Hinutech

Although this is a long-standing policy that we verbally communicate to our customers, I want to drive the point home on my blog.  Below is our official policy in regards to Internet Explorer 6.  I have never been shy about my disdain for this browser, and recently a buddy of mine on Twitter made me aware of a site devoted to ridding the web of this scourge called idroppedie6.com.  It's nice to read the statements of freedom as companies (large and small) free themselves from the shackles of this antiquated browser that does nothing more than increase costs and make the web worse.  I think of the hours spent every day as well-meaning developers try to make their code work with this browser, and I am saddened.  Think of the progress that could be made by these amazingly talented people who are wasting time trying to make their code "work" for this browser. 

Microsoft should force people to upgrade.  Make Internet Explorer stop working.  Make it automatically upgrade to IE7.  Take responsibility for the horrific excuse for a browser that they released in 2001 and make the world a better place by forcing people to upgrade.  Sure, they officially stopped supporting it years ago, but they never took a definitive stand. 

So, in my little way, I'm picking up some of the slack for Microsoft.  If something we do doesn't work for IE6 but works in all other browsers, that's tough.  Upgrade.  It's called tough love...you'll thank me later.

Hinutech's Policy on Supported Browsers

We don't support Internet Explorer 6.  Period.  In order to use products and sites designed by Hinutech without any hiccups, Internet Explorer 6 users should upgrade to a newer browser:

Download Internet Explorer 7
Download Firefox
Download Safari

The Internet Explorer 6 browser was released back in 2001.  It's replacement, Internet Explorer 7, was released in 2006.   Modern web browsers such as IE7, Firefox, Safari, Opera and Flock provide much better online experiences and significantly improve the security of their users.

Why Don't We Support IE6?

Frankly, one of our core values is to make the web a better place.  By supporting a browser that is antiquated and disregards standards put forth by the W3C, we are encouraging bad behavior on the part of users.  It also comes down to a matter of cost.  The new economy is fast-moving, and the time and effort needed to support IE6 for a diminishing group of users prevents us from effectively creating innovative solutions for the majority of our customers.

Frankly, there is no reason to support Internet Explorer 6 at this time since there are so many better alternatives available. 

What Browsers Do We Recommend?

Firefox continues to be our favorite browser.  Because of its open source nature, it adheres to web standards.  It is much more light-weight than Internet Explorer and offers a good environment for those who use it.  Whether you use a Mac or Windows, Firefox is a great browser.  We like Safari as well, and since its introduction on the Windows platform in 2008, it offers a worthy alternative to Internet Explorer.  With that said, the majority of visitors use Internet Explorer 7.  Although we have a distaste for IE7 and all of its foibles, we live with it.

 For those who are following the news about Hamilton's Elder-Beerman store closing, here are some related articles from around the web:

• City Protests Closing of Elder-Beerman (source: Hamilton Journal News)
• Bon Ton "Firm" on Closing Elder-Beerman (source: Hamilton Journal News)
• Bon Ton on Motley Fool's Retail Death Watch (source: Motley Fool)

So, it doesn't look good for the city of Hamilton or Bon Ton. Although this is painful for the city, I am hopeful that it serves as a wake-up call for our leaders. We need to diversify our portfolio and take advantage of our strengths. It hurts to lose Elder-Beerman, but it will hurt even more if we learn nothing from this lesson and continue our downward slide.

The Hamilton Journal News reported today that the Elder-Beerman store downtown will be closing this spring displacing 75 employees and leaving yet another hole in Hamilton's already-struggling economy.

This is bad news for the city. Over the 5.5. years that I have called Hamilton home, I have seen a city that is going through an identity crisis. Steeped in tradition, most of the locals hold on to a time when Hamilton was a manufacturing powerhouse thanks to its proximity to the Great Miami River. Those days are gone, and Hamilton has failed to reinvent itself.

Hamilton has so much potential to be a great city. We are located on a beautiful river. We have a branch of Miami University. We are 15 minutes from Oxford, and many Miami University faculty call Hamilton home. We have a population of people who are dedicated to this town (the people from whom we purchased our home lived here for 30 years...they moved 2 blocks away because they love the neighborhood so much).

Hamilton could reinvent itself much in the way that Cincinnati's Northside has. Hamilton could use its diminished property values and vacant buildings to become a destination for artists. With the support of Miami University and The Fitton Center For Creative Arts, Hamilton could embrace musicians, sculptors and painters. We could learn from San Antonio and create a river walk that becomes a destination for people. We could become known as a hub for small businesses (we already have 2 incubators - BizTech and VORA Technology Park) and take advantage of our proximity to Cincinnati and Dayton. We could do so much here, and I am hopeful that the City Council and community leaders can do something to turn Hamilton around. With so many assets, it would be a shame to continue wasting our amazing potential.

TwiTip has put together a great comparison of Facebook and Twitter. The post highlights the key differences between the platforms and how they can be used for social networking, online marketing and plain old keeping up with friends. The article is definitely worth a read. I use both, and I see Twitter as more of a marketing tool where Facebook is a traditional social network. Twitter's short-burst character limit allows me to keep up with more people while the folks that I follow on Facebook are closer to me. Facebook has more of a familial feel to it while I use Twitter as more of a news feed. I don't use Facebook for marketing purposes, but Twitter is the perfect place for that. So, how do you use Twitter and/or Facebook? Is one more valuable to you than another from a marketing point of view?

Sometimes, you have to take chances.  Sometimes, the best luck comes to those who make their own.  I am working on something radically new for Hinutech which can go one of two ways -- massive success or massive fail.  In the next couple of weeks, I'll make a proper announcement as to what that something is. 

This got me thinking, though, about the nature of running a business.  It is very easy to sit back and rest on your laurels.  It's easier to not take chances which could ultimately be a huge waste of time.  It's easier to think that decisions you made 2 years ago were the right ones...even if the circumstances that surrounded them have changed dramatically.  It's easy to be change averse.

If you don't change or take calculated risks, your business is destined for mediocrity.  The old adage of doing the same thing multiple times and expecting different results applies here.

What have you done recently to mix things up?  Have you recently scared yourself a little?  If you haven't, then, why not?

For all of the gloom and doom that you hear about, 2008 has been a pretty amazing year for Hinutech.  Although Hinutech has been in existance for nearly 2 years, it has only been since May of this year that I had built the business to the level of being able to support me financially.  Since that time, I am proud to announce that Hinutech has:

• Quadrupled the number of customers with which we work
• Created sustainable revenue
• Grown web traffic through non-traditional means like social media and Twitter
• Developed an active community of readers through this blog

From a product point of view, we have introduced some very cool features like:

• Social networking capabilities
• Integrated chat
• Twitter integration
• Activity tracking
• Friends
• Integration with Sugar CRM

2009 is shaping up to be another great year.  We are planning on migrating some of our offerings to Drupal which will offer our customers a more robust interface for delivering on their business needs.  Additionally, an e-Book is in the works which will serve as a guide for non-profit organizations as they seek to navigate the tricky waters of growing contributions and raving fans in a troubled economy.  With the launch of that book, we will be offering a new array of consulting services aimed at assisting that sector of businesses in refining, developing and implementing their approaches to online marketing through social networking and social media. 

Good stuff is on the horizon, and I am thankful to each and every customer who has helped make 2008 a successful year.  I wish you well in 2009!

My mother was an amazing woman. She was the type of person who believed in her 3 sons and challenged us to do (and be) more than we thought was possible. Mom was our biggest advocate, best friend and harshest critic. She refused to let us settle for a life that was less than spectacular even though we grew up in a less-than-optimal (and certainly not economically prosperous) environment. She instilled in us the importance of family. Because of Mom, my two brothers and I share relationships that are deep and meaningful.

Mom died 9 years ago today. The world was robbed of a beautiful, strong woman by breast cancer. Mom got to see my older brother marry, but she never had the chance to be the wonderful grandmother that I am certain she would have been. With 3 boys, she would have been tying pink ribbons in the hair of her 3 granddaughters just because she could. Mom never got to meet my wife or my younger brother's wife. Mom always said that we would "marry up", and I know that she would approve of our catches. All 3 of us did quite well for ourselves, thank you very much!

9 years after Mom's death, I am struck by the fact that breast cancer has yet to be erradicated. The number of amazing women who have died at the hands of this disease sickens me. The number of families that have gaping holes in them saddens me. To honor Mom's life, Hinutech will match any donations (up to a limit of course!) made to the Susan G. Komen Foundation in Mom's name through the end of the day, December 17, 2008. Click here to donate.

We miss you, Momma.

Last year, $8 billion was wasted on gift cards. That isn't $8 billion on value spent but $8 billion on fees and breakage. When you give a gift card that doesn't get used, someone keeps the money -- the company who is providing the card. You can purchase gift cards from the actual store where the purchase would be made, at banks, on racks at grocery stores and even at special gift card clearing houses from grocery stores online. The really bad part of all of this is when you pay a fee to give a gift card. Why pay $53 to give a $50 card? It makes no sense. The whole idea of gift cards changes the concept of Christmas from one of giving to one of shopping -- a big difference. Somewhere along the way, we have been conditioned to believe that giving someone cash for Christmas is in poor taste. Giving someone a $50 bill says that you didn't know what to give them but were thinking of them. Giving someone a $50 gift card to Barnes & Noble says that you didn't know what to give them, but you are pretending to kinda-sorta know because you remember that they like books. Now the person that you gave the card to feels compelled to purchase a book that they weren't planning on purchasing and probably wasting a few extra bucks to get them to the $50 card limit -- or worse yet, going over the limit and spending money that they weren't planning on spending. The end result: your gift, if used, will wind up costing the recipient money. Here's my recommendation: when you don't know what to give someone, find a worthy cause and make a donation in their name. This accomplishes a few things:

1. A charity gets much-needed support
2. The recipient becomes aware of the charity
3. The recipient knows that you care about them
4. Money is not wasted (in fees, extra purchases, non-use, etc.)

If you don't want to receive gift cards this year but want your friends and loved ones to know what to give you, think about causes you support. Learn how they can allow others to give in your name, and let your friends and families know how to give to you in this new, charitable context. For an example, check out my registry at Heifer International -- http://www.heifer.org/myregistry/joshasbury For the most part, there are very few things that I want or need this year (I am truly blessed). I would much rather my loved ones spend $20 on a flock of ducks than buy me a $20 gift card to Best Buy. By facilitating this ability to give, I am making it easier on those who wish to purchase gifts for me (no guessing, no burning gas by going to the mall), ensuring that money is spent well and ultimately, making a positive impact on the life of someone who needs a little bit of help. Ultimately, isn't that last point what holiday giving is all about? So, if you want to purchase a gift for me this year, I don't want you to think too hard about it. Just visit my registry and pick something out that is in your price range. Buy chickens. Buy a cow. Buy a tree. Just don't buy me a gift card -- gift cards are for chumps. My birthday is December 17, and Christmas is on December 25. Plan ahead, and make the world a little better.

Those who are closest to me know that I am not a big fan of Fall.  I prefer warm weather, and the impending onslaught of cold temperatures and fewer hours of daylight tends to bring me down.  I don't like this about myself, but it is what it is.

What I do appreciate about this time of year, though, is the opportunity it presents to look forward to next year.  During the last month or so of the year, I like to begin setting my goals for the following year so that I can hit the ground running on January 1.  So, what are some of my goals for next year?  Glad you asked...

1. Create the best faith-based social networking application available on the market:  We're well on our way with this, but there are many improvements on which we're working.  Expect some big announcements in January!
2. Refine the coaching aspects of Hinutech: Part of the Hinutech value proposition is our ability to help people see the big picture when it comes to the successful application of technology for their organization.  I need to figure out how to turn that time into revenue for the business.  
3. Improve this blog: This blog is the primary mechanism for communicating updates about Hinutech coupled with sometimes insightful (sometimes random, as well) thoughts from me.  Although I think I do a reasonable job with the blog, I want to organize things better so that my foul-mouthed rants don't necessarily get in the way of marketing the company.
4. Expand our CRM offerings: I have been very guilty of relegating CRM to the back-burner during the launch of Hinutech for numerous reasons.  It is a powerful technology that can help our existing customers out and can bring in new customers.  
5. Produce a podcast: This is something else that I have been fixing to meaning to trying to get around to getting to but haven't.  I am planning on producing a weekly podcast that will be similar in nature to this blog.  Once it picks up steam, I will welcome questions and comments from listeners, so stay tuned!
6. Migrate some of our services to Amazon Web Services:  This is a biggie for me, and as Hinutech continues to mature/grow, we are going to need a flexible way to expand our servers without incurring dramatically higher costs (financial and administrative).  AWS is going to help us in that department.

So, those are some of my goals for 2009.  As we get closer to the end of the year, I am going to publish a semi-complete list of Hinutech's business goals for 2009.  That way, you can see where we are pointing, and we can periodically check things off throughout the year together.

What are your goals for 2009?  What will your business/organization look like this time next year?  What steps are you going to take to get there?  Use the comments area below to share them with us!