adat Shalom Synagogue in
Farmington Hills, followed by a 2 p.m.
screening of the Hallmark Hall of
Fame movie Front of the Class.
In the film, based on a true story,
Wolk plays Brad Cohen, a young man
diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome
who became a successful teacher,
motivational speaker and author.
Wolk is a native of Farmington Hills
and a graduate of North Farmington
High School and the University of
Michigan. He just completed a film,
You Again, with actress Kristen Bell.
The presentation of Front of the
Class is sponsored by Federation's
Alliance for Jewish Education's
Opening the Doors Program as part of
Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month.
A dessert reception with Wolk will fol-
low. Cost is $5 per family at the door
or pre-register by calling (248) 642-
4260 ext. 533.
Job Seeker Session
People seeking employment are invit-
ed to attend the first JVS "J Seekers
Strategy Session." It is free, open to
the public and held 9:30-11 a.m. every
Tuesday at the Jewish Community
Center,15110 W.10 Mile, Oak Park.
The meeting helps job seekers
obtain leads, make connections and
hone networking skills. Participants
will also receive valuable advice from
experts on resume writing, interview-
ing, recruiting and emerging jobs.
For information, contact Karen
Gutman, (248) 233-4248 or
kgutman@jvsdet.org .