It's been a while since the last update and a LOT has taken place - hold on to your hats!
April:
We secured additional funding from a major partner in India which has stabilized operations for the balance of 2010 and all of 2011!
May - July:
While our India group was preparing to launch the data entry team by securing a facility, beginning to look for available, qualified employees/trainees, internet connections, computer equipment, etc. our main customer was going through a change as well.
This customer was moving their scanning operation from Costa Rica back to the United States and asked us if we wanted a shot at providing this service for them. Did we ever! It is a part of the overall data entry work (it all starts from a piece of paper, then gets scanned, then one does data entry to get the "intelligence" into your systems). So, that's what we did.
Thus launched the US operations: finding a facility, equipment, staffing, etc. to take on this task. Within a month, we were handling production out of the new US facility located in Lakewood, Colorado. Our highest volume day so far has been over 6,000 scans in one day, with expected volumes as high as 15,000 per day. The US ops has 4 employees at this time and we expect to add 3 or 4 more part time folks over the next several months.
Meanwhile back in India:
At this same time, the India team was hired and training began there as well, now in their third week of training with 5 data entry technicians. The team is working with "real" data and images and is excited to be close to doing real production in a week or two.
So, both India and the US operations are underway and growing in capabilities, service quality, knowledge, and all the necessary things businesses do to be a great business partner. The balance of 2010 will be improving our capabilities and service quality as well as our capacity - adding more employees to handle larger volumes of work.
Our major customer has also asked us to look at providing data entry services out of China, which we are investigating. So, perhaps a year from now we'll also be reporting on our new China facility! ;-)
Thank you for your support and encouragement throughout this process of establishing this business not only for the Dalit's of India, but others across the globe and now even in Lakewood, Colorado! Come by and visit our operations if you're close by! I'd love to have you over and give you the nickle tour!
Steve
Monday, August 9, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Business Update
So, perhaps you do know, but starting a business is no simple task... It all starts with defining what you're going to do and who are the potential, "paying" customers. This is sort of where we are.
We have defined our market to be Nonprofit Organizations, with annual Income (contributions) of between $1M and $10M. Did you know there are over 1M Nonprofits in the US? Well, there are more than 60,000 in our target market. Quite amazing! No surprize, most of the 1M Nonprofits are less than $1M!
So then, WHAT are we going to do for these?
We will do two main things for this group of organizations:
A typical Nonprofit processes more than a thousand checks each and every month. We want to help them first, automate and try to get those writing checks to do so in an automatic manner so they don't have to send in that check - and save that $.50 stamp. But, for those who continue choosing to mail in a check each month, we want to automate that part of the process too. It's really not that hard and it is very secure, contrary to what people used to think or still do.
Also, we all know the stories of Nonprofits either NOT sending a thank you for a donors contribution or sending something every month, or even more often, thereby frustrating the donor into not wanting to give to that organization any longer. Well, this is what our "Donor Opt-In Portal" does for a Donor.
We let the Donor choose which communications they want (like Newsletters, "Cause" News, Financial Reports, etc.) and how they want them (like print or email). We then help the Nonprofit execute on their selections and honor those requests, even if they choose to receive nothing at all.
So, that's what we are building...
Once we have the product and service complete, then we can approach prospective Nonprofits with the story of saving them money and increasing their donors appreciation of the organization. We call this client retention. If just 1 or 2% remain as donors than those who leave, that is a big change for an organization. We believe helping Nonprofits treat their Donors better and with more respect will increase this much more than 2%.
So, stay tuned to our next posting and hopefully we will have some stories and successes to tell you about.
Until next time...
Steve
We have defined our market to be Nonprofit Organizations, with annual Income (contributions) of between $1M and $10M. Did you know there are over 1M Nonprofits in the US? Well, there are more than 60,000 in our target market. Quite amazing! No surprize, most of the 1M Nonprofits are less than $1M!
So then, WHAT are we going to do for these?
We will do two main things for this group of organizations:
1) Help Nonprofits process checks! We know they receive a lot of them.For example:
2) Help Donors choose HOW they want Nonprofits to communicate with them.
A typical Nonprofit processes more than a thousand checks each and every month. We want to help them first, automate and try to get those writing checks to do so in an automatic manner so they don't have to send in that check - and save that $.50 stamp. But, for those who continue choosing to mail in a check each month, we want to automate that part of the process too. It's really not that hard and it is very secure, contrary to what people used to think or still do.
Also, we all know the stories of Nonprofits either NOT sending a thank you for a donors contribution or sending something every month, or even more often, thereby frustrating the donor into not wanting to give to that organization any longer. Well, this is what our "Donor Opt-In Portal" does for a Donor.
We let the Donor choose which communications they want (like Newsletters, "Cause" News, Financial Reports, etc.) and how they want them (like print or email). We then help the Nonprofit execute on their selections and honor those requests, even if they choose to receive nothing at all.
So, that's what we are building...
Once we have the product and service complete, then we can approach prospective Nonprofits with the story of saving them money and increasing their donors appreciation of the organization. We call this client retention. If just 1 or 2% remain as donors than those who leave, that is a big change for an organization. We believe helping Nonprofits treat their Donors better and with more respect will increase this much more than 2%.
So, stay tuned to our next posting and hopefully we will have some stories and successes to tell you about.
Until next time...
Steve
Monday, January 11, 2010
International Human Trafficing Month - Please JOIN ME!
Here's news that's worthy of promoting! Please join me in this global fight! This is from the Dalit Freedom Network.........................
President Obama has declared today, January 11, as International Human Trafficking Awareness Day
and the start of a month-long, nationwide human trafficking awareness campaign: National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The campaign ends on February 12, 2010, Abraham Lincoln's birthday.
The State Department estimates that 14,500-17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year for modern-day slavery. These numbers do not reflect the estimated 100,000 minors that are trafficked within U.S. borders into prostitution, or the uncounted individuals that never receive services or law enforcement intervention.
Former ambassadors of the Trafficking in Persons Office at the U.S. State Department, Mark Logan, wrote in 2007 that the largest democracy in the world has the largest number of bonded slaves. On November 15, 2008, in New Delhi, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, the Honorable Justice K.G. Balakrishan, stated in a public address, "The scourge of human trafficking needs no introduction. Every year, millions of individuals are trafficked all over the world and are coerced into living conditions that amount to slavery, forced labor and servitude." At the same event, the Honorable Dr. Justice Arijit Pasayat of the Supreme Court of India stated that there was no bigger problem in India today than human trafficking. Also in May 2009, India's Home Secretary, Madhukar Gupta, remarked that at least 100 million people were involved in human trafficking in India. A statement from the Central Bureau of Investigation added that "studies and surveys sponsored by the Ministry of Women and Child Development estimate that there are about 3 million prostitutes in the country, of which an estimated 40% or 1.2 million, are children."
The U.S. can play an essential and constructive role in helping to empower the Indian government to implement its anti-slavery and anti-child labor laws.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out against human trafficking on December 2, 2009, the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, stating, "Modern slavery is a global phenomenon and must be addressed with global partnerships between governments, non-governmental organizations, and civil society. Through new partnerships, the United States and the international community will work to rescue and serve survivors, bring traffickers to justice, and create a world where every person has the freedom and opportunity to fulfill his or her God-given potential."
The Social Justice Department of Dalit Freedom Network began its work in Washington, D.C. in 2003. In the last 7 years, DFN has become the leading justice voice for the Dalits in our nation's capital. A dedicated team continues to educate, advocate, and push for legislation to end Dalit trafficking and make slavery history in India. To learn more, contact socialjustice@dalitnetwork.org
To take a stand against Dalit trafficking in India, you can:
• Spread the word (or invite me to your church, school, business to tell their story)
• Tweet to your friends about National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month (follow us on www.twitter.com/dalitnetwork) or my twitter (www.twitter.com/myconnectiontec)
• Send out a MySpace bulletin using the info in this email
• Donate $50 to DFN's work of Social Justice by going to: http://www.dalitnetwork.org/go?/dfn/donate and select Social Justice. or
• Donate IDEAS' work of Employing the Dalit's of India by going to: http://www.ideasworld.org/give then click "click here to give online" and put Business Development in the notes of your donation.
A donation of $50 allows us to employ one Dalit for a week. Employment is one of the KEY missing pieces in the long liturgy of issues among the very poor.
Thank you,
Steve Durgin
President Obama has declared today, January 11, as International Human Trafficking Awareness Day
and the start of a month-long, nationwide human trafficking awareness campaign: National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The campaign ends on February 12, 2010, Abraham Lincoln's birthday.
The State Department estimates that 14,500-17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year for modern-day slavery. These numbers do not reflect the estimated 100,000 minors that are trafficked within U.S. borders into prostitution, or the uncounted individuals that never receive services or law enforcement intervention.
Former ambassadors of the Trafficking in Persons Office at the U.S. State Department, Mark Logan, wrote in 2007 that the largest democracy in the world has the largest number of bonded slaves. On November 15, 2008, in New Delhi, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, the Honorable Justice K.G. Balakrishan, stated in a public address, "The scourge of human trafficking needs no introduction. Every year, millions of individuals are trafficked all over the world and are coerced into living conditions that amount to slavery, forced labor and servitude." At the same event, the Honorable Dr. Justice Arijit Pasayat of the Supreme Court of India stated that there was no bigger problem in India today than human trafficking. Also in May 2009, India's Home Secretary, Madhukar Gupta, remarked that at least 100 million people were involved in human trafficking in India. A statement from the Central Bureau of Investigation added that "studies and surveys sponsored by the Ministry of Women and Child Development estimate that there are about 3 million prostitutes in the country, of which an estimated 40% or 1.2 million, are children."
The numbers in India are far more staggering
The U.S. can play an essential and constructive role in helping to empower the Indian government to implement its anti-slavery and anti-child labor laws.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out against human trafficking on December 2, 2009, the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, stating, "Modern slavery is a global phenomenon and must be addressed with global partnerships between governments, non-governmental organizations, and civil society. Through new partnerships, the United States and the international community will work to rescue and serve survivors, bring traffickers to justice, and create a world where every person has the freedom and opportunity to fulfill his or her God-given potential."
The Social Justice Department of Dalit Freedom Network began its work in Washington, D.C. in 2003. In the last 7 years, DFN has become the leading justice voice for the Dalits in our nation's capital. A dedicated team continues to educate, advocate, and push for legislation to end Dalit trafficking and make slavery history in India. To learn more, contact socialjustice@dalitnetwork.org
To take a stand against Dalit trafficking in India, you can:
• Spread the word (or invite me to your church, school, business to tell their story)
• Tweet to your friends about National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month (follow us on www.twitter.com/dalitnetwork) or my twitter (www.twitter.com/myconnectiontec)
• Send out a MySpace bulletin using the info in this email
• Donate $50 to DFN's work of Social Justice by going to: http://www.dalitnetwork.org/go?/dfn/donate and select Social Justice. or
• Donate IDEAS' work of Employing the Dalit's of India by going to: http://www.ideasworld.org/give then click "click here to give online" and put Business Development in the notes of your donation.
A donation of $50 allows us to employ one Dalit for a week. Employment is one of the KEY missing pieces in the long liturgy of issues among the very poor.
Thank you,
Steve Durgin
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
LAUNCHING JAN 4, 2010 - How Exciting!
It's time to Celebrate!
It is time to reveal the new entity - launching Jan 4th, 2010. What a great time of celebration, yet knowing a ton of work is ahead to get this running well.
Thank you to all who have helped get us this far; Preston, John, Vernon, Ron, Stan, Sarah, and others! (Last names left out on purpose ---)
The new company is --> My Connection Tech
Our tag line is --> "Connecting Nonprofits to Donors"
Our new web site is under development, but email, telephone, fax, etc. are up and running.
TARGET CUSTOMERS:
Our target market is Not-for-profit Organizations (NFP) needing to improve their technology: web work, social network integration, "donor" communications and care, data integration, data entry, email campaigns to attract new donors and other services.
Do you know any small to mid-size NFP's who could use our services? We'd love for any referrals you might have!
Well, this will probably be my last post before Christmas, so Merry Christmas and have a very Happy New Year!
Thanks again for walking along side me on this journey! We're in for a fun ride that is vey rewarding.
Steve Durgin
P.S. If you're looking to make an end of year contribution to a great non-profit organization I would love you to consider IDEAS (our sponsoring organization). www.ideasworld.org/give
It is time to reveal the new entity - launching Jan 4th, 2010. What a great time of celebration, yet knowing a ton of work is ahead to get this running well.
Thank you to all who have helped get us this far; Preston, John, Vernon, Ron, Stan, Sarah, and others! (Last names left out on purpose ---)
The new company is --> My Connection Tech
Our tag line is --> "Connecting Nonprofits to Donors"
Our new web site is under development, but email, telephone, fax, etc. are up and running.
My new email is Steve.Durgin@MyConnectionTech.com
Web site is http://www.myconnectiontech.com/
TARGET CUSTOMERS:
Our target market is Not-for-profit Organizations (NFP) needing to improve their technology: web work, social network integration, "donor" communications and care, data integration, data entry, email campaigns to attract new donors and other services.
Do you know any small to mid-size NFP's who could use our services? We'd love for any referrals you might have!
Well, this will probably be my last post before Christmas, so Merry Christmas and have a very Happy New Year!
Thanks again for walking along side me on this journey! We're in for a fun ride that is vey rewarding.
Steve Durgin
P.S. If you're looking to make an end of year contribution to a great non-profit organization I would love you to consider IDEAS (our sponsoring organization). www.ideasworld.org/give
The Integrity of Work
WORK... what's it all about...
Do we all have the same rights? The United Nations thinks so...
Wouldn't you agree?
This "journey" of mine is to attempt to take an active role in doing something. Yes, I know it might be a little and might not make a big difference when you consider the 4Billion previously mentioned. Yet, I must press forward. I say must for a reason. To NOT take an active part is to shut down my heart and my emotions. Some would say to not listen to my emotions, but I say they are the very essence of humanity. To not listen to my heart and my emotion would be to cease to live. Or perhaps live in a state of denial or worse a state of comatose!
We are launching this business in two weeks, Jan 4th, 2010. I hope you join me in celebrating this event and hopefully find a way to help out --- to take some action of your own.
My next writing will be an appeal for workers to get us moving in the right direction. Do you know folks in the workplace that fit what we're looking for?
Thanks again for walking along with me on this journey!
Stay tuned - Steve
Do we all have the same rights? The United Nations thinks so...
Do any really want handouts?"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, or old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control."
Article 25 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
"I do not ask for a house of steel,
Or even one built of stone;
But for the exultation to feel
The tug of muscle and bone.
Others have said this before, "the poor will always be among us". But, is it reasonable for us to sit by passively while so many (approximately 4 Billion at the time of this writing) are really poor. Yes, poverty depends on where you live, but living without what the United Nations calls everyone's rights (food, clothing, housing, medical care, etc.) would seem to me to be an indicator of really poor.Not for wealth or men at my command,
Nor peace when I am through --
I only ask work for these hands,
Work for these hands to do."
Kresenky, Raymond (1937) "Prayer of the Unemployed", 1000 Quotable Poems, New York, Willet, Clark and Company, p.191
"Indeed, one of the greatest challenges today is how to connect the poor to the global marketplace."
Befus, David (2005) Miami, Florida p.52. Publised by LAM
Wouldn't you agree?
This "journey" of mine is to attempt to take an active role in doing something. Yes, I know it might be a little and might not make a big difference when you consider the 4Billion previously mentioned. Yet, I must press forward. I say must for a reason. To NOT take an active part is to shut down my heart and my emotions. Some would say to not listen to my emotions, but I say they are the very essence of humanity. To not listen to my heart and my emotion would be to cease to live. Or perhaps live in a state of denial or worse a state of comatose!
We are launching this business in two weeks, Jan 4th, 2010. I hope you join me in celebrating this event and hopefully find a way to help out --- to take some action of your own.
My next writing will be an appeal for workers to get us moving in the right direction. Do you know folks in the workplace that fit what we're looking for?
Thanks again for walking along with me on this journey!
Stay tuned - Steve
Friday, December 11, 2009
Our Beginning - Jan 4, 2010
Hi everyone!
I am really excited to share that we are all set for our start this coming January 4, 2010.
We have all the legal and tax details worked out so we will incorporate on this day.
We are all excited to begin this venture that will provide employment and transformation to the Dalit's of India.
I would love you to join us in our process. Here are some things I will be looking for as we start:
Thank you all for walking along side me as we venture down this new path.
Blessings,
Steve Durgin
I am really excited to share that we are all set for our start this coming January 4, 2010.
We have all the legal and tax details worked out so we will incorporate on this day.
We are all excited to begin this venture that will provide employment and transformation to the Dalit's of India.
I would love you to join us in our process. Here are some things I will be looking for as we start:
- Sales people (experience in selling technology into Non-Profit Organizations)
- Marketing person
- Connections to Not-For-Profit Organizations who could use our services
- Funding: yes, as a start-up we need funding. You can GIVE through our parent organization IDEAS at http://www.ideasworld.org/ and when you donate make sure you specify the BDI project.
- Advice and Council: Yes, if you have some words of wisdom to share please do!!!
- Pray: Would you pray we can get funding, great people to work for us, and some customers?
Thank you all for walking along side me as we venture down this new path.
Blessings,
Steve Durgin
Article in National Catholic Reporter about young girls on India
My wife found this article dated November 13, 2009 in NCR that was quite gripping and relates to my story you've been following, specifically how the Dalit's of India are treated. This article is about Secunderabad, the sister city to Hyderabad. If you can find a copy at your local library I strongly suggest it. I will do my best at summarizing here:
This Catholic mission helps kids get off the streets and in to schools. They also provide shelter, food and clothing and a whole lot of love and care for their spirits!
Their work is to, "...rescue girls of the slums, the beggars, the ragpickers, society's castoffs, the poorest of the poor. Too many of them have been sexually abused or exploited, some sold as prostitutes as young as Swathi..." (she is now 8)
They help children, "one at a time". The most vulnerable population in India are these young girls. This organization, as well as what we are planning on doing, attempts to break this "seemingly unending cycle of poverty."
Some of these girls do not even know their names, nor how old they are. They have been effectively orphaned since very early in life, sometimes as newborns just left on the road.
Here's an alarming, yet not uncommon, story among these young girls of India.
I am not trying to guilt you into any action or response. That is not my job. God might want you to do something with this information and that is between the two of you! :-) I see my role as simply telling you their stories. Stories that otherwise might get lost in the forray of business we all experience.
This Catholic mission helps kids get off the streets and in to schools. They also provide shelter, food and clothing and a whole lot of love and care for their spirits!
Their work is to, "...rescue girls of the slums, the beggars, the ragpickers, society's castoffs, the poorest of the poor. Too many of them have been sexually abused or exploited, some sold as prostitutes as young as Swathi..." (she is now 8)
They help children, "one at a time". The most vulnerable population in India are these young girls. This organization, as well as what we are planning on doing, attempts to break this "seemingly unending cycle of poverty."
Some of these girls do not even know their names, nor how old they are. They have been effectively orphaned since very early in life, sometimes as newborns just left on the road.
Here's an alarming, yet not uncommon, story among these young girls of India.
"We were taken to Prathyasha Bhavan (Home of Hope), where we found over 60 orphaned children, including Reena, a 6-year-old who had been kidnapped by the beggar mafia. They wanted to make her an even better and more pitiable beggar. They held her down and plunged a darning needle into her left eye, blinding her. It was a scene right out of "Slumdog Millionaire," except this was a real girl standing before us who had been so cruelly maimed. I looked down in horror. Reena returned my look with the most beautiful smile I had ever seen."So, there is hope folks. Will we be agents of that hope or let days/weeks/months/years go by hearing of these atrocities and remain unaffected?
I am not trying to guilt you into any action or response. That is not my job. God might want you to do something with this information and that is between the two of you! :-) I see my role as simply telling you their stories. Stories that otherwise might get lost in the forray of business we all experience.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
