The concept of a time clock for tracking employee hours has evolved quite a bit throughout the years. And for the last 20 years, Redcort Software has been highly involved in that evolution.
The company develops software programs for helping businesses track employee time and attendance in a way that’s actually efficient. Read more about the company and its offerings in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
What the Business Does
Provides virtual time clock software to businesses.
Office Manager Adam Carmichael told Small Business Trends, “For over 20 years we have been developing, selling and supporting innovative time clock software. We also develop and provide free time and attendance resources that are available to anyone.”
Business Niche
Providing personalized customer service.
Carmichael says, “We recognize that our customers deserve our genuine appreciation for their business. In an age where customer service is constantly being outsourced and mishandled, we strive to handle customer service the old fashioned way by committing to treat others as we wish to be treated.”
How the Business Got Started
To help out a friend.
Carmichael explains, “In the 1980s, our founder and CEO developed a simple time clock program to meet the needs of a friend and local business owner. Virtual TimeClock was branded for general sale in the 1990s, and we’ve been developing innovative software solutions perfectly fit to customer needs since that time.”
Biggest Win
Helping business owners.
Carmichael says, “There have been several ‘big wins’ for us a company over the years, but honestly, every time we hear from a customer that our software makes their life easier and less complicated, we get excited – and we’re fortunate to hear those simple stories on a regular basis.”
Biggest Risk
Constantly evolving and changing.
CEO Keith DeLong told Small Business Trends, “In the software business, the passing of time, even brief periods of time, is an existential risk. Rapid changes in technology constantly require major portions of our software to be completely reengineered. Our first challenges were radically new operating systems for the emerging Windows and Mac computing platforms. Next, ubiquitous local area networks revolutionized communications between devices within even the smallest businesses. The Internet changed everything once again as it connected us remotely and kept us always online. Soon after customers starting doing real work on their phones, tablets, and a variety of lightweight mobile devices. Today, the Internet of Things (IOT) and Software as a Service (SaaS) are redefining and causing us to recreate our products all over again.”
Lesson Learned
Focus on specific priorities.
DeLong says, “If I could do it all over I’d commit regular time to reassess my priorities. I’d seek more outside input. I’d include more reflection. While I’ve been pretty focused over the years, I’m learning that I’ve also been pretty undisciplined. Hard work, even on good things, is not enough. Since my time and resources are finite, I need to work on the best things.”
How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000
Marketing.
DeLong says, “If we had an extra $100K, we’d almost certainly put it in the marketing budget. It’s expensive to get the good word out about your business and products.”
Communication Method of Choice
IM.
Carmichael says, “We use instant messaging to communicate throughout the day. Even when we’re sitting right next to each other.”
Favorite Quote
“Get the right people on the bus.” -Jim Collins from Good to Great.
DeLong explains, “Getting the right people on the bus is an easy way to remember that WHO we work with is our absolute first priority. WHAT we do must always be secondary. A team that is committed to each other as a first priority is agile, adaptive, and flexible. At the end of the day, it’s these relationships that make work meaningful and satisfying. As a leader, it’s my job to get the right people on the bus, to help everyone locate their best possible seat, and to help the wrong people get off the bus at our very next stop. This simple quote and its important underlying principles have transformed my thinking as a leader.”
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Images: Redcort Software; Second Image: Clovis, California, where Redcort Software is headquartered
Images: Redcort Software
This article, “Spotlight: Redcort Software Develops Virtual Time Clock for Efficient Businesses” was first published on Small Business Trends