Hinutech

Internet Explorer 6

2009-03-16T23:14:11Z

Although this is a long-standing policy that we verbally communicate to our customers, I want to drive the point home on my blog. Below is our official policy in regards to Internet Explorer 6. I have never been shy about my disdain for this browser, and recently a buddy of mine on Twitter made me aware of a site devoted to ridding the web of this scourge called idroppedie6.com. It's nice to read the statements of freedom as companies (large and small) free themselves from the shackles of this antiquated browser that does nothing more than increase costs and make the web worse. I think of the hours spent every day as well-meaning developers try to make their code work with this browser, and I am saddened. Think of the progress that could be made by these amazingly talented people who are wasting time trying to make their code "work" for this browser.

Microsoft should force people to upgrade. Make Internet Explorer stop working. Make it automatically upgrade to IE7. Take responsibility for the horrific excuse for a browser that they released in 2001 and make the world a better place by forcing people to upgrade. Sure, they officially stopped supporting it years ago, but they never took a definitive stand.

So, in my little way, I'm picking up some of the slack for Microsoft. If something we do doesn't work for IE6 but works in all other browsers, that's tough. Upgrade. It's called tough love...you'll thank me later.

Hinutech's Policy on Supported Browsers

We don't support Internet Explorer 6. Period. In order to use products and sites designed by Hinutech without any hiccups, Internet Explorer 6 users should upgrade to a newer browser:

Download Internet Explorer 7
Download Firefox
Download Safari

The Internet Explorer 6 browser was released back in 2001. It's replacement, Internet Explorer 7, was released in 2006. Modern web browsers such as IE7, Firefox, Safari, Opera and Flock provide much better online experiences and significantly improve the security of their users.

Why Don't We Support IE6?

Frankly, one of our core values is to make the web a better place. By supporting a browser that is antiquated and disregards standards put forth by the W3C, we are encouraging bad behavior on the part of users. It also comes down to a matter of cost. The new economy is fast-moving, and the time and effort needed to support IE6 for a diminishing group of users prevents us from effectively creating innovative solutions for the majority of our customers.

Frankly, there is no reason to support Internet Explorer 6 at this time since there are so many better alternatives available.

What Browsers Do We Recommend?

Firefox continues to be our favorite browser. Because of its open source nature, it adheres to web standards. It is much more light-weight than Internet Explorer and offers a good environment for those who use it. Whether you use a Mac or Windows, Firefox is a great browser. We like Safari as well, and since its introduction on the Windows platform in 2008, it offers a worthy alternative to Internet Explorer. With that said, the majority of visitors use Internet Explorer 7. Although we have a distaste for IE7 and all of its foibles, we live with it.

Update - Hamilton Elder-Beerman Store Closing

2009-05-11T18:40:53Z

For those who are following the news about Hamilton's Elder-Beerman store closing, here are some related articles from around the web:

So, it doesn't look good for the city of Hamilton or Bon Ton. Although this is painful for the city, I am hopeful that it serves as a wake-up call for our leaders. We need to diversify our portfolio and take advantage of our strengths. It hurts to lose Elder-Beerman, but it will hurt even more if we learn nothing from this lesson and continue our downward slide.

Hamilton Elder-Beerman Store Closing

2009-05-11T18:43:32Z

The Hamilton Journal News reported today that the Elder-Beerman store downtown will be closing this spring displacing 75 employees and leaving yet another hole in Hamilton's already-struggling economy.

This is bad news for the city. Over the 5.5. years that I have called Hamilton home, I have seen a city that is going through an identity crisis. Steeped in tradition, most of the locals hold on to a time when Hamilton was a manufacturing powerhouse thanks to its proximity to the Great Miami River. Those days are gone, and Hamilton has failed to reinvent itself.

Hamilton has so much potential to be a great city. We are located on a beautiful river. We have a branch of Miami University. We are 15 minutes from Oxford, and many Miami University faculty call Hamilton home. We have a population of people who are dedicated to this town (the people from whom we purchased our home lived here for 30 years...they moved 2 blocks away because they love the neighborhood so much).

Hamilton could reinvent itself much in the way that Cincinnati's Northside has. Hamilton could use its diminished property values and vacant buildings to become a destination for artists. With the support of Miami University and The Fitton Center For Creative Arts, Hamilton could embrace musicians, sculptors and painters. We could learn from San Antonio and create a river walk that becomes a destination for people. We could become known as a hub for small businesses (we already have 2 incubators - BizTech and VORA Technology Park) and take advantage of our proximity to Cincinnati and Dayton. We could do so much here, and I am hopeful that the City Council and community leaders can do something to turn Hamilton around. With so many assets, it would be a shame to continue wasting our amazing potential.

Facebook vs. Twitter

2009-02-09T12:52:39Z

TwiTip has put together a great comparison of Facebook and Twitter. The post highlights the key differences between the platforms and how they can be used for social networking, online marketing and plain old keeping up with friends. The article is definitely worth a read. I use both, and I see Twitter as more of a marketing tool where Facebook is a traditional social network. Twitter's short-burst character limit allows me to keep up with more people while the folks that I follow on Facebook are closer to me. Facebook has more of a familial feel to it while I use Twitter as more of a news feed. I don't use Facebook for marketing purposes, but Twitter is the perfect place for that. So, how do you use Twitter and/or Facebook? Is one more valuable to you than another from a marketing point of view?

Taking Chances

2009-02-09T12:54:31Z

Sometimes, you have to take chances. Sometimes, the best luck comes to those who make their own. I am working on something radically new for Hinutech which can go one of two ways -- massive success or massive fail. In the next couple of weeks, I'll make a proper announcement as to what that something is.

This got me thinking, though, about the nature of running a business. It is very easy to sit back and rest on your laurels. It's easier to not take chances which could ultimately be a huge waste of time. It's easier to think that decisions you made 2 years ago were the right ones...even if the circumstances that surrounded them have changed dramatically. It's easy to be change averse.

If you don't change or take calculated risks, your business is destined for mediocrity. The old adage of doing the same thing multiple times and expecting different results applies here.

What have you done recently to mix things up? Have you recently scared yourself a little? If you haven't, then, why not?

Hinutech 2008 Year In Review

2009-02-09T12:55:42Z

For all of the gloom and doom that you hear about, 2008 has been a pretty amazing year for Hinutech. Although Hinutech has been in existance for nearly 2 years, it has only been since May of this year that I had built the business to the level of being able to support me financially. Since that time, I am proud to announce that Hinutech has:

Quadrupled the number of customers with which we work
Created sustainable revenue
Grown web traffic through non-traditional means like social media and Twitter
Developed an active community of readers through this blog

From a product point of view, we have introduced some very cool features like:

Social networking capabilities
Integrated chat
Twitter integration
Activity tracking
Friends
Integration with Sugar CRM

2009 is shaping up to be another great year. We are planning on migrating some of our offerings to Drupal which will offer our customers a more robust interface for delivering on their business needs. Additionally, an e-Book is in the works which will serve as a guide for non-profit organizations as they seek to navigate the tricky waters of growing contributions and raving fans in a troubled economy. With the launch of that book, we will be offering a new array of consulting services aimed at assisting that sector of businesses in refining, developing and implementing their approaches to online marketing through social networking and social media.

Good stuff is on the horizon, and I am thankful to each and every customer who has helped make 2008 a successful year. I wish you well in 2009!

Find A Cure

2009-05-04T10:57:35Z

My mother was an amazing woman. She was the type of person who believed in her 3 sons and challenged us to do (and be) more than we thought was possible. Mom was our biggest advocate, best friend and harshest critic. She refused to let us settle for a life that was less than spectacular even though we grew up in a less-than-optimal (and certainly not economically prosperous) environment. She instilled in us the importance of family. Because of Mom, my two brothers and I share relationships that are deep and meaningful.

Mom died 9 years ago today. The world was robbed of a beautiful, strong woman by breast cancer. Mom got to see my older brother marry, but she never had the chance to be the wonderful grandmother that I am certain she would have been. With 3 boys, she would have been tying pink ribbons in the hair of her 3 granddaughters just because she could. Mom never got to meet my wife or my younger brother's wife. Mom always said that we would "marry up", and I know that she would approve of our catches. All 3 of us did quite well for ourselves, thank you very much!

9 years after Mom's death, I am struck by the fact that breast cancer has yet to be erradicated. The number of amazing women who have died at the hands of this disease sickens me. The number of families that have gaping holes in them saddens me. To honor Mom's life, Hinutech will match any donations (up to a limit of course!) made to the Susan G. Komen Foundation in Mom's name through the end of the day, December 17, 2008. Click here to donate.

We miss you, Momma.

Charitable Gifts vs. The Gift Card Scam

2009-05-04T11:06:18Z

Last year, $8 billion was wasted on gift cards. That isn't $8 billion on value spent but $8 billion on fees and breakage. When you give a gift card that doesn't get used, someone keeps the money -- the company who is providing the card. You can purchase gift cards from the actual store where the purchase would be made, at banks, on racks at grocery stores and even at special gift card clearing houses from grocery stores online. The really bad part of all of this is when you pay a fee to give a gift card. Why pay $53 to give a $50 card? It makes no sense. The whole idea of gift cards changes the concept of Christmas from one of giving to one of shopping -- a big difference. Somewhere along the way, we have been conditioned to believe that giving someone cash for Christmas is in poor taste. Giving someone a $50 bill says that you didn't know what to give them but were thinking of them. Giving someone a $50 gift card to Barnes & Noble says that you didn't know what to give them, but you are pretending to kinda-sorta know because you remember that they like books. Now the person that you gave the card to feels compelled to purchase a book that they weren't planning on purchasing and probably wasting a few extra bucks to get them to the $50 card limit -- or worse yet, going over the limit and spending money that they weren't planning on spending. The end result: your gift, if used, will wind up costing the recipient money. Here's my recommendation: when you don't know what to give someone, find a worthy cause and make a donation in their name. This accomplishes a few things:

A charity gets much-needed support
The recipient becomes aware of the charity
The recipient knows that you care about them
Money is not wasted (in fees, extra purchases, non-use, etc.)

If you don't want to receive gift cards this year but want your friends and loved ones to know what to give you, think about causes you support. Learn how they can allow others to give in your name, and let your friends and families know how to give to you in this new, charitable context. For an example, check out my registry at Heifer International -- http://www.heifer.org/myregistry/joshasbury For the most part, there are very few things that I want or need this year (I am truly blessed). I would much rather my loved ones spend $20 on a flock of ducks than buy me a $20 gift card to Best Buy. By facilitating this ability to give, I am making it easier on those who wish to purchase gifts for me (no guessing, no burning gas by going to the mall), ensuring that money is spent well and ultimately, making a positive impact on the life of someone who needs a little bit of help. Ultimately, isn't that last point what holiday giving is all about? So, if you want to purchase a gift for me this year, I don't want you to think too hard about it. Just visit my registry and pick something out that is in your price range. Buy chickens. Buy a cow. Buy a tree. Just don't buy me a gift card -- gift cards are for chumps. My birthday is December 17, and Christmas is on December 25. Plan ahead, and make the world a little better.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T17:49:28Z

Making Plans for 2009

2008-11-25T23:36:43Z

Those who are closest to me know that I am not a big fan of Fall. I prefer warm weather, and the impending onslaught of cold temperatures and fewer hours of daylight tends to bring me down. I don't like this about myself, but it is what it is.

What I do appreciate about this time of year, though, is the opportunity it presents to look forward to next year. During the last month or so of the year, I like to begin setting my goals for the following year so that I can hit the ground running on January 1. So, what are some of my goals for next year? Glad you asked...

Create the best faith-based social networking application available on the market: We're well on our way with this, but there are many improvements on which we're working. Expect some big announcements in January!
Refine the coaching aspects of Hinutech: Part of the Hinutech value proposition is our ability to help people see the big picture when it comes to the successful application of technology for their organization. I need to figure out how to turn that time into revenue for the business.
Improve this blog: This blog is the primary mechanism for communicating updates about Hinutech coupled with sometimes insightful (sometimes random, as well) thoughts from me. Although I think I do a reasonable job with the blog, I want to organize things better so that my foul-mouthed rants don't necessarily get in the way of marketing the company.
Expand our CRM offerings: I have been very guilty of relegating CRM to the back-burner during the launch of Hinutech for numerous reasons. It is a powerful technology that can help our existing customers out and can bring in new customers.
Produce a podcast: This is something else that I have been fixing to meaning to trying to get around to getting to but haven't. I am planning on producing a weekly podcast that will be similar in nature to this blog. Once it picks up steam, I will welcome questions and comments from listeners, so stay tuned!
Migrate some of our services to Amazon Web Services: This is a biggie for me, and as Hinutech continues to mature/grow, we are going to need a flexible way to expand our servers without incurring dramatically higher costs (financial and administrative). AWS is going to help us in that department.

So, those are some of my goals for 2009. As we get closer to the end of the year, I am going to publish a semi-complete list of Hinutech's business goals for 2009. That way, you can see where we are pointing, and we can periodically check things off throughout the year together.

What are your goals for 2009? What will your business/organization look like this time next year? What steps are you going to take to get there? Use the comments area below to share them with us!

Watching People Connect With Project Palantir From Facebook

2008-11-23T11:16:15Z

Facebook engineers, Jack Lindamond, Kevin Der and Dan Weathorford, have created Project Palantir -- named after the palantir of Orthanc from The Lord of the Rings.

What is a palantir? From Wikipedia:
"A palantír (sometimes translated as Seeing Stone but actually meaning "Farsighted" or "One that Sees from Afar") is a stone that functions somewhat like a crystal ball. When one looks in it, one can communicate with other Stones and anyone who might be looking into them; people of great power can manipulate the Stones to see virtually any part of the world."

This Facebook project is a video of the earth showing all Facebook activity geographically. In one view, you can see connections between people around the globe as they occur in real time. Another view shows activities as dots of light coming up from the earth.

You really should check it out. It is a visually stunning way of seeing the power that social networking has to connect people from disparate places all around the world.

The Life of a Geek

2008-11-21T13:24:13Z

Google CEO Eric Schmidt Calls For Innovation Bailout

2008-11-20T23:36:05Z

Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, gave a speech on Tuesday at the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C. During his speech, he called for a bold government-funded effort to re-vamp the nation's technology infrastructure, to increase the openness of government through the proper utilzation of technology, and to increase civic participation through technological initiatives.

I have a very open love affair with Google. The company always impresses me with their innovations and commitment to the open nature of the internet. Schmidt's speech furthers my infatuation.

Schmidt says, it's vital "that small startups with funny names get founded and get funded in the new regime. That's where the wealth will be created." He used Barack Obama's utilization of YouTube as an example of how government should approach our current economic situation -- with a sense of openness and the notion of embracing all voices.

Hopefully, voices like Eric Schmidt help steer the course of our country through the tough times...and hopefully, the proper use of technology sets the stage for a higher level of civic participation and involvement in government and world affairs. Things look pretty dim now, but I am excited to see how we as a country adapt to our challenges and use technology to make the world a little better. It's already happening, and people like Obama and Schmidt are lending a voice of credibility that will take the social web to new levels of legitimacy.

Wasting People's Time For Web Traffic

2008-11-20T20:31:50Z

This advertisement on Facebook:

goes to this web site:

I assume that the two are somehow related. However, I was so turned off by being mislead when I clicked on the ad that I am not going to bother figuring that piece of the equation out.

Moral of the story: if you choose to advertise on the web (in Facebook, Google Adwords, etc.), be sure to make the sites where people ultimately land relevant to the link they clicked. If you don't do this, you not only waste goodwill, you are also wasting money with each click.

You Have 3 Lives

2008-11-18T20:03:15Z

Unlike cats, humans have three lives:

Personal
Family
Business

In order to become successful, you must be able to balance each of them. If you find yourself working 80 hour weeks in order to be successful with your business life, your personal and family lives suffer. If you forego your work in order to focus all of your energy on your family, your business and personal (health, well-being) lives will suffer. If you suffer from depression or other health concerns, your business and family lives take the brunt.

I'm not saying anything groundbreaking here. There are times when work needs to come before family. There are times when family needs to be lifted above every other responsibility you have. And sometimes, you need to focus on yourself before the other two.

When each of your lives is in balance...when each is a source of strength for you as opposed to a stress-inducing drain...you will be successful.

Redesign for CFS Construction

2008-11-17T16:45:05Z

Most construction industry web sites are lousy. Technically, they get the job done, but they tend to be a mess of project details and bouncing menu animations that don't effectively communicate the company's message. CFS Construction wanted to buck the trend of bad construction industry web sites.

On the morning of November 16, 2008, we went live with a redesign of the site for CFS Construction, Inc. Here is the story of the whats and whys of that project.

CFS Construction wanted a site that was visually compelling, introduced new customers to their capabilities of delivering amazing results through construction projects while being a resource for subcontractors to obtain project drawings in order to place bids on projects.

They chose to partner with Hinutech because of our advanced content management system, understanding of their technical needs and ability to design a site that is beautiful yet functional.

Visually Compelling Project Information

CFS Construction needed a way to tell its story to prospective customers in a compelling manner. We worked with them to obtain images from some of their more recent projects and fashioned their site around those photographs. We assisted them in developing a site that delivered a message consistent with their existing marketing materials while using the power of the web to dynamically showcase their work.

We broke the Project area of their site into subcategories such as Restaurant Construction and Hospitality/Senior Living Construction.

Each sub-page is consistent in layout and lets them highlight a project in that area.

We created an image gallery for each project that expands images when visitors hover their mouse over an image -- reducing the number of clicks that visitors need to perform in order to see details on CFS projects.

Improved Communication with Subcontractors

The relationship with subcontractors is at the core of CFS Construction's business, and they needed a way to work effectively with them. We have been a partner of CFS for several years now and have developed an Internet Plan Room for their subcontractors which allowed for them to have easy access to construction project plans.

With the new redesign for CFS Construction, we took that a step further and made several improvements to their mechanism of working with subcontractors.

When subcontractors login to the system, they are immediately greeted with announcements from CFS Construction. These announcements tell subs when bids are due for projects and other important information from CFS.

CFS staff have the ability to manage their annoucements in the system. The screenshot above shows all announcements in the system coupled with when they will begin displaying and stop displaying.

CFS staff can enter their annoucements in the system and set their display dates and expiration dates. This allows them to enter information well in advance of when the annoucements will need to be seen by subcontractors....and the staff doesn't have to worry about removing the annoucements from the system since they can be set to automatically expire on a pre-defined date and time.

The CFS Internet Plan Room is freely available to subcontractors who work with CFS. Subcontractors must create an account in the system in order to see plans, and once they do, they have the ability to scan folders and download plans for jobs on which they wish to place bids.

The CFS Plan Room is an intuitive interface for subcontractors, allowing them to have easy access to project plans.

The CFS Bidding Calendar lets subcontractors see when project bids are due. Additionally, the page shows them the most recently added plans in the system.

We created a message board system for CFS Construction with the intent of decreasing the number of phone calls they receive from subcontractors and to develop a community around their company. As time progresses, we anticipate the CFS Forums becoming a great resource for CFS subcontractors to obtain and share information while reducing the workload on CFS staff.

Seth Godin on The U.S. Presidential Election

2008-11-15T12:39:12Z

Here is Seth's assessment of the U.S. Presidential election as seen through the eyes of a marketing. Good stuff.

"The polls open in a few minutes, and unlike pundits that wait until after the polls have closed, I thought I'd do the opposite. It's obvious that this is the most talked about election in the history of the world, and I think there are some lessons for every marketer, regardless of nationality or political leanings.

It turns out that one way you learn about marketing is by analyzing it. (The other way is to do it). Yet people hate analyzing three really useful but emotional examples of marketing that matters: politics, organized religion and their own organizations. I figure we can start here, with the easiest of the three.

This is a long post. Fine with me if you skip it and just go vote instead.

Here goes:

Stories really matter. More than a billion dollars spent, two 'products' that have very different features, and yet, when people look back at the election they will remember mavericky winking. You can say that's trivial. I'll say that it's human nature. Your product doesn't have features that are more important than the 'features' being discussed in this election, yet, like most marketers, you're obsessed with them. Forget it. The story is what people respond to.

Mainstream media isn't powerful because we have no other choices (see below). It's powerful because they're still really good at writing and spreading stories, stories we listen to and stories we believe.

TV is over. If people are interested, they'll watch. On their time (or their boss's time). They'll watch online, and spread the idea. You can't email a TV commercial to a friend, but you can definitely spread a YouTube video. The cycle of ads got shorter and shorter, and the most important ads were made for the web, not for TV. Your challenge isn't to scrape up enough money to buy TV time. Your challenge is to make video interesting enough that we'll choose to watch it and choose to share it.

Permission matters (though selfish marketers still burn it). The Republican party has a long tradition of smart direct mail tactics. Over the years, they've used them to aggressively outfundraise and outcampaign the Democrats. In this election cycle, smart marketers at the Obama campaign toned down the spam and turned up the permission. They worked relentlessly to build a list, and they took care of the list. They used metrics to track open rates and (at least until the end) appeared to avoid burning out the list with constant fundraising. Anticipated, personal and relevant messages will always outperform spam. Regardless of how it is delivered.

Marketing is tribal. This one, for obvious reasons, fascinated me this cycle.

Karl Rove and others before him were known for cultivating the 'base'. This was shorthand for a tribe of people with shared interests and vision (it included a number of conservatives and evangelicals). George W. Bush was able to get elected twice by embracing the base, by connecting them, by being one of them.

John McCain had a dilemma. He didn't particularly like the base nor did they like him. His initial strategy was not to lead this existing tribe, but to weave a new tribe. The idea was that independents and some Democrats, together with the traditional pre-Reagan core of the Republican party, would weave together a new centrist base.

Barack Obama also had a challenge. He knew that the traditional base for Democratic candidates wouldn't be sufficient to get him elected (it had failed John Kerry). So he too set out to weave a new tribe, a tribe that included progressives, the center, younger religious voters, weary veterans, internationalists, Nobel prize winners, black voters and others.

Building a new tribe (in marketing and in politics) is time consuming and risky and expensive. Both set out to do this.

Then, McCain made a momentous decision. He chose Sarah Palin, and did it for one huge reason: to embrace the Rove/Bush 'base'. To lead a tribe that was already there, but not yet his. He was hoping for a side effect, which was to attract Hillary Clinton's tribe, one that in that moment, was also leaderless.

Seen through the lens of tribes and marketing, this is a fascinating and risky event. Are people willing to suspend disbelief or suspicion and embrace a leader in order to maintain the energy of their tribe?

If it had worked, it would have been a master stroke. He would have solidified his base, grabbed key constituencies of Clinton supporters in swing states and wooed the center as well. Three tribes in one pick.

In McCain's case, it failed. His choice cost him the economically-concerned middle (which went to Obama's carefully woven tribe). And it clearly cost him the mostly female Clinton tribe. Yes, he energized the conservative base, but he lost the election. If he had chosen Mike Huckabee, one could wonder what would have happened. Would this less polarizing figure been able to collect a bigger tribe for him?

This is a real question for every marketer with an idea to sell. Do you find an existing tribe (Harley drivers, Manolo shoe buyers, frequent high-end restaurant diners) and try to co-opt them? Or do you try the more expensive and risky effort of building a brand new tribe? The good news is that if you succeed, you get a lot for your efforts. The bad news is that you're likely to fail.

Motivating the committed outperforms persuading the uncommitted. The unheralded success factor of Obama's campaign is the get out the vote effort. Every marketer can learn from this. It's easier (far easier) to motivate the slightly motivated than it is to argue with those that either ignore you or are predisposed to not like you.

Attack ads don't always work. There's a reason most product marketers don't use attack ads. All they do is suppress sales of your opponent, they don't help you. Since TV ads began, voter turnout has progressively decreased. That's because the goal of attack ads is to keep your opponent's voters from showing up. Both sides work to whittle down the other. In a winner-take-all game like a political election, this strategy is fine if it works.

So why didn't the ads work this time?

The tribe that Obama built identified with him. Attacking him was like attacking them. They took it personally, and their outrage led to more donations and bigger turnout. This is the lucky situation Apple finds itself in as well. Attacking an Apple product is like attacking an Apple user.

We get what we deserve. The lesson that society should take away about all marketing is a simple one. When you buy a product, you're also buying the marketing. Buy something from a phone telemarketer, you get more phone telemarketers, guaranteed. Buy a gas guzzler and they'll build more. Marketers are simple people... they make what sells. Our culture has purchased (and voted) itself into the place we are today.

Did I mention you should vote?"

The Economy and Technology

2008-11-13T21:46:31Z

My 401(k) has been slaughtered so far this year. My investments are way down. I just read a headline that Chrysler might not survive without government aid (goodbye Jeep???). Jobless claims keep rising. Everything is miserable, right?

Wrong. I am seeing, firsthand, that companies and non-profits are making investments in technology. Based on everything that has been happening with Hinutech for the past 4 weeks, it is looking like I might have to turn away business by the end of the year so that we don't disappoint people.

Why is this happening? Smart organizations are seeing the value of making investments in their web presence. They are looking for ways to increase the stickiness with their customers, donors and other contributors to their bottom line. The forward-looking organization sees technology as a competitive advantage as opposed to simply something into which they are sinking money.

Things like Customer Relationship Management, social networking and providing for user-generated content are allowing organizations to get closer to their customers and derive real value from their technology investment.

I'm pretty charged about the possibilities for the next 6 months, and I'm even more excited for what we will accomplish for our new customers. They will be poised well for the future -- regardless of the state of the economy.

Eat Your Own Dog Food

2008-11-12T16:35:52Z

I love that phrase. From a business point of view, it means using your own products. Hinutech has adhered to that concept from the beginning of our existance when it came to hosting our site, portal and blogs. However, the company fell short when it comes to our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. Excuses for not using it were plenty -- we weren't big enough. We didn't have enough customers. We could keep track of everything via email.

That's been mostly true, and I haven't dropped the ball on anything yet. But, I have found myself growing increasingly disorganized. My calendar is always up to date with meetings, but I didn't schedule the "smaller" customer interactions. If I wanted to send an email to a customer, I would do it when I got around to it...sometimes that would be days. Now that I am using our CRM system, I create a task for myself to send an email or to call a customer, and I receive reminders to do so. Even better, these calls and emails are tracked in the system so that I am aware of when I last worked with a customer.

Where this gets really snappy, is I am able to track everything from projects as they relate to specific customers. For example, I am planning on deploying a new version of the Comprehensive Facilities portal this weekend, and there are numerous steps that have to occur between now and then. Each step involves a different contact at CFS. I am able to track calls, emails and meetings as they relate to each person and each step in the project. Allowing me to ensure that every bit of the project is handled appropriately and that each person involved knows what their responsibilities are. As time goes on and I do more work with CFS, I will have a history in my system of what we have done for them and who the players were in the project.

Another great use of the CRM system allows me to manage leads. When forms are filled out on in the Hinutech portal, the CRM system automatically creates leads for me. This allows me to build a history of people's interest in our company and products, and most importantly, ensures that no contact with customers gets lost. I am able to see new prospective customers in the system and track everything we have done to earn their business.

Good stuff....it makes me more productive and ensures a better experience for our customers. As time goes on, I will discuss some of these capabilities in more detail, but I am very, very happy that I have chosen to change the course of Hinutech to be more customer-focused through our adoption of our CRM system. When it comes down to brass tacks, my reasons for not doing this earlier really come down to laziness. Life is better with a little bit of structure.

I Believe

2008-11-07T03:55:00Z

I haven't been shy about my political leanings on this blog, and happy doesn't begin to describe my feelings about Tuesday's election. I have heard from many that they never thought they would see an African American elected in their lifetime. They are proud of America, and they are proud to be Americans.

My house was a staging location for the Barack Obama campaign. Beginning Saturday morning and ending around 10:00 election night, we had about 100 people through our doors working together to get out the vote, making calls, canvassing and taking part in democracy. It was beautiful.

Dennis Kurlass, owner of River Bank Cafe in Hamilton, OH, solidified what this election was all about. He received a call from the Obama campaign that an older gentleman needed help voting. He was blind and had no form of identification, and he desperately wanted to vote. Dennis picked him up at his house, drove him to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to have an identification card made and drove him to the polls. Once there, Dennis went into the booth with the gentleman, read the choices to him and placed his finger on the button of his choice allowing the blind man to push the button. Dennis relayed this story to me through tears of pride -- in himself and in our country.

This election wasn't momumental because we elected an African American. It was monumental because people who had never been politically active before felt enoughh passion for their country to sacrifice their time and homes to become involved. The felt a sense of duty to become involved in democracy. They realized that their voice could be heard, and they worked tirelessly to ensure that it happened.

I am so proud of what we accomplished on Tuesday. I am proud of my new friends. I am proud of our country. Mostly, I am proud and in awe of the dedication that people showed to organize and stage a revolution. A revolution where we loudly and clearly stated that we are tired of the way things have been going. We believe we can be a better country. We believe we can and should provide health care to people who can't afford it. We believe that opportunities await us. We believe that good things are ahead. We believe that our government is accountable to the people. We believe that community is stronger than isolation.

Tough times are ahead, and Barack Obama has his work cut out for him. He doesn't have to go it alone, though, because he has created a community of supporters that will work with and for him. We who have worked so hard for the Obama campaign realized during the past months and years that our voice is loud. We own this country. He is accountable to us. And we are energized, strong and willing to chip in and make our country, and world, a better place.

"I Believe" From R.E.M.'s Lifes Rich Pageant

"When I was young and full of grace
and spirited--a rattlesnake.
When I was young and fever fell
My spirit, I will not tell
You’re on your honor not to tell

I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract
Explain the change, the difference between
What you want and what you need, there’s the key,
Your adventure for today, what do you do
Between the horns of the day?

I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in

When I was young and give and take
And foolish said my fool awake
When I was young and fever fell
My spirit, I will not tell
You’re on your honor, on your honor

Trust in your calling, make sure your calling’s true
Think of others, the others think of you
Silly rule golden words make, practice, practice makes perfect,
Perfect is a fault, and fault lines change

I believe my humor’s wearing thin
And change is what I believe in

I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in

When I was young and full of grace
As spirited a rattlesnake
When I was young and fever fell
My spirit, I will not tell
You’re on your honor, on your honor
I believe in example
I believe my throat hurts
Example is the checker to the key

I believe my humor’s wearing thin
And I believe the poles are shifting

I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in."