Category: Business

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Say what you mean!

Most businesses are incapable of communicating clearly. They’re almost paranoid in the way they avoid short, direct statements.

Compare these two “positioning statements” from British companies, both in the business of writing.

Metia is a global provider of integrated marketing services and technology-based marketing solutions. We deliver services, programs and solutions that are relevant, smart and repeatable — and that generate measurable value for our customers.

And:

Our passion is communication. We help businesses talk about technology.

The second is from Articulate Marketing. Who would you pick to work on your communication?

I discovered this thanks to Matthew Stibbe, proprietor of Articulate Marketing. His blog Bad Language (“writing about business, technology and marketing”) is extremely readable.

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Can’t talk? Don’t answer!

Of all the annoying things which happened yesterday, the most annoying was a disrupted telephone conversation. We’d just started an important (but not urgent) discussion when I was told, “Hang on, I can’t talk now.”

Well, if you can’t talk, why answer the phone?

With the topic left hanging, I’m sure we both felt uncomfortable for the rest of the day. But if the ringing phone had been ignored, we could have discussed it later — when we both had the time to treat it with clarity.

Why do people give a ringing telephone such priority — even more priority that what they’ve already committed to at that moment?

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“Business Ethics”: starting a journey

Somewhere in the last fortnight, I decided that my business Prussia.Net should operate ethically. Not that it’s unethical now, but rather that I should consciously work to improve its status as a “good citizen”.

But what does that actually mean in practice?

After all, Westpac makes a big deal of being the world’s most responsible bank, but that’s like saying you’re the world’s most polite gang rapist. “Responsible” or not, they’re still about being a parasite on everyone else’s business transactions.

So far, I’ve figured three things…

  • I should be happy that I’ve given my office manager the flexibility she needs to be a good mother and community participant. And I am.
  • I should see what I can learn from the St James Ethics Centre.
  • I should be happy that I refused to do work for Hillsong Church today — though a soft drink company’s fine, hey, they just sell addictive alkaloid drugs to children.

But I also figure it’s a lot more than just saying stuff, it’s actually about making a real difference. Wish me luck.

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Random thoughts on being an entrepreneur

Every Monday morning I struggle to make sense of running a small business. It’s not just that weekends are always too short to properly re-charge. It’s mapping out the week ahead and seeing how busy it’ll be. Again. How there’s things I’d like to change — but where’s the time? We’re already flat out working for clients the way we do now, and there’s no time left to implement the changes.

Continue reading “Random thoughts on being an entrepreneur”

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Practice what you Preach!

“Always follow procedure,” I tell every new contractor or employee. “You can’t remember everything, no matter how intelligent you are. Always cross-check.” Measure twice, cut once. All very, very good advice.

But this morning I knew that the 1GB memory stick I had in stock would be compatible with the client’s computer. I know my memory specs, all is under control. I am a professional. And besides, we’re in a hurry.

Um, what’s that burning smell…?

The result of today’s professionalism? One fried memory stick. One fried motherboard. A client’s computer which must now be replaced at my expense. A thousand dollars out of pocket and a day’s work lost.