Three online ventures launched last week proving once again that Wellyweb is a happening place when it comes to web-based creativity. And since our foreign owned traditional media channels give scant coverage to local start-ups, here’s a quick run down of who’s doing what.

Door knocking and standing on street corners is so last century when it comes to fund raising. Givealittle is a community site that matches donors with worthy causes, not to mention saving you from sore feet and being chased by rabid dogs. If you are a social entrepreneur in particular, this site offers a virtual base of operations for building a loyal band of supporters. And if you have a desire to contribute, Givealittle offers a host of projects to choose from and protects your anonymity. Now with both Christmas and an economic squeeze looming, some companies are even using the site to provide their staff with a unique donor opportunity instead of organising gifts this year. Givealittle has solid backing and the potential to scale up globally, so it will be interesting to see how it develops in the future.

Hirewall is a recruitment management tool that helps employers control the candidate selection process. The beauty of Hirewall is that it delivers value irrespective of whether the employer is working with a recruitment firm or recruiting talent directly. So one of the keys to success for Hirewall will no doubt involve developing strong relationships and building trust within the recruitment industry. Hirewall is the brainchild of Tim de Jardine who is in the vanguard of the next wave of “quiet achievers” who like to think outside the proverbial polygon.

Another member of this new wave is Wellington old boy, technology commentator and cloud watcher Ben Kepes who has pulled together a number of interesting deals this year including securing sponsorship for the new Bizchat site. Ben has a passion for supporting and growing the small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) that are the foundation of our economy. He also has a strong understanding of where business fits in a social context. That makes him a great champion for Bizchat which is a peer-to-peer forum for SME operators. Bizchat has some strong Wellington ties in terms of sponsorship and subject matter expertise too.

Last but not least, ideegeo launched iWantMyName a domain registrar site with New Zealand’s largest selection of domain extensions by far and some interesting value added services to be announced in 2009. I’m proud to say we began earning export dollars from day one. Our iPhone application has also proven to be a hit with several hundred downloads in the first few days. So iPhone users can now search and register domains on the go. The road ahead may be challenging one for us all beset with competitor goblins and recessionary cave trolls, but at least we are setting off amidst good company.