About Us

“Planning ahead is part of my DNA. So when I needed the California Secretary of State to process my Business Application paperwork, I decided to save time by driving to Sacramento to hand-deliver it. Then I realized I could go to his San Francisco office, closer to where I lived, because I had other pressing matters to take care of, too.

So I searched the Internet using two major search engines and the Secretary of State’s website for the SF office address and any other important information, such as whether the office was available to walk-in traffic. None of the searches indicated anything out of the ordinary—no changes to the Secretary’s ability to provide services.

Early Friday morning, I headed for San Francisco, planning to turn in my application when the Secretary’s office opened so I could fit other pressing activities into the day.

An hour later, I’m where I‘m supposed to be but I can’t find street parking or nearby parking structures, so I decide to take advantage of the downtown library, where I park underground. Rushing to the Secretary of State’s office building, I make my way through the security check outside, taking off my belt and shoes and emptying my pockets. Reassembling on the other side of the scanner, I enter the building. There are no signs directing me to the Secretary of State’s office, so I ask a security guard. He doesn’t know. Again I look over the available signage. Nothing. At the elevators, I ask a man and a woman if they know where the Secretary’s office is. They think it’s on the third floor, so I thank them and up I go.

On the third floor, there’s no information on the board as to the location of the SOS’s office, either. I run into a dead end down one hall, so I head in the other direction and hit another wall, so I turn in the only direction available to me and find myself back at the elevator. I re-visit the information board, slowly and deliberately reading it. Still nothing. So I begin to wander, taking every available hallway.

Finally, I spot a door. I’m feeling exultant—saved! I go in and ask for directions to the SOS’s office. The person I ask hasn’t a clue but gives me general directions in her desire to help me. The directions take me on still another convoluted quest. Finally, I spot an office where one shouldn’t exist. I reach the door only to find an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper that informs me: “The Secretary of State’s Office is Closed. You must go to Sacramento.” I’m stunned. I simply cannot believe what I’m reading. 

I head quickly for the elevators because I’m paying for parking and I still need to drive to Sacramento—nearly two hours away—to complete this transaction. There’s no time to fume; it’s time to act! I rush to my car, exit the library parking structure and pull out the GPS that will take me to Sacramento. 

Later that evening as I refill my tank with gas, thinking about the morning I wasted, a revelation hits me: there simply has to be a better way to inform the public about changes to locations and hours of operation than a piece of paper taped to a door! From that day on, I began to attract the pieces of the puzzle that will change the way businesses communicate with the public."

Isaac Te

The following stories showcase what we mean.

Testimony; 1

“I’m an outreach worker for a non-profit. I go out to my community to look for agencies, other non-profits and local business that allow me to do outreach for our veterans programs. About 90% of the time I use the Internet to find locations and addresses I want to visit. Much of the time the Internet information is correct regarding locations, but there have been times when I’ve been gravely disappointed.

“One day I was doing outreach in the [distant] Los Gatos area. I looked up community centers on the Internet for Los Gatos and found one I especially wanted to visit. When I got to the address listed on the Internet, there was no community center, there was just a private residence; and there was no update regarding the move or termination of the community center. I was upset because it was a complete waste of time and money to drive to Los Gatos. In some cases, there is a contact number to call to see if there is a new location or information, but this time there was no phone number to follow up on the address and information given. As an outreach worker, it would have been far less frustrating had there been updated information on the ‘Net to access.” — Outreach worker DB

 © Architeckie | Building Customers for businesses | Visibuilty for buisnesses in transition | Interconnecting the fragmented marketplace