Tomorrow, Thursday, November 8 is the “official” 3rd birthday of my Internet consulting business Dunkirk Systems. Where I was already in business before this date, it marks the day I emerged from the bowels of the Cook County Office Building with my certificate stating my sole proprietorship is called Dunkirk Systems. Yes, it was a surreal moment where I felt like Jake and Elwood Blues!

I am inviting my friends, clients and readers of by blog The Hot Iron to join me in celebrating this. If you are in Chicago, please join me:

Date – TOMORROW, Thursday, November 8, 2007
Place – Gallery 37 Cafe, 66 East Randolph, Chicago
Time – 8 am to 9:30 am CT (note the cafe opens at 8 am)

And the coffee is on me! They offer other tasty treats if you wish to purchase them yourself, but I will be springing for the coffee, tea or whatever other beverage you prefer to start your day.

Please no cards or gifts. But if you insist, make a donation to the American Liver Foundation – Illinois Chapter.

See you then!

Announcements • Business • (9) Comments • Permalink

Diversions • (3) Comments • Permalink

While perusing the "catchall" folder on my PC, I found this photo - it is of me at the Green Festival in Chicago this past spring. At the booth for Co-Op America, they asked people to write down something they do for the environment and have their picture taken with it. I chose the first thing that came to mind, printing on both sides of a sheet of paper.

Seeing this photo caused me to digress a bit from my daily routine and write down other things I consciously do having a positive impact on the environment. As I scrawled them on my white board, categorized and entered them into my content management system, I realized what I had was a draft of the Dunkirk Systems Environmental Statement. As I am working on content for my Web site, this is a logical statement to add.

In the spirit of blogging, I decided to post the draft here and solicit input. Here goes...

Reduce

• Use PDF documents and digital signatures rather than paper for contracts, invoices, etc.
• Power off computers at night
• Use whiteboard instead of paper
• Use eFax.com, which delivers faxes as PDF documents, instead of a fax machine
• Purchased duplexing laser printer to print on 2 sides of paper
• Minimal inkjet printer use
• For printing draft documents, use low ink and toner settings
• Always carry a compact shopping bag or pack
• Decrease burning of CDs and use Flash or portable hard drives and FTP of Zip files
• If an in-person meeting is required, walk or take public transportation over taxi and driving

Reuse

• Reuse paper – print on both sides or use for scrap
• Reuse packaging – boxes, padded envelopes
• Use reusable UPS envelopes for overnight shipping

Recycle

• Shred all confidential or personalized documents and recycle
• Recycle all other paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, etc.
• Give read books to friends and colleagues
• Recycled dead UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to vendor for credit towards a new one
• Return ink cartridges to Staples for recycling (do not refill ink cartridges due to reliability issues)
• Donate unneeded items to Goodwill

Rebuy

• Buy recycled products
• Seek products with minimal packaging
• Seek out stores and vendors that sell environmentally-friendly products and share my passion for the environment

So what do you think? Did I leave out something obvious? Have a question on something there?

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Whenever one thinks of written word that has stood the test of time over the centuries, religious text or government laws may come to mind. Through the course of reading many of the books I have read and blogged about, I found references to one text in particular, The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, which intrigued me enough to read it myself. As much as the book itself was interesting was the fact it was published in 1532.

The Prince is written in the form of letters to a person who has newly become a prince. Additional reading of the time period when Machiavelli lived can help explain how princes and religious figures ruled Europe and especially his homeland of Italy. In this political treatise, he gives advice to a prince on how to rule and maintain his rule. As I read this short text, I began to see why many business books quote Machiavelli – many of his recommendations to political leaders almost 500 years ago hold true to business leaders today. His applicable advice is my take away from The Prince.

The one that rang truest to me was his recommendation of not using mercenary forces for the military and to build and maintain a military force of your own. This relates to today not only for the military but for business, namely in the hiring and development of a team of employees rather than working solely with contractors and consultants. His justifications included loyalty, and the fact that mercenaries are more concerned with getting paid than the work they do. Where this latter point is not always the case with hired help, having some “skin in the game” is a good motivator. As I am expanding my own operations, Machiavelli’s thinking is similar to my own.

Other advice from Machiavelli included seeking counsel from others while avoiding flattery but ultimately making the decision yourself, being decisive in your decision making, not seeking to be liked but to be respected and to takes sides in any battles.

If you pick up a copy you will find it has been translated into English from its native Italian and heavily annotated for the benefit of the reader. It is a short but powerful book, and you can glean a hint of sarcasm in Machiavelli’s approach to offering his advice. I recommend The Prince to any leader or would-be leader, as words of so long ago still ring true today.

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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Book Take-Aways • Diversions • (0) Comments • Permalink

Whenever I search for a particular domain name, I still cross my fingers hoping it is not already registered. If not, then I register it, whether it is for me or for my clients. If it is already registered, then several steps come into play, from monitoring the domain name for when (or more likely if) it becomes available to the search for alternative names. On occasion there is that certain domain name or names someone wants that is worthy of taking yet another step – trying to purchase it from the current registrar.

Salesforce.com, leader in hosted Web-based applications commonly referred to as “software as a service” did just that, and after a 4-year negotiation they acquired the domain name force.com for an undisclosed price. As Salesforce.com’s business has progressed and changed, the “sales” portion of the name is only a part of their overall offering. The name force.com was ideal, yet already owned by someone – Force Technology of California which was founded by Gordon Force. Not only was the company named “force” but so was the owner! Keeping those facts in mine doesn’t make it surprising it took the length of a presidential term to acquire it.

In an industry like the Internet where multiple seconds can be an eternity, such a wait could be considered not worth the effort. Many times, waiting that long is also not feasible, as the naming and branding of the business may not be able to wait. In such a case, business and life must go on and an alternate domain name or names must be selected. Continuing the pursuit of a domain name, however, is not out of the question.

“Everything is negotiable” is a phrase I remember from many of my college business courses. Though the length of those negotiations may go longer than one would hope, a successful outcome, as with Force.com, makes it all the more sweeter.

Business • Domain Names • (2) Comments • Permalink