As per a comment on an ealier post, I missed one section of the application process – your cover letter. This is perhaps the most significant part of your application, and yet, it often recieves the least attention. A well-written cover letter can make the difference between getting a job and not even reaching the [...]
I was reading a question on a forum the other day about the benefits of having highly skilled people work for you relative to having a clear and detailed process for how work is done. The answer, of course, is that neither will work without the other, and the challenge is to find the right [...]
I’m working on a project that has been passed through a couple of iterations of design. A project that was scheduled to take a few months is now about to be released, over a year later. Why? Technology slowed us down. For this project, one of the people involved decided to make use of a [...]
This is the realm of a Catch 22. In order for a business to grow, people need to know about it. However, if people know about your business before you have solidified your product, you may end up with negative publicity that will haunt you for a while. If you wait too long before making [...]
I had a discussion this week with one of my client’s regarding the quality of my work. The client liked the guarantee I put on my work, and is now one of my advocates. He has already sent me business, which I would not have been able to get without him. That client, as well, [...]
I had an interesting set of interactions with one of my clients over the past couple of days. I had written a program to do some data analysis against a set of standards, which they provided. The client (or more precisely, one of the client’s employees) sent me the data I needed, I sent back [...]
As a consultant with several clients, it is of utmost importance that each of my clients feels that he or she is getting the top treatment from me. I rely heavily on recommendations from my clients to fuel my business, and this in turn requires that I treat my clients well. Part of this is [...]
After yesterday’s post about why I hate tech support, I read a short story about a tech phone call that made me appreciate tech support. Yes, they don’t know how to deal with people who understand computers, but that’s because they have to deal with people like Bob: Tech Support: Ok, Bob, type a capital [...]
Elie Kochman is the author of Advice for Small Business Owners and the founder of Optimal Upgrade Consulting. Using his experience working in the corporate world along with his exposure to the world of small businesses, he writes these articles to assist others avoiding common pitfalls of growing a business. His experience in the corporate world, building his own business, and working directly with other growing businesses has given him some perspective on the trials and pains of running a business.
