Come for the Ride…

This rap about SEO is actually pretty good, and pretty comprehensive. I’m impressed.

After six hours of hard work (thanks Robert), our first dedicated server is now online!

Why did I decide to name my server Leela? Well, after seeing iStat Pro’s demo naming their computers after Futurama characters, the idea to give computers personalities stuck in my head. (I’m easily impressionable.)

In a way, it’s good because it creates an internal lingo. On the other hand, this will allow our emails to be a bit more cryptic when mentioning key servers in the event we’re compromised. (Yeah, I’m totally making that up from Gone in 60 Seconds.)

But why Leela? Well, Leela is a loner; but she is also a captain that can kick butt and handle all jobs without a hiccup, so I thought it was fitting. Now we just have to wait a few more days before we can transfer everything over and take on more traffic.

I received an email from MarketingProfs today that I just had to repost.  I think it hits on some key points that defines whether you are an entrepreneur/business person vs. a technician that is self employed.

Delegation - the key to growth

There are plenty of reasons not to delegate. Maybe you can complete a project more quickly than those working beneath you,  or you’re convinced you’ll achieve better results than your subordinates.

But do you take work home on a regular basis? Or are deadlines an issue?  Jane Schulte, author of Work Smart, Not Hard!, says these are sure signs it’s time to delegate, whether you like it or not.

Here are some of her pointers for successful delegation:

• Start small, then increase delegation as skills develop.
• Define clear goals, deadlines and criteria for success.
• Provide all the needed resources and information.
• Give your subordinate full authority over the project.
• Offer guidance and advice without interfering.
• Focus on results, not the process.

If the project is successful, credit the person who got the job done; if there are problems, Schulte advises shielding the responsible subordinate from blame. “Learn from the experience so you can delegate more effectively, provide more training or delegate the next project to a different person,” she says.

The Point from MarketingProfs: “Work should always be done by the lowest competent level,” says Schulte. Go down the  chain of command,  find the right person for the job,  give them the tools they need to succeed and refocus on the high-level issues that demand your expertise.

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As someone who is known at my last job for never being too shy to share the work load and the credit, the above points are dead on if you want to be a good manager.  Why do people insist on doing everything themselves anyway - don’t they trust their team?

Even though on the surface the used car site hasn’t changed much in the last week, we’re working pretty hard in the background revising code, making deals, challenging gladiators and adding more cars. All-in-all, I would say we’re about 2-3 weeks away from a real push in marketing so what better time than now to study techniques and make observations?

The first and probably one of the easier sites most web 2.0 startups go after is KillerStartups.com. The site overall has great design, an easy submission process and if approved, the team gives you a snappy review and something to think about. But the question is, does it drive traffic?

There are probably no straight answers to that question as I’ve seen a number of sites featured on KillerStartups that I could care less about. On the flip side, occasionally I do stumble upon a few that really pique my interest.

I went to Quantcast to see what kind of traffic KillerStartups get on a daily basis. I would love it if someone can double check my work and confirm what I’m seeing - but from what I can tell… KillerStartups gets more traffic in the latter part of the week (Thursdays and Fridays) vs. the middle of the week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) when traffic seems to dip; sometimes by as much as 4-7k users.

Would it do us more good if try to get our site featured during the latter part of the week vs. the middle? Is it even something that can be controlled or is it based solely on when their editors get to the submissions? If anyone has any experience - I would love to get some feedback.

There are an ungodly amount of resources out there that says when doing a startup, you should raise money from either friends, family or fools. For the 10 years I’ve been trying to execute that statement, I was only able to do it twice. Unfortunately the amounts I raised were too low to help reduce any risks and ultimately the startup didn’t really go anywhere.

No, this post does not have the silver bullet to the FFF problem. However, if you do have FFF’s that like your idea but are on the fence, we did find two services that may help you push em over the edge.

The first service we found is Virgin Money. Virgin Money draws up legal contracts that adds a business/legal element to loans between friends and family. For about $200, your fools can get some assurance that they will get money back based on the terms of the loan. Yes, with this service, you can’t just make up random empty promises - on the bright side, you also can’t make up ridiculous rates of return in certain states that forbids it.

The second service we just saw is another startup promoting social savings. Smarty Pig promotes savings and allows your friends and family to help you reach your goal. I would elaborate further but they already have an awesome video intro on their home page that explains the service; (something we should probably do for our web site.)

While we are unable to help you find new rich friends, hopefully the two services above will crack your existing rich and risky friends who like your current business idea. On the flip side, if you know anyone who has more money than sense and like cars, feel free to refer them our way! We could use the help!