Social Networking?

OK, I'll admit it...I'm behind the times. Just started "Twittering" as RideBellChain, and I've been playing on Facebook (Mark Turkel) for the last 4 months. Twitter? Not sure about it. Facebook - yeah, it's cool. Found tons of old friends, and also went to an impromptu high school reunion last month. LinkedIn - well I have all my business contacts there. I also just started a group called RideBellChain for motorcycle enthusiasts.

But WHY is Twitter so damn popular? From the first impression, my initial thought is "why do I care about a stranger standing on line at the grocery store?" and my next thought is "who cares what the hell I'm doing right now"? And to follow up, "why do people post their most embarrassing moments"? I don't get it...but I'm trying to.

I just bought a book by Dave Evans called "Social Media Marketing - an Hour a Day". I'm going to read it, and I'm going to see if I can add some traffic to either of my important websites, http://www.PalmBeachSoftware.com and http://www.RideBellChain.com. We'll see. I'm skeptical...but I also know that this is the "new" marketing tool, and it is helping people become more successful - so I'm going to give it a shot, too. I just need to figure out what to do, how much time to spend, and in the end, how is this going to help me?

I would love to hear any tips or advice...just shoot me an email to mark@palmbeachsoftware.com - or better yet, connect with me on Facebook or LinkedIn.

OK, I think the burgers on the grill are ready for cheese...hope you're all having a nice holiday weekend! Back to work tomorrow.

Cya!
Mark Turkel, President and Senior Software Architect
Palm Beach Software Design, Inc.

Why We Need a Plan

It's always a "toughie" for me when I meet with a new client, and they tell me about their needs, and then look up and say "how much will that cost?". That is such an unfair question 1 hour into the game, but it happens each and every time...and my answer usually is "between $30,000 and $1,000,000". If nothing else, it breaks the ice and gives everyone a little chuckle. And then they say "seriously, what do you think?".

This is the time when I have to introduce the concept of a Scope and Requirements document. And I have to let them know that they will have to pay a fee for me to figure out exactly what they need and how it's going to work, before I can actually quote "The System".

After 21 years in the business I insist on it. It is also the hardest part of the sales/consulting process, even though it's cost is just a fraction of the price of the actual software. But it is necessary for success. This is the point where a commitment is made and relationships build between Palm Beach Software Design and the client. Where we learn about the business so we can be effective throughout the development process. This is the only reason why I can say very proudly that we finish every project exceeding the client's expectations on time, features, and cost.

When we build a Scope and Requirements Document, we spend a lot of time learning about what your company does, and how paper and data flow, and how people work and communicate together to perform the functions of your business. We then learn about the software you're currently using, and how it works for your company. Finally, we address the actual issues and problems you hired us for and provide one or sometimes more possible solutions.

This process is at minimum a 3-4 week process, with several meetings along the way with both principles and "workers", to make sure that we truly understand your needs and requirements.

The end result is a book that documents our findings, along with a proposed solution(s) in very specific detail. I then sit with the client, review everything, and make changes/additions/deletions until we are all satisfied that we have the "blueprints" for a solution that will work.

When all the revisions have been made, I can sit down with my developers and determine how much time and effort is needed for each of the requirements, and this is why I can provide a quote that we can be accountable for. This final document in the end becomes the legal checklist that defines the "end" of the project, and describes all of the features and .

Palm Beach Software Design, Inc. has a reputation of FINISHING projects, in a professional and elegant way, and it is not just because we have an awesome development team, but because we have a plan.

Until next time, work hard and play hard, too!

Have Fun!
Mark Turkel
CEO and Senior Software Architect
Palm Beach Software Design, Inc.
http://www.PalmBeachSoftware.com