Little things make me smile.
Yesterday one of my friends (thanks Jen) put this on her facebook page: google “askew” – of course I did – and I smiled. This morning I found out if you google “do a barrel roll” well, just do it.
The real thing is that if a company has taken the time to be clever about the hidden little things (easter eggs as they are called in the computer world) then you trust that they will be clever about the big things.
Clever is in the details.
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Launched yesterday, One Receipt seems to have most of the important criteria for a successful service. It makes your life simpler and looks good doing it. Ok there are a few more criteria, security, cost and it working well etc… It seems to have those covered, but time will tell (it has the cost thing down – it’s free).
What One Receipt does is keep all your online (and offline via photos) receipts in one place. OneReceipt will automatically look through your email account and create searchable entries for the purchases you’ve made from online retailers from iTunes to Amazon. Instead of seeing the total amounts you spent on your card statements, OneReceipt imports itemized lists. It will also remind you when return policies expire. The really cool thing, and equally most terrifying is that you will be able to see at a glance how much you spend on certain items each month. That may lead to dramatic spending cuts, or further denial tactics. I’m brave enough to try it if you are…
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It may not be flashy or have any angry birds but this is still my go-to ipad app. SoundNote is the best note taking app around.
It tracks what you type and draw while recording audio, so you’ll never worry about missing an important detail.
While playing back your recording, just tap a word; SoundNote will jump right to that point in the audio.
I love it because it means I can pay attention to the important thing in a meeting – the people! I get to really listen, may eye contact and not worry about the details. I draw little pictures if something important is said, and later I know I can click the picture and hear what happened at that time. I can also email the sound files to myself to keep.
It’s simple to use, cleverly worked out and I rely on it daily. It may be the most useful $4.99 I ever spent.
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How could I resist a book that starts that way? 
I haven’t read it all yet… it only arrived on Saturday but The Creative Business Idea Book has me excited. Euro RSCG Worldwide are a creative agency, the global phenomena behind many of the best ad campaigns of the last decade. The book takes you through many of these campaigns and… (angels began singing at this point) each example starts with the problem they were trying to solve. Can you bottle youth? How do you stand out in the World’s most crowded market? How can old media become new media? That last one is the story of the rejuvenation of the Polaroid brand. That is close to my heart (look at my blog header) What I would give for a day with endless Polaroid photos.
You’ll be hearing more about this book as I have time to sit and read it (it’s my coffee break book for the week). You’ll find it on my desk, next to my heart.
Full Disclosure: I was sent this book free from Euro RSCG Worldwide, they didn’t ask me to write about it, or like it, or even ever mention again in my life. This is how it happened. I read about the book and sent a tweet that said
“was just reading about The Creative Business Idea Book by @EuroRSCG – looks like it was made for me, wonder why i don’t have a copy?”
- and they responded. Now there is a company with their finger on the send key! Thank you to Lisa Gruber. You will be hearing from me. You rock!
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My local gelato bar – Carpe Diem Gelato – Espresso Bar is one of those businesses that is thriving and growing. My theory is that not only do they have a divine product but they are all about adding to the customer experience. Silvia – a good friend of mine (I believe in total disclosure) has just set up an Artist Corner (L’angolo dell’artista). It doesn’t just have books and games, it has drawing pads and pencils, blank note cards and envelopes, and even a gratitude book that people can write in (and they do).
It’s wonderful to see people using the stuff and of course, it produces a creative atmosphere. It’s beautiful. But think about it with your business head for a moment. You are taking your children out for a treat – Are you going to choose a place where they can entertain themselves with drawing, writing and playing games and you can visit with other adults, or a place that they simply get to eat “insert treat here”? And then, where are the children going to ask to return to (again and again). And yes, of course the adults can use the supplies. Not only is the gelato beautiful, but the atmosphere is too.
What is the cherry on your gelato? What (apart from your product which I assume is good) makes people come back again and again?
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