The chase

I sometimes feel I'm chasing something I can't catch.  This is what having multiple projects cooking and all set to complete does to a person, I guess.  Odd, because I know I'll actually "catch" and wrestle them to the ground, but this feeling keeps you in an anxious state.

An example would be Embroidme's software, EMeBOSS.  This project is a year and a half in the making, and so very close to general release. Our franchisees will love it, it will ease their duties and make processing orders that much easier.  For awhile, we had a bunch of problems fending off naysayers that were sure it wouldn't work well.  They were wrong, it is going to really make a difference for the franchisees at the store level.  Now it is so past most people's radar that there's not much chatter about it - good or bad. It's almost like the project took SO long, people have given up or forgotten about the new one coming.  That's ok, when they receive and install it, they'll be in for a good surprise -- it works really well.

Our Expo - another instance I can elaborate upon. The event is cooking, we've got a great venue, a great theme, and less than 3 months to finish the preparations.  It's been more of a task getting suppliers and sponsors, some companies are holding on to their money a bit tighter these days.  Now we're seeing the inevitable occur, they are signing up to exhibit and sponsor the events as in years past, our pre-registration is higher going in than ever before, so things are looking good for Expo.  I think the room rates may drop for all, I'll learn more in Vegas next week.  Airfares are fairly priced and affordable to a popular destination, it really is all coming together.  Day to day different challenges come up but we solve them and press forward.  It's great to see the event unfold, even though it's weird to witness so much planning happen in just 3 or 4 days! This is a good bunch of work, working nicely.

I guess if it was easy & painless, everyone would be doing so many things at once. And having them work out positively! I do suffer from a lack of patience, which can deliver a self imposed stress that's ahrd to aquire elsewhere.  All things considered, I know we're on a good course and in a very short time, so will many of our franchisees.

It's growing, believe me!

There are many things changing here at our office. We've consolidated some like departments and responsibilities to remain sharp. It is a wild time to be prospering, but we have franchisees attending training for all of our brands.  Some people have come to us looking for security - they will not be subject to whims or layoffs ever again. Our brands deal with growing other businesses, something everyone is concerned with.

Being here every day of every week, I see it. Despite reports in the Wall Street Journal, CNN, FoxNews, etc., everything isn't doom and gloom. We are growing.

Mobile and you - the race to the future is on!

Mobile technology and the use of smartphones, PDAs, netbooks is heading in new and exciting directions, thanks in part to advancements being made on several fronts. The popularity of such devices is at a high. In order for our mobile experience to improve, factors such as bandwidth, online availability, battery life and storage options must continue moving forward.  At this year's CES, new technologies were displayed that shed light on where things are heading and how we'll get there.  Here's what I saw...

• Portable computers outsold desktops for the first time ever in the fourth quarter of 2008.  People want this in their lives, anytime access to Internet anywhere they go.  Ask any college student (They will be the decision makers 10-15 yrs from now) what they covet most and it would be their smartphone.  A close second might be a laptop, with MacBook or a MacBook Pro topping the wish list.  A business is no longer limited to being a physical place to go to - it is evolving into a fluid entity that is above all, portable.  Satisfy customers from home, a diner, your car. Beyond what many of today's businesses are thinking or preparing for.  Get ready....
   
• Battery power has to ramp up to meet the demands.  New batteries are looking to do three things better from what I can gather:stay charged longer (more hours of use); deliver more output because tomorrow's devices need more juice; and charge back to "full" quicker.  Today's batteries go through a usage cycle that chemically limit how many times the battery can be recharged.  This limit is being pushed back with newer materials and new thinking.  Hydrogen cells? Yes, this is one advancement. How is it I think of the Led Zeppelin album cover/Hindenburg photo when hydrogen is mentioned as a possible battery source? It's true.  HP will release a new battery type for it's mobile computers this year that promises more recharges, over twice as many when compared to current battery sources. That's helpful.  Also demonstrated in Las Vegas was a Korean company that has a battery that recharges 75-80% in 10-30 minutes.  Imagine a laptop charging back to full in the time it takes you to plug in and deliver a presentation to a client?  Or recharging a phone to a majority of it's power capacity on a quick layover at the airport?  That's what's coming, and it's necessary for the leap we look to take in mobile computing.
   
• Bandwidth.  Here's a HUGE component in the formula.  Our network of cell towers and WiFi networks is under fire from rapid adaptation of smartphones.  Free access is a part of many dining and retail schemes these days.  Several cities have tried to deliver WiFi to the general public, but the two attempts I know of failed in Philadelphia and San Francisco.  The cell service in Europe & Asia standardized a format and stuck with it, so they're in better shape than North America, where different carriers undertook the expense and time to build their own networks.  Our companies are not likely to give up their investment to become standardized and possibly loose market share.  Now newer fourth generation (4G) Internet & cellular networks are being developed. Two new technologies are emerging, WiMAX and LTE (Long Term Evolution). As usual, our US carriers are split as to which ones support which type of technology.  The LTE is what's favored in Europe, who knows what we'll get.  Either way, these systems will allow blazing fast connection speeds for wireless PC access and cell service.  Live video conferences, several at a time, will be supported by these networks. You will be operating as if you are in your office, while walking down the street!  That's the vision - hopefully the companies involved will sort out their differences and deliver a solution that will please all!

• High volume & high speed storage is heading our way.  As shown by the popularity of the newest iPods and the latest family of laptop computers, hard drives can and will be solid state, no moving parts! Like a grown-up USB fob drive, hard drives will no longer operate like record players, with cylindrical storage media and read/write heads.  They will contain chips that store data and get it to the user much faster than the traditional method.  Some manufacturers are designing hybrid drives that use both cylinders and flash memory to increase speeds. These advancements and the never ending quest for ultra miniaturization will allow us to enjoy more storage in smaller devices - all with rapid access and recovery times.

Know that cellphone manufactures will be sharpening their tool, too! The phones will add features, become more intuitive, and combine capabilities to earn a spot in our pockets and purses.  I saw plenty of signs that computers on desks will be looked at as "the way things were" while at the conference.  Mobile is the path that we're on, the devices and technologies are taking us there.  Growth is happening on so many fronts, you'll see dramatic differences by 2011.  We'll follow and track them, as always giving you a heads up as to the relevancy and pertinence of new releases.  After all, this is the fun part of technology, wouldn't you agree?

-dm

A February to remember

There's much doing here at our offices... a sampling:

• Myonlinesigns is coming together. We meet at least once a week to compare notes and then keep progressing forward. April 1st launch!
• EMeBOSS is coming, we're training our people and polishing up for the release.  Franchisees are anxious and overdue, rightfully so, it is later than expected.  But once issued, they'll love it! March 1 launch.
• Twitter involvement is on the rise.  We have a page for each brand, I'm making rudimentary backgrounds and getting them ready for release.  Many should use this to keep in touch with what we do...
• More SEO is on the way, the AD fund wants to be involved and seeks to pay to have their landing pages optomized and put forward.  We look good online, it will continue to improve.
• Expo is almost ready for a website.  Graphics are nice, planning at the hotel and event level is on track.  The committee is strong and willing to dive in. This is always exciting.

I also have an idea for strengthening projects that could use reinforcement, I'll suggest it tomorrow at our Exec mtg.  These ideas will give us good tools and resources for franchisees and not involve a large expense to carry out.

If we accomplish 75% of what we're scoping for February, it will be a great month.  How about yours?

-dm

Email changeover

We're helping our franchisees changeover to Rackspace/Mailtrust.  They're running a special deal just 'til Saturday for $1 a box per month...

We sent email blasts to all franchisees, posted all possible tutorials, pictures and information on OSCAR.  We had to ramp up pretty quickly, but in a week, it will be behind us and both corporate and franchisees will be happy!