Base-10 Design & Development Inc. | Blog » Business

Who to follow and when to follow. On twitter that is.

Casimir — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:49:15 +0000

In line with my last blog post, I am re-evaluating my relationship with the people I follow on Twitter. I started out on the right track by following those people I was genuinely interested in and then I started following anyone who followed me because I thought it was the nice thing to do. I came under the impression that it was rude not to follow someone who so kindly followed me and then I started thinking that to get more followers you have to follow more people. This has resulted in me never reading anyones tweets no matter how interested I am in them because I have to wade through a swamp of random, useless (to me) tweets.

I am now going on a twitter followee cleanse and un-following anyone I am not actually stoked to hear from. This may result in a backlash where I lose followers myself, but I don’t really care; quality not quantity eh?.

The point of blog comments

Casimir — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:57:59 +0000

I am torn on how I should handle comments on this blog. Should I disable comments all together? Should I only show the positive comments? Should I reply to comments? It is also difficult to tell which comments are authentic and which comments are from people who really don’t care about what you write, they just want their comments picked up by search engines or get a comment approved so that they can then spam you.

What is the point of blog comments? Are they just badges to hang on your site that say, “Look at how important I am, people are commenting on my blog”? To be honest, I think that is how I have been treating them up until now. After giving the subject some thought, blog comments in my opinion are for turning a one way dialogue (blog post) into a 2 way conversation; be that between blog author and commenter or between commenter’s themselves. With this in mind I am now going to make an effort to reply to every comment on our blog. After deleting the obvious spam comments I simply do not want to spend the time contemplating whether a comment is authentic or not, so I am just going to accept and comment on them all!

Let’s see how this experiment goes. And please don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate the time that anyone takes to comment on something that we write.

Phase Now and Phase Later

Casimir — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:50:43 +0000

I am a big fan of breaking large projects into bite sized, easily manageable pieces. Call them phases, stages, parts or what have you; it is all the same. The point is taking something that has a deadline far in the future with a million to-do items and turning it into something that has short deadlines with easily managed and concise deliverables. To effectively accomplish this you have to sit down and have the big picture discussion with the end goal clearly in mind and plot your course to completion; this is where I find lots of projects get tripped up. Even if you have broken it down into 2 week deadlines, you still have that looming 3 month deadline and waste time on the overhead of having to meet deadlines to meet other deadlines.

This is why I like to use the Phase Now and Phase Later approach. Why not have that big picture discussion and compile a list of concise, clear deliverables and then sort it in order of priority. Once you have done this, put as many priority items as you can in comfortably manage with a short deadline (couple weeks) in a separate list and call this Phase Now; everything else is Phase Later. Get the most important stuff done first and then keep moving down the list from there. Of course this does not work for every project and in every instance, but I have found that things tend to get done quicker and lots of time is saved by not having to implement unimportant details upfront.

United we stand

Casimir — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:40:50 +0000

Last Monday I had the horrifying experience of having my wisdom teeth removed. I was out of commission for two days straight and when I tried to come back to work on Wednesday I was confused and useless, after which I promptly developed dry socket and was again incapacitated. Suffice to say, it was as if I had vanished from the office for a week with no warning and no contingency plans in place. The effect it had on our company was of epic proportions for a company our size; absolutely nothing!

Do you know what this means? It means that we are one step closer to nirvana and passed a test that could have easily been very detrimental to Base-10. This does not mean that we can all go on sabbatical, but it does mean that what we have created is stronger then ever and will continue to grow. It is not about the individual, it is about the team. I spend more of my waking hours with Ramin, Thorsten, Negar, Fredrick, (anyone else I work with) etc, then I do with my family and I do not regret it, for they are also my family. In my mind Base-10 exists to enrich the lives of the people around us because this is what they have done for me. Who would have thought losing my wisdom teeth would give me such wise insight?

Use the tools around you

Casimir — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:14:12 +0000

In my opinion, far to many people continue to reinvent the wheel. There is nothing wrong with building a better wheel that is suited for your specific task, but don’t start from scratch just for the sake of starting from scratch. To continue my trend of hemorrhaging proverbs, suck it up and stand on the shoulders of giants. You will still be respected as alpha geek and your boss will be impressed because what really matters is doing it right, doing it well and getting it done. Chances are someone out there has already done what you are trying to do and they might have even done it better then you could yourself. This means that if you have the right tools and resources you don’t need to and should not sacrifice quality. Here are some tools we have used in various projects for a solid foundation to build from or even just use in our concepts and working demos. I have also included tools we use for debugging, development, design and other such tasks. I will continue to update this list as more come to mind:

A not so brief history of base-10 design & development inc.

Casimir — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:40:41 +0000

Not many people know how Base-10 started or where it came from, so I am going to give you a brief history lesson that will shed some light on our origins and how we came to be.

It all started back in 2003 almost 7 years ago… Ramin and I both trained in Kickboxing and attended Champions Martial Arts. Ramin was 19, I was 17 and we were not even good friends at the time, in fact I clearly remember Ramin picking on me. We had been training together for more then 5 years at the time and knew that we were both computer geeks. Ramin was into graphics and 3d rendering and I was into linux system administration; we were both into gaming. This is how we first connected, by fragging and ganking each other in Counter Strike and other such games. One day I was approached by Amin Sabounchi, another member of Champions, asking me if I knew how to make websites because he was interested in getting a new real estate site for his business. I told him what any 17 year old underachiever, wannabe computer hacker would say, “Of course I do!!”. To tell you the truth, I did not know how to make a website, especially a dynamic real estate website.. all I knew was some super basic HTML and the general concepts involved.. I had no programming experience and absolutely no design skills. Armed with nothing but an idea of where to start, I bought a book on Perl (Programming Perl!!) and called up Ramin with a proposition.

Version 1

Ramin agreed to work with me on the project and thus our partnership was born. We both learned how to make websites pretty much on the spot and we learned how to do it together. My mom used to drive me to his parents house after school and on weekends to work on www.sabounchi.ca (amin’s website). I would sit on the edge of his bed or on a wooden chair that permanently damaged my ass and can still feel to this day; we would work together on the design and web coding. Ramin would be the one actually using photoshop while I would do the backend programmer, but it formed a very important pattern in the way we work today, one based on collaboration and team work. When we finished the website, we did not know what to put at the bottom of it as our credit line, so we started thinking of names for our company. We were teenage computer geeks so we kept thinking of things like ‘Binary Design’ or ‘Binary Networks’ but everything like that was taken. We did a google search on the word binary and found references to it being a base 2 number system. We then looked up base 2 and randomly saw a reference to other number systems including one to base-10 which is the most widely used number system in the world, the decimal system. We actually didn’t know that at the time and picked base-10 because it sounded cool and only found out that it was the decimal system after people started asking us what is so significant about it and why we chose it. It sounds a lot better to say we chose it because it is the mosy widely used number system and how most all human minds think about numbers, instead of saying it sounded cool.

Version 2

Armed with a name for our combined efforts and because we did not have a website of our own (we just made our first website ever!!) we created a hotmail address and put ‘Site by base10design@hotmail.com’ at the bottom of the website. We did not think much of it at the time and we were proud of our efforts but we were both busy with our normal lives at the time. I was busy hating high school and Ramin was busy working a day job and going to design school. What happened next was a surprise and an incredible stroke of luck; we started getting e-mails by the dozen, complimenting us on our work and asking if we would do their website. It seemed that we stumbled upon a niche that was not being filled in Vancouver; custom real estate sites with great designs. We knew we were onto something, but we also knew that we needed to be more legit, especially because we were so young. We figured no one, especially real estate agents, would take 2 teenagers seriously if we did not look and act the part. So we started our quest to officially create Base-10 as a company. We soon found out that I was to young to be part of a company so we created a sole proprietorship under Ramin’s name and decided to have the official company name be ‘Base-10 Design & Development’. The deal was that Ramin’s name was on the papers, but we would split everything 50/50. As soon as I turned 18 we reformed the company into a general partnership and opened a business account. We were now officially legit with our logo on our cheques, business cards in our pockets and a website of our own.

Version 3 Splash Page

Which brings me to our logo; you will notice that in our first website our logo was a bar code.. we into the whole cyberpunk thing and bar codes were very cool at the time. Eventually we graduated from a bar code and came up with our current logo which represents a cell going through mytosis; once again we did not have this explanation until people started asking. We kept filling the real estate niche, which has been and still is our bread and butter, but branched out and did all sorts of different websites, from doctors offices to fashion design companies. The fact that we had a chance to work on projects in different sectors was very important to our growth and has buffered us from market ups and downs. It also prevented us from over specializing and allowed us to learn how to cope with any project that comes our way.

Version 3 - Flash

The last 2 years have been the craziest 2 years in our companies history. The 2 largest and most influential decisions we have ever made were to get an office and hire our first full time employee. Going from working in our parents basements to working in an office made us almost a million times more productive. It enforced semi-regular working hours, instant feedback from each other, collaboration and communication we never even imagined and the all important work/life separation. When we come to work, we work; when we go home, we live. It might not be the biggest and most glorious office in the world and is essentially a big room, a bathroom and a storeroom, but it is perfect for what we needed it for; gathering a core group of talented individuals and maximizing our creativity and productivity.

Version 3 - Lite

After we had a space to work in and starting working on the company, not just in the company, we made the biggest financial decision we have ever made.. we made the leap and hired our first full time employee: Thorsten Drobnik. I realized that my talents were being wasted on programming because of the fact that I didn’t want to be a programmer and would never aspire to be the best programmer. What I needed was time to work on what I enjoy and what I am actually good at, building the company and solving problems. Ramin and I still make all major decisions together and I could not do it without him, but he needed to be able to focus on the design work, so we figured that as our first employee, we needed a programmer. We put some ads out through various channels and got hundreds of responses (mainly from dubai) but the one that stuck was from Thorsten. He and his wife had just moved here from Germany and coincidentally lived just around the corner from our office. Thorsten had years and years of computer science, lots of programming experience and most importantly, he was a perl guy. At the time we agreed to pay him twice as much as we were paying ourselves and he started working for us October 1st 2008. He instantly fit right into our culture of Martial Arts, stupid noises, beer o’clock fridays and general tom foolery. He is now truly part of the family and I can honestly say that he is an integral part of this company. As a side note, he and his wonderful wife have recently had a baby girl, her name is Ruby (not perl..) and she is also part of base-10.

Version 4

This pretty much brings us up to date and sums up our history. We are currently working on a bunch of cool projects and are continuing to focus on our core business. Every day is a learning experience and has the potential to change the fundamentals of how we do business. Today we are creating high impact custom websites, but who knows, maybe tomorrow we are running a ninja SaaS business.. or maybe we do both? It is a constant adventure and we never stop learning!

The Importance of a Great Business Card

ramin — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:37:04 +0000

the front of our business card

A great business card is absolutely essential to set you apart and it is often the first peek a potential client gets into who you are and how you conduct your business. A sloppy card will speak just as loudly as a stunning one. If you want to leave a lasting impression, you need a great business card (not just a good one).

The fact that most people have very ordinary, familiar business cards works in your favor. As soon as you hand someone a unique card it will almost always lead to a positive reaction, and hopefully a positive working relationship. They will also most likely hold onto the card even if they’re not planning on doing immediate business with you, this could lead to future business or a referral. You are in fact conveying a feeling, establishing your brand and transferring crucial information in one efficient unit.

our own cards have brought us more new business than anything

It doesn’t hurt that they’re freaking awesome and currently ranked 11th out of 346 top rated cards on Creattica. The return on investment on a great card is very high. If you think of the amount of money it costs to print a single card (usually under a dollar, even for one loaded with features) it pays off hugely if it lands you even one new project. Special care and attention to detail say a lot about how important your image and your business means to you, and sometimes it just takes that extra edge to land the project.

not just for designers

I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t need a crazy business card with all the bells and whistles because I’m a (not so creative job title here)“. Well, what if you took the same approach to how you dressed for an important meeting, or how you write your emails. Sure, you can write an email in ALL CAPS and no punctuation and it still gets the message across, but what does that say about how serious you are when it comes to peoples perception of how you handle your business? A great card doesn’t have to be loaded with graphics or printed on meat with lasers… sometimes the key to great design is simplicity.

but it doesn’t fit in those damn card readers

Perfect. I’m not saying make a card that comes with a backpack to carry it or requires a Cryptographer to read it, but being a little different is a good thing. At the same time, you can’t lose sight of the core purpose of the business card, it has to be legible and clear to understand. If it takes someone more than a few seconds to try to make out your phone number, don’t expect a call.

content is king

When you’re creating content for the web it can easily be changed on the fly. If you change your phone number and you’ve just printed 2000 cards, you’re out of luck. Make sure to only include essential information on your business card and leave out what may change over time. If they need your hours of operation, they can get that information on your website.

I say keep it simple:

Logo
Name (first and last)
Title (if its unlikely to change before you run out of cards)
Mobile #
Office #
Fax #
Address (if its unlikely to change before you run out of cards)
Maybe add in your tagline or a short mojo statement that carries through all your marketing material

Anything else is really overkill, and you run the risk of cluttering up your card.

temp cards for now

If you really don’t have to wait, or you just need “something” for that upcoming tradeshow… consider getting some temporary cards made up to get you going until your real cards are done. A temp card (even one sided black and white printed digitally on regular paper) can still look absolutely great. Try to stick with the same core design elements as your final card to ensure a smooth transition once they’re ready.

printing techniques that will really set you apart

If you want a certain element on your card to really stand out, try using some of these printing techniques (click for examples):

final thoughts

Don’t go the inexpensive route just to save an extra 4 cents per card. Take the extra time to go the extra mile, and when it comes to printing you really get what you pay for. Also, build a good relationship with a great print shop. We use Universal Printing in North Vancouver, BC.

resources

Some online resources and books that are sure to tickle your creative senses.

books

online

http://www.amazon.ca/Best-Business-Card-Design/dp/1592532330/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249931058&sr=1-1

Sticking to your core business

Casimir — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:40:05 +0000

Some of the best business advice I have ever received was also some of the simplest. I came across it when Ramin and I attended the 2009 Interbourse in Whistler BC. We spent a week surrounded by the world exchanges elite and soaked up as much insight and wisdom as possible. What truly stuck were the words offered by Gustavo Montero, “stick to your core business, especially when your business is in its infancy.” This has had profound effects on the way we conduct our business and which directions we take.

We used to advertise that we do everything under the sun that was even remotely related to our core business of high quality custom websites/applications and stunning design work. We would tell our clients that we were a hosting company, a branding company, a print shop, copy writers, search engine optimisers, social media specialists, etc. etc. We deliver at 100% for our core services and while we naturally do all of the mentioned items during the course of a project, it is very different from treating them as a core service. The lowest quality deliverable you provide reflects the quality of the entire project. If our web development and design is a masterpiece, but our SEO and social media strategy are not, the entire project becomes sub-par; it’s the old weakest link sort of thing. Not only that, it clutters your mind and stresses you out because you know you are not the best at what you are doing. Next thing you know, there are way to many things on your plate; running a web design and development company is a lot different then running a print shop or a hosting company. Trying to do everything puts much unneeded stress on you and your fledgling company.

I am not saying that you should never branch out. Diversifying is essential to survival, but can also lead to failure if you jump the gun before your foundation is set. In my opinion it is better to be ninja at one thing, then mediocre at many things. At Base-10 we have focused on our web design, web development and premium graphic design services; our business has flourished and our head aches have lessened (not disappeared). Another benefit is that it really simplifies the decision making process, “Does this stick to our core business??”.

We realise that our clients may be looking for the related services and have come to us because they want a one-stop-shop. Of course we don’t want to lose this business, so we have made relationships with local professionals who’s core businesses are the services we do not offer and thus can service our clients for these specific needs better then we would have been able to (depending on the client, we sometimes still manage the project and use the relationships as contractors). Not only are our clients now getting higher quality work, but we are feeding the local industry, building stronger relationships and often get reciprocal referrals from these relationships!

Try sticking to your core business and make your apple into a pie, see where it takes you.

Gustavo A. Montero is a managing partner and owner of GAM Consulting Group, which focuses on corporate finance. He also holds degrees in Entrepreneurship and Oceanography and currently resides in Switzerland.

Does blogging make sense for us?

Casimir — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:29:33 +0000

I think I have tried to get blogging going for our company about half a dozen times. It’s not as if the rest of my team is against blogging, it is just hard to justify taking the time out of a day that already has too few hours. We all read blogs and even rave about how useful and cool the posts can be, but as soon as we have to bite the bullet and get down to the big dirty, we just don’t.

To answer my own question, yes it does make sense for us. But just like many things we should be doing, it is going to have to become habit.. one of those “teach an old dog new tricks” sort of things. Lets call this my mid-year resolution, to be consistent and turn blogging into a habit. Here is my plan:

Blog
???
Profit

Now all I have to do is keep my own word.