The Worst Client

Is it ironic that I am little harbor's worst client? I am sitting here, in front of my computer, looking for ways to improve/contribute to designs for a new endeavor of my husband. It is reminding me of the pain it took to get to the new LHT site. A2 came to me with design after design after design. I kept putting her and the process off because nothing was speaking to me. The delays worked though and we got to a place where I am quite happy with our new website.

Now, however, we are dealing with a very real deadline. A marketing piece will be hitting the mail on Monday, November 30th and the website must be up to support it. We have made it to a place that I am OK with but not loving. My husband is ok with it as well. But OK isn't love. So I sit here watching DVRed episodes of Glee playing with color and concept hoping to give better feedback to A2 but in reality it will probably all just irritate her.

I guess the good news is we are close. Additional good news is it will be good. And the better news is that nothing is permanent and can be updated at will when the timing is right.

Juice 2.0

Juice 2.0 is probably what most people are hearing me talk about these days. Not the great ads A2 has been creating for clients or websites recently posted. I promise to highlight those soon. But Juice is upon us, 2 days and counting.

I got involved with Midcoast Magnet (creator of Juice), a midcoast networking organization working to attrach, connect, and retain creative workers in the midcoast, about a year ago. I went to Juice 1.0 reluctantly, hearing about the creative economy and wondering how I, a technology centered person, was creative and fit it. Over time it has become abundantly clear that technology can be or is creative. Through my affiliation, even though reluctant at first, I become involved with Juice 2.0 and pulling the program together while working with our collaborators. With the help of the Departmetn of Economic and Community Development, the Maine Arts Commission, and Realize! Maine an amazing program of keynote speakers, dance performances, and breakout sessions has been created. It is a well rounded program for everyone: artists, entrepreneurs, technologists, futurists, state leaders, and more. Even A2, who asked me originally why she should go, has enthusiastically registered and signed up for sessions on Social Media and Pottery Making. How is that for diverse?!

I have spent a LOT of time on Juice 2.0, but so have others. And overall it has connected with leaders in the state, brought me closer to my Midcoast Magnet friends, and prepped me for taking over the Midcoast Magnet board. It has also shown that when I am truly focused on something else, not client related, A2 has stepped up a bit, reaching out to clients, meeting her (and my) deadlines, and getting a new site up for LHT.

Life before Juice has been fun, interesting, tough, time consuming. Life after Juice.... probably the same but I will be the better for it!

Site Debut

little habor technology was "born" in Rockland, Maine in October, 2006 after moving my Chicago based business to Maine. Things in Maine are different, very different from Chicago. I realized the type of client I wanted to have needed the same skill sets but a slightly different approach. As much as fortune 500 business opportunities helped mold and train me, I wanted to work with local folks, people that support and need one another.



My transition in Maine was significantly aided by the following: a decision to have office space in downtown Rockland; my early involvement with the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce; hiring a self starter that wanted and took an opportunity to learn; and being embraced by the midcoast community.

After 3 years of operating LHT we have grown and evolved in a way I couldn't have expected. My background, 20 years, is database driven. What we are mostly doing today are websites. What I have realized in this transition is that my background is more project management related, whether it is a custom database application or website overhaul. Doing either requires attention to detail, knowing how to pull the right resources together, listening intently to your client, and delivering to or in excess of their expectations.

When I started LHT (and remember was a database guru, not a web guru) I hired a talented team of women, Jessica and Hazel, to design and develop the website. It was perfect. I loved the way it worked, how it looked, and the message it delivered to potential visitors. 3 years later, our services are so different we had to take the time to update our website to reflect the business we are doing today. It is so different we decided to take the opportunity to redesign our website. This process was not easy. I was probably one of LHT's worst customers, not liking initial design options and not seeing where they could evolve to. We took a break, got more customers (ironically one because they loved our first site), and put it off. But we regrouped, realizing that if we couldn't redesign our own site, how could we sell with confidence the redesign of others.

We are happy to launch our new site. We understand design is subjective and know that many will like our old site better and many will like our new site better. I will always like / love both. the good news is our new site reflects what we are doing for business today and in an effective way.

Welcome to the new site for little harbor technology at www.littlehabortech.com.