Red Bull Street Style

I just returned from the Canadian National Championships of Red Bull Street Style (a client of ours). I will let the images taken from my video camera do the talking.

The point of this video is to demonstrate how effective Red Bull has been at living the values of their brand. The vibe at their events is contagious. An amazing brand story.

Webcast - Live from Dell

On Nov 12 (at 12 noon EST), I am participating in a live webcast from Dell's headquarters in Round Rock TX.

Dell is hosting a virtual panel discussion featuring the winners of the Dell SMB Award (from Canada, US, Mexico and Brazil). The discussion will focus on how companies are using technology to cut costs, increase efficiency, improve customer relations and grow.

You are welcome to join the webcast by registering here

The official press release can be found here

Michael Dell and the Internet: a view from 1999

I was just reading some remarks made in 1999 by Michael Dell on Building a Competitive Advantage in an Internet Economy.


While so much has changed in the 10 years since Dell made this speech, I am struck by how much of this is still relevant in 2009.


Consider the following excerpt:

"The Internet is also decreasing the cost of interactions. For instance, instead of making printer circuit boards, Dell has a supplier that does it, whom we treat as part of our company and with whom we exchange information at very little cost and at very high speeds. The Internet is shrinking time and distance, allowing us to bring our customers and our suppliers inside our business, and creating shared efficiencies and greater loyalty. Companies that recognize this can take advantage of it; those that don’'t will end up as road kill on the information super highway."

The fact that information has become even more readily available in the last 10 years reinforces this point. This has even extended beyond business into the consumer realm with the advent of Web 2.0 and how we as consumers now embrace open and public relationships with one another on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Web 2.0 indeeds shrinks time and distance when it comes to how we now interact with each other as individuals online.

Dell's thoughts on how to build an internet based business also remain true to this day.

"We focus on three areas: (i) building rich content, (ii) growing our commerce capabilities, and (iii) establishing communities of suppliers and end users that share common interests."

While a lot of this is pretty standard - table stakes, even - in 2009, it's interesting to reflect back on what the internet was like in 1999. I know in our case at RIGHTSLEEVE, we had a static web site with html product pages that were time consuming to update. We had no e-commerce functionality other than a simple quote request tool to interact with our customers. Having said that, it was pretty unique at the time in the context of the industry. It was a start.

In the early 2000's, we evolved into a database driven web site with full e-commerce capabilities, online store applications and a backend CRM/VRM system that allows us to interact with every customer and supplier around the world online. In the process, we dramatically changed how we did business, giving us a platform on which to compete within a hyper competitive industry.

It's interesting to consider how fast internet technology has changed in the past decade. The Web 1.0 (webvan.com, pets.com) bubble has burst, Web 2.0 (youtube.com, twitter.com) has taken the world by storm and now we are starting to see the beginnings of Web 3.0 (twine.com) and the so-called semantic web.

Despite these rapid changes in the types of internet models we see today, I don't think we have strayed too far from the enduring principles that were discussed by Michael Dell in 1999.

RIGHTSLEEVE in Profit Magazine - get your free copy here!

RIGHTSLEEVE's customer retention strategies are featured in the latest issue of Profit Magazine. To honour this occasion, we'd like to send you a free copy.

Just fill out this form here, and we will mail out the issue on the double.

Customer Retention Strategies

In the current issue of Profit Magazine, we were featured in a story on innovative ways to retain customers.

You can read the article here

It was also nice to be featured alongside two entrepreneurs I have a great deal of respect for - Dmitry Buterin of Bonasource and Matt Teichmann of Life Choices Foods.

Timeless Business Principles

Fresh out of university in 1997, I started my business career in investment banking. I lasted 4 months.

While the experience was rewarding (I learned how to use Excel like a pro), I was more suited to entrepreneurship as I always wanted to build something I could call my own. (I also had a mind for sales/marketing, not finance).

Given my time in investment banking, I was interested how Goldman Sachs - the industry's 800 pound gorilla - grew from a mid-tier firm to a global powerhouse over the course of a few decades. To learn more about this rise, I have been reading Charles Ellis's The Partnership: The Making of Goldman Sachs

I have very little connection to the investment banking industry these days (my Excel skills have also weakened over time!), nor do I endorse the shenanigans of modern day Wall Street. However, what I have found interesting about this book are some of the timeless business principles that can be applied to almost any enterprise, regardless of industry or company size.

This is also not a commentary on Goldman Sachs per se, but rather a look at how one company within one industry was able to grow by applying some surprisingly simple principles.

In 1970 (long before subprime mortgages and credit default swaps), John Whitehead, a co-head of the firm, wrote the following ten commandments that guided their business development efforts:

1. Don't waste your time going after business we don't really want.
2. The boss usually decides - not the assistant treasurer. Do you know the boss?
3. It's just as easy to get a first-rate piece of business as a second-rate one.
4. You never learn anything when you are talking.
5. The client's objective is more important than yours.
6. The respect of one person is worth more than acquaintance with 100.
7. When there's business to be done, get it!
8. Important people like to deal with other important people. Are you one?
9. There's nothing worse than an unhappy client.
10. If you get the business, it's up to you to see that it's well handled.

As an entrepreneur, I reflect on these "10 commandments" and many of them make perfect sense, especially for an organization that wants to be outstanding (or be a Purple Cow, as Seth Godin would say). Many people in business waste a lot of time chasing opportunities that just do not make sense and act as a distraction to what really matters.

I particularly agree with commandments 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10. These are absolutely timeless and should be ingrained in any organization's culture, for-profits and non-profits alike.

This is a long book at 752 pages, but if you were to read anything, I would recommend Chapter 11, entitled "Principles" (pp 183-214).

My Take on Google Apps: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Now that we have been using Google Apps for the better part of 3 months, I wanted to give a review of how it has worked for us and whether we really miss Microsoft Outlook. This is also a glimpse into how we work on a daily basis at RIGHTSLEEVE.

I was intrigued about Google Apps ever since I learned about its forthcoming release back in 2006 when I attended the Office 2.0 conference in San Francisco. The idea that one could run an entire email service off the web (with our own domain) offered some huge advantages.


It took a few years for us to finally pull the trigger as we were so heavily invested in Microsoft technology. Old habits also die hard.


Now that we have moved over to Google Apps, here's the good, the bad and the ugly:


The Good

- the price is right. Google Apps is free, though you can upgrade to $50/user/year for some additional features.


- avoid paying for the expensive Microsoft Exchange which offers calendar sharing, among other enterprise friendly features.

- shared calendars

- syncing contacts and calendar records with a Blackberry/iPhone is done wirelessly

- no more spam (or at least very little of it)

- our IT administrator's time has been freed up as he no longer manages the myriad problems we had with Outlook (mail server crashing, etc)

- no need to backup our mail server

- more intuitive email filters

- email search capabilities are vastly superior to Outlook

- Google Docs is great for sharing documents and spreadsheets in real time across the organization. We still use our server for the majority of our files (ie artwork), but Google Docs makes it easy to work on projects in real time with other team members - no emailed Word attachments!

- the ability to access our files anywhere on any internet connected computer (this is also how our own CRM and production system works as well).

- email is stored in one place regardless of where the email was sent or received.

- managing "out of office" replies is so much easier

The Bad

- Google's Blackberry App is average at best (I am referring here to the Blackberry BIS service as I believe Google works better with Blackberry BES).

- searching for past emails takes quite a while on the Blackberry (min 20 seconds - a surprise for the company that pioneered the 0.7 second search results)

- when using the Blackberry, it does not access "all contacts" when composing emails (it only accesses your most recent contacts). You can access all contacts but it means digging into a few menus and then waiting minimum 20 seconds for all of the contacts to load).

- on the web, the contacts menu within Gmail takes a while to load and searching for contacts is time consuming (searching for a contact takes approx 4x longer than searching for a past email)

- cannot copy and paste attachments into Gmail like you can with Outlook (if I want to add an attachment I have to upload it to the outgoing message, something I could have just pasted into an Outlook message before).

- when you import your calendar records from Outlook into Google Apps, you lose your recurring events.

The Ugly

- data usage is very high on the Blackberry which means having to upgrade to a more expensive local plan. It gets even worse when you are in a different country as data charges are a usurious $6/MB - I use an average of 45-55MB of data per month. Data usage on the Blackberry before I moved to Google Apps was a tenth of what I use now.

The Bottom Line

Over the past 3 months, Google Apps have been down twice (a much publicized event on Twitter). The sum total of the service outage has been 3-4 hrs, not really a big deal in the grand scheme of things. When we were using Outlook and had to manage our own mail server, we spent more time dealing with problems which affected our access to email.

Overall, the switch has been worth it. The ability to collaborate with one another across our organization has been the number one benefit, with the time we have saved on IT hassles being a close second.

Hope this helps. If we've missed anything, be sure to comment accordingly.

hoHOTo merchandise - a sneak peak!

We are proud to introduce the gear for hoHOTo. Special thanks to Sheri Moore (@s_moore) for her keen eye in picking the styles with us!

This limited edition merchandise is for sale on site at hoHOTo - cash sales only.

All proceeds from the merchandise will be donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank. Spread the word!

(click image to enlarge)

hoHOTo

We are super proud (and excited) to be on board as the swag/merchandise sponsor for hoHOTo, to be held Aug 18 at Wetbar & Suite 106 (106 Peter St ).

We are in the process of designing the hoHOTo merchandise that will be on sale at the event. All proceeds will be donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank.

Tickets to the event can be bought here

At the crossroads between fashion and function

Every so often in this business, we come across an "it" product, something that has an almost universal appeal (as it touches upon the following critical elements in a modern-day promotion: style, eco-friendly, functionality, quality and price point).

Introducing our Porcelain To-Go Tumbler. It looks like a Starbucks paper cup, but instead features a porcelain bottom with a silicone lid. It's even microwave and dishwasher (top shelf) friendly.

We just announced our promotion today where we are shipping a free sample to those who want to see this for themselves (CDN addresses only, while supplies last).

More pictures of this product can be found here

Flip Books are back!

I used to make these flip books when I was a kid in art class and it's interesting to see how they have made a comeback (no doubt the quality has dramatically improved since I used to make them)!

This is also a wonderful marketing vehicle as it possesses the following attributes that marketers love:

- low cost
- high perceived value
- novelty/play factor
- large imprint area to print a lot of information
- dynamic way of communicating a message
- low "throw-out" factor

Check out a few examples:

To promote a Subaru product launch:




To promote the launch of the Simpson's movie:



For some other ways on how to use this product as a clever marketing vehicle, click here

Swag 2.0: How we leverage technology at RIGHTSLEEVE

The following is our submission for the 2009 Dell SME Business Excellence Award. This award honours SME's that apply technology in innovative ways to improve their customer experience and company growth. This was a great exercise for us to go through as it allowed us to crystalize our thoughts on how we have leveraged technology to reposition ourselves within the promotional products industry.

On June 23, we learned that we were chosen as a Top 10 Finalist in the competition.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please give a brief description of the business.

RIGHTSLEEVE is a promotional design agency. Utilizing a unique mix of design, technology and promotional media, RIGHTSLEEVE develops promotional products programs for leading corporations across North America.

RIGHTSLEEVE has used technology in every aspect of its business model, from how clients interact with the company to how employees process orders and collaborate with one another. The company’s technology strategy has allowed RIGHTSLEEVE to scale, enhance margins as well as provide a point of differentiation in the marketplace.

What are some of the innovative ways you use information technology (IT) in your business to better serve your customers? (Think beyond standard practices like email, Internet, computer hardware, computer networks, use of productivity or accounting software, etc.) Provide a description.

We developed an online CRM and production management system that moved the company away from the paper-based model followed by the majority of promotional products companies. RIGHTSLEEVE broke from the crowd and created a unique IT alternative that allows efficient transfer of work and knowledge between all employees in the company. A Facebook-like news feed keeps employees tuned in to what their colleagues have been doing, electronic notes allow all employees to share knowledge discovered by co-workers, and a constantly updated production schedule allows us to advise customers of order status at any time. The system is also infinitely scalable, fostering company growth. Likewise, customized user-oriented features of the customer facing portion of our system, allow real-time feedback on products and services.

How has your innovative use of IT led to significant improvements in your customers’ experiences with your business, products or services? Give two or three specific examples to illustrate your answer. Be clear in describing how your innovative use of IT produced this outcome.

RIGHTSLEEVE has built two innovative web applications designed specifically to address the business needs and challenges of how customers interact with businesses of our type.

Our first application is a “Corporate Store” where corporate clients can create their own virtual merchandise store within RIGHTSLEEVE.COM. The corporate store gives customers the ability to approve products at a corporate level, yet pass the buying responsibility to employees in other areas. Purchasing managers across the country can order the sizing and styles necessary for their region knowing that all of the products have already been approved by their head office.

Our interactive “Retail Portal” was built specifically for the needs of our retail market. This tool saves our retail clients the hassle of contacting customers and manually tabulating sizing and styles needed for their upcoming retail season. Instead, each customer is able to log-in to the Retail Portal and place their order directly into our production system. The system tabulates the orders and provides the totals to the retailer for final sign-off. When it comes time for distribution, we supply the retailer with a final list of items ordered per customer, which facilitates the billing process for the retailer.

In addition to the web applications described above, RIGHTSLEEVE has built other features into our online retail store to assist customers when researching or placing orders. These features are specific to RIGHTSLEEVE.COM.

- Wishlists allow customers to keep tabs on products that they are interested in. It also allows them to easily share the product considerations with co-workers.

- Product Comments allow customers to share their opinions with other users. An added benefit is that RIGHTSLEEVE immediately responds to any concerns a customer might have with one of our products.

- Pricing information clearly outlines costs so there are no pricing surprises when our customers place an order.

- Automated tabulations displayed on the website allow customers to see how many times a specific item has been viewed and/or ordered.

- Related Product displays allow our customers to get ideas for their promotions based off data that indicates what other customers have either viewed or ordered in relation to the products that they are currently viewing. For example, if a customer is ordering notebooks, the related product display will remind them that they might also need to order pens.

How do you use IT to better manage your business operations? That is to coordinate with suppliers, contractors, and internally with employees? Please provide a clear description

Our online system allows our Account Representatives to create one sales order that then generates customer-facing and vendor-facing information. Creating everything from the same initial order prevents mistakes at all levels of the organization. Doing calculations automatically in the system eliminates many “human error” mistakes and also allows the representatives to see margins, shipping costs, duties, and other factors in a fraction of the time it would take them to calculate on their own. Purchase Orders are then transmitted to internal Production staff and external vendors at the touch of a button. Once created, the POs are placed on a report that is updated with real-time information on all open orders. The system also generates real time reporting that facilitates managing staff and financial performance.

How has your innovative use of IT affected the success of your organization? Give specifics. For example: growth, profit, cost reduction, or market share increases. Be clear in terms of how IT actually led to improved performance results.

1 - Our cost of goods sold have reduced by 10%. Our vendors extended better pricing terms to us because our automated Purchase Order system relieved workload from their Customer Service personnel.

2 – The scalability of our system has allowed us to double the company staff within the last 12 months. The new-hire on-boarding process has been vastly simplified as all product and pricing information is in one central place as opposed to being scattered throughout hundreds of catalogs.

3 - Detailed real-time reporting has provided far greater insight into individual and company performance. This has allowed for greater goal-setting and accountability which in turn has increased sales performance and reduced turn-over.

How is your company’s use of IT unique or differentiated so that it sets you apart from your competition?

RIGHTSLEEVE is a trendsetter by creating and using a digital order flow and CRM tool built specifically for the unique needs of a promotional products distributor. Moving to a paperless, web-powered system is something that few of our peers have done. By creating our online system, we have automated processes that most of our competitors still do by hand, thereby eliminating many human errors and streamlining the entire process from order placement to final invoicing.

By placing product pricing on the front end, we have also created transparency in an industry not known for transparency. Our up-front pricing empowers consumers to research products on our retail website, even giving them the ability to place their promotional orders directly online. RIGHTSLEEVE.COM is as “What You See Is What You Get” as a company in our industry can be.

RIGHTSLEEVE chosen as a Top 10 finalist in the Dell Small Business Excellence Award Competition

DELL HONOURS RIGHTSLEEVE AS ONE OF THE NATION’S MOST INNOVATIVE SMALL AND MID-SIZE BUSINESSES AS PART OF 2009 GLOBAL DELL SMALL BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARD

·RIGHTSLEEVE honoured for its creative use of technology to transform its business model within the promotional products industry.

·Ten Canadian Entrepreneurs Delight Customers and Empower Employees with Innovative Use of Technology

·130 Finalists Worldwide Compete to Win $50,000 in Dell Technology, Consulting Time with Michael Dell


TORONTO, June 23, 2009

The News:

· Dell, today, announced the 10 finalists for the Fifth Annual Dell Canada Small Business Excellence Award.

· Founded in 2004 by Dell, the award recognizes companies using technology to better serve customers and grow. Just as Michael Dell did 25 years ago in starting his own small business, award honorees understand that listening and delivering on behalf of customers is instrumental to business success. Today, the award has expanded to 13 countries worldwide, honoured more than 370 companies, and is an important source of inspiration given today’s global economic crisis.

· Selected by the International Council for Small Business in Canada, finalists receive a Dell business-class laptop and go on to compete for the national award.

· To be announced in September, the national winner will receive consulting time with Michael Dell and $25,000 in Dell technology. Last year’s Canadian winner, Fifth P Solutions was honoured for its innovative use of technology to develop e-learning and performance support solutions that enable its clients to deliver a superior experience at every touch point with customers.

· Once named, 13 national winners selected from each participating country including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States will be considered for the 2009 global Dell Small Business Excellence Award worth $50,000 in Dell technology and services and benefits from global partners International Council for Small Business and Endeavor.

The global winner will be announced in fall 2009. 2008 global winner Wiggly Wigglers, a rural, England-based natural gardening company, was awarded for its innovation and leadership in social media. Using tools like Facebook, podcasting and blogging, Wiggly Wigglers has grown to serve 90,000 customers worldwide while cutting their advertising budget by 80 percent.

This year’s finalists represent diverse industries, size and revenues, ranging from an emergency response planner for schools to a tube-bending/machining company, from four employees to 55, and revenues up to $80M. The 2009 Dell Small Business Excellence Award finalists include:

Canadian Top 10 Finalists

·RIGHTSLEEVE, Toronto, Ontario, is a promotional design agency that uses creative design, promotional products and technology to deliver marketing results for its clients. Through its internally developed open source customer/vendor relationship management and employee collaboration system, the agency benefits from real-time feedback and input from internal and external stakeholders.

·Britec Computer Systems, Calgary, Alberta, is a multi-disciplinary technology solutions provider specializing in design, implementation, operation, and administration of corporate computing environments in Canada. Britec uses customer relationship and project management tools to enhance productivity and also has a virtual infrastructure that allows for business mobility and faster customer service.

·Canadian Institute for the Relief of Pain and Disability (CIRPD), Vancouver, British Columbia, mission is the prevention and reduction of pain, pain-related suffering, and disability by creating and disseminating evidence-informed best practices through technology-enabled collaborations and partnerships.

·Hour-Zero Crisis Consulting Ltd., Edmonton, Alberta, specializes in K-12 school emergency preparedness. Powered by a robust web-based application, which features interactive mapping, online training, critical data management, pandemic planning and first responder access, the organization helps school districts develop, operationalize and maintain their plans quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively.

·Jolera Inc., Toronto, Ontario, is a global provider of IT solutions with a key focus on the not-for-profit sector. Jolera’s suite of services includes: 24/7 technical support, onsite service personnel, network migrations and deployments, sharepoint and .net development, as well as disaster recovery planning/implementation. Jolera utilizes various technology applications to enable data management, employee training, client documentation, internal workflow, employee collaboration and task management.

·Nisha Technologies Inc., Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's fastest growing aboriginal suppliers of professional services and enterprise products. The company’s robust IT infrastructure enables it to manage its telecommunications systems and client interactions to deliver better customer service in a cost-effective manner.

·Race Headquarters, Coquitlam, British Columbia, specializes in processing sporting events’ timing and results using technology tools that record participants running times for over 120 events throughout Western Canada. By keeping its website regularly updated with event statistics and results, the organization enables its clients and event participants to access relevant information and resources.

·RITZ Machine Works Inc., Dauphin, Manitoba, is a tube-bending/machining company in rural Manitoba that produces components for original equipment manufacturing customers in Canada and the United States. The company deployed computerized hi-tech machines to measure and bend tubes for higher precision and speed, and also uses advanced handprint technology to efficiently manage employees’ work-hours and payroll systems.

·SAFEC Inc., Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Support and Financing for Entrepreneurs in Canada was created to provide those wishing to develop or establish a business in Canada with the assistance and support needed to achieve their most daring projects. Powered by a unique web-based search tool, this organization provides crucial and specific information to help entrepreneurs accomplish their business goals.

·Wildplay Ltd., Victoria, British Columbia, is an adventure recreation company that brings wilderness playgrounds to urban areas. To improve guest experience, streamline reservation processes and simplify sales, Wildplay developed its own Reservation and Point of Sale System to meet its specific business needs and improve customer experience.


Global 2009 Small Business Excellence Award Value

·$50,000 in technology and services from Dell;
·Featured in an entrepreneurs summit;
·Lifetime membership to the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), and
·Engagement with Endeavor’s network of business leaders and high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets worldwide.

2009 Dell Canada Small Business Excellence Award Value

· $25,000 in Dell products and services;
· Day of best-practice sharing with Dell executives, including Chairman and CEO Michael Dell
Quotes:
· “Technology is a tangible enabler for small and medium enterprises, and this year’s top 10 finalists are shining examples of businesses benefiting from smart IT investments,” said Kevin Peesker, vice president and general manager, Small and Medium Business, Dell Canada. “From enhancing customer experience to boosting productivity and collaboration within the organization, these small businesses are leveraging technology to achieve fast-paced growth and success.”

Links to Additional Information:
· www.dell.ca/ceaward
· Direct2Dell/smallbusiness post
· Video with Michael Mattalo, 2008 Canadian winner and president of Fifth P Solutions
·Video with Heather Gorringe, 2008 global winner and founder of Wiggly Wigglers

About RIGHTSLEEVE
RIGHTSLEEVE is a promotional design agency. Utilizing a unique mix of design, technology and promotional media, RIGHTSLEEVE develops merchandise programs for brand leading corporations. RIGHTSLEEVE has used technology in every aspect of its business model, from how clients interact with the company (http://www.rightsleeve.com/ and social media) to how employees process orders and collaborate with one another. RIGHTSLEEVE's technology strategy has allowed the company to scale, enhance margins as well as provide a point of differentiation in a crowded marketplace.

About Endeavor
Endeavor breaks down barriers that prevent emerging-market entrepreneurs from reaching their high-impact potential. Hailed by NYT columnist Thomas Friedman as the "mentor capitalist" model, Endeavor identifies entrepreneurs leading high-growth innovative companies in emerging markets. These entrepreneurs are given world-class strategic advice, access to key networks and other tools that will catapult them to success. With Endeavor's guidance they become “high-impact” – expanding employment, generating wealth and inspiring others to innovate. Often overlooked, these local entrepreneurs are now jumpstarting private sector development in their countries. For more information, visit http://www.endeavor.org/

About ICSB
Founded in 1955, the ICSB is the premier global membership organization to promote the growth and development of small businesses worldwide. With over 2,000 members from over 70 countries, the ICSB brings together educators, researchers, policy makers and practitioners to share knowledge and experience in their respective fields. ICSB promotes the development of knowledge in all areas of business theory and practice and is particularly focused on strategies and policies proven to be effective in sustaining small businesses and entrepreneurship. For more information, visit http://www.icsb.org/

About Dell
As the visionary outcome of a true entrepreneur, Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) is committed to helping small and medium businesses solve their technology challenges, ease business pain points and draw greater value from IT. With ProManage-Managed Services, Optiplex desktops, Latitude laptops, the designed-for-small business Vostro line, energy-efficient PowerEdge servers and Small and Medium Business Solutions Center, Dell is here to support entrepreneurs every step of the way.

Contact Information/Media Contacts

Akshata Kalyanpur

GCI Group

(416) 486-5911

akshata.kalyanpur@gcicanada.com

Mark Graham
RIGHTSLEEVE
416-924-8181 x220
mg [at] rightsleeve.com

Official Dell Press Release, click here

The power of real time feedback

A few months ago, we developed an online feedback tool that we send out to customers once we have shipped their orders. An example of this can be seen here.

The results are ultimately listed on the product pages, our customer review section, and sorted by client. The concept is hardly revolutionary, but we have been amazed at how customer feedback has transformed the way we approach the business.

Here is an example:

A few weeks ago, we produced an order of blankets for a customer's executive retreat. The blankets were reasonably well received, but the client had a concern about the embroidery backing on the opposite side of the blanket (90% of the time, embroidery requires a backing called pellon to hold the stitches in place). They posted a comment to this effect on our site. While the blankets were embroidered properly, there are two ways we could have done this: (i) with a backing or (ii) without a backing if one uses a tearaway material. We chose to embroider with the traditional backing, but realized quickly that we had made an error after reading the customer's comments.

The client posted the comment 48 hrs before their event. When we received notification of the concern, we were able to react quickly by looking at the tearaway option. We produced the re-run of blankets within 24 hrs and were able to overnight ship the goods to the location of the retreat. All in time for the event.

The concept of feedback is not new. However, what was different in this case is we were able to provide the customer with an easy forum with which to express their views.

By giving the customer a platform, we are able to keep on top of any issues that may arise. This has allowed us to pull certain products if we receive consistently negative feedback. On the flip side, it allows us to stock up the winning styles when the positive reviews come in. Most importantly, it gives us the chance quickly turn a mediocre client experience into a highly positive one.

Honest feedback also influences the purchase decisions of other customers who visit the site. While our product universe is vast and our knowledge of the products is deep, nothing complements this more effectively than an honest customer review.

Delight

I saw Once the other day.

It's the story of a down and out street busker who meets a fellow musician in Dublin. It's an unlikely tale of how these two come together for a week and make incredible music.

It's a delightful tale as the power of their musical chemistry is so unexpected.

One of the best scenes in the movie is when they show up at the studio to record a few songs. The producer-for-hire looks dismissively at them when they are starting up ("who is this motley crew?"). It takes about a minute into the song for him to start paying attention and by the end he's sold. This is a fabulous scene.

In many ways, I draw parallels between the producer and customers. Customers want, but don't necessarily expect, to be delighted. I say this as the bar in business is often set at mediocre, making truly delightful experiences rare at best.

In business, delighting people (employees, customers, vendors, etc) should be the name of the game. It's actually pretty rare these days which is why when one is truly delighted, they seldom forget about it. It's always the little things that go a long way when it comes to delighting people (in our case, we make this a priority with an easy to navigate site, real time reviews, engaging staff, the ability to make people smile).

I was genuinely delighted by Once, and I loved how this scene in particular reinforced how nice it is to be taken by surprise.

$75,000 raised for Special Olympics!

On May 23, the RIGHTSLEEVE Raiders participated in a day long fundraiser called Marathon of Sport. All funds raised at the event were donated to Canadian Special Olympics. Throughout the day, we competed alongside Special Olympians in Ultimate Frisbee, Flag Football, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball and Floor Hockey.

Over the course of the day, all 18 teams collectively raised $75,000 for Special Olympics. We came in 4th place with a total of $6,132 raised.

Marathon of Sport is organized by motionball. motionball's mandate is to introduce the next generation of donors, volunteers and sponsors to the Special Olympics movement through integrated social and sporting events. Since inception in 2002, motionball has raised over $1,000,000 for Canadian Special Olympics.

Software is a curated collection of ideas, benefits and features

I credit Jason Fried, of 37 Signals fame, for this clever statement on software development.

I really enjoyed Jason's presentation at the 2008 Web 2.0 Expo as he hit upon several of the issues we face at RIGHTSLEEVE as we roll out various web software features internally and externally.

 

One of the biggest challenges we face is feature creep and the desire to include every little request we get from our clients to improve a component of the merchandise store technology we provide.

This also impacts our internal development as it relates to our CRM/VRM engine that powers our business. After years of design, it's often the simple features that stick, while the complex features die a quiet death. For example, we developed a Facebook style news feed to highlight the important selling and production activities in our company - I am not sure where we would be without it. Ironically, this feature was an afterthought.

We have a graveyard of nifty features that made sense in theory, but never worked in reality.

Having said this, software development is a process of trial and error .... and signal vs noise. Without the noise (ie. the attempts, brainstorm sessions, blue sky ideas) there would be no signals (ie. the simple "Aha" features that just work). It's improving the ratio between the hits and misses that's key.

As Fried says, it's our job to be the curator by collecting the best ideas while sifting out the rest.

Swag 2.0 product launch

Swag 2.0 was a great success yesterday. We had close to 200 people attend the product launch - thank you very much to those that were able to make the event (and for those who were not able to make it, you were missed and we look forward to seeing you in 2010)!

We have some great pictures of the event that are now hot off the press.

A number of people were also asking for a link to the product specials we had on display at Swag 2.0. Here they are

Thank you for your continued support.

The RIGHTSLEEVE team

Trust

We recently launched a campaign focused on the single most important asset we have at RIGHTSLEEVE - our clients' trust in us.

We wanted to keep it short and sweet by letting the images do the talking.

To all of our trusted clients - thank you. We look forward to many more years of working with you.

Susur's challenge with Shang - the curse of being in the middle

Prodigal son Susur Lee has returned home to Toronto from April 1-15 to offer Torontonians his 5 course tasting menu imported from his new NYC restaurant, Shang.

We went last night as we were eager to taste Susur's latest delicacies. It was okay.

Don't get me wrong - the dinner was superb. For $60/person, we had a 5 course tasting menu consisting of skirt steak, shrimp, hamache, tofu and molten chocolate cake. With a bottle of wine, we were around $200/couple tax and tip included.

But here's the challenge: Susur is a culinary genius. He is famous for exceedingly complex dishes and his former restaurant in Toronto, Susur, was near perfect according to most food critics in Toronto and beyond. It was also an expensive restaurant, hovering around $400/couple.

A few years ago, sensing demand for a less expensive alternative to Susur, he opened a lower end restaurant called Lee right next door to appeal to people who wanted Susur at a fraction of the cost. An average tab at Lee is $125/couple. Lee has been a great success as it occupies a good spot in the market - interesting food by a top chef with cheaper ingredients at a reasonable price.

Susur had done a masterful job at offering a product for two very different markets.

So what happened with Shang?

This is the issue I have with Shang (or at least Shang imported to Toronto for 2 weeks). The food was great, but I was not blown away and when I am paying $200/couple I am expecting to be wowed. The molten chocolate cake, for instance, was fantastic but I can get molten chocolate cake at 75% of Toronto's restaurants. I left wishing I had paid $400 and got the real Susur Lee experience, not the middle Susur option.

I think this is Shang's challenge and likely explains why his restaurant in NYC has met with average reviews - he's in the middle. NYC, even more so than Toronto, can accommodate a handful of wildy expensive restaurants run by top chefs. Furthermore, the people that Susur used to cater to in Toronto exist in droves in NYC - diners who will happily pay upwards to $500/couple for a stunning meal. Not many chefs are able to deliver outstanding masterpieces at any price, but Susur is most certainly one of them.

This is why I left scratching my head last night. Susur is at the top of his game and Shang was no more than 3.75/5. This is a chef who can do almost anything he wants. If his creations must cost $400-500/couple on account of top quality ingredients and complicated prep techniques, then he has the credentials to pull it off. By opening up a $200/couple restaurant, he's in the middle market in NYC and I wonder whether this prevents him from delivering the world class food he once did at Susur.

To make matters worse, I suspect that most wealthy diners would rather skip an above average $200/couple meal for a stunning $400/couple meal at a place like Nobu.

In my view, this is the curse of being in the middle - not cheap enough to attract diners looking for great food at a reasonable price (this would explain The Spotted Pig's success in NYC) or expensive enough to attract the high end diners looking for an extraordinary culinary experience (like Eisenginn Farm in Collingwood or the French Laundry in Napa).

I hope that Shang can find its place, but I suspect it will only come by differentiating itself through extraordinary food. Perhaps that means a return to the old Susur.