02 Dec 4
My favorite flavor, cherry red
Last month, the company at which I am employed, had its 10 year anniversary. As requested, I am going to write about the state of things, as I see them, for my company, technology, and digital art during these shaky economic times.
I’ve always been a fortunate person. I’m fully aware that even the toughest times I’ve had pale in comparison to the struggles some are forced to face. Right now, with the country knocked so far out of alignment, I can’t say I really feel any differently. Maybe it’s because of my geographical location. It’s certainly because of my job. I make a decent wage. I pay my bills with relative ease. I’m able to do this because Sioux Falls does appear to exist in an economic bubble. I’m not going to try to pretend I understand economics; numbers mostly make my brain shut down, but I will take a crack at it.
Every map or statistic I read tells me that Sioux Falls is at worse, “at risk” and at best, the #1 place to look for a new job (we’re always in the top 5). Can the economic bubble that exists, in primarily Midwestern states, be attributed to technology? Sure, partly. The great thing about living in South Dakota is that not a lot of people want to (especially now, it gets goddamn cold). That doesn’t mean any of those who choose to live here are any less-capable of performing tasks that people perform in cities. So what do we have? We have a lot of space which means we can pop up a house pretty easily for a generally low cost. Not a lot of demand, makes for not a lot of cost. Then we have people living here who can do jobs with a famous work ethic and use the ease of communication that technology provides to do work for people in cities that are sweating their mortgages. That sound right? It’s like outsourcing your jobs overseas without the language barrier. Only, we do charge a little more because we do speak English and we do need SUVs (how else would we haul the logs for our cabins?) All that silliness aside, one must also consider that, if companies in cities can’t afford to keep wheels in motion, then they will have no need for us. That’s certainly something to think about and it has affected the work that comes into my company.
First, I’ll just say that my company primarily works regionally and all that city talk doesn’t really apply to us. It could. It definitely does apply to other companies in town. It doesn’t much apply to us but similar issues do appear. One of the most important lessons I learned when I was young was the difference between wants and needs. We were taught this lesson in school but the most potent application was presented to me by my dad when he played The Rolling Stones You Can’t Always Get What You Want. The lyrics begin with the title of the song and follow with “but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.” That lesson has never been more relevant. This mentality applies to where I work now because, when people need to cut corners, the luxuries are the first to go. Companies (at least the ones we deal with) don’t want to spend the extra money to make their application look pretty; they just want it to function. Due to this approach I have been less and less able to work on graphics and have been forced into a position of development support. Do I mind being put in a position of admittedly less interest, sure. I like getting a paycheck under a title that still suggests I’m doing art. I like expanding my skill set. I don’t necessarily like working with the skills I’m cultivating, but then again, I just feel fortunate to have a job.
Nice post, I went to both links about the recession and job opportunities. Very interesting that most job opportunities are in the Midwest, although it might not be all that surprising based on the recession figure. Nice analysis, about the availability of space in So. Dak. and the cost of living.
You mentioned your company mostly services regional businesses and alluded to the fact other businesses in Sioux Falls serve city-clientele. Why is this so? Is a matter of advertising, quality of work, both, or something else? I enjoyed your post, looking forward to the next.
p.s. I just saw you had a neat little graphic for your website when you open it up in the tab. Its like the pie symbol with a cross bar, is it “T” “A” “T” put together?
oops, Pi.
not like the apple variety
Glad you enjoyed the post. Also glad you found my analysis agreeable. Regarding other companies working with city clientele, I would chalk it up to aspiration. The specific company I think of in this situation makes a very focused effort to seek out the clients they would like to work with. They make a point of going to a large amount of relevant technology conferences throughout the nation. They form relationships with people they meet both in person, at conferences, and on the web through social networking. Their quality of work is directly influenced by this approach in that it they work harder to produce better quality results because they enjoy working with their clients. Of course, showcasing high quality work allows this company the good fortune of being able to choose their clients and it becomes cyclical. With high-quality work and high-profile clients, you don’t have to put nearly as much effort into advertising. Their pure joy at being what they aspire to be is reflected in their composure as business people. They are more relaxed, more laid back (externally at least, I’m sure internally they are intensely focused). I must admit I’m somewhat envious. My employer doesn’t approach business in the same manner. We tend to do business more traditionally. We seek out clients and bang out product quickly and efficiently. It’s our sales pitch. A quantity, over quality approach. That’s not to say quality gets kicked to the curb, but we most certainly work for our clients and not for ourselves. Get the signature, create the product, get paid, get the next. Unfortunately, this takes us out of the “labor of love” category. We function much more mechanically. However, we do still provide great customer service to those people who have chosen to work with us. On the other hand, the previously discussed company only provides excellent customer service to clients they want to work with. This approach has made them somewhat unfavored in the local arena. People around here expect to get a call when they need help, not an email several days after the request was made. I see the benefit of chasing your dream clients. I also know the dangers of vanity.
Also, you’re a clever guy Tyler, yes, the logo on the tab is supposed to be “T” “A” “T” put together. Those logos are referred to as favicons. It’s one of those nice little touches that I think every site should have and often goes overlooked. They are especially relevant today with all the tabbed browsing. I also read your comment quickly without even noticing you called pi “pie”. Both are delicious, but I knew what you meant.