The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.
Name: HomeTalk
Quick Pitch: A community specifically for home renovators and DIY-ers to share pictures, tips and chat.
Genius Idea: Combining the pin idea of Pinterest and community hive-mind of Quora, HomeTalk is a specialized site for all home-related interests.
Ever see a beautiful picture of a perfectly manicured lawn and wonder, "How did they do that?" With HomeTalk, users can virtually mingle with the home owners who posted those pictures and ask how it was done.
Whether you're looking for some new inspiration or to share tips with others, HomeTalk is site where you can find and learn how to tackle the projects you're interested in starting.
With more than 100,000 users and 370,000 Facebook fans, HomeTalk's members span the gamut — from renters to experienced home decorators and contractors.
HomeTalk launched an overhaul to the site on Monday including more features that increase user sharing. One of the new features they added is the ability to create clipboards. For those who use Pinterest, this concept will be very familiar. Basically, users can save pictures that inspire them to a clipboard and can refer to that at any time. HomeTalk also integrated a "follow" function.
"Now with clipboards and the idea of following people, users can establish authority on different topics," said Matt Shampine, VP of business development and marketing at HomeTalk. He added that this will allow users to feel a stronger local connection with products and professionals on the site.
And like Quora, HomeTalk users can post questions to the highly-engaged community, with popular questions being moved to the top.
Initially launched in early 2011, HomeTalk's original site was "more of a social network where users friended each other," Shampine said.
The site was born out of the parent company called NetWorx, a site that focuses on helping homeowners find contractors. HomeTalk was the robust community they wanted to build out of that, Shampine said.
Now, home owners, renters and home improvement professionals can connect through HomeTalk to share ideas or celebrate what they've done in and around the house. In time, they hope to build in the ability to search for a wide variety of home professionals through the site by zip code and specialty, from contractors to interior decorators to gardeners.
Just getting inspiration? HomeTalk will recommend users in your area with similar interests.
Where do you go for home repair and improvement advice? Would HomeTalk be a good resource? Tell us in the comments.
?Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, jcookephoto ?
Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark
The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.
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