Tag Archives: dockmaster software

Integrity: Making Promises and Keeping Them

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I like money back guaranties. As consumers when we read “no risk” or “money back guaranty” an ease comes over us as we contemplate a purchase. It creates a frictionless buying atmosphere.

According to Wikipedia, the money back guarantee was a major tool of early U.S. mail order sales pioneers in the United States such as Richard Sears and Powel Crosley Jr. to win the confidence of consumers.

As consumers we also know that a money back guaranty only has value if the retailer backs this promise. If the retailer sets up barriers (either intentionally or unintentionally) that make it difficult for consumers to get their money back, then the value of the guaranty is diminished. I am Ok with a time limit (e.g. 30-day Money Back Guaranty) as long as its communicated clearly to the consumer.

At DockMaster we recently posted a job for a .NET Software Developer. When reviewing the various job boards to post this opening we looked at CareerBuilder, Dice, Hotjobs and Monster. From what I could tell, none of these providers had a money back guaranty. Since I read www.joelonsoftware.com and was aware of their growing job board for programmers, we decided to give them a try. I have never done business with these guys, but the money back guaranty is what clinched the deal for me. Their policies are spelled out very clearly on their website.

Interestingly the post didn’t seem to work too well for us. Frustrated, I decided to “test” their money back guaranty. What follows is my e-mail exchange with a Fog Creek customer service rep.

>NAME: Cam Collins
>COMPANY: Exuma Technologies
>
>We posted the following job 19-days ago.
>
>http://jobs.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?5119.
>
>The resumes have been down right scary. Only two of the resumes were mildly qualified. Is our ad not compelling enough? Could it be the fact that top notch software developers don’t want to move to the technically challenged State of Florida. Joel’s post in Inc didn’t really help the good ole’ Sunshine State much :-). (Hey – Citrix and Gatoraid were invented here :).
>
>Maybe a refund isn’t really what we need. Instead, if we can’t seem to get good candidates down here maybe we should trade-in the ad fee for licenses of FogBugz. This way we can not only see what world-class software looks like, but we can improve internal efficiencies as well.
>
>Thanks for listening,
>
>Cam Collins
>CEO

Hi Cam:

Thanks for your email.  Well, I can’t say that you’re doing anything wrong that I can see; the ad has been viewed by just over a 1000 people.  And I just had a Gatorade this morning and it was delicious, so it can’t be Florida.

We could extend the job posting for you–that puts it at the top again and maybe you’ll get some traction.

As for trading in for FogBugz licenses, I can’t do that for bookkeeping reasons, but we can give you a refund on the job if the second effort doesn’t pan out.  Also, do you know about the Student and Startup Edition of FogBugz?  You can use it for free for up to 2 users.  Just go to Admin -> Your FogBugz On Demand Account and choose that option there once you’ve set up a trial.

Let me know if you would like to extend the job.

Regards,

Dan

The bottom line is that the ad hasn’t really worked for us. I probably will take them up on their offer to use FogBugz Start-up Edition for some of my personal stuff. Who knows we may roll this out at DockMaster (Exuma). Regardless, I remain a fan and that is precisely what they want!

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: What Is In It for You?

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We are barraged with news on a daily basis about the US government’s various bailout plans and other financial stimulus packages geared to get the economy moving again. I have spoken to a number of DockMaster customers that were applying for various state sponsored grants and loans. I was curious about what was being offered, so the first thing I looked at is the much talked about ARRA.

Through the Small Shipyard Grant, the ARRA provides $100 million in supplemental grants for small shipyards. A “small” shipyard is defined as a yard in one geographic location that does not have more than 1,200 employees. These funds are available until September 20, 2010. This program is administered by the Maritime Administration (MARAD). The rub is that this fund is currently closed for 2009. Over 500 applications were received, requesting over $1.25 billion in aid. MARAD will contact successful applicants by August 17, 2009.

Boating Infrastructure Grant Program

The next program I ran across was the Boating Infrastructure Grant Program (BIG). This program provides grant funds to construct, renovate, and maintain tie-up facilities with features for transient boaters in vessels 26 feet or more in length, and to produce and distribute information and educational materials about the program.
The BIG Program includes two funding tiers, Tier One (non-competitive) and Tier Two (nationally competitive). Under Tier One each state, the District of Columbia and insular areas may receive funding for eligible projects up to $100,000 annually. Tier Two funds are made available through a nationally competitive process.

Since the states effectively administer the Tier One funds, the best place to look for these programs is on your state’s official website (e.g. http://www.dbw.ca.gov/Funding/BIG.aspx). The governmental agency designated by each respective governor is eligible to participate in the BIG Program. The agency may partner with local governments, private marinas and others to fund eligible projects.

Tier Two proposals received are reviewed, evaluated and ranked by a national panel with the final decision for funding made by the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The ranking criteria, eligible projects and regulations are listed in 50 CFR 86. For more information go to: http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/BIG/BIG.htm

Small Business Administration: CDC/504

The Small Business Administration has a loan classification called the CDC/504 loan. This program is a long-term financing tool for economic development within a community. The 504 Program provides growing businesses with long-term, fixed-rate financing for major fixed assets, such as land and buildings. A Certified Development Company (CDC) is a nonprofit corporation set up to contribute to the economic development of its community. CDCs work with the SBA and private-sector lenders to provide financing to small businesses.  There are about 270 CDCs nationwide, with each covering a specific geographic area.

Typically, a 504 project includes a loan secured with a senior lien from a private-sector lender covering up to 50 percent of the project cost, a loan secured with a junior lien from the CDC (backed by a 100 percent SBA-guaranteed debenture) covering up to 40 percent of the cost, and a contribution of at least 10 percent equity from the small business being helped. For more information check out: http://www.sba.gov/services/financialassistance/sbaloantopics/cdc504/index.html