Student entrepreneur creates thriving, award-winning Web site
Note2Home.com lets parents monitor child's school activities
Lindsay Dunham
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: News
"It's supposed to be a sort of one stop shop," Kress said.
The site also makes money from local advertising done on the site.
Kress said the idea for the Note2Home.com came to him his freshman year.
"It was about the time Facebook came out, and I thought of merging Facebook with Blackboard as a tool for parents," Kress said.
Kress spent a year taking notes and jotting down ideas for the site whenever they came to him.
"I had trouble sleeping because I would wake up during the night with more ideas," Kress said.
During his sophomore year, Kress started searching for a Web developing company so he could put his plan into action, and eventually got in touch with a company in Ukraine. After corresponding through e-mail and phone, Kress flew to Ukraine to meet with people from the company.
"Both guys I talked to directly are very education oriented, and we clicked really well," Kress said.
Note2Home.com is now up and running, and Kress said he has received calls from all over the U.S. from schools interested in trying Note2Home.com, but is waiting until after he graduates to tour the U.S. and promote his site.
Kress said the company took 30 to 40 hours a week during the development stages, but now he spends about 10 hours a week managing it.
"It consumes all of my weekends and most of my late nights," Kress said. "I usually stay up until one in the morning responding to e-mails."
Kress is also vice president of Student Government and said he has had to learn to manage time wisely.
"It comes down to learning how to delegate, and I've kind of systemized my life," Kress said. "I've learned how to filter things out."
Kress said he has hired a secretary five hours a week to take care of things he does not need to do himself.
Kristine Jarden, director of the SIUE Entrepreneurship Center, said she has been helping Kress with his business since the beginning and believes it is a good idea.
"I think it is a great interactive online resource for parents and teachers to interact with each other about many things," Jarden said.
Jarden said she is happy to see Note2Home.com is so successful.
"It's wonderful to see a student as motivated as Bryan pursue an endeavor," Jarden said. "I think Bryan has a great idea, and I hope he continues to pursue this and is successful."
The site also makes money from local advertising done on the site.
Kress said the idea for the Note2Home.com came to him his freshman year.
"It was about the time Facebook came out, and I thought of merging Facebook with Blackboard as a tool for parents," Kress said.
Kress spent a year taking notes and jotting down ideas for the site whenever they came to him.
"I had trouble sleeping because I would wake up during the night with more ideas," Kress said.
During his sophomore year, Kress started searching for a Web developing company so he could put his plan into action, and eventually got in touch with a company in Ukraine. After corresponding through e-mail and phone, Kress flew to Ukraine to meet with people from the company.
"Both guys I talked to directly are very education oriented, and we clicked really well," Kress said.
Note2Home.com is now up and running, and Kress said he has received calls from all over the U.S. from schools interested in trying Note2Home.com, but is waiting until after he graduates to tour the U.S. and promote his site.
Kress said the company took 30 to 40 hours a week during the development stages, but now he spends about 10 hours a week managing it.
"It consumes all of my weekends and most of my late nights," Kress said. "I usually stay up until one in the morning responding to e-mails."
Kress is also vice president of Student Government and said he has had to learn to manage time wisely.
"It comes down to learning how to delegate, and I've kind of systemized my life," Kress said. "I've learned how to filter things out."
Kress said he has hired a secretary five hours a week to take care of things he does not need to do himself.
Kristine Jarden, director of the SIUE Entrepreneurship Center, said she has been helping Kress with his business since the beginning and believes it is a good idea.
"I think it is a great interactive online resource for parents and teachers to interact with each other about many things," Jarden said.
Jarden said she is happy to see Note2Home.com is so successful.
"It's wonderful to see a student as motivated as Bryan pursue an endeavor," Jarden said. "I think Bryan has a great idea, and I hope he continues to pursue this and is successful."
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