A Googling we shall go!

I''m writing the post in an attempt to enlighten you into the richness that Google Apps has on offer. Everything from Website creation tools (Google Sites), to collaboration tools in the form of Documents / spreadsheets and presentations (Google Docs) to full Time management solutions (Google Calendar) with it's inbuilt Tasks & Contacts, to online picture Albums (Picasa) and Video (YouTube) - Google has it all and the best ROI factor is that it's ALL FREE!

Since Larry and Sergey got together in 1995 and established the founding ideals of GOOGLE their toolset has grown over the years to include a swathe of applications that enable Businesses to get online, with very little cost, maximum benefit and are really easy to use..

The GOOGLE story is brilliantly depicted below...



Businesess can have a full online presence..

A Google Website, the advantages being:

• No development overhead... you can maintain the website yourself and it's free.
• No Hosting overhead.. The Site is stored on the WWW and is free!
• Fully supportive.. Google's infrastructure is very resilient and is replicated in various data centres around the world
• Fully branded to an organisations colour scheme with a vast array of formatting templates
• Integrated Calendar pages sourced directly from your Google Calendar

The Website can have embedded pictures from Googles' Picasa and Video from YouTube, it can also have embedded feedback forms using Google Docs and full statistical reporting using Google Analytics.

Did I mention that this is all free?

Organisations can then use shared folders in Google Docs to do full collaboration and then manage diaries via Google Calendar and Google Mail.   The reminders in calendar can be set up to SMS your mobile and all of these applications can be served up on a customised browser homepage "ïGoogle"


oh, and did I mention that they're all free?


My company... www.TheAhaAgency.co.nz aims to enlighten people to use Google as a platform to do all their day to day Business activities. The Google tool-set enables Businesses to do full online collaboration -

An example of how Google Sites aid schools can be found at this online example... http://sites.google.com/a/googleclassrooms.org/mrs-richau/Home

• Additional functionality like Online Forms for outing requests / School Calendars from Google Calendar can really add value...

My part in the equation is as follows...


I class myself as an enabler;

accelerate adoption / train the users then step aside

(I can also hang around if needed).

Drop us a line today, to see how we can make this a reality / transition your existing site into the Google infrastructure

The Aha! Agency - "Go out into the World my Son.. and make me proud"

In the words of a loving father, I thought I'd start this Blog off with an overview of my thoughts and aspirations for this new fledgling of mine.  This will hopefully be the only rhetorical outburst from me, but nevertheless acts as a stick in the ground with regards the intent of the Agency.



The inception of The Aha! Agency has been a baptism by fire for me. The initial launch and the promotion of my capabilities takes a while to gain momentum. I did what all new businesses should do, I created a Business Plan / Cash projections and a Marketing Plan.. but that was just the start.



The Aha! Agency's product deliveries are based around a needs analysis that showed a severe lack of adoption around two of my key product offerings, targeted to SME's primarily, but equally prevalent for larger business.

• Google Applications ( Google Search is the tip of the Iceberg... Mail / Websites / Stats / Document collaboration / Image & Video repositories etc. You can run your whole enterprise via this medium)

• Social Media adoption (companies creating that direct relationship with their customers)

my catch phrase of "Aha! as in seeing the light, when a thought is grasped and the realisation sinks in, a great place to be and one that I'm proud to be able to impart" forms the focus of my activities, I'm here to see that recognition kick in and it's great when that happens!

People are becoming more connected in this world of high speed broadband and the methods by which they can hold a conversation are multiplying exponentially. It's not a case of picking up the phone / sending an email or posting a letter anymore.

The Aha! Agency doesn't create templated solutions, it listens to people's needs / wants & desires and creates solutions that wire together these technologies to meet Clients expectations.

I'm a maven for new technologies, some say I should have been born 10yrs later, but my sheer inquisitiveness has stood me in great stead and over the last five years participating in this evolution, I've learnt a lot.  I've occasionally gone down one way streets regarding defunct technologies and have put that down to the school of hard knocks and have documented useful references in Google Reader & Delicious, and am now ready to pass this knowledge on.

I've experimented and utilised a vast array of technologies and aim to piece these together in a cohesive nature, encompassed with underlying strategic intent. Any endevour should be measured to attain sufficient Return on Investment. Key aims of any implementation should revolve around constant measurement and feedback. Metrics are paramount

I've experienced a slow adoption in these technologies by New Zealand business as a whole and considering that nearly all of these technologies are free to get into, I'm eager to get the thought patterns of New Zealand business changed. The Aha! Agency aims to act as a Business Accelerator for new technology adoption, we introduce technological capability to solve business problems and fully train these businesses to use these technologies, then step back to watch them flourish and become adopted into the lifeblood of the organisation.  (We can also hang around and support if required  :)

Over future weeks I'll dig deeper into product offerings and enthuse you as to why embracing them should be encouraged...