How NOT to run a Business in the Digital Age

There I was, a seasoned business professional, ready to contact with a European company for a possible partnership. Little did I know I was about to enter the twilight zone of corporate incompetence. There are many things that make me angry, but nothing makes me more angry than dealing with incompetent professionals.

So, there I am, clicking away on their swanky website, filling out their contact form like a good little potential partner. And what do I get for my troubles? An error message. Fantastic. But fear not! I spot an email address – surely, this will be my salvation. I craft a beautifully worded email, hit send, and… it bounces back the next day. At this point, I’m half expecting a carrier pigeon to show up at my window with a scroll tied to its leg.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 21st century, where artificial intelligence is at our fingertips, but apparently, the concept of a functioning contact form is still too avant-garde for some companies out there. And this isn’t a small shop we’re talking about. This is a supposedly solid, global company.

I’m pretty sure their entire tech stack consists of a Rolodex, a rotary phone, and a kaleidoscope for data visualization.😂

(*) Click here if you don’t know what a Rolodex is 

But wait, there’s more! Frequently in my journey through the business world, I encounter companies that instead of registering a f#ck#g domain, use @gmail.com and @hotmail as their main email addresses. Nothing screams “take me seriously as a professional entity” quite like an email address that could belong to a 13-year-old’s Minecraft account, am I right?

If you’re a business owner and professionally use such email addresses: Shame on you!

Now, let’s get one thing straight: An email is not a system. A WhatsApp number is not a system. That crumpled napkin you scribbled client details on last night at the bar? Definitely not a system. And for the love of all that is holy, the chaotic void you call your brain is most certainly not a system!

Starting a business without well-defined systems is like trying to build a house with nothing but a shovel and good intentions. You’ll end up with a mess, a headache and your life is going to be miserable. These system-less businesses are easy to spot: the owner is running around like a headless chicken, micromanaging everything because they trust their employees about as far as they can throw them (which, given their stress levels, isn’t very far). They’re disorganized, leave things pending, and their idea of after-sales service is changing their phone number and moving to a remote island.

What the hack is going on folks? You’re not the government that can spent resources as there’s no tomorrow. You have to be profitable, and nonetheless there are competitors out there. The ocean of business is full of sharks.

But fear not, my fellow business enthusiasts! There is hope on the horizon. We live in the age of SaaS – Software as a Service, dah. It’s like having a team of super-efficient robots at your disposal. Many of these tools offer free versions to start with. You’ve got CRMs to manage your prospects and customers, one of my favourite free tool is AgileCRM and service management tools to handle those pesky post-sale issues, and one of my favourite tool is Freshdesk.

For a few bucks a month, you can transform your business from a chaotic nightmare into a well-oiled machine (at least I hope so). It’s like going from the Flintstones to the Jetsons, but without the flying cars (yet).

So, my dear readers, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and drag our businesses kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Let’s bid farewell to the dark ages of disorganization and embrace the bright, shiny future of efficiency and professionalism.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to see if that company has finally discovered the revolutionary technology of… wait for it… the telephone.

Wish me luck!