Read one Irish entrepreneur's blog as she operates a business in Dublin
Flowers & Good Coffee
July 31, 2003
Flowers, good coffee, and working round the clock - that's what it's all about. I started my career working on the 18th floor of a very British merchant bank in the City of London. Stylistically, it was quite a staid environment - women were not allowed to wear trousers (and yes folks this was in the early 90's) and men were shunned if they ever appeared in a shirt with a button-down collar. Working in corporate finance as I did, the hours I put in ranged from 60 a week to 80 plus!
In the decade that followed, I moved from one side of the world to the other, leaped from corporate finance to marketing, but stayed working for large blue-chip financial organisations. While the dress codes relaxed somewhat as the years progressed, there were still some unwritten rules that had to be adhered to . . .
Like not to decorate your desk or cubicle.
In the late 90's this was just regarded as plain naff, in the early 00's it was more of a sign of the times - many people didn't have time to make a space 'theirs' before they were made redundant.
But it always struck me as rather odd.
There I was spending the majority of my waking hours in a space with no trace of me on it. But I didn't dare to break the rules because the slagging I'd receive from my colleagues wouldn't be worth it.
So one of the underlying philosophies of Brightspark is that there will always be fresh flowers in the office and quality coffee too. And that's not just for the clients, it's for the staff!
It's back to corporate finance hours of course because 24 hours is just not enough in a day, but at least this time round I can wear trousers, drink freshly made Arabica coffee, and enjoy the sight and smell of Smithfield's finest blooms.
Choosing an ISP
July 29, 2003
Choosing an ISP (internet service provider) for the first time can be a bit daunting. My advice is to make sure you take note of their attitude to customer service and the added services that are offered.
It's tempting to compare prices and bandwidth, as well as other features such as number of email addresses but that only matters in getting up and running. But what's important once you're established is how well their system works and how often does it fall over? When that happens, how quickly does it take to get it working again? I was experiencing difficulties last Friday and became increasingly frustrated because there was no-one answering the customer support line, no message posted on the website to inform customers about when/how the service would be back. I'm with Digiweb by the way, but most of the other ISP's tend to offer more or less the same level of service.
However there is one particular hosting company that stands out for its total lack of customer focus and short-sightedness, and that is IE Internet.
I came across this company because of some well-written marketing materials about their anti-spam product. The bumpf is so well written it makes you forget that most ISP's already offer anti-spam protection.but anyway, I came across this info around the same time as I needed to register the url for Brightspark (see 25th July for the angst involved in that one). I logged on to IE Internet's site, read the piece on anti-spam and then used the tool to check availability of my domain name. When I found out it was still available, I paid by credit card to secure it.
Weeks later when I was ready to start building my website, having chosen another host with a better package on offer, IE Internet refused to pass my website over to my hosting company. A large number of phone calls and emails from myself and my hosting company elicited no response. Nowhere on IE Internet's site does it state that when you buy a domain name from them you must also buy a hosting package. It was only after 6 weeks and the threat of legal action that IE Internet actually flicked the switch (or whatever minor job they had to do) to allow my site to be accessed by me and my hosting company.
So, the lesson learned is - in some parts of the internet industry, there are some shoddy firms out there. Be warned. And if you do come across an ISP that excels in its customer service please let us know.
First Blog
July 25, 2003
The first blog for Brightspark. And you know what?
I'm not a bit anxious about how this will come out on screen. I've plenty of experience at this blogging business. Because for years I kept a diary, religiously recording each and every wonderful thing that happened in my life. Boys that I fancied and how they matched up to The Great One - Robert Smith from The Cure. The pains of studying for the Leaving Cert (a particularly dull tome that one). The excitement about beginning my career in London. Such logging of life has been for nobody else's pleasure but my own. Until now that is.
I imagine that most people who are blogging have always kept a diary or journal of some form or other. Go the geeks.
This blog is all about how it is to be setting up an exciting new business in Dublin. It is not a 'how to' guide, but rather a sharing of experiences. Many such experiences are unique to me, others are sure to elicit a common groan from others who have been through this before.
And what better way to begin than to state why I believe that Brightspark is going to succeed?
Brightspark is going to plug a gap that exists in the Irish market.
Over the past few years, I have met many business people who, when they hear that I make my living from the internet tend to make the comment - "my business has a website but we never get anything out of it." Or "I really must get around to getting a website for my business".
There are plenty of web design firms who create really stylish websites, but once delivered to the client, they are left to languish, with no content changing from one end of the year to the next. Internal processes haven't been fully thought out to ensure that new and interesting pieces of information are added.
Brightspark is all about picking up where web designers leave off. It helps companies to bring about an internal cultural change so that they are equipped with the skills to maintain their websites. Maintenance involves ear-marking documents for publication on the site. Rewriting so it reads well on screen. Publishing and remembering to update.
And if you haven't got a site yet? Better still. Work with Brightspark to ensure you get one that is aligned to your business objectives, that communicates effectively with your audience, and that helps you win business and make sales.
So that's why Brightspark is here. Keep visiting this blog to find out how we're progressing. And don't forget to give us your feedback.
Naming Brightspark
One of the first things you've got to do when opening a business is to come up with a good name for it.
It's got to be a name that perfectly describes what you do, while at the same time encapsulating the right image and message. My approach to this task was to host wine-fuelled gatherings of friends and family and then brainstorm.
That was a bad idea! Too many cooks. Some people put forward names they thought were great and got a bit offended when I politely turned them down. Others suggested names that were so far removed from the service that they simply were not runners. Others just drank the wine and stared blankly when asked for suggestions.
I began to make up words. "Piccoloro" was one such name, meaning a little piece of gold. But it sounded too much like a musical instrument for our purposes. God forbid we have enquiries to the site about woodwind instruments.
When you're searching for that elusive name, you become obsessed with it. Global brand names take on a new significance. Logos enter into your dreams. And it's true - the best ones are the most simple. Like the Audi logo for example (four intersecting circles). I reckon that some Germans probably thought that one up over a few beers in a pub. Because when you take a sip of your beer, and put the glass down, it leaves a circle of liquid on the table. Four sips and bingo - you've got the Audi logo.
Once you've got a short list of potential names, the next step is to see if the URL is still available. Many got eliminated at this stage because the names had been registered by businesses in Canada, the US, and Australia. It was at this stage that I had to say goodbye to Sirius - the brightest star in the galaxy.
After you've found a name that hasn't already been nabbed online, you then have to register it with the Companies Registration Office. I must say, the CRO has been an absolute pleasure to deal with - cheerful helpful people on the phone, wide-ranging and clearly written information on its website (www.cro.ie) and efficient delivery of documents. It's a pity that some of the telecom companies don't operate in the same manner, but more on that in another blog: "the Battle of Broadband". I'm still waiting for a happy ending to that one.
So that was how Brightspark came about. Containing the word 'bright' which has such sunny positive connotations, and with the punchy 'spark' and its association with creativity and innovation. I like the way Brightspark looks in print, and it begins with B - guaranteeing a high position in a list of other companies.
Brightspark Consulting. Remember it. It's not just a great name, it's also a great company.