Greetings, fellow Fools. For the past few months, the Soapbox.com crew has been busy setting up a new service called, you guessed it, Soapbox.com. Soapbox.com is a place where Fools can learn from other people about topics that are important to them. Its reason for being is one of the key principles of Foolishness -- that you are the person most qualified to manage your own money. Soapbox.com is a tool that can help you do that.
How Does It Work?
Soapbox.com gives individuals a new way to learn from each other in a manner truly befitting the interactive possibilities of the Web. It is an information marketplace where individuals can create and publish reports on topics they know a lot about. Then, people who want to learn about these topics can easily purchase and download the information.
Because of the interactivity of Soapbox.com, you can learn a lot about an individual and what he or she is writing about before you decide to go ahead and spend your hard-earned money. Each author has a Soapbox, which is in essence an online storefront. The Soapboxes contain a summary of the author's work, their qualifications for writing about their topic, and ratings and reviews from buyers. Most importantly, each Soapbox contains a link to that author's own discussion board on the site. When you've got your eye on a particular report, you can dive into the discussion first to see if you like the cut of the author's jib, or to ask the author a question about what's in the report. Then you can continue interacting with the author after you buy, in case you have any questions, comments, or points to add. To make things nice and easy, any report you buy arrives lickety-split as a download, and if it doesn't pass muster, you can return it for a full refund.
What About Quality?
An important point to consider about Soapbox.com is that the reports available are completely the responsibility of the authors who write them. Neither Soapbox.com nor The Motley Fool reviews or edits the reports before they go up for sale.
So, how can you be sure that what you get will be worth your money? It all comes down to faith that a self-governing community full of intelligent folks like yourself will encourage high-quality reports to thrive and low-quality reports to fade into the background. The community has all the tools it needs to make this happen -- the discussion boards, the author Soapboxes, the ratings and reviews, and the money-back guarantee. All you need to do is use these tools to your advantage as you seek out high-quality information on personal finance and investing.
Some Introductions Are in Order
Now that you've read about what Soapbox.com is and how it works, let's meet some of the people who have written reports. That's a pretty large group, so in this limited space we chose to focus on some of the top sellers in the hottest sectors so far. There are many more authors covering many more areas, so during this tour we encourage you to meander around and check out whatever grabs your attention.
Wireless
The wireless industry is so full of complex technology and terminology that investing in it can be a daunting task. Dave Mock recognized this conundrum faced by investors and chose to help clarify things by writing "Wireless 101: A Guide to Wireless Investing for Newbies and non-Techies." Stop by and check out his discussion board as well -- it's loaded with additional helpful information.
Biotechnology
Similar to the wireless industry, biotech can be a complicated and volatile area in which to invest. Luckily, Greg Carlin (a.k.a. ElricSeven) has authored two reports that will help you focus your due diligence efforts. His first report, "Biotechnology Pipeline Evaluation: Harvesting the Human Genome," introduces and compares 12 biotech companies in the business of drug development, and delves into the scientific and intellectual property issues that the entire industry faces. Greg (along with Bart Janssen) followed up this effort with "Genomics Picks and Shovels: Powering the Biotechnology Gold Rush." This report provides analysis of the companies supplying high-margin, big-ticket equipment for the drug development process.
Retirement
"Secrets of Retiring Early -- Ten Money Insights Opening Financial Independence to Middle-Class Workers," by Rob (hocus) Bennett, builds on the idea that retirement should mean more than just not working anymore. To that end, the report gives practical insights on how to make retirement mean the same thing as financial independence.
Personal Finance
All Fools can take control of their personal finances. Easier said than done, right? Alessandra Eakin felt the same way, so she created a plan to get out of the hole she was sinking into. In "The Cash Diet: Cut the Fat, Get Financially Fit," she provides an easy-to-follow method that can make living below your means a reality rather than just an ideal.
Investing Strategies
Very likely, part of your plan for financial independence involves some form of investing (or will, when the time is right). "Small-Cap Investing," by Erik Eason (a.k.a. FoolishErik), details an investing approach that has worked well for him. It also shows you how to find good small-cap companies, how to evaluate their quality, how to monitor your small-caps, and when to sell.
Want to Write a Report?
You might be wondering how you can get your own Soapbox and add what you know to this burgeoning information marketplace. That's simple. All you need to do is apply, set up your Soapbox, and upload a report. There are step-by-step instructions on the site, and if you have any questions or encounter any problems you can overcome them with the help of the dedicated customer service staff, FAQ, and other authors working together on community discussion boards.
A Final Thought
That's a lot of information to take in all at once, so you might have some questions or comments about the Soapbox.com service. Feel free to post them on the Ask a Question discussion board. Soapbox.com is all about learning together, so let's get started.
Related Links:
Soapbox.com Website
Soapbox.com Discussion Boards
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