Category: employees

Why everything matters

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

Here’s a list of things which actually do matter:

 

Our diction and vernacular

Our personal presentation & dress code (Doesn’t mean a suit, but to wear what we wear well, have a sense of style)

The way we engage people and treat them

Our smile and attitude

How neat  and organized our workspace is

Being on time

Our posture

Knowing our next steps every day

Making sure our technology is in working order

 

All these things and others, matter all the time. Not just the day you have to do it right, have the big VC presentation or the day you’re meeting your biggest customer. 

 

And here’s why – they’ll become habit. Good habits. And when things are habit, they’re performed much the same way – time and time again.

 

If we do them well when it doesn’t matter, we’ll do them well when it does.

Great Quote

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

“Being busy is a form of laziness – lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.”

 

Timothy Ferriss

 

Startup blog agrees, and adds – if we blame our employers for the above, there’s no locks on the door…. and we’re still being lazy.

When things go wrong

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

Update – all fixed. phew… 

When things go wrong – admit it and fix it….

At this very second something is wrong with rentoid.com – people can’t join…a big issue for us.

While the tech team are on it, we posted this blog entry which might advise those who see the blog…

Any other ideas / solutions?

Some stuff all web startups should know

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

I’ve just read the following book. 50 great e-Businesses and the minds behind them. By Emily Ross and Angus Holland. It includes all our favourites over the past 10 years. Put simply it’s insightful.

 50-great-e-businesses.jpg

I really think you should read it, but if you’re time poor like most entrepreneurs here’s my bullet point summary for you:

  • More than 80% of these businesses were founded and run by non-technical people (web designers / coders etc)
  • Only a handful actually went viral and had overnight success
  • ‘Fun parks’ build traffic & members quicker than ‘real commercial sites’ (see next blog entry)
  • The majority did not have VC funding, fancy offices, or even staff. They bootstrapped.
  • Most took much longer than 2 years to build
  • The most unexpected and common thing that drove success was cold calling & collaboration 
  • The entrepreneurs behind them we’re driven by the idea, belief and excitement – not only the potential for big money.

Worth a read.

Why people hate banks

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

People hate banks for lots of reasons. Too many to mention here. But here’s one: They pretend to care. 

Why shock, horror; I actually had a pleasurable banking experience.  

Upon opening a couple of business accounts at the Bank of Queensland in Yarraville and the staff actually did care. We even shared a joke or two. 

The clincher was with a simple statement: When asked how many monthly transactions I’d need at the branch and I replied with I’ll do it all on the net, they replied;  

“That’s a shame, we’d like to see you come in. Remember we’re here if you ever need help or want to come in and discuss any issues.” 

It wasn’t corporate training speak either. The body language and tone told me it was real. We humans can sense these things. Funny how the things that cost nothing, add the most.

If any local business colleagues ask me about banking, guess where I’ll send them?

The choice between opinions & objectives

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

Our experiences shape our views. Maybe even define us as a person.

We have opinions.

Occasionally these opinions might hold us back from the ‘discovery process’. The process which leads us to our objectives being achieved.

When our opinions conflict with our objectives we must choose. Choose which of the two is more important to us. Do we want to hold onto our opinions, or achieve our objectives?

It’s rarely a simple choice. Often one of ethics. Sometimes one of admitting fault, changing direction, making mistakes, or possibly stepping on others. There is no right answer, just an internal choice.

A starting point may be taking the course that will help us sleep at night when we’re 84.