Octane logo

"Octane is a web design, development and internet marketing consultancy started in June 1999."

My name's Wayne Smallman and I sell ideas that change the way companies do business, usually in the form of novel web applications.

I'm also a writer for business publications (both web and print), as well as a consultant, adviser and trusted ally to my clients.

Archive for the ‘Help & Advice’ Category

Subscribe to Octane via RSS or emailEmailRSS
Oct 26th, 12
share this article Share this article on Twitter share this article on Facebook share this article on Delicious

Creating an author platform

If running a business, or being a self-published author, is analogous to spinning plates (which, incidentally, it is), then marketing is like catching rain drops.

Filed under: Business, Help & Advice, Social Media, Web Applications, Web Development Tags: , , , — @ 2:59 PM 1 Comment »

Jan 28th, 11
share this article Share this article on Twitter share this article on Facebook share this article on Delicious

How best to deal with the needs of leads

So you got a lead. Good for you! Warming that lead up is crucial. Fudging the numbers, or scaring them with big ideas can just leave them feeling cold. So what do you do? Scale those big ideas into bite-sized chunks and think long-term.

Filed under: Best Practice, Business, Help & Advice Tags: , , , — @ 12:18 PM No Comments »

Jan 11th, 11
share this article Share this article on Twitter share this article on Facebook share this article on Delicious

11 steps to building the perfect project

While we’re always eager to strike new ground and get working as quickly as possible, planning is the be-all and end-all of the success of any project. As the saying goes — fail to plan and plan to fail.

Filed under: Best Practice, Business, Help & Advice Tags: , — @ 12:08 PM No Comments »

Dec 10th, 10
share this article Share this article on Twitter share this article on Facebook share this article on Delicious

Managing and making the most of your software

Let’s face it, our businesses probably wouldn’t function without a computer or two, yet we do things every day that leave us vulnerable should things go wrong. So let’s assume your software is broken, or you can’t do something and you need help — well here’s how to make the most of your software and solve those problems.

Filed under: Best Practice, Help & Advice, Social Networking Tags: , , — @ 12:00 PM 1 Comment »

Nov 10th, 10
share this article Share this article on Twitter share this article on Facebook share this article on Delicious

Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Why. Now there’s a thing to ask. I often can’t ask enough questions. If I didn’t ask questions, projects simply wouldn’t get off the ground. OK, first of all, sorry about the long absence; I’ve been very, very busy over the last several months. Right now, I’m working on several large projects (more about those [...]

Filed under: Best Practice, Business, Help & Advice Tags: , — @ 10:57 AM 1 Comment »

† enter the code on the left into the field above.