Today we profile Andrew Follett and the website optimization service he co-founded, Concept Feedback.

Q: What is your background (e.g. previous businesses or career) and why did you decide to start an Internet company?

A: Before starting Concept Feedback, I worked as a marketing director at a small business in the environmental services industry. I was in charge of managing multiple websites and online marketing campaigns.

Q: What is Concept Feedback, when did it start, and what led you to create it?

A: Concept Feedback offers quick, actionable website feedback from a hand-selected panel of experts in design, usability and strategy. Evaluations are completed in 48 hours or less using our written and visual feedback tools, which make it easy to organize and prioritize recommendations.

Today we profile Kikabink News reader Randall Thorne and his online video service, Peaceful Walks. Read on to discover how Randall combined backgrounds in environmental planning and computer science into an innovative online video business.

Q: What is your background (e.g. previous businesses or career) and why did you decide to get into Internet marketing?

A: Prior to starting Peaceful Walks, I had careers in environmental planning and mainframe computer programming, natural outgrowths I suppose, from my degrees in environmental and computer science.

I’d always been intrigued with the idea of self-employment, however, and when the Internet began to evolve into a viable marketing forum, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to actualize my dream of starting my own business.

My gut told me that the Internet was going to open up a whole new world of possibilities for entrepreneurs, especially for those with a computer background, so I took the plunge.

As part of an occasional series of reader profiles, here is a profile of long-time Kikabink News reader, Peter J. Prins, founder of Dynamic Small Business Websites.

Q: What is your background and why did you decide to get into Internet marketing?

A: I originally qualified in water treatment (a career ended by affirmative action in South Africa), then I was a freelance salesman and one man band for many years.

After the music ended due to a bad accident, there was only sales, and at one stage, retail management (fast food franchise). I hated the latter – working like a slave for $500 per month (considering the exchange rate at the time). I started exploring the internet – I KNEW there had to be some money floating around, and I just needed to tap into it.

Eventually I became a ghostwriter – which, even at my pathetic typing speed, paid better than my retail management job…:)

I learned. I experimented. Failed, and tried again. Slowly started making bit of money…

I had finally found a way to break free of all constraints…

All I had to do was to grow it.

Kikabink News reader Robert Osorio and his business partner, Ron Edwards, are the founders of MonsterResource.com – a new paid membership site devoted to teaching aspiring Internet marketers the online marketing ropes.

Among other things, MonsterResource.com includes training videos, discussion forums and an expert resource team to answer questions members may have.