The Captain’s Blog

Many companies face the dilemma of coming up with a good domain name for their website. A web presence is not only crucial, it’s a must have. As a result of a domains availability the name of a new company or product is forced to change in an instant.

We recently had a client employ our help in naming their new online store. The store will sell all kinds of products, much like Target and Walmart do, so the name needed to be versatile. The client also wanted a name that was memorable, short, able to work in an overseas market and of course the domain had to be available for purchase. It maybe commonly thought that all the good domain names are already taken. However as a result of the naming process each of us came up with domain names that were so good it amazed us they were still available. In fact we wanted to buy them if the client didn’t.

I learned a really valuable lesson from this naming process. Even if a market is really crowded and there seems to be no room for opportunity, don’t buy into that thought. Step back open your mind to the creative possibilities and you will find amazing opportunities that will not only let you enter that market, there’s a good chance they’ll offer you a greater advantage than you would have had if the market had been wide open. So, what do you do when all the good domain names are gone? Get creative and invent some new ones. Necessity truly is the mother of invention, and cool domain names.

The business guru Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart knew the importance of giving back. He talked about how success in business only comes when we give back through charity to others. Many other than Mr. Walton have known this principle.

Brent Crane founder of The Food and Care Coalition, an organization that gives people in need a little extra help, provides a great opportunity for you to practice this important principle and give back to our community. One of the ways he makes this possible is Team Grub. Team Grub is made of business people who serve meals to the patrons of The Food and Care Coalition. Team Grub members are also encourage to donate funds to assist in building a new facility that will be better equipped to help patrons to get the hand up that they need.

As you give service and donations to The Food and Care Coalition whether your bottom line improves or not your community will, and that’s good for everyone’s business. Plus, you can’t beat the feeling that comes when you give meaningful service to someone in need.

It’s truly a privilege to be associate with an organization, like The Food and Care Coalition, that makes our world a better place.

Many businesses sell great services and when a business can make that service automated it’s like printing your own money. Henry Ford did it with the automobile and John Schefer is doing it with wedding invitations. However unlike Mr. Ford, Schefer offers his product in an array of colors and designs. There are wedding invitation designs for everyone’s taste. You start by selecting the template design you like the best. Then upload your photos. Next add text and music to create an animated experience for all of your guests. You can modify your invitation at your leisure and send it to anyone with an email address. Go to MyInvitationLink .com and try it out. Use it as your primary invitation or at the very least you’ll want to use it as a supplement.

Have you ever met one of those people that is just so pleasant you can’t help but love them? That is RaDene Hatfield. She is positive, honest and happy. RaDene knows what she is talking about and is very gracious for any help she receives. She values others’ input and is always interested in what they have to say. She has great taste in design. RaDene is open to new ideas. She has a good heart and a good since of humor. She has an energy about her that just makes everyone love to be around her! If you want to meet kindness, sincerity and courage to stand for the truth; meet RaDene Hatfield. She’s running for Utah State Senate this year and we’re sure you’ll agree she’ll do an amazing job.

Everyone one knows that networking is important. In fact, most of our clients have come by way of referral. The reason for so many of these referrals and relationships is because of a little company called Corporate Alliance—which really isn’t a “little” company anymore. This one little post about Corporate Alliance doesn’t even come close to doing justice to all they have done for Eli Kirk, but at least it is a start. Corporate Alliance and it’s staff are visionaries. They have managed to figure out what truly makes every business successful. And if that weren’t enough, they’ve gone and put it in a format anyone can easily digest and begin to implement for added success. Even more than this, the information is packaged very nicely, and to top it all off, it’s fun.

Now some people might say that Corporate Alliance is just a glorified business club or a chamber of commerce clone, but neither of these teaches you and helps you to build relationships like Corporate Alliance does. Corporate Alliance believes that relationships are such a key to success that their motto is “every opportunity has it’s root in a relationship”. To our delight, this has proven to be very true for all of us at Eli Kirk.

If you ever get a chance to attend a Jump Start, a monthly networking luncheon that Corporate Alliance holds, you will experience something that will put any “Ra Ra” session to shame because it will change the way you do business. Plus, Corporate Alliance looks so amazingly good doing it; no dorky cheers or smoke and lights, just slick presentations that make a lot sense and are surprisingly fun to be part of. If there was ever a magic potion or secret solution to jump start your business, Corporate Alliance is it.

This past Saturday Eli Kirk had Lagoon day and the whole office went to the amusement park. Several of the roller coaster rides were awesome and others were just lame, they weren’t what I expected. What made the difference? How they met my expectations. The mantra of my boss is “manage expectations”. Manage expectations? What a strange phrase. What does it mean? Well, it means exactly what is says.

A large portion of the excitement and pleasure we have is based on expectations. Think about it. Roller coasters are exciting because of what we expect right after the top of that initial big hill. TV shows and movies’ successes hinge on expectations, will Sandy find out that Greg her lover is really her long lost cousin. Much can be done to build expectations for what might happen. However, the difficulty in managing expectations lies not in the build up but in the delivery. Delivering on promises and going above and beyond to exceed expectations; these are the things that bring pleasure, and in the world of business leave costumers deeply pleased with your product or service.

When we manage expectations we are doing whatever it takes to let customers know that they will be taken care of and have a great experience with us no matter what happens. It might be a crazy ride, but it will be a good one.

Innovative Customs is an exciting two year old start up company and one of our clients. I don’t mean to brag, actually I do, Innovative Customs’ great look and unmatched quality work have grabbed the attention of the after market automotive industry. Major magazines such as Diesel Builder, Diesel Power and Four Wheeler Magazine contact Innovative Customs requesting the opportunity to write a feature story on the Meg Long Bed Conversion process. In addition to articles in these magazines Innovative Customs has been the trade show guest of companies such as Four Wheeler magazine and Magna Flow Exhaust. Innovative Customs is now a major sponsor of NADM (National Association of Diesel Motors). Innovative Customs even did a recent Mega Cab Long Bed Conversion on a truck that will be seen in the new “Fast and the Furious” movie. Innovative Customs rocks!

We got some great face time in the Summer 2008 issue of BusinessQ. Check out the images of the articles below! BusinessQ has always been good to seek out experts to help us all learn. We’ve been called on a several times to serve in the roll of expert along with some of our respected competitors. It’s worth your time to make friends and build a relationship with quality publications like BusinessQ so that you can be called on as an expert in your field. It’s not only a great way to get your name out there, it also becomes a valuable opportunity to influence and help the community and your industry. Share the love feel the love!

Running, many people hate it. However a select few love it, and rave about the runners high that they get when running long distances! Those who love running know that a good running shoe is worth it’s weight in gold. We don’t do much running in our office, instead we do a lot of sitting. Like much of America we all sit in front of a computer screens for a good 8 hours a day, or more. You might call us distance sitters, although I’m pretty sure no one’s getting high from sitting. Recently two of our designers got some amazing chairs that are like a good shoe helping you jump higher and run faster. One of our designers swears that his new chair even designs for him with automatic drop shadows! Well whatever their powers may be the two Mirra Chairs by Herman Miller are amazingly comfortable and can be adjusted every which way. They seem to put the back and body at ease allowing the mind to focus on designing or world domination, whatever is on the schedule for the day.

To appreciate where we are, we must remember where we came from. In the begin there was Adam. He was one of the first developers to grace the halls of Eli Kirk, like all developers he was a problem solver. We didn’t start in a garage like Mr. Microsoft, but our beginnings were humble; a few card tables and some hard folding chairs. One day my boss’s business partner walked in and asked “Do you know that Adam is sitting on a towel?” “Oh, I hadn’t realized!”, my boss responded. Adam, rather than making excuses or giving up he quietly through in the towel in for some extra padding. No matter how humble the beginnings of a business may be, it’s success hinges on finding good simple solutions for the problems encountered along the way.

ps. Don’t worry the problem was quickly fixed and Adam now enjoys a very comfortable office chair.