Last week I have been doing some tests on a new concept : Business eBooks - http://epub.appe.biz/

The idea came from two different thoughts:

1. Apps for small businesses
   
   I thought one day, all small businesses would like to have an Mobile app (iPhone, iPad, Android...) but building such an app is quiet expensive. I was thinking to make a little app template that could be reused very quickly in order to propose cheap apps. But anyway, the problem with apps is that it's only valid for a given system (AppStore, Android Market). Finally I thought that the best for small businesses would be to publish ebooks or optimized websites (see this small test - http://www.lowas.be/iSite/).
   
   
2. Hao Wang Frustration
   
   I wanted to order some Chinese Takeaway (Hao Wang in Overijse). After 10 minutes, I couldn't find their menu to order on the web. It would be only one page of text with 200 lines. So I decided to upload it on my blog. Than I thought it would be better to even have it on my mobile phone. So I started makin ebooks for some restaurants:
• Filosofia Italiana - http://epub.appe.biz/ebooks/belgium/overijse/filosofia-italiana
  
• Quick - http://epub.appe.biz/ebooks/belgium/quick
  
• Frituur S-Bocht Overijse - http://epub.appe.biz/ebooks/belgium/overijse/s-bocht-frituur
  

I started with ebook in ePub than I realized that it was better to make 3 formats :

• HTML in the same page, so you can access the page with your tablet and immediately read it
• PDF for download on all kind of devices and for people who don't have an ePub viewer yet on their PC
• ePub for the mobile phones.

HTML and ePub are the best for mobile phones. HTML is when you have data, ePub would be for off-line or temporary connections (Bluetooth, WiFi).

I have the feeling that this idea can become a real (potentially big) business as eBooks could be generated on the fly : brochures, personalized catalogues, coupons, price offers...

To be continued...