A Great Place to Work

We just received great news today. Nxtbook Media has made it into the finals and is one of the top 50 Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania, in the medium size business category. We won’t know until December 2^nd where we will actually end up, so the tension will build over the coming months. Thinking about it though, it really doesn’t matter where we end up; it is an honor to just be on the list.

The process is really more a matter of pride than the final result. While the contest begins with a company representative filling out a long application and survey, this ends up resulting in only 25% of your total score.

In the end, 75% of the final score comes from surveys that are filled out by the employees themselves. This really is where magic occurs. Imagine being rated as a company confidentially by your employees. These results have an obvious direct impact on where we end up on the list (or whether we make the list at all). This fact alone keeps a great deal of companies from even applying. Some employers think somehow that a problem you don’t know about can’t hurt you. I think if you don’t know it can kill you, but I digress.

The employees of Nxtbook Media think enough of the company to rate it highly and get a score large enough to be in the top 50 in the state of PA. PA is a big state; there are lots of companies in PA, lots of competition. But yet here we are, top 50! Magic indeed.

The great things about having a company that the employees feel so positively about are these:

1.) It’s great for our customers. Would you rather work with a company positive connected employees or a company where people are just punching the clock? To me this is what this award is,
really. When you have a solid connection between the company and the employees you can move mountains for your customers. I think at Nxtbook Media we truly do move mountains. It may be a foot at a time but we move them a little every day. We work hard for our customers and we make a good partner - always keeping the partnership in mind.

2.) It has always been one of the goals of my partners and I to make Nxtbook Media the place we always wanted to work at. When you start your professional career, “What not to do?” makes an impression on you.

There are lots of those moments. If and when you are lucky enough to own your own company, (I truly feel lucky) you remember those things you saw and you don’t repeat the error. Unfortunately many people lose that part of what they see and when they have “their turn” they instead make the same mistakes they have seen all the others make in their career. This “Best Places” accolade says that everyone who is a part of the company agrees that Nxtbook is on the right track and it is a pretty special place. We can always do better but we are constantly moving in the right direction.

So congratulations on the honor of the award and now we wait until December to see where we end up. No matter where it is though, it truly is Magic!

Michael

The Fantastic Growth of Nxtbook Media

When you start a company, you don’t plan on being one of the 500 Fastest Growing Companies in the U.S. 

No you plan on working hard, being smart, growing your business, seizing opportunities, getting the best people to be part of the organization, listen to your customers, know your markets, and have fun doing it because it is your passion!

Really, how could you possibly worry with being one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S.? You are much too busy being engaged with all of the things I said above, not to mention all of the things that I didn’t bother to mention even though they are important, too. You really are just too busy trying to be the company you know you are capable of being.

Then one day you find out that WOW, all that hard work puts you on a very prestigious list. A list you weren’t working to be on but it sure is nice to find out you made it.

There isn’t much public recognition you get for doing the right thing in your business life.  A company grows, you work harder, it grows more, you work even harder, etc.  But here you have recognition, recognition those companies like Microsoft, Oracle and Timberland have also received as they moved up the long path of business life.  It is really awe inspiring to be held in that same company. 

You realize that there are a lot of businesses that start every day.  According to USA today, 85 percent of which fail in the first year, then heap on another 70 percent fail in the second year.  When you look at those daunting statistics you realize how fortunate you are, but in many ways you feel that “Yeah, but that doesn’t apply to me." “Those are companies that don’t have their act together, I never had a doubt." (It’s nice because I really never did.)

I think it is part of the entrepreneurial mind, it allows you to believe in what you do so much that you know it will be a great business , you see it, feel it, taste it with all of your being but yet you have the ability to see problems and know what will work and what won’t. (Usually)

The great thing in looking at this recognition is you quickly realize you couldn’t do this without your customers.  They believe in you and what you have told them.  They understand that you are a growing company that is completely immersed in their marketplace.  You will show them how to be successful in their endeavors; you will be there to help them and their customers.  Whatever it takes.  Thank you customers for the role you play in our success every day.

The people of Nxtbook Media, without all of you there is no Nxtbook Media.  You are the heart and soul of the organization.  You have the vision, you bring the daily excitement to do a wonderful thing, you work hard but you also have great fun at work as well.  Your concern for our customers, buyers and readers alike is just incredible.  Your commitment to customer service is unparalleled.  Thank you for all you do, every day!

To my partners in the business, without each of you being there day in and day out Nxtbook Media would not be the place it is today.  Well done!

Finally, I think when you are writing your own personal business history, each event happens, you mentally write it down.  Then you turn the page and you are off to the next subject.  However, I think this page is pretty special so I’m going to stay right here and enjoy it for an extra minute.

Thanks again to all!

Michael

 

Welcome to the NXT World

Hi all!

I just wanted you to know that we are  pleased to be opening the world of NXTbook Media to folks that are interested in Digital Technology. Whether you are a current client, a potential client (I feel you are all) or someone just looking around, I’m glad you are here.

I have a great interest in the evolution of our digital product and know we are just in its infancy. The great thing is all of us at NXTbook Media are really excited to be a part of it. Rarely do you get an opportunity to be involved in developing technologies but I realize we are and know that we must do our best to carry the technology to the places our users/readers want them to go.

With that in mind, as the CEO of NXTbook Media, I want to assure you that we will do our best to remember our duties to all of the people that are important to this fledgling industry. We will try our best to be innovative, accommodating, customer centric and excited about what we do, every day.

Please feel free to let us know how you feel. Also know that no comment will pass us by without receiving the attention it deserves. We truly appreciate you.

Thanks for listening…