Will paying the crowd be new business model?

December 5, 2008 By

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Dave Ingram, CEO of Brownbook.net, had a business problem: how can he build a world-wide business directory, but one with much more up to date info than any database that exists so far?

Well, he’s paying people who add data. He and co-founder Marc Lyne explains how it works in this video.

Already they are seeing 40% growth per month and tons of new businesses added all over the world. Can’t argue with that. I’ll be putting in my favorite Half Moon Bay businesses into Brownbook.net.

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  • http://domainsrow.com/twitter/ Bogdan

    I sure hope so :) I’ve registered crowdrewarding.com from some time now

  • http://domainsrow.com/twitter/ Bogdan

    I sure hope so :) I’ve registered crowdrewarding.com from some time now

  • Anonymous

    Great example and a great business model!!! Thanks!

  • http://outsideinnovation.blogs.com Patty Seybold

    Great example and a great business model!!! Thanks!

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  • Pingback: » Robert Scoble chats with Brownbook Brownbook.net - the free directory that anyone can edit, small business marketing, free marketing, free website

  • http://www.wiserearth.org/ Mike K

    Reminds me of WiserEarth, only WiserEarth is for nonprofits and socially responsible businesses.

  • http://www.wiserearth.org Mike K

    Reminds me of WiserEarth, only WiserEarth is for nonprofits and socially responsible businesses.

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  • http://www.miamism.com miamism

    @ChristineMAdolf in Miami (who works for Brownbook in Miami) just told me about this – on my way to check it out, thanks for the vid.

  • http://www.miamism.com Ines

    @ChristineMAdolf in Miami (who works for Brownbook in Miami) just told me about this – on my way to check it out, thanks for the vid.

  • http://pedrommsouto.blogspot.com/ Pedro

    Interesting business model.

  • http://pedrommsouto.blogspot.com Pedro

    Interesting business model.

  • http://www.interim-biznet.eu/ Errol van Engelen

    I think that crowdsourcing is gonna take off big time.

    This is just the beginning of a trend. Imagine the results of crowdsourcing to solving various organizational problems, to book reviews, to R&D using open innovation models. Think of companies that are now focussing on developing competent staff, providing good working conditions etc. Do they at some point need to reconsider their business models? Simply the fact that sourcing innovation from a million people will be more succesfull than from 100 people.

  • http://www.interim-biznet.eu Errol van Engelen

    I think that crowdsourcing is gonna take off big time.

    This is just the beginning of a trend. Imagine the results of crowdsourcing to solving various organizational problems, to book reviews, to R&D using open innovation models. Think of companies that are now focussing on developing competent staff, providing good working conditions etc. Do they at some point need to reconsider their business models? Simply the fact that sourcing innovation from a million people will be more succesfull than from 100 people.

  • http://www.simontsmall.com/ simontsmall

    I love it, we started building this exact same concept in Australia… guess we missed the boat :(

  • http://www.simontsmall.com simontsmall

    I love it, we started building this exact same concept in Australia… guess we missed the boat :(

  • Pingback: » New Brownbook for business video Brownbook.net - the free directory that anyone can edit, small business marketing, free marketing, free website

  • http://www.bbyourway.co.uk/ Martyn Regan

    I use Brownbook for my websites http://www.bbyourway.co.uk & http://www.hotelyourway.co.uk to give my customers more web presence as well as my own.

    They are very receptive to the fact that we initially set up their page and they can then go on to update, edit or claim the page for their listing.

    I do not not feel that there is any real competition between us as far as search results are concerned because my customer base for searchers is 90% established users and then word of mouth, organic searches are a small amount of our business model

  • http://www.bbyourway.co.uk Martyn Regan

    I use Brownbook for my websites http://www.bbyourway.co.uk & http://www.hotelyourway.co.uk to give my customers more web presence as well as my own.

    They are very receptive to the fact that we initially set up their page and they can then go on to update, edit or claim the page for their listing.

    I do not not feel that there is any real competition between us as far as search results are concerned because my customer base for searchers is 90% established users and then word of mouth, organic searches are a small amount of our business model

  • http://fred67.com/ Pete Moring

    It’s good to see the chaps at Brownbook.net doing so well. I signed up with my own plastering business when they first launched, and there was only a few other listings. I naturally claimed my position in the Plastering niche in Berks, UK. I never realised how much the site had developed though, and need to go back to see how I can utilize all you’ve spoken about here.

    Haven’t they done well?

    Pete moring.

  • http://fred67.com Pete Moring

    It’s good to see the chaps at Brownbook.net doing so well. I signed up with my own plastering business when they first launched, and there was only a few other listings. I naturally claimed my position in the Plastering niche in Berks, UK. I never realised how much the site had developed though, and need to go back to see how I can utilize all you’ve spoken about here.

    Haven’t they done well?

    Pete moring.

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