March 26, 2006
Section: Business
Edition: Final
Page: 1E

Look Who's Talking
James McNair

Frank O'Farrell

YOUR ONLINE CALENDAR

MySpace.com has the teenagers, objects of affection and nightclubs. Frank O'Farrell, co-founder of www.clicshare.com, wants the parents, schools and organizations.

An East Walnut Hills resident who has run a multimedia production company in Norwood, Binary Sky Communications, since 1996, O'Farrell and his brother Kevin launched Clicshare 13 months ago to help manage the time-juggling acrobatics of people with hectic schedules.

Unlike other calendar software, Clicshare allows users to overlay their family calendars with those of any other Clicshare-using organization - schools, committees, sports teams, clubs, charity groups and employers. Calendars are posted and updated by, say, soccer coaches or school secretaries. Reminders can be sent out by e-mail or text messages. It also hosts pictures.

The Web-based program is being used by six schools in Dublin and Mercy Montessori Center in East Walnut Hills. It also has caught the eye of some investors. O'Farrell and his wife, Teresa, have three children - and a full slate of family activities - of their own.

WHY WOULD PEOPLE want Clicshare?

Keeping track of important school events is a great source of stress for parents. Nine times out of 10, we don't set our schedules. The baseball coach sets the practice time, the PTO president sets meeting times, and there's meetings for First Communion, CCD classes, field trips, Boy Scouts, tee times, scrapbook club, ballet classes and music classes. The activities are endless. We just pick the ones that work for us and hope we remember them. But, collectively, these make up the bulk of the things we do in our personal lives.

SO NOW A COMPUTER program takes the place of the dry-erase calendar on the fridge?

With the click of one button, your Clicshare school calendars can be merged into your Clicshare family calendar, and it isn't necessary to be at your computer to view calendar events or receive reminders. Many working parents often complain of being disconnected from a school and getting information too late to be able to participate. We think we are the first service of this kind that truly understands the stress that schools are under to communicate with parents.

WHAT'S IN IT for school administrators?

Schools can save enormous amounts of money in paper costs that can also have an environmental benefit, and Clicshare will help schools build and sustain better and stronger communities, both for current parents and with alumni.

HOW DO YOU make money?

We make money from parents opting in to use the reminder service. Schools can set up as many group Web sites as they need for free, but parents pay $25 per year for the privilege of receiving event and site reminders from every Clicshare group they belong to.

SO YOU'RE SAYING people would pay to be reminded of the stuff they have to do in their everyday lives?

Between 4:30 and 7 p.m., a parent may need to do drop-offs to soccer practice, cook dinner, plan homework, do pickups and, in between, run to the school for a Market Day order pickup. Yes, I believe people will pay because the price of being stressed all the time is higher.

The Frank O'Farrell file

Age: 42

Title: Founder, Clicshare.com

Children: Three