Focus...

With the New Year approaching in days, I'm finding time to bring into focus what I want to accomplish for 2006 as far as fusedlogic corporate goals. Here's 5 of my goals.

1. Increase fusedlogic brand awareness, more monthly advertiZING!
2. Implement a full on mulitmedia attack on the marketplace via the web.
3. Move into new office space.
4. Surpass best revenue year by 50%
5. Implement new business owner educational series.


Combined with the rest of my list as part of my yearly plan I believe this will an incredible year for fusedlogic. Hopefully, you have a list and plan to implement as well. Good Luck in the New Year, may it bring much happiness, more money and free time.

Alberta Chamber of Technologies...

I attended a meeting last evening that focused on the a new organization called the Alberta Chamber of Technologies. There was good discussion on whether such an organization should even exist and if so in what capacity, why, how should it operate, who should participate and what do we want to accomplish.

My take on it is simple. This province needs a wake up call. There's more to life than Oil and Bio-tech. There is a tremendous amount of ICT, IT and other types of technology companies that exist in Alberta but are truly without representation. Sure there are industry associations that are doing their best to broadcast their message but they tend to be very specific. This is more of a macro look at all technology-based business. I'm all for it. That's why I volunteered to be on the Interim Board Selection Committee. Many people have put their names forward to be considered for a board position and it'll be the job of this committee to determine the criteria for leadership before a formal election can take place. This is a great opportunity to set the tone in a small way for the start of what I believe will be a great organization.

The other really important message sent last night was that this should be an organization focused on collaboration with other Chambers and like minded groups. There's strength in numbers and certainly when lobbying politicians, suggesting they wake up and smell the coffee and take notice of some of the issues facing new and existing high-tech companies.

Performance Architecture

Performance architecture is simply how well your company performs and what you have in place to measure that performance. It's also the protocol's you have in place to manage change, all companies change in some way over time. Some more drastically than others based on a number of variables. Fusedlogic is really focusing on evolving a company based on performance architecture. Every company should measure how and whether it's winning or losing the war.

The exciting thing about performance architecture is that once you set it up properly it really demonstrates and acts as the beating heart of the business. Our systems acts as a diagnostic tool to tell everyone that the company is getting sick before the sickness becomes too wide spread. In addition, it helps to specifically identify the exact reason and cause of the ailment so that it hopefully doesn't return. When translated into dollars and cents, this system is invaluable and that's why we're so focused on performance architecture and why you should be too.

Are you busy this Christmas season?

It always amazes me at how many business clients talk about how slow the christmas season is and still they do nothing about it. No innovative marketing push in Oct/Nov to set up Dec and Jan. Rather than complain and stay awake at night I've chosen to push as hard as possible and that has translated into a very busy Christmas season so far. This really isn't rocket science, I've committed to some marketing initiatives that are generating results and once the formula has been proven to work I stick with it. Turn it over again and again. Sure we're doing some seasonal marketing now to augment the norm as a final push for the year. We found it was a challenge to set our client Christmas season message apart from all the others in some way and still stay grounded in simplicity with the proper positioning. My suggestion is to do something a little different from last year if you're not happy with the results and get on things right away for Jan and Feb, it's not too late for a simple marketing push.

All small businesses should be marketing hard leading up to what is typically the seasonal drops to smooth out the rollercoaster. Find a formula that works for you and run with it as often as you can.

Prepare to save your data...

Well, the office is moved and man am I happy about that. It was technologically trouble free I think due to our preparation and disaster recovery program. Back-up, back-up, back-up. A few notations to remember all hook-ups just in case and we were up and running in no time, with no damage to equipment or data. Pretty important for any small business that moves its operations to another location. Most small businesses don't back-up their data properly and usually do not consider this step until they have lost everything in a crash. Disaster recovery is critical to plan for and here are some key items that should be in your plan.

1. Back-up your data on all computers and networks in three ways. On the desktop using the internal back-up process MS Windows provides.
2. CRITICAL: File Transfer Protocol (FTP) web site online, when you upload your information to a secure online location that qualifies as offsite and saves you from losing your back-up information to a fire or other disaster at your location. (check the server facilities to ensure they have sufficient fire suppression systems in place as well)
3. Make sure you have a recovery disk(s) saved. Put that in a fire proof box, but remember heat melts plastic. This is a temporary solution. You should put this disk off site and in safe hands, safety deposit box works fine.
4. Back-up often, depending on size and nature of business, daily, weekly or monthly.
5. File and computer maintenance is important so that your data has less chance of becoming corrupted by attack, software conflict and so on.
6. Eliminate spy ware regularly, it can really slow your PC and network down. There are several good software options to choose from off the shelf or online.
7. Dust is a killer as well and promotes heating up, so keep things clean and cool by using a pressurized can of air to blow dust away.
8. Keep your anti-virus program definitions, and your window updates, up to date.
9. If you are using a wireless router, ensure your wireless network security is enabled properly.
10. Passwords should be changed frequently, have no pattern and should NOT be taped to the bottom of your keyboard or monitor. What the heck is the point? I've walked through so many offices where I could have (if I was dishonest and I'm not) remembered passwords from dozens of desktops and entered them into a pda in seconds. People often complain of having to remember them so here's a trick, I have two little address books one I keep at my desk tucked away and the other is offsite. Also when you record the information, do it like this. I keep only two entries per page and I swap the names and online locations with the user name and passwords that correspond.

So for example,

WebMail:

Username: Joeblow355

Password: BlacKwhite897

Blogger Account:

Username: SuperdUde195

Password: kiloflY4299

Webmail is actually blogger info and vice versa, just in case this information falls into the wrong hands. Most people will not go to this length of secrecy or protection but for those who do your information is much more secure. Notice I've used upper and lower case as well as numbers and the words are made up and random. NOT birthday's, family names or pet names.

Has anyone had a bad data loss recently? How did you recover?

The $100 laptop

Imagine every school kid on the planet having access to the internet 24-7 because that's where we're heading. With the latest version of the $100 laptop given out by Nicholas Negroponte of MIT to every government in every developing country on the planet, the next obstacle will be connectivity and meaningful educational content in the local language...fusedlogic is proud to be a part of this process by working with it's client The Indigenous Learning Company.

www.indigenouslearning.com

Changed with a single thought...

On a sunny November afternoon, I was packing up for our move and I had a moment of clarity and really it was a reminder of why I do what I do. Everyone has internal struggles, everyone has issues of some sort; the difference is how one deals with those things that present themselves as disruptive to everyday happiness. Taking action is the difference.
Let’s put this thought into context as it relates to being a business owner. Almost every potential client I meet is open to receiving “free” advice. Why? Because we all have struggles, most clients try not to let on as if they do for they might actually look lost in front of me, in front of staff or their clients. Heaven knows that would demonstrate clear justification for an engagement and contract in order to fix the problem and they might have to spend money. No one wants to put resources at risk when running a small business without at least an idea or even better a guarantee of a return. Money and time are always in short supply and oddly enough that’s our topic, so here’s why money and time are so tough to come by.
I’m always looking for that one sentence. The sentence to cut right to the heart of the matter when meeting a new client that’s tailored to their personality, possibly one of my own internal struggles. I’ve been blessed with a great vision of the business battlefield and so there are always a lot of great ideas and timely thoughts that rush through my head when meeting with clients many of these I feel have serious merit and could mean a positive outcome for you and your business.
Let me give you an example of how this typically happens. I was meeting with a potential client the other day and he was explaining as part of his growth plan he wanted to bring in a partner. A 50/50 split right down the middle and I had identified a potentially serious issue. No way to break a tie. What if both partners do not agree, then what? He hadn’t thought about that possibility, he naturally assumed since they both got along so well that situation would never arise. Wrong! So I had suggested that he have a conflict resolution clause drawn up for his shareholders agreement. This one thought probably saved him potential loss of money, time and possibly a friend.
I pulled this from my own personal experience involving a past ownership position and it’s an example of how Fusedlogic can help many after only just meeting them. That single thought could have changed the destiny of his company and that’s what I love about what Fusedlogic does.
Essentially, I describe Fusedlogic as an idea’s company; that can be vague for some so I also call us a business consultancy. At the heart of every great business is a series of principals that started out as ideas of what could be and this is where we work. Being an idea engine is the largest difference between us and our clients. You have been working on deriving a living from your business AND Fusedlogic has been thinking of ways for your business to take a quantum leap forward. Often with a short introduction to your business and your team we’re able to see things very clearly.
The best way to describe why any business owner should become part of the Fusedlogic Nation is because every day you don’t, I believe you lose a huge percentage of the amount you could have earned. That’s a bold statement I know, but true for most situations.
Let’s see if this rings true for you, first the majority of clients Fusedlogic works with have been spending almost all of their time working IN the business and they would still consider themselves successful, and in general they certainly are successful. Fact is as a savvy business owner you have known for years that you should be working ON the business and that it’s an integral key to growth and long-term success. Somehow though it just doesn’t happen, call it paying the bills, not enough hours in a day, short staffed, whatever your reason or excuse, it doesn’t happen. Working IN the business is where you stay for months and years on end, eventually you lose all perspective. I’ve lost count of how many times a client will say to me, “Oh I know I should be doing that.” Yet no execution.
YOU’RE STUCK! And it’s time to admit that you’re stuck. This is all relative to your situation; I don’t care if you’re making millions per year right now.

You’re stuck and losing money not to mention probably working like a dog too, is that your idea of fun? Even if you’re not making millions, you’re still working like a dog and that’s even worse. Isn’t it time to get UNSTUCK?
Getting UNSTUCK is simple. First, swallow your pride, it’s costing you money and admit you’re stuck. Once you’ve had that honest conversation with yourself, commit to change. The principals, concepts and idea’s are ready to go for you to start reaping the “true” benefit of running your own business – happiness and even more success! It really is as easy as a phone call or email, call Fusedlogic today to become the newest member of the Fusedlogic Nation. Don’t waste another day.
Missed opportunity isn’t really missed, it’s taken by someone else. - Unknown