Sites n Stores is an Australian full-service web development firm offering a suite of online tools, products and services for small and midsize businesses. They specialize in building websites and online stores to assist SMBs with a professional and reputable online presence. Since its inception in 2008, Sites n Stores has helped thousands of businesses grow their online potential and now have over 9,000 custom-designed websites in their portfolio.
In this episode of Velocitize Talks, we sit down with CEO and Founder of Sites n Stores, Drew Doolan, to talk about working with small and midsize businesses, brand purpose and honesty.
Everything we do is about favoring the security of the small business owner and us trying to serve them.
Understanding Small Businesses (0:20)
“The reason I started wanting to be in the digital space was that I’d been ripped off by a larger agency… I figured someone could come into the digital space to truly serve the small business owner.”
After knocking on everybody’s door in Richmond, Australia, Drew Doolan discovered that small businesses needed help with their online presence. Talking straight to his potential customers gave him the insight he needed to start his own company.
Let Truth Guide Your Business (2:10)
“It is about being open, honest, and transparent about what your goals and endeavors are…Truth is what will drive the business forward.”
Consumers today care more about the purpose of a brand than ever. However, businesses tiptoe the line of dishonesty when their purpose-led branding isn’t backed with action. Is radical honesty the best way to attract and retain customers?
The Digital Panopticon (3:55)
“Online, there is an open to and fro with clients [and] you’re exposed into being who you truly are as a business.”
When small and midsize businesses go online, they enter the digital panopticon. Stakeholders and customers have easy, constant access to them like never before. On one hand, that pushes businesses to be more honest but it also leaves them vulnerable to attacks from extreme online opinions. How should small business owners navigate the digital landscape?
Creating a Realistic Company Culture (8:25)
“Culture is extremely important as long as it’s not too idealized.”
What if your company culture is suffering from focusing too much on values? Just as easily as values give employees something to strive for, they conversely give them a reference for inadequacy. To combat that, businesses should attempt to create a healthy culture by giving employees the space to be themselves with practical expectations.
New Technologies for SMBs (11:30)
“As technology gets more available to [small] businesses…we’ll have a whole community of knowledge.”
It is difficult for small businesses to compete against their mega competitors. Nonetheless, technology today has allowed SMBs to bridge the resource gap that was previously present between the two. The question then becomes, how will new technologies like AI and personalized machine learning transform SMBs even further?
For more information on Sites n Stores, check out their website.