Small Business Software Blog
Scope Creep: The Silent Killer
When it comes to product development, whether it's digital or not, there's an on-going conversation between the person behind the actual production and the person guiding the process. This is important because it helps to clarify the vision, validate the work as part of the creation process, and ensure everything stays on track. Unfortunately, it's inevitable that somewhere along the line, a request will be made that impacts the original scope. This is called "scope creep" and it needs to be managed carefully.
5 Great Tools That Help You “Do”
When it comes to doing business, there are a ton of tools to help get the job done. And it seems like every week there’s something new trying to wiggle it’s way into my workflow. Some of them make the cut and others get kicked to the curb. Here’s the tools I use most (meaning, daily) to help me do, create, and manage my business and products.
Marketing Digital Products
Next month, we’ll be covering this topic with more specific details, but I thought it important to provide a broader overview. When you create new online services, you are undergoing digital product development. Like traditional product development which results in a tangible item that you can sell, it’s a process and requires time and patience. But the way you market a digital product differs significantly from marketing traditional products.
Development Diary: What the Flow, Man?!
This month, we’re going to talk about how we validate some of what we did in last month’s exercise. In last month’s development diary, we talked about determine what information needed to be stored. You might think we found it all, but this is where changes tend to happen. Now, we’re going to dig into more about the process.
A Consistent Message Will Create Your Market
With the myriad of blogs that I’ve written for the site, I sometimes struggle with consistent topics. By that, I mean I’m a developer, but many blogs blur the line between product development, marketing, Web design, and networking. This can lead to confusion about exactly what we do, which has brought me to this: consistency is key.
Network Like a Gardener
Marketing has taken on a new level of complexity these days. Between social media, SEO, and email, we often forget that it's not always about selling (at least not constantly). Many of us, myself included, market during face-to-face opportunities. It's important to not let those connections fall through the cracks. We never know where that next big project is going to come from.
Security Should Never Be Ruled Out
We recently started to map out a proposal for a new project. This particular project meant working around an existing relationship with a staff developer who maintains a version of the app for another platform. As we moved through the process of crafting a proposal to meet their needs, a number of questions came up, including the question about security.
Treat Your Web Site Like an Investment
Our projects typically fall on the highly-technical end of the spectrum (in case last week’s blog hadn’t already made that abundantly clear) and represent a much more significant investment for a company, but even the much commonplace “brochure site” which is often your first point of contact in sales is an important part of your marketing efforts.
Development Diary: From Concept to Execution
This is the first in a new series of monthly blogs which will focus on a single project. The goal isn't to bore you with technical jargon and geeky details. Let's face it, you would get bored. Quickly. My goal is to provide you with insight into what happens when someone has an idea for a new digital platform and what goes into making it a reality.
Are You Managing Your Reputation?
We all work hard on our business, but do we all keep an eye on the reputation of our business in the community? When you're very small or micro-business, adding that "one more thing" can be next to impossible, but it doesn't have to be.
3 Questions Clingy Customers Still Want Answered
It's been nearly two years since I first posted my blog "3 Questions Clingy Customers Want Answered", but it still holds true. You might be wondering why I didn't just recycle the blog. If you weren't, well ... I'll tell you anyway - it wouldn't help with my goal to get new content every week this year. I also wouldn't be able to tell you about a recent interaction I had related to answering those questions.
Transitioning to a New Web Team
Most small businesses rely on an outsourced Web designer to manage their Web site. With the economy improving, not all of those resources are sticking around. They are instead heading back to work for other companies themselves and they all handle the transition differently. Some are great - providing their client with well-documented processes and information about their site. Many simply fade away. If you're outsourcing your Web design and development to a freelancer or independent firm, here's a few tips on making sure you're ready if you're forced into a transition.