BizJam has an awesome title sponsor this year: ideablob.com. It’s a site designed to help small business people share great ideas, and vote on the best ideas. The winners get $10,000 each month from Advanta, a company that issues credit cards to small businesses. Advanta has a really interesting history - they got their start loaning money to school teachers to tide them over during the summer months and during strikes, something that at the time was unheard of in banking circles. We like being associated with a company like that, and I hope you find time to meet Ami at BizJam. Here’s a bit more background, from an email interview I did with Ami recently…

Q: Tell me briefly the story behind ideablob.

While there are a variety of idea sites, there is a problem. That is, many good ideas need some capital. So, why not develop a platform to fund these ideas?

That was the basic inspiration for Ideablob. And, we think that $10,000 is the right amount to prove out an idea.

Since launching in October, we have provided funding for 8 and soon to be 9 ideas.

I was attending an un-conference in Northern Israel. I saw this really cool computer animation presentation by a young artist. I thought about how much her world would change if she had a little capital to launch her business. When I returned to Advanta, we decided to launch ideablob so that we could provide other idea makers with a place to get great advice and a little capital.

Q: How are you involved in this project, and what’s your role?

I’m the Chief Innovation Officer at Advanta, which is one of the largest credit card issuers for small businesses. The Innovation Team is charged with inspiring and connecting with the small business community. Ideablob is one of these projects.

Q: How can ideablob be useful to someone growing a small business?

Of course, the opportunity to win $10,000 is a big factor. But there are other considerations. For example, it’s a great exercise to put your idea into writing. It helps to flesh things out. Something else: Ideablob has a thriving community of advisors made up of experts and peers, which provides valuable feedback for new ideas. It’s something that’s quite unique on the Web.

Q: As someone involved in building a community site, what has been your biggest challenge so far? Your biggest success?

I think the big challenge is that there is no playbook. In other words, you need to try lots of things – and some of it will work.

As for the biggest success, it would be the quality of our users. They are providing a wealth of new ideas and advice.

Q: Why is ideablob sponsoring BizJam?

Biznik is successful place where business people network. We think this is absolutely critical for aspiring entrepreneurs. After all, it can be lonely when starting a business – and there are many pitfalls.

I also like the local aspect. This makes it easier for business people to help each other. I think we get too involved in virtual communities. Instead, face-to-face meetings can be extremely helpful.

Q: Will you be attending BizJam

You bet, I look forward to it.