In a previous post we mentioned that when we started this journey, we didn’t have a spelled out plan for reaching our target market. One of the main reasons for this is that we wanted to stay flexible so we could learn and adjust as we grow. Also by nature we are “generalists”, we like to do a little bit of everything and not just specialize in one small specific area. Although we do have some specific strengths, we didn’t only want to focus on or offer just those services alone because we wanted to be able to learn exactly what other small businesses in the area need and then do what it takes to provide that to them.

In the 6 short months that we’ve been in business we’ve found that some of the initial assumptions we made about the needs in our area were wrong. So staying flexible has really helped us out. A couple of unexpected things we’ve learned so far:

Many other businesses are not looking for custom web development, but are looking for someone to help them maintain their existing websites that are already being hosted by a third party company like Squarespace or WordPress. Although initially we were not experts in these platforms, understanding web development has made it easy to learn how these systems work. Additionally many of these platforms have a way for us to override their generic template layouts with custom web development which allows us to accomplish things that our clients would not have been able to do.

The need/demand for iPhone Applications has turned out to be much higher than expected. When we started the company we listed iPhone App Development as one of our services mainly because it’s something David enjoys doing, but with the thought that most businesses don’t really need them nor did we feel it would be cost effective for them to pay to have a custom app built. However, businesses are finding all kinds of uses for apps that are more tool based to be used internally by their employees or vendors of their products instead of an end customer. These types of tools can be very valuable to a company and greatly impact their success.

In light of these things, we’re adjusting our thought processes and strengthening our skills in these areas that are proving to have a higher demand. So to sum it up, by staying flexible we’ve been able to learn more about what’s needed by our clients and potential clients, and adjust to that so we can provide the best service possible. Although we feel it’s important to have a plan of some sort, we feel it’s just as important to stay flexible and learn as you go.

6 months and still growing! :)