Not Sustainable is Not Success

Building a business like some of those mentioned in this article isn’t success to me. I know some people make money, but ultimately this seems to be almost a fraudulent way of working on an investment. Build excitement for prospects and projects, sell, have founders and employees move on, and the business tank, or potentially fail.

That’s not what I think business should be about and it’s one of those areas that I think has gotten so much press, but doesn‘t really benefit the economy or anyone outside of the investors.

Build something sustainable, something you can be proud of.

Don’t Be Afraid to Talk to your Customers

I saw this tweet recently:

It’s about this issue with Amazon customer service, which wiped a customer’s kindle (allegedly) and is not communicating with him/her.

I don’t know the whole story, or what went wrong, but that type of communication, even with a good reason, isn’t acceptable. If you have problems with your customers, and they are trying to reasonably work things out, talk to them. Don’t let your employees ignore communications of withhold explanations.

Transparency is good for business.

Wasted Time

A nice infrographic from Atlassian. I know it’s aimed at getting you to try their software, but it makes good points, especially about meetings.

Lean Startups

I think I mostly agree with this post on why Lean Startups suck.

Listening just to customers, and following their leads doesn't differentiate you. It goes make sense to consider their opinions, but allowing them to drive too much of what you do isn't the answer.

I'm not sure if Lean Startups are the best way to do things, but watching what you do and being careful with your investments is always a good idea.

A higher P/E for more US jobs?

What do you think? I think it's a good post from Mark Cuban, and I try to run my business the way he does.

Schedule Time Off

When you start a business, especially a small one where you are involved, it's easy to work constantly. I've been reminded of that recently with my wife, who started her own business a few months ago. She's realized lately that she's working 7 days a week, and not getting a break. She loves it, but it's wearing on her.

It's important to recharge, or get a break, even if you love what you do. If nothing else, it gives you a chance to think and perhaps come up with new ways to improve your business.

A Day Out

My employer had me over to visit recently for meetings and during one of the days I was there, we had a "day out" for our department. About 25 of us packed into a bus and drove to a small English town to visit the Gainsborough Museum and a print shop. We spent a half day doing etching and printing the results on paper and a half day in the museum. I have to say that it was rather enjoyable, and it was definitely a bit of a bonding time for me with people that I see once a year (or less).

I have to admit. I wasn't thrilled with the idea, and grumbled a touch. The museum wasn't terribly interesting to me and I didn't want to spend the time there when I could have been coming home a day early, but I did see the value in there. I got to know a few people better, and I think the bonding that occurred in the common experience will help some of us to work a little better in the future.

It reminded me of other events at places I've worked. One 20 person department had a monthly event of some sort for a few hours (lunch, a baseball game, a movie, etc.). Another had a large cookout 3-4 times a year for hundreds of employees.

Perhaps a waste of money, but none of the events was extravagant and all provided employees with the chance to let loose a little and get to know each other. I have to say that the places that did have some out of work bonding were the places I most enjoyed working. It's something I might recommend to small businesses, and something I'd do if I get another business going.