Wilco & Brent Jackson

do you ever get concerned that your fine company could grow too fast?

Well of course Bob. It can be scary anytime you're successful.

Aside from an insane amount of new, we don't have the resources to adequately cover all the new work from long-term existing clients. One is stuck with a couple options at that point. Expand, shrink, or attempt to maintain the status quo.

We've opted to grow. Are we winging it somewhat? oh sure, but that's why we need folks like Brent (and for now un-named others) to help.

I guess I'm a nervous/conservative type, especially after our contraction around here back in the day. but that's why I'm the worker bee and not in charge, thank goodness.

Well, I'll be honest, that contraction is something I've thought about alot, and how to avoid it.

I think you're more likely to avoid such things than we were at the time. you've always taken things carefully.

anyway, my observations from the somewhat inside of that ordeal:

-when you're riding high, be thankful, but save/invest, dont spend just because you can. debt sucks. and yes, we bought herman miller chairs then. ugh.

-dont have a high percentage of your business wrapped up in one client or sector (if that's the right word). see also: Johnson Group (Cricket)

-pride goeth before the fall. so does the dot-bomb era.

-the Lord provides, so pray.

Hey Bobw,

Thanks for the words above to my awesome hubby.

Hey Bob,

(wierd to be talking business in a public setting, ah well), thanks for the advice.

Couple things we do have going for us is that we're pretty dang well diversified in our client base. Back in the day it used to be the Big 2, now its more like the Big 5 or 6, and we could without too much trouble absorb the loss of a couple. Most of the new work we're doing is expanding existing clients into becoming bigger volume clients. So hopefully it'll be the "big 12-15", hopefully.

Also we're working on shifting over to having actual products, as opposed to being purely custom software oriented. Our comprehensive CRM system along with mass e-mail and CSM will be one of those things (just wait till you see it, it'll blow your socks off, of course, I MAY be letting the cat out of the bag). We're gonna do a big ol' presentation of it first to our clients (who would find it useful), and then next a more market wide (as in, Chatty market) presentation I think. Pretty much we managed to hit all at once a big number of our clients needing various aspects of the system, so we've been able to fund the development and integration of the whole package. Hence all my talk of needing more help.

Other things are the new anti-spam system we've developed. Its sortof a next-gen mailserver setup, and we actually think its ahead of anything out there (according to Lang, who is knowledgeable in such things).

All this coupled with our new re-branding & website, things are looking good good. Goal is to steer away from a purely service based business model to long term product distrubtion and development. Of course, custom software will always be something we can swing.

Anyways, that's the general idea. So all you chatty IT folks out there can now have a general idea of what we're up to over here.

But don't worry, we'll avoid the downtown Bob. That's your turf.

:)

-J