It’s so much easier to spout negativity and “this is why it won’t work” instead of encouraging you to pursue a new challenge.

This sounds like a very good idea and I think the website and demo look good!

I’m curious to know why you’re using wordpress for the appointmentreminder.org website instead of static pages. (I’m not criticizing, I’m genuinely curious ;-)

It is still running but I’ve moved on to other things:

http://appointmentmemo.com

Looking forward to hearing more about your new venture

Cheers

I want to try some new challenges. Marketing to small business is different than marketing to teachers. I’ll be thinking of new angles, new problems, new people — similar and different at the same time. I love novel problems and, well, after four years of speaking to teachers *every single day* about classroom activities I am ready for something novel.

I’d like to go after slightly bigger game this time. Word searches or vocabulary puzzles are sort of like BCC plus epsilon. I’ll be able to sell to some of the same customers, but the new sale will be worth $30? $50? I really, really want to do something with lifetime customer values in the hundreds range. That will give me more options in marketing, more month-to-month stability, and (highly probably) more money on the bottom line.

Why in the world is your second product NOT a follow-on product for teachers? I mean, I can understand that you a) want to tackle something more technically challenging now that you are full time or b) want to prove to yourself that your niche marketing tactics work outside the one small niche you have conquered to date. But, frankly, one of the things that has always stood out about your product/business choices, as you describe them, is the extent to which they haven’t been about you; they’ve been about what is pragmatic to do. And I just can’t see why you would not go back to your teacher customers and offer them follow on products. Crossword Creator, anyone? Word Search Creator?

I guess you could be thinking that there is a lot more money to be made with a product that hits a business’ bottom line than by any set of products that ‘just’ save teachers’ time or improve on what the free-product market is providing them. But even so, wouldn’t it make sense to solidify Bingo Creator with an xxxCreator ‘line’ of products — which probably wouldn’t take a long time for you to produce — and THEN branch out after a new market?

I guess the reason this matters to me is that I believe that, if I succeed in bringing out a couple of products for nurses, then I’m pretty much committed to that marketplace for a substantial period of time. Yeah, sure, I may come up with a parallel set of products for another niche, but in order to maintain momentum for my xxxRN brand, I’ll HAVE to bring out additional products. Don’t you feel that way about Bingo Card Creator?

Why not just go with a higher contrast? Black on white works, and is readable by everyone.

Fantastic idea, and good analysis in the blog post. Also, I can’t believe anyone would think it’s a mistake for you to lay out your idea publicly and freely like this. Haven’t people realized by now that good ideas are cheap, and there’s no value in stealing an idea — it’s all in the execution! Plus you get so much valuable feedback.

The reminder call is also a way of remaining in contact with the client even if they are not going to keep the appointment this time. Obviously, it is vital in this day and age of cutbacks, job insecurity and less disposable income to encourage client loyalty.

So, how about adding saving money on phone bills to your USP? I can only speak for the UK where we don’t all have free day-time phone calls, and small home based business users will not necessarily have dedicated work phone lines with decent tariffs etc etc.

Good luck.