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Monday 31 October 2011

Printing a brochure and a reaffirmation of my business philosophy

Ahh Office works. I try so hard to distance myself from there but always keep coming back. As a University student for more years than I care to remember I have an incredibly weak amount of resistance to places like office works, there are just so many different toys to help the studious (And not so studious) student. Alas this weakness also has split over to the world of big (ok Small to medium) business as well.

It was this familiarity with office works as a student that made me think to branch out a little when it came to printing the brochure. To be fair, I have never had problems with office works printing. Well, actually I have- but when they do make mistakes they have no problem fixing it so really who can fault them for that (if those of you more accustom to me responding to minor mistakes like these with a long winded rant are worried and confused - dont be, I am trying to cut down my caffeine intake by drinking green tea, it isnt bad and I suspect it is keeping me a lot calmer than I normally would be...at least for the next 30 minutes, at which point I suspect the withdrawal will begin), so I spent the day calling around to different printing services in Sydney and let me just say WOW!, I knew that office works wasn't bad value for money but compared to some of the quotes....actually there wasnt that many quotes to be honest a surprising number of businesses seem to either demand (and I dont use that term lightly) that all quotes must be done via email or simply wander off topic. A bit surprising but then again I also spent the morning being hung up on by incompetent net hosting companies as well. Customer service is obviously something that has gone the way of the dodo. I wonder why? I suspect it is part of the approach of some businesses to go for quantity over quality- simply flooding the market and like drift netting catch, maybe not the best but definitely something. So back to Office works it is, they may not be the cheapest or the best range but at least they actually seem to want your custom (and if anyone from officeworks is readying this and would like to reward such wonderful customer loyalty - I am amazingly open to bribes!).
So the brochures are finally getting printed. Hooray!

But interacting with these customer service officers (And I use that term lightly) reminded me that it is important to emphasis the business philosophy that I have built Hale & Fun on. The idea that teaching is a passion, a joy that should be passed on. Knowledge doesn't have to be restricted to boring classrooms and lecture theaters where students only learn out a conditioned response to examinations and assessment marks. That great teachers do not happen over night, they take time and need to be given a freedom to create their own courses, their own syllabuses. But also to remember that the student is important, we shouldn't be tailoring the courses to just what we want but also to what the student wants. I know that this may not be possible or even desirable in formal educational settings but who cares? Let them have that- I prefer teaching about things I love to people who really want to learn. So what if they are 20,30,50, 60 or 120 - as long as they have the craving for knowledge I have the passion for teaching.

Oh I also want to be paid...and make money..that is a pretty important component as well (I think it is important to be honest).

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