6 life lessons

Six things random things, from Andrew
(Previously published here as part of this post.)

1. Some people become progressively less able to think for themselves the more times they are promoted within an organisation. Sometimes I wonder if they undergo progressive lobotomies - it's certainly one possibility.
2. Be very suspicious when people make exaggerated claims about themselves or what they can do for you. Obviously this doesn't apply to Qryztal.
3. On the other hand, never ever put yourself down. There are plenty of people in life who will delight in trying to destroy your self confidence - they don't need you to help them.
4. Speaking of foes, these can sometimes be found within one's own family (thankfully not mine) or disguised as friends. But they will always show their true colours in time. And when that time comes, having one or two true and trusted friends is going to help ease the blow.
5. If at all possible, build your support network when things are going well. Hopefully those people might be there for you if times get hard. But be prepared to be misunderstood and perhaps abandoned by the ones who are only there for you in times of fair weather rather than foul.
6. If you are kind and good-hearted... there are those who will take advantage of you. But you will reap what you have sown - the good stuff will be paid back to you. (I can't say what happens to those who cause harm, upset and distress to others - but you can bet it won't ultimately be pleasant for them. The seeds that they have sown will grow into a particularly distasteful crop.) 

The DogBox is now on Kickstarter - please back (fund) it

The rather clever invention that you'll have read about on this blog at Motorcycling adventures with a dog - video is now on Kickstarter.

It's called the DogBox - and you can find it on Kickstarter here.

We need to raise £10,000 by 26th June 2016.  If you pledge £100 or more, you will receive a DogBox as soon as the first batch has left the production line.

What exactly is the DogBox? Here's Arthur's description from Kickstarter:

As a motorcycle rider myself I always wanted to be able to take my doggy around with me, however legally you can't put doggies on the seat as a second rider so I never thought it was possible.

After many months I realised that the box would be big enough for my Jack Russell sized dog and thought about how the box could be modified to fit his safety and comfort needs. 

It turns out that it's very difficult to do. The box needs to be conditioned to be able to cope with the weight of a dog, the temperature needs to be controlled inside as most boxes were black and the heat would build up. Doggy needed to be able to see out and also needed to be safely locked in. 

Here's what DogBox includes:

• A head hole just the right size for a dogs head to fit out but not the torso (to avoid jumping out) 

• A small air conditioning unit within the box to extract hot air and circulate fresh air into the box

• A Head protector for when it's cold and windy which secures onto the box with ease (can be removed in summer for maximum air eating, tongue flapping action)

• Comforting soft bottom allows doggy to sit comfortably inside the box without any pain while riding over bumps

• To stop chaffing of the neck, a fabric is embedded around the neck hole which also stops the possibility of any cutting if the box was not designed this way

• A beautiful design that's going to be available in a variety of colours and shapes. (for both scooters and motorcycles)

• Heated floor allows extra heat for cold days (works the same way as your heated grips would, with a switch on your handlebars / dashboard.

• A handle for easy carrying of the box when unclipped from the special adapters

Risks and challenges:

The one thing I had to make sure was everything I was doing was legal. It so happens that the DogBox is well within the law, and you'll find any officers who do see you out and about will most likely take a snap and ask you where you got the box from!

Motorcycling adventures with a dog - video

Arthur, our technology specialist, is incredibly inventive.  He needed a way to take his dog to work by motorbike - so he adapted a top box so that the dog could travel safely and comfortably.  Simba (the dog) loves it... he's probably the happiest dog in London!

This video shows you the result:

Update: Simba now has a ventilated plastic cover to protect him from the wind and rain - and also a heated blanket.


After you've watched this video, take a look at SocialLondoner's other YouTube videos.

SocialLondoner: brought to you by Qryztal

A random walk through life - and some things I've learned

More musings from Andrew...

I've just found out about block quotes - I really can't believe I've written blog posts without knowing this. Going to have to go back and edit them now - but maybe not just yet.

When I was doing budgets, costings and forecasts for the Spend to Save team... my fellow-director hadn't yet started school. (Yes, the grey hairs are genuine.) All those battles with Excel have turned out to be useful - I won't say how many years down the line it is.

Some people become progressively less able to think for themselves the more times they are promoted within an organisation. Sometimes I wonder if they undergo progressive lobotomies - it's certainly one possibility.

Be very suspicious when people make exaggerated claims about themselves or what they can do for you. Obviously this doesn't apply to Qryztal.

On the other hand, never ever put yourself down. There are plenty of people in life who will delight in trying to destroy your self confidence - they don't need you to help them.

Speaking of foes, these can sometimes be found within one's own family (thankfully not mine) or disguised as friends. But they will always show their true colours in time. And when that time comes, having one or two true and trusted friends is going to help ease the blow.

If at all possible, build your support network when things are going well. Hopefully those people might be there for you if times get hard. But be prepared to be misunderstood and perhaps abandoned by the ones who are only there for you in times of fair weather rather than foul.

If you are kind and good-hearted... there are those who will take advantage of you. But you will reap what you have sown - the good stuff will be paid back to you. (I can't say what happens to those who cause harm, upset and distress to others - but you can bet it won't ultimately be pleasant for them. The seeds that they have sown will grow into a particularly distasteful crop.) 

What's it like being a director of Qryztal? - a personal viewpoint

Andrew, one of our directors, tells us about his experiences of being a director.

I'd like to start by tackling a popular misconception of the life of a company director. If you think it's at all glamorous or easy, think again. It's a huge responsibility and it's one of the hardest things I've ever done.

The very first thing you learn is how many people are after your money. You soon get wise to sales tactics and realise that you can't spend what you haven't got coming in. The word 'no' and its synonyms soon become your most frequently used words when speaking on the phone.

Statutory obligations, filing dates and taxes are another bugbear. It might be tempting not to do things by the book, but if you want the business to prosper in the long term I'd strongly recommend keeping on the right side of the law. Yes, it's a lot of record-keeping, but I don't think there's any other way of running a company if you want to be able to sleep at night.

Speaking about sleep - it's easy to stay up too late thinking about and discussing company strategy as well as day-to-day matters. Give your body and mind a chance to recover by getting a reasonable amount of sleep.

Aside from business considerations, there's the interpersonal aspect too. If, as is the case for me, your fellow-director is already a friend, being in business together moves things up a notch or two. In some respects the mutual long-term commitment to the company makes things easier, but in other ways it's harder. For me there's the personal angle of not wanting to let my friend and colleague down, and giving him support and encouragement, whilst at the same time allowing him sufficient space to be himself and to get on with the things that he needs to do. This is where shared interests (cars, in our case), a goodly amount of give and take, and an abundant sense of humour come to the fore. Innuendo and intentional double meaning are always lurking around somewhere.

Yes, it's tough, but I can honestly say that I'm enjoying it. And I consider myself truly fortunate to be doing this alongside Arthur.

Making a change - a personal story

Andrew, one of our directors, tells us how he started on the journey that is now Qryztal.

Business is in my blood.  My mum and dad ran a thriving retail pharmacy business. It was literally what kept a roof over our heads, paid all the bills and allowed us to be comfortably well-off and got us safely through recessions.

I was about 21, I think, when I had a vivid dream of taking possession, along with a business partner, of a huge house in the country - which was going to be our new corporate headquarters. I remember waking up and feeling intensely disappointed that this was just a dream and that I couldn't see any way that it could become reality. I'd left home and didn't know anyone in business. I was at the very bottom of the civil service; prospects for survival were excellent, but prospects for prosperity seemed to be non-existent.

I was in a survival mindset and couldn't see any possibility of growth, let alone having a growth mindset. In fact such things were frowned-upon where I worked and among the people I knew.

So the dream was buried and forgotten, apart from the occasional wistful 'might have been' recollection. Life moved on and so did I.

In late 2000 I entered a phase of my career in which (with the benefit of hindsight) I seemed to be accumulating a variety of potentially useful experience. I picked up a lot of business knowledge through my work, whilst at the same time advocating on behalf of colleagues who'd found themselves in trouble with their employer. I also discovered and developed a talent for teaching adults, both in groups and in one-to-one situations. But something was still missing.

I had a busy year from the autumn of 2014 into 2015 learning how to facilitate continuous improvement in a work context and putting this into practice in a number of tough situations. As a result of this I felt I was now ready for a real challenge.

The incorporation of Qryztal Ltd was the point at which I - finally - said a big wholehearted 'yes!' to my dream of too many years previously. And here we are, steadfastly working towards the fulfilment of a bigger vision - which you'll hear more about in the near future.

What to measure - and why

In business it is easy to become obsessed by metrics - counting widgets, measuring time, tracking your sales to the nth degree.

Just a moment. Before you start measuring, can we ask you a couple of questions?

1. Is it something that you can influence? Is it something under your control? Can you take action to change the outcome?
2. Is it worth measuring? Is there any point in tracking it?

Let's just unpack that.

If you can't influence an outcome, any counting or measuring that you do will be purely academic. But it could be a marker for something that you do influence. Or it could be something that will help you predict another outcome.

For instance, correlating your sales with the weather (or more specifically, the number of hours of sunshine and the day's maximum and minimum temperatures) could be very useful - particularly if you are selling ice creams in Brighton or Bognor, or even Budapest.

This example has other applications too. In fact, almost any trade associated with discretionary spend will find their takings vary with the weather - and possibly with days of the week. As Karen Carpenter sang, "Rainy days and Mondays always get me down." It could be a positive or a negative correlation.

Raw data will tell you how much or how many. Intelligent analysis may tell you why.

(This article is brought to you by Qryztal Consulting. Engage the power of the sharpest minds in London - email us at consulting@qryztal.com)

What's all this hype about Qryztal Consulting?

There are so many business coaches and life coaches (or even lifecoaches) these days - particularly in Surrey and south west London - so what's so special about Qryztal Consulting?

First things first: we've actually been there. Whatever your problem, we understand and we empathise - out of experience, not because that's what the training says we should do.

Next: we don't have any one-size-fits-all solutions. We work with you to help you find the way forward that's best for you. We don't do quick fixes; instead, we work alongside you to find the right solution - this will probably be unique to you.

It works like this: you speak, we listen, we ask questions, we check that we've understood you. We give you time to tell us all that we need to know. We might ask what seem like strange questions - but as you work through the process it'll all fall into place for you.

Whether you come to us with a business dilemma or something in your life that you want help with, you'll find our relaxed approach is the antidote to any psychological poison that's been building up. We might talk you through some breathing or relaxation exercises if we feel that's going to help you. But in every session with us you'll make as much progress as you yourself are ready for.

Isn't this all rather expensive? Not necessarily. Please don't be put off by what you can or can't afford. You will pay a fair price based on what's involved and your ability to pay.

Don't worry about having to take time out during the working day and having to travel to us. We offer evening and weekend appointments, and we come to you - your home, your place of business, or anywhere that's suitable.

One last thing: we're here for people with real problems. Our vision is to make a positive difference in your life such that you make progress towards your goals. So don't be surprised if we ask you to be absolutely clear about your goals before we work with you to help you attain them.

So, if you're in the London area and want Qryztal to help you, get in touch!

Phone: 07398 200318

Email: consulting@qryztal.com

What's it like to work for Qryztal?

Here's what our people say about Qryztal:

"It's the only place l know where having a big vision of the future is an absolute requirement."

"Whatever happens, I know I can count on having support and encouragement. That means a lot to me."

"Qryztal is where ideas come to life."

"Innovation is what it's all about - starting from something that already exists, putting our unique twist on it, and then taking it to a higher level."

"Qryztal is about synergy and making the most of every opportunity."

"At Qryztal I'm inspired to do my best work and to believe that things can always be better."

"Continuous improvement and business excellence run through everything we do."

"Qryztal embodies the best of traditional British values and ideals. Our culture is one of honesty, trust and respect."

"Qryztal is where I can truly be myself."

So what's so special about Qryztal Computing?

We asked some of our customers for their thoughts and comments about Qryztal Computing. Here's what they said:


"Can't believe how quickly I had my laptop back - and it was as good as new. It even had that plastic film on it like the new ones."

"No tricks, no hidden extras, they just fixed it."

"I thought it was a goner and I was half-expecting a bad news phone call about it. But once they'd put a new hard disc drive in it, it worked a treat. Got all my programs on it too."

"We've now got two things we didn't have before - a computerised invoicing system and a proper booking system. And that's all on an old computer we had lying around and by using stuff from our 'bag of bits'. Not only are they really good value, they're environmentally friendly. Each time I walk into the office and see that computer, I feel so pleased that we got Qryztal in."

"I saved a whole lot of money by buying a reconditioned iPad from Qryztal rather than having to buy a new one. These guys are awesome."


So, if you're in the London area (inside the M25) and you've got a problem with your computer, just get in touch with Qryztal Computing. You won't be disappointed.

Phone: 07931 406038

Email: info@qryztal.com

How to contact us

We're on Facebook; please 'like' and share our Facebook page and also the pages for our operating divisions Qryztal Computing and Qryztal Consulting.

You can also find us on Twitter: @QryztalTech and @QryztalConsult

Our webpage for Qryztal Consulting is here: http://consulting.qryztal.com/

You can email us at info@qryztal.com
or phone us on 07931 406038 (Computing) or 07398 200318 (Consulting)

How to contact us

We're on Facebook; please 'like' and share our Facebook page and also the pages for our operating divisions Qryztal Computing and Qryztal Consulting.

You can also find us on Twitter: @QryztalTech and @QryztalConsult

Our webpage for Qryztal Consulting is here: http://consulting.qryztal.com/

You can email us at info@qryztal.com
or phone us on 07931 406038 (Computing) or 07398 200318 (Consulting)

Supporting our people always

When something hasn't gone the way we wanted it to, it would be all too easy to resort to blaming people and having an argument about it. Easy, but wrong.

It's wrong because it sows the seeds of negativity.

It's wrong because it's destructive.

It's wrong because it intimidates.

It's wrong because it alienates the very people that we need to have on our side at all times.


What's right is to accept it as something that's happened, to regard it as something that we can all learn from, and to move forward from here together, united in pursuing the vision.

This is right because it keeps us focused on our goal.

It's right because it draws the team closer together.

It's right because it makes us stronger.

It's especially right because we have a hand-picked team and we know that we need each other in order to succeed.

And it's right because supporting our people always is one of our core values, and it's one of the key characteristics that sets Qryztal apart from other companies.

Freedom

At Qryztal, we believe in freedom.

Freedom to make decisions, based on experience and the current facts of the situation, is vital. Without it, we'd be stuck in a perpetual loop of consultation and indecision. We believe in empowering the person on the ground to make the decision that's needed at the time when it's needed.

Freedom to make mistakes - this is a real test of whether a company is a boring, predictable, rule-bound entity, or whether it appreciates that sometimes things go wrong. When that happens, we support our people and don't criticise or condemn.

Freedom from constraining, overly-paternalistic restrictions - we believe in flexibility and we do everything we can to meet our people's needs with regard to working patterns and time off. We want our people to feel that they can speak to us at any time about anything. Our coaching and consultancy team prioritise staff issues over external work, and as we expand, our support network will grow in order that each person at Qryztal will have a support contact who is independent from their manager.

Freedom to be yourself is perhaps freedom at the highest level - and to define or explain it serves only to limit it. We're proud that our people are individuals, each with their own beliefs, views, interests and preferences. We're also proud that, as part of Qryztal, each person can contribute to the company's development by sharing their thoughts and opinions with our leadership.

It's all about people

We often hear things like this: "Surely the customer comes first. And isn't the customer always right?"

Well... no, and no.

Our priority at Qryztal is to ensure that we support, equip and encourage our people. This starts with our directors, who benefit from each other's skills, abilities and time. In good times and bad, they remain committed to the vision and to seeing things through to the end. More than just business associates, they are friends who share the responsibility for the company and who take an active interest in each other's wellbeing.

As the company grows, we will remain true to this priority. When we need to put formal structures in place to support our people, we will do this without stifling their creativity and personal development. We will provide in-house benefits such as free coaching, with the aim of equipping our people to be the best that they can be.

So, our people come first.

But isn't the customer always right?

No, if they're asking for something that doesn't fit with our vision and our business model. No, if they're demanding a product or service at less than the going rate. And no, if they're requesting something unlawful or something that would facilitate unlawful acts.  Better to turn away a customer, having educated them in some way, than join in the race to the bottom and lose our direction and integrity.

To reiterate, our people come first, as do our values, ethics and integrity as a company. As a result of that, all of us are then empowered to focus on the customer and their needs.

One dark night...

(The names have been changed; the principles are true to how we do things at Qryztal.)

It was a cold, misty February evening, with an unnatural hush in the air. The silence was broken by the snap of a twig underfoot as a rather unremarkable man walked his equally nondescript dog across the common. Then from the distance there came a faint humming sound, rather like a washing machine a few rooms away. The humming sound grew increasingly louder and then suddenly stopped. The man looked across to the road and saw – and heard – a moped rider cursing his broken-down machine.

The day had started badly for Peter. He had been about to set off for work when a car had reversed into his brand new motorbike, knocked it over and in so doing had broken the clutch such that it was unrideable. So in order to get to work, Peter had resorted to his ancient moped with its very sick engine. He was now cold, hungry, and nearly two miles from home. Cursing his bad luck, Peter trudged along, pushing his lifeless moped. It wasn’t just that – work was getting him down.

He'd had a dream job lined up - but his estranged mother had sabotaged that for him. So now there was no escape from his dead-end job at the packaging factory. He didn't have a place to call his own (he was staying with his grandmother) and now he had no transport. Life just wasn't fair.

Back at the house very much later, Peter was logged in to Facebook. A friend had shared a post which said "Feeling stuck? We can help. Get in touch and let's talk." It was from a business called Qryztal Consulting. Peter clicked through to their Facebook page and then through to their website. "We've been there - we know what it's like" jumped out of the screen at him. Suddenly it seemed that there might be a way forward.

Without any hesitation, Peter sent them an email. He was astounded when, just a few minutes later, there was a reply: "Hi Peter. I just saw your email. I can meet with you tomorrow evening if that's convenient. Hope to speak to you soon. Steve."

The following evening, Peter arrived at the Wetherspoons where they had arranged to meet. As he walked in, his phone pulsated - a text from Steve: "I'm at the back. See you soon." Steve was sitting at a table in the far corner studying the menu, with a pen and notebook in front of him. They shook hands and Steve ordered food for both of them.

As soon as they had sat down again, Peter started telling Steve about his situation and how helpless he felt. Steve listened attentively, jotting down a few notes. When Peter reached the end of what he wanted to say, Steve paused and then reached for his phone. "Just a moment," he said. "I've got an idea." He dialled a number, which was answered immediately.

"Hi Ben, Steve here. Can you do me a favour? Yes... can you come to the Wetherspoons? Yes, a client... great! - see you shortly!"

A few minutes later, while Steve was telling Peter about Qryztal and how they could help him, Ben joined them. Steve introduced Ben to Peter: "Ben's from our computing division and I'm training him up on the consulting side. He was working in a garage before he came to us, and he's done loads of other jobs as well. He's a natural at this."  Ben glanced at Steve's notes and asked Peter a few questions. Peter immediately felt at ease with Ben, just as with Steve, and together the three of them worked out an action plan for Peter.

"How am I going to be able to afford these sessions?" Peter asked Steve.

"Don't worry - we've got a 'pay what you can' scheme," Steve replied.

"That's a lot of things we've put on the action plan," said Peter, starting to feel overwhelmed again.

"OK. How do you think you could tackle it?" Ben asked.

"Oh, one thing at a time, I guess," answered Peter.

"You've got it!" Ben exclaimed.

"Do you mind if Ben follows through with you on this?" Steve asked Peter.  "I think he could help you stick to the plan when things get tough."

"I'd like that!" Peter enthused. "But what about you?"

"Don't worry about me. I could always go and fix some computers." Steve was only half-joking about this.  Just like Ben, he was learning the other side of the business.

It was getting late, so the three of them shook hands, bade each other goodbye and went their separate ways.  Peter hadn't felt so good about himself for a long time - and he was looking forward to experiencing the success that he now knew he could achieve.

Hello and welcome!

Following on from the formation of Qryztal Ltd, welcome to our blog! Here we will share with you news about our company, the work that we do, our thoughts, ideas and values - and anything else better suited to a long-form post rather than Facebook (which we'll mainly use for links and short posts).

While we're on the subject of Facebook, please 'like' and share our Facebook page and also the pages for our operating divisions Qryztal Computing and Qryztal Consulting.

You can also find us on Twitter: @QryztalCompute and @QryztalConsult

Our webpage for Qryztal Consulting is here: http://consulting.qryztal.com/

You can email us at info@qryztal.com
or phone us on 07931 406038 (Computing) or 07398 200318 (Consulting)

Qryztal - the company

Qryztal is more than a company. It's a vision of a way of doing business - making money while maintaining our core values of clarity, honesty and integrity. Everything that we do is driven by the motivation to make a positive difference - whether that's a computer repair, coaching someone through a difficult situation, or whatever new challenge we take on.

Qryztal is about relationships:

• It's about caring for our people. We believe that in order to serve our customers well, we must first of all support and nurture our staff. Properly resourced and valued people enable us to deliver excellence and to delight our customers.
• It's about understanding our clients, surpassing their expectations, and generating new business based on recommendation. All that we do, we do it to the best of our ability - and we charge a fair price for it. There are no hidden extras or last-minute add-ons to the bill.

Qryztal: born out of the shared passion of our directors for doing business, and doing it well.

Qryztal - our people

Allow us to introduce ourselves...

Arthur is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.  Enthusiastic and knowledgeable about computers, he heads our computing division - Qryztal Computing. Arthur's knowledge and skills in hardware and software installation and repairs set him apart from the average person who fixes computers. Confident and pragmatic, Arthur inspires and motivates all who work with him.

Andrew has experience (in the public and voluntary sectors) of managing and implementing change and of personal advocacy. His quiet manner conceals a sharp, insightful mind. Skilled at listening to people, he rapidly gains the trust of colleagues and clients. Andrew heads our consultancy and coaching division - Qryztal Consulting - and is our go-to man for unravelling difficult problems.