Ricky’s Online Business Blog

Recently a customer wants to find someone to maintain his web site using a content management system (CMS). It’s a simple, non-technical, long-term part-time job.

I contacted a freelancer friend and he promised to to contact the customer to meet up. Two weeks later, he had not yet called and told me he lost the customer’s number.

I gave him the number again and expected him to call soon. Still, weeks later until now, when the customer complained me that my friend has never called him!

This little incident reminds me of being faithful at work. That is being a good steward of whatever given to me to produce results.

I have been given talents, skills, expertise, time, opportunities, some capital, networks of customers and other valuable resources. I should not squandered these resources away but use them for the benefit of others.

Even if I’m not very talented and I have only very few resources. But if I could remain faithful and still make good use of them, I can slowly expand my circle of influence. Then I will be given more resources.

But if I don’t make good use of them, even these resources could be taken away.

So when I am called to serve, like this friend being given an opportunity, I should serve faithfully. Then I know I will be given more opportunities to serve.

Do you think I will still recommend this friend again for freelance work? I don’t think so.  He has wasted his opportunity.

As for me, I never followed up after passing the case to my friend. I have not been a good steward of his trust extended to me. Will he entrust me again for anything?

Consider this real life case. What do you think the web designer should do? Should he fix the code?

I got a new customer recently who chose to host with me. They have a web site which was done up by a web designer, who charged them over RM10,000.

Recently we found out there is some error in the web site code, that some functions are not working properly. The customer asked the designer to fix it. He refused. He said he had already “signed off” the project and passed on the whole web site back to the customer.

Will he fix it? Yes, he agrees to fix it but only with extra payment. I tried to talk to him on behalf of the customer, to no avail

I don’t know about others. But I guess he should fix the error, since it originates from his work.

Yes he is right that when he signed off the project, the customer approved his work. But they are not technical people. They do not know how to test out every page and every script on the web site to find out whether it’s working or not. They don’t know they have overlooked anything or not.

If I were this designer, I would first check why the error exists and whether it comes from my work. If yes, I would fix it without any charge.

What do you think? Should the designer fix the error?

Now, if there is such a thing as “unlimited space” for your web and email hosting, would you be interested?

You no longer need to worry about having not enough space, incoming emails being bounced back to senders, email service being blocked because of mailbox quota issue etc.

Hosting services are normally sold in terms of hosting space. The more space you buy, the more you need to pay. Space is the main determinant in hosting price.

But what if there is such a hosting service where “space” is no longer a concern? You can add any number of web pages, images, videos, scripts, Flash animations to your web site and run them fine!

Look at Gmail. Although the service is still limited by space, have you heard anyone’s Gmail mailbox being full?

But frankly, there is no such thing as “unlimited hosting space” on a single server. There is always a limit of space in hardware.

Well, unless you can show us where in the market we can get a hard disk with “infinity” space

So you need to be careful if anyone claims to offer you “unlimited hosting space”. There is simply no such thing!

But what if there is a virtually “unlimited” hosting service that you no longer need to be worried of running out of space any more?

You just need to buy a normal hosting package, and say goodbye to all space problems!

Let’s say we start first at 5GB, when your space usage is over half of it, your server will automatically add another 5GB for you.

Again, when your usage is over half of 10GB, another 5GB will be allocated for you automatically. And it goes on and on!

No more space problem…

What do you think of this idea? Will it be a new kind of hosting service?

The first Malaysian Entrepreneur Challenge 2008 is coming!

It is organized by KL Monorail and Brandbuilding.com.my, and sponsored by NTV7, JobStreet and many others. It will be held from 22nd to 24th August 2008 at KL Monorail’s 11 stations along the Golden Triangle area in Kuala Lumpur.

In the competition, the participating teams plan, strategize and sell a range of products to the daily KL Monorail commuters of over 60,000 people.

Winning teams are determined based on net profits earned. Prizes worth more than RM100,000 await the winning teams and include:

• Various free workshops and intensive courses on marketing and entrepreneurship
• Job opportunities in the most established companies provided by JobStreet
• Challenge trophy
• Sumptuous 5-star hotel dinner
• PhotoBook package by Kodak
• Monorail season travel ticket package
• Exposure on TV, radio, Internet and other media
• And many others!

Free workshops are also provided for participating teams to groom you into a successful marketeer and entrepreneur!

All profits earned are given to charity. What you do goes a long way towards helping the disabled people in the Beautiful Gate Foundation. This is yet another reason to join!

Visit http://www.thechallenge.com.my for more information.