Beginnings

Beginnings are great times.

I had a meeting yesterday in which I introduced an old friend to a new acquaintance and managed to bring in some other new great contacts.

The subject was email encryption. I do a little bit of consulting about technology - but mostly in the area of user interface or in helping a firm to build a specification for the system they want. This does mean that I meet a few IT people and see some good software. Email encryption is the last great 'necessary' that has to be addressed. Almost no-one uses it because it is a real pain. Law firms have a regulatory duty to secure information they send - but they can get away with 'best endeavours' because dual key encryption is so confusing. The system offered by mKryptor uses no add-ins and no shared keys - and yet manages to offer instant, secure, communications to and from anyone. Superb.

A new colleague/acquaintance/friend had mentioned email encryption and I in turn mentioned the good people at mKryptor (see here). I set up a meeting for Simon and Beatrice to meet my new friend and was happy that the wonderful Paul Rodger from Bull Rodger (more details here) had come along. I've known Paul for a few years and he is a wonderful design/brand/marketing/communications guru (and I hasten to add that I haven't yet got round to getting him to re-design my own branding. Isn't that the way with old friends! So all the design mess you see here and on my website is my fault, not his). He is one of those people who can listen to you describe something and then offer a totally unique insight - and then find a way of describing your own USP in a brand and design. It's a special skill.

It was wonderful to see someone else 'get' mKryptor. That moment in which they suddenly understand the difference and what all the fuss is about. The moment in which they realise that this is all really rather special.

I hasten to add that I have no formal connection to either company - I just happen to think that email encryption is necessary and that mKryptor is, by far, the best way of doing it. I also think that Bull Rodger (who did all of mKryptor's design and branding - so have a look and be impressed) are the best at what they do.

This is the way of business amongst independent organisations - a loose network of expertise. Have a look  - I'm sure you will be impressed too.

Networking - Social, Virtual & Real

I've been thinking a lot about networking recently - if only because it has become such an important part of my life recently. Before I became self-employed, I worked either in organisations which did not need to do sales and marketing, or in firms with large marketing departments. I have realised that my own networking is probably the most important sales and marketing tool that I have available.

I have, therefore, been looking at the various alternatives. There are many books about "real" networking, and I can do little more that suggest that you find one of the many that you agree with and then get on with it. Being British, I have a natural dislike of professional networking, but have learnt to smile and get on with it.

Technology has brought us many more options. I am a member of LinkedIn and participate in forum discussions on that site. In general it seems as if it will be useful in the end, even if many members seem to use it for naked self-plugs rather than for sharing knowledge and information.

I've been looking at Twitter recently to see if I could find it's business potential. This story from the BBC demonstrates the dangers of getting it wrong. I can see what Habitiat were trying to do, but the story seems to demonstrate a company which is totally out of touch with the medium and the people who are likely to use it. Twitter may become a tool for large businesses - and, indeed, some of the cleverest ones may well be using it now without their use being too obvious - but at the moment it seems to me that it is essentially a personal social networking tool, and one appropriate for funky start-ups.

There are some specialist networking sites such as HubStreet which may be useful within their own specialisms, however I have yet to see any other technology for networking which will work in a business context. I look forward to hearing about others I have missed.