Did BizRocket find a diamond in the rough??

**jg_macarthy** · 10-24-2006 02:09 PM

Recently a company Bizrocket has entered negotiations to buy a child web browser from its creator. I was just wondering if people would be willing to give their thoughts and opinion on the product. Buddy Browser offers a child safe web browser that has pre approved site for kids to use. Along with this the software offers extensive features such as a place for the child to store, music,movies,chores list, and photos. Basically I want to see if anyone has thoughts and opinions on the businesses potential and potential of its business model/plan. The product would be sold to parents of kids (age 3-10 30 million in the US), and has limited competition,and parent-centric alternatives (i.e. Webnanny) please search the site and read this article at http://www.bizrocket.net/ and just purge thougths/critiques!!!!

**The Stealthy One** · 10-24-2006 07:40 PM

What is BizRocket? Am I missing something? This is the second post of this nature I've seen in a very short amount of time here.

**jg_macarthy** · 10-25-2006 12:52 AM

BizRocket is just a company that purchased the product. I posted in two areas because I wasnt sure which category to post in and thought post in a couple was no biggie.

**sicnarftea** · 10-25-2006 01:00 AM

actually, its best if you don't duplicate posts as it confuses people

**jg_macarthy** · 10-25-2006 02:25 PM

Duely noted

**akula** · 10-25-2006 02:56 PM

jg_macarthy, let me quickly answer the pm and do a post

as an uncle of a 5 year old nephew, I don't see a problem with buddy browser

it's a good value proposition and i might try it

for now, my nephew only uses the pc for games, so he doesn't yet need the browser

that said, from a "is this a good business" point of view, my feedback could substantially differ

I don't know man, what can I do for you?

P.S. check out http://www.minti.com/

they'd be a great distribution partner

put an affiliate program in place and sign those guys up

or, ask for them to help you do some market research, so you can use the results to close sales/financing etc...

**jg_macarthy** · 10-25-2006 04:45 PM

Basically my question lies here. Buddy browser is a software program finished in August of 2006. The deal between the creator of the software who currently runs the site and BizRocket fell through according to the owner. Now, position yourself as an outside anlayst looking to purchase this product. Your job would be to evaluate the product and see if their is a sustainableto business model to be created from it. So I guess the question is from a business model stant point could you see this company sustaining itself, or would it be better off rapidly expanding its customer base over the next few years and selling to a larger company?

Currently prodcuts such as myspace and youtube offer a free service that opens the eyes of the consumer to needs that they themselves did not know they had. By offering a new service/product that touches on unrealized unique needs these companies have created their own enormous market. Creating a very appealing business to sell off. So do you think if Buddy Browser were to launch a large scale implementation of the product for free into schools and sent the word of the product virally that they can create a very large customer base. One which will offer a very lucrative proposal from a larger company?

I have my own thoughts and opinions, and as a college student have gotten many opinions from my teachers as well as my colleagues at the company I intern at. I am just a student so I don;t have capital to buy an expensive software product like this, but I do enjoy analyyzing and brainstorming about opportunities, and basically i want to see what you have to offer. Especially you Akula as you have proven very knowledgable in your posts on this site.

**The Stealthy One** · 10-25-2006 08:05 PM

I think it is sustainable with the right strategy. Right off, to me anyway, it looks as though a partnership with an ISP (United Online, Verizon, Comcast, etc) might go a long way towards building out a stable userbase. Then, too, children grow, so the base is constantly churning - in other words, the life of a customer is probably five years, MAX (most people have only one or two kids these days, very close together in age). I still think it could fly, though.

**jg_macarthy** · 10-25-2006 08:28 PM

Yes your right the time to hold a customer is limited. But if the plan went smoothly by 3rd or 4th year the product would be bought or packaged in with other services.

**robyang!** · 10-26-2006 05:01 AM

I believe a children's web-browser is a very good idea; but as far as profit performance I would be apprehensive about its abilities.

**akula** · 10-26-2006 06:45 AM

jg_macarthy, great questions. let me give you some feedback on whether I think that buddybrowser is a superior opportunity.

technical analysis (trends): I'm not seeing any successful browser startups, so I don't think buddybrowser will be any different, based on market trends. if the guys at flock.com (the guys who started ff) can't get their shop off the ground, I don't think anyone can pull off a successful browser play (ala netscape, firefox) in today's market. if you have evidence to the contrary, I'm all ears.

fundamental analysis: i don't know the team / space / technology therefore I can't make a call on whether buddybrowser is a better investment than a whole bunch of other alternative investments.

finally: if my job "would be to evaluate the product and see if their is a sustainable business model to be created from it", I'd say that it couldn't because historically, there haven't been any sustainable browser ventures, other than ff.

what next: to reject / uphold my initial assessment, I'd need to see evidence (i.e. customer survey data), which may prove or disprove my initial assessment that doing a browser play in today's market is an inferior opportunity than other opportunities (there's a lot).

other than the "solution to a problem" factor, i don't see any reason for betting on buddybrowser (i.e. A-team, distribution deals with top tiered web properties, existing paying customers)

at the end of the day: if child protection was an important desired feature, I don't see why MSFT or FF haven't implemented it unless child protection was not a feature that's in demand.

in other words, Porter analysis shows that buddybrowser is very prone to new entrants in it's space. MSFT of ff can easily release a plugin, and the venture is dead.

Then again, buddybrowser is not an internet browser. It's a content package / portal for children. In that sense, an online portal for kids could be a good opportunity, except that portals are deader than a dead horse.

I have no idea how many kids under 7 use the net, so I can't make a call on whether this portal would have the numbers to make it an attractive acquisition target. Besides, marketing to children is a touchy topic, so it's not like you're gonna be able to run ads on this browser/portal. Therefore it's not sustainable because it won't have revenues.

Actually..I really don't know...it's an interesting product

**jg_macarthy** · 10-26-2006 09:32 AM

Very interesting, seems like BB would be stuck trying to enter profit stage. I like the point about advertising to the younger audience, neccesary blow to the potential profit structure.

**akula** · 10-26-2006 10:30 AM

look; joints like netnanny did well

they bundled their software with office

that was their biz model and it worked

now; if bb's potential depends on closing a distribution deal with a large software publisher/retailer, that's too risky for my liking

ventures shouldn't be in a spot where 1 contract determines their future

i.e. bb is unsustainable b/c the shop needs a big brother to survive

**jg_macarthy** · 10-27-2006 01:47 AM

It is this risky proposition. Can BB create a market share the defines a niche that was unexplored by large companies. You Tube did this in the video fie sharing by creating a product contoured towards a niche, so much that it proved superior over a larger competitor as Google. can BB define an underlying market not seen by bigger company? If so can their market share prone companies to buy them instead of spending R&D to create an alternative?

**jg_macarthy** · 10-27-2006 07:54 PM

How do you think you could alter the proposition Buddy Browser proposes to make it attractive. Perhaps implement search engine technology instead of a portal design. As far as advertising, would they be able to get away with it as far as commercials. Have banner ads with the same commercials that are on during Saturday cartoons. Promote things such as movies. Maybe partner with wikipedia and and implement a child safe encyclopedia. I guess I see a potential market emerging in younger kids that will want the same type of websites the emerging internet user markets before them had. That means bringing information that is important to them to a centralized location on the net. As well as giving them easier access to educational information. How can this be done?