James scribbled his family a note, then grabbed his suitcase, briefcase, and coffee tumbler. As he stumbled out the door, he dropped his keys. The world was dark outside. But even though he didn’t like leaving, he knew how much value he got from these trips. He looked forward to meeting his business peer group in person.
As he pulled onto the interstate, his mind began to wander. He thought back over the years since he’d started his business. He’d started with so much energy and ambition. He’d seen good times and bad times, had known exhilarating highs and gut-wrenching lows.
He’d just canceled a failed software project that he’d put a lot of money and effort into. It bugged him. But as the sun peeked over the horizon, it reminded him, “His mercies are new every morning.” In a strange way, ending the project now felt like a fresh start. “It’s a new day for my business. What will it hold?”
As his mind slowed, he pulled out a John Maxwell teaching and turned it on. He’d grown so much as a leader, but these lessons never seemed to get old. Plus, they helped pass the time. Hours later, James pulled into the conference center for the opening dinner.
The next few days would be a whirlwind of conversations, connections, and workshops. James got his copy of the schedule and saw the breakout session on “Streamlining Your Business With Custom Software.” He almost ran to the registration desk to sign up.
It all makes so much sense
The session finally rolled around. As he listened, James had the uncanny feeling that the speaker had been following him around and eavesdropping on his mind. But he was thankful to know he wasn’t the only one who’d walked the same bumpy road.
As the minutes went by, he jotted down some thoughts:
- When you build custom software, start with your business process first. If you don’t know your process, you won’t know your software design.
- Always build the most important pieces first. Build for a return on your investment.
- Hiring an individual seems fast and cheap, until that person leaves your project.
- Experienced management gets software projects done on time and on budget.
- Custom software shouldn’t do everything. It should do the things that bring the most value to your company.
- Exceptional custom software isn’t about the looks. It’s about the information, how it’s organized, and what it lets you do with it.
- Good software makes it easy for your team to do their job. Exceptional software makes it easy for you to run your business.
The speaker paused.
“We’ve built software used by 45 of the top banks in the US and an entire ERP for a single client. We’ve done many smaller projects for other clients. If you’d like to tap into my experience for your business, I’d be happy to set aside time to talk with you.”
James closed his notebook. He was going to take that offer. He felt confident that his trip had just paid for itself.
Finally on the right road
When the conference was over and he’d returned to his office, he scheduled his first call. During that call, he decided he would pay for an initial consultation. He’d already learned so much that he didn’t need convincing.
Three weeks later, James found himself on a Wednesday morning Zoom call. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but it turned out he didn’t need to worry. A software designer briefed him on the plan for the day. Then, a senior designer started peppering him with questions.
James found the questions easy to answer, but they seemed like a firehose of information. He couldn’t imagine how this would all tie together. Nonetheless, he buckled in and held on.
“We’re going to need some time to put all these pieces together,” the senior designer told him. “But we’ll have something for you by the end of next week.”
The following Friday, James was on the phone with a senior designer who was walking him through an 8-page outline of everything he’d ever wanted. This software did everything that ManuMaker did. It had a few of the best parts of ERP Express. It even had things that he’d hoped Ethan would build for him.
James found it hard to believe. These designers had pulled this together from less than 5 hours of conversation.
Best of all, they had planned this in phases. He could start with a single piece, reach a milestone, and know for sure the project would be a success. He’d be able to tell from those initial results whether this company knew what they were doing.
As the call wound down, he received the ballpark estimates. The developers promised to build him a complete replacement system. It would take less than half the time and cost less than half the money he’d already invested.
“I’ll need to run this past my team,” he said. “But I can’t see why we wouldn’t move ahead. Assuming we’ve got the all-clear, how soon can you start?”
It turned out that James had to wait in line. But for the first time, he felt his software was in the hands of professionals. And for the first time in a long time, he started to feel hopeful for the next season of growth.
This company had software to build. And James had a business to grow.
The Takeaway
Have you had an experience like that of James? Have you considered how better software could enhance your day-to-day operations?
We know software, and we understand the needs of small and mid-size businesses. Call us today, and we’ll help you determine if our Silverloom business software is right for you.
Ellis Miller, CEO