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RSS feed for this sectionThe Gorilla and the Spiderweb: Two Competing Approaches to Small Business Software
I speak with small business owners every day. Most of the time, we’re speaking because they have problems – workflow problems, software problems, scaling problems. Solutions aren’t obvious. If they were, we wouldn’t be in business. Thing is, it’s not just that solutions aren’t obvious – it’s that solutions may solve the same problems (inventory, [...]
Fresh off the press – Solve360 training!
We’ve long loved Solve360. It’s really good. That’s why we gave them an A+ review, why we partnered with them, and it’s why we’re now offering weekly Solve360 support and training. That’s right – weekly Solve360 training. Twice a week, every week, we’ll be teaching “Solve 101” and “Solve 102” webinars. We’re educators! Who it’s [...]
The difference between UX and UI, as illustrated by cereal
We’re always game for good analogies, especially when they help clarify jargon, and ESPECIALLY when they involve cereal… Props to @ed_lea for the image.
3 Reasons Why VARs, Vendors, and Clients Need Waking Up
It’s a tough time to be a Value Added Reseller (VAR). For those who don’t know, VARs are a breed of IT consultant popularized in the 1990’s and still near-ubiquitous in certain channels. They’re hard to miss: Without going into too much detail, the VAR model is one of selling software licenses for the margin, [...]
Why the new Basecamp refresh is a sign of things to come (and why that’s good)
By Chris Bliss on March 15, 2012 in Better Practice, Future Proofing, General, Real Talk, The Broadstrokes
So, the new Basecamp is out, released with much applause (and yes, a few groans). We reviewed it last week and found it super promising. Exciting stuff. What’s more exciting than the sexy new project management tool, though, is how it was released. 37signals, the company behind Basecamp, basically rewrote the rules of software releases. [...]
Community feedback is good. Kinda.
Yes, this is a repost, but it’s just so good we couldn’t help ourselves… The Support, It Is a-Changin’ In the good ‘ole days when software still need installing and executives regularly printed their emails, software “support” was a strange thing. Sure, Microsoft had helplines you could call, and Quicken came with a manual, but [...]
A Quick Review of Nimble CRM
Over a year ago we spoke with Jon Ferrara, CEO at Nimble, the up-and-coming CRM and sales platform for small teams. Nimble wasn’t much to look at back then, but a year is a long time in the world of software – long enough to gain 30,000 users, 2,800 companies, and a host of new [...]
Thinkfuse, Basecamp, and the Tyranny of Features
A few days ago we received a trial invite to Thinkfuse, an up-and-coming piece of software focused on group communications (read: project status reports). Without going into a full review (Thinkfuse is still in testing mode), suffice it to say that Thinkfuse represents exactly what we *love* about good new products: simplicity, focused innovation, and [...]
The luxury of the grocery store: why great customer service matters
Imagine there are two supermarkets in your neighborhood with the same fruits and vegetables, meats and dairies, and the same selection of home goods and produce. They are equal distance from your home and the pricing is comparable. Why do you choose one and not the other? Our guess: your interpersonal relationships and history with [...]