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In business, be a gentleman

I'm the father of three children, two of whom are boys. Our kids are still young, but as they continue to grow, my role in their life changes. When they were really little, I was simply, for all intents and purposes, a provider and protector. Nowadays, especially for our soon-to-be six year old son, I'm also their example of what it means to be a man.

May 16, 2012 by Geof Harries in Business

Cash flow lessons learned in five years of running a small agency

Cash flow is at the heart of an agency like ours. If cash flow is positive, the ride is smoother; we can take care of bills, pay employees, buy stuff and put money away. If cash flow is on a down-swing, the business struggles. In five years of running Subvert, we've learned some vital lessons about the proper management of cash flow.

April 9, 2012 by Geof Harries in Business

Making for happier customers

On our company page of this website, we talk briefly about the culture of Subvert. From listening to other people's opinions to charity donations and outsourcing tasks to delivering both speed and quality, we have a number of core beliefs that keep us on track. Something that I've been thinking about as of late is how we can make people, that is, our customers, happy.

January 11, 2012 by Geof Harries in Business 4 comments

Five years

The end of 2011 means that the fifth anniversary of Subvert is on the horizon. It's hard to believe that this company is already almost half a decade old. What started as a part-time "hobby" in our spare bedroom has grown into a full-time business that employs two staff and is soon to be supporting another person.

December 31, 2011 by Geof Harries in Business 6 comments

Risky business

Starting and successfully running a business is dangerous. A commonly referenced statistic is that 30% of businesses will fail before two years and 50% will close their doors before the fifth anniversary.

April 8, 2011 by Geof Harries in Business 2 comments

Spend it on service

All too often, organizations spend money on communicating what they do rather than invest that money into improving how they do it.

March 18, 2011 by Geof Harries in Business

The agency dashboard

Running an agency like ours is similar to managing any other sort of small business. Having accurate, up-to-date information at your fingertips allows you to make smart decisions and be aware of what’s coming in, what’s heading out and what’s in progress. This is the type of information that could be handled through an agency dashboard. Too bad nothing like it exists.

January 26, 2011 by Geof Harries in Business 3 comments

What we learned about putting on a technology conference

Earlier this week, the non-profit group of which I am President, YITIS (Yukon Information Technology Industry Society) held a one-day tech conference in Whitehorse. Following are some of the lessons we learned and a couple of tips that will hopefully be of help to those who are thinking about doing something similar themselves.

January 21, 2011 by Geof Harries in Business 2 comments

2010: A year in review

With the end of 2010 only a few days away, I've been thinking about what we've accomplished and where we're headed in 2011.

December 28, 2010 by Geof Harries in Business 1 comment

Yukon campground reservation service

After yet another fruitless night of driving up and down our highways, searching desperately for any public campground with open spots, I believe it's time for Department of Environment to invest in an Internet-based reservation system.

July 1, 2010 by Geof Harries in Business 5 comments

Yukono: The birth and life of an idea

Yukono has been growing by leaps and bounds. What makes us proudest, though, is to see people using the website as we always intended it: a means of conversation.

June 8, 2010 by Geof Harries in Business 2 comments

It’s time for an open source, global social network

New social networks launch every day, most with the same basic two features. Lately, though, I've started to wonder if a social network should aggressively pursue a greater purpose other than just simple revenue generation.

May 12, 2010 by Geof Harries in Business 8 comments

Our experiment in banner advertising

For the month of October, Subvert purchased and ran a banner advertisement on the locally-owned and operated website of Whitehorse Star.

October 30, 2009 by Geof Harries in Business 3 comments

How to create the ultimate RFP

I've read and responded to countless RFPs (Request for Proposal) over the years. A few were well-written, others led to a few chuckles and some were downright offensive.

July 14, 2009 by Geof Harries in Business 3 comments

Digital experience agencies are the future

When you're a small, one-person business, you go with what you know. The services you provide are typically a reflection of your personal skills and experience. For those who work in the digital marketing industry, that usually translates to building websites.

April 26, 2009 by Geof Harries in Business 1 comment

First year anniversary of Subvert Marketing Inc.

February 24, 2008 marked the first year anniversary of my little venture.

February 27, 2008 by Geof Harries in Business 4 comments