So I came across an old, un-updated blog the other day… my own. These last few months we have been absolutely buried with client projects to the point that our own communications initiatives have gone largely neglected. Not that I’m complaining mind you.

Anyway, starting today I promise to be back blogging on a regular basis. “Sure,” you say. “That’s what every amateur blogger says just before their domain expires.” Well, our domain is just fine thank you and with the prospect of a new year looming, it’s hard to make the case that we should manage someone’s communications when we’re not managing our own.

So what have we been working on? Several exciting projects, actually:

• Organized 6 events in 30 hours for a non-profit client in Washington
• Managed a dinner for 80 a week later for the same group
• Launched 3 new websites, including an nice platform for the Beauprez for Governor campaign that will be the foundation of a very aggressive online outreach/ grassroots effort
• Managed the development of an online database of federal grants for a national trade association

….among other things. So now those projects are winding down and we’re reassessing priorities. Hope you’ll check back soon, as updating The View from Flat Creek is on the short list!

Since Flat Creek Management is supposed to enable small business owners with added flexibility, we are taking some time this week to enjoy beautiful Colorado and relax a little ourselves. Colorado is a state tailor-made for our outsourcing services, with their reliance on small businesses and high tech. If you are a Colorado small business looking to outsource your marketing, IT, HR, finance or other office management tasks, contact me and maybe we can touch base in LoDo or down in the Tech Center.

After a month-long hiatus while we tried to work out an issue with Google, we now are experimenting with different blogging platforms to be able to offer you updated information here on our blog as well as know for ourselves which solution is most likely to work best for you. The View from Flat Creek has always been maintained through Google’s Blogger product but then it decided to stop updating to our servers. So now we are working with TypePad, the industry leader for blogging solutions. Being the leader of course means it’s a bit pricey, but we’re looking at other options as well and will keep you posted. If you have any issues accessing the blog, please let us know.

So without further ado, welcome back!

Welcome to Flat Creek! I hope you find this an informative resource for thoughts and trends regarding business operations management. My company, Flat Creek Management, provides a range of operations services for small businesses in the Washington, DC metro area. Along the way, we have found some great products and vendors to help our clients do their jobs better and worry less about the administrative tasks that so often bog us down.

How do you define operations management for service firms? Sure, product development people know operations management inside and out, but in terms of service firms - small service firms - what is it? We believe it’s a lot like outsourcing, but more hands-on. For instance, a small law firm might be blessed with some terrific talent, but they spend too much time trying to get the computers to work, or the copier to work, or they really need some new office space, or the Web site hasn’t been updated in years… you get the picture. What we do is go in and talk with them, learn about their business, and then take care of those problems. We contract with a copy repair shop, or even find them a new copier that’s more reliable. We pull in IT and networking people to make sure they have the technology in place to help them handle cases and clients more effectively. We research new office spaces and negotiate their lease, help them pick out new office furniture, pack and move their belongings, and get them all set up in their new space. We bring in Web designers and developers (there is a difference - more on that later) and give them a Web site that not only brings in new business but also serves their existing clients.

So operations management is a lot of things to a lot of different people. Our goal is to bring together the many vendors and contractors and businesses who provide these services, and then pool the best resources available to make their lives easier.

Enjoy the blog, feel free to comment, contribute, agree, or disagree. We look forward to sharing the view from Flat Creek!

Best,
Allen

Allen Fuller
President
Flat Creek Management