About Ron Franke's Thoughts and Ideas

Who is Ron Franke?

In many respects I'm a prototypical business owner. I have the same problems, successes, and failures as any other business owner. Where I differ, I believe, and where this difference may have value to you is that I enjoy thinking about the business process, environment, and social interactions and try and come up with ways to be better at doing business.

I don't claim to be a guru, expert, or thought leader - anyone with a blog, twitter, or facebook account can make those claims. I believe that I have some interesting ideas and perspectives that from time to time may be of benefit to you.

After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, I began my career in the technology industry as a software developer, and have been a software architect, project manager, and Director of Engineering. I've also spent a fair amount of time as a product marketing manager and Director of Marketing. At various times I've worked on software process and quality improvements, including total quality management and ISO 9001 which focus on bringing best practices into an organization.

From that experience base, I went out on my own in 2000 to develop software solutions that would enable an organization to work smarter, faster, and at a higher level of productivity. Solutions that would enable a workforce to collaborate more effectively using the most current and accurate information while eliminating information gatekeepers. In 2004 my company Work Informed® Inc. released its first version of the web-based business tool we call Insight. This product solves the problems experienced by organizations managing a dynamic and mobile workforce. In 2009 we released Ceboa® which is tailored for the needs of small offices, sole practitioners, and independent professionals. It simplifies the management of business expenses, invoices, and client accounts, reduces operating costs, and improves the recovery of billable expenses, and provides the flexibility of managing a small business anytime from anywhere. In 2011 we released Adjyle™ which is a suite of web-based business tools for more effective on-line marketing, advertising, and sales promotion of business, products, and services.

My attention always comes back to process. To looking at the way something is done and trying to find a simpler and more effective way to do that. Sometimes it involves a different way to think about they way we work, or the way we approach work. Sometimes it's employing a new process.

My primary focus in the "Thoughts and Ideas" articles is to explore ways that the sole practitioner and small office can be more effective in providing their product or service. While my primary focus is on business I will, from time to time, stray to the topic of smarter and more effective government and other social topics where these topics have an impact on business.

You may be asking why this site is specific to me and not part of Work Informed®, Inc., Ceboa®, or Adjyle™. It was originally part of the Ceboa® site as a blog. I decided to separate my thoughts and ideas from the business site since I may in my musing touch on topics that, while related to business, may not be of value to Ceboa® users. Some of the Thoughts and Ideas do, however, flow back into the Ceboa® and Adjyle™ Learning Centers and are available there.

Who is the Target Audiance for Ron Franke's Thoughts and Ideas?

The primary audience is an independent business professional with the purpose of giving business professionals ideas, techniques, and resources that will make them more more efficient and effective in their business.

What is an Independent Business Professional?

You are a business professional that takes charge and thinks for yourself. You don't merely follow direction but define your practice, your services, and your work products. You are smart, knowledgeable, mobile, independent, and goal oriented. Whether you own your business or not, you have definite ideas on how to manage a business and how to conduct business with customers. You know how to work effectively with peers and others to accomplish the task at hand. As a business professional you have a skill and provide a service to your customers. While the skills and services of business professionals may vary broadly, such as an attorney, construction sub-contractor, real estate agent, designer, consultant, and cabinet maker, you have a common thread of independence, desire to run things your way, and desire to be successful in business.

You are constantly exploring ways to improve your effectiveness and success. You seek out and take advantage of educational and other business resources that can give you ideas that lead to business success. You understand and use technology, even though you may not be enamored with technology in itself; because, you know that technology makes you more effective and makes your business more efficient. Your business is run to be nimble and flexible, and you seek new ways to be more productive and cost efficient.

You take charge of your business and direction, and, likely own your own business, or plan to start your own business. You struck out on your own because you wanted to run your business your way. A major factor in your forming your own business or desire to do so is that you want to establish better business practices and create more effective client relationships. You have a strong desire to provide value-added services for your clients that you couldn't do working for some other company.

If your self image fits this definition of an independent business professional, then this blog site is intended for you. As stated above, the purpose is to give you ideas, techniques, and resources that will make you more efficient and effective in your business.

These articles are oriented around the notion of ideas for you to consider in your business. These ideas may be self generated, or they may reference some other source of information. The business ideas generally fall into one of the following categories:

Administration Branding Creativity Customers

Efficiency Legal Issues Marketing Marketing Analysis

Personal Products Services Web Site

I am always looking for new ideas and alternate perspectives, so feel free to contact me as you see fit. I've found over the years that these ideas have helped numerous businesses and business professionals, as well as improved our own business. Hopefully, they will be of value to you.

Ron Franke