I hate using the word “solution” when it comes to software: it implies that it solves problems. Software never solves problems, quite the opposite in a lot of cases. At best it can only augment stuff you already do in other ways; at worst it can make tasks more difficult. Here’s a real world example. [...]
Read More PSLGot some questions from a PSL member via email the other day. They are pretty common questions for anyone starting their first ecommerce website, so I thought I’d share the questions and my responses. Any recommendations on a cheap payment processing solution to use with Zen Cart since considering order volume may be quite low [...]
Read More PSL, zen cartI was quoted in another IT World article last week discussing how mentoring occurs in open source communities. Below is the full text I sent to the author, in case anyone wanted more background on my comments. In my experience, mentoring in open source projects occurs between the project leaders (i.e. artisans) and their most [...]
Read More education, fwdvault, media, open source, zen cartVindication! I gave up on the keywords meta tag long ago, but plenty of “SEO gurus” say you should still fill it with a moderate amount of garbage loosely relating to your site. Like I said the other day, anyone can do a decent job at SEO by utilizing some common sense and elbow grease. [...]
Read More google, seoAre you planning to attend a trade show or expo to showcase your product or service? Costs surrounding these events tend to run into the ridiculous category, even for established companies. If you’re a startup, it’s quite the juggling act. We recently had a very lively discussion on the matter on the Philly Startup Leaders [...]
Read More expo, marketing, PSLI’ll admit it, I was real lazy getting on the SEO train. It took starting my own company for me to finally start paying attention. SEO for my previous major site work was handled for me. ClassicWines had other staff dedicated to the issue, and Destination ImagiNation had such a huge network of affiliate sites [...]
Read More frankomendations, fwdvault, optimization, seoWhen I was a Comcast customer, the cable quality itself was decent but everything around it sucked. Everything cost way too much. FYI, all the prices you see them advertise — you know, the ones that actually sound reasonable? — are introductory rates, and skyrocket after 6-12 months (though I hear you can keep them [...]
Read More customer service, customer service failIn my life as a full-time employee, I ran a membership management system for an international non-profit that organized over 40,000 volunteers at the local, state, and national levels in almost 30 countries. It coordinated physical material deliveries (part of the system was a full shopping cart installation), managed electronic documents, and delivered news to [...]
Read More for fun, hardware fail, Twitter, usability failLiving in a Philly suburb, I never thought my Philly proximity would have any effect on my startup, Fwd:Vault. However that was before I discovered the Philly Startup Leaders. Comprised of small businesses at all stages, manned by people of all experience levels and backgrounds, the mailing list we share alone is invaluable. When you [...]
Read More entrepreneur, fwdvault, philly