J Street Technology Blog

Wondering how much a custom software project will cost? See how J Street turns your ideas into a clear project plan and realistic estimate.

We often assume the best way to help a customer is to save them money, but what if that's not actually what they want? Learn why great service starts with asking what customers value most and giving them the choice.

The information we receive shapes the decisions we make, but for information to be useful, it has to arrive at the right moment. Whether we're talking database application development or putting together IKEA furniture, timing is everything. I was reminded of this recently when we bought a new washing machine.

Businesses exploring custom software application services often reach a point where their current tools and processes start to fall short. Tasks take longer than they should, information is harder to track down, and teams rely on workarounds (we're looking at you, spreadsheets) just to keep things moving.

What makes a good boss? While movies often spotlight the worst leaders, a few stand out for getting it right. From calm decision-making to leading by example, these on-screen bosses reflect the same qualities we value at J Street when building strong, effective teams.

Software often fails not because it's poorly built, but because it was designed without thinking about the people who use it every day. At J Street Technology, we've seen systems that look impressive in a demo but create friction in real workflows.

For years, I carried around a belief that I wasn't a "sales guy." To me, that phrase conjured up images of someone pushy, insistent, and maybe even disingenuous. This was someone more focused on landing the deal rather than actually helping the person in front of them.

Most companies only realize the importance of the right software partner after they've had the wrong one. Maybe it was a project that ran way over budget for unclear reasons, a solo programmer who disappeared, or a developer who just didn't get the assignment.

When people start looking for a custom software developer, the first things they usually consider are experience, industry knowledge, and technical skills. And while those are important, I've learned that there's another factor that can make or break a project: communication.

You've probably heard the familiar sighs from colleagues when it's time to pull the numbers for the next team meeting. There are three different spreadsheets, scattered metrics, and one person left to piece it all together.

We had a frustrating experience a few months ago in Valencia, Spain, where I was speaking at a conference. The morning after we arrived at our remote beachfront hotel, we thought we would take the bus into downtown Valencia. Since we had just arrived, I didn't have any euros yet, so I went online and found an official Valencia Metro app where I could load money and use it to scan the bus fare.

Can you remember the first statistic you read that changed your perspective? I'd like to think my kids experienced this the day I told them about a statistic I'm going to call "one out of twenty." When they were young, I shared with them that about one out of twenty people on the planet call the United States home.

In sales, people talk about businesses falling into two main categories: hunters and farmers. Each approach has its strengths, but we've realized that we use a third, less-talked-about category: trappers.

You know the old story - the one where someone, usually with a tortured expression, says, "No matter what I say, don't let me out of this room." It's a clear warning. They know what's coming. And yet, when the full moon rises, the pleading begins.

We experienced a widespread power outage a few months ago in Seattle. For days, about 250,000 people didn't have power, offering a valuable lesson in communication and expectation-setting among business owners.

Working with hundreds of potential clients over the years, I've learned that reaching an agreement requires both timing and confidence. When a conversation is going well, you must recognize it and lead the client to the next steps without over-explaining. Once the client says "yes", it's essential to take that answer and move forward rather than offer more reassurance when it isn't needed.

When investing in custom software development, it's natural to wonder whether your development team needs experience in your specific industry. But while industry knowledge can be helpful, it's not essential for a successful outcome. In fact, working with developers who bring fresh perspectives and know how to apply their expertise from other projects can often result in more innovative solutions.

As a business owner, I live by my calendar. Meetings are the rhythm of my day, and over time, I've tried to improve my punctuality. But I've noticed that not everyone shares the same internal clock.

On a recent trip to Spain, I reserved a rental car so my family and I could drive to the small town where we had an Airbnb reservation. Little did I know that what unfolded would leave me with a list of lessons to pass on to you and highlight how customer service affects a company's reputation.

Think about what would happen if you built your new home on shaky ground; it's a disaster waiting to happen. While it might not come back to haunt you today or tomorrow, at some point, you can't be surprised when the unstable ground beneath gives way and collapses.

Have you ever wondered how we keep the air we breathe and the water we drink clean? With millions of people worldwide, stringent environmental compliance standards are primarily to thank. What is one of the most intensive parts of meeting these standards? Environmental database reporting.

In today's fast-paced world, some businesses and organizations operate like well-oiled machines while others struggle to make headway. You might wonder what makes one excel while the other languishes. We have a theory: working with a database development company to create a custom-built database.

Developing custom database software is a lot like building a house - an architect has to design it properly, and you need a strong foundation in order to support the house on top of it.

Reliable infrastructure in our cities reaches beyond the physical safety of public roads and bridges; it includes the seamless flow of information, services, and communication that binds the community together.

As the world moves toward building a more sustainable future, innovative environmental management software is helping to change the game of tackling society's many ecological challenges. Water is the liquid of life, and proactive water management is essential.

People working in local municipal governments have tons of management responsibilities. Even the smallest communities can have complex systems of operational processes with countless moving parts.

Custom software has reshaped the ways businesses and organizations utilize their data and serve their stakeholders. Public entities like municipal, state, and federal governments are no strangers to this trend.

Have you ever found yourself wondering about ways to supercharge your development team? Are you searching for solutions that can elevate your performance to new heights? If so, you live in remarkable times! Enter Microsoft 365 to accomplish these goals and more!

In today's fast-paced business environment, custom data integration plays a crucial role in streamlining operations and improving efficiency.

Are you ready to fly into the digital skies? Are you interested in exploring the revolutionary world of cloud-based project management software? Could your team benefit from having a chartered course? If you answered "yes" to any of the questions above, then fasten your seat belt.

As technology propels us forward into uncharted territories, one of the most significant and exciting developments in the software industry is the increasing integration of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, in software development.

The Discovery Phase: laying the foundation to build flawless web-based software. Every successful custom web-based software project commences with a thorough discovery phase.

In today's data-driven world, businesses use data to drive processes, create efficiencies, make decisions, and understand their customers in order to remain competitive. And an investment in SQL Server development services is an investment that can drive efficiency in every area of a business.

For businesses looking to streamline processes and data management through software, it can be difficult to determine whether a software package or custom database development is the best fit...

We're big movie buffs at J Street, so much so that we created a nifty tool to quickly answer the age-old question: "what do I watch tonight?"

Applies To: SmarterMail. You can set up detailed Spam filtering in SmarterMail to automatically delete emails from any email address.

Applies To: Those hosting with J Street Technology. Your Web site is available to you now, but it is not listed on the World Wide Web. In order to make it available, you need to update your Domain Name Servers (DNS) records with the domain name registrar where you purchased your domain.

Applies To: SmarterMail Web Mail, Hosting with J Street Technology, Inc. To move messages from one folder to another: click and hold down the button on your mouse on the message that you want to move.

Applies To: Hosting Secure Folders in WebsitePanel. Question: Can I create a password protected secure folder for my Web site? You can create individual Users and/or Groups that have access to secure directories for your Web site.

Applies To: All Hosting Plans. Each MRA (Multi-Recipient Address) by default allows for 50 individual addresses to be added to the recipient addresses field.

Many things can affect how your site looks visually as it is loading. The more streamlined your site is, the faster it will load.

Applies To: All merchants hosting with J Street and using SmarterMail. Summary: Log into your SmarterMail account (mail.MYURL.com), enter your email address and password, then click on Settings, then Filtering, then Content Filtering.

It's been a while since you've heard from us. We've been hard at work with an exciting new development for our business, and we're thrilled to share the news with you now...

A year ago, I joined the J Street Team in my first software-centered business development role. I was thrilled to join such a competent, friendly team of database development experts...

To the untrained eye, websites and web applications can look one and the same. But underneath the covers you'll find a world of differences...

Analyzing our clients' needs and offering practical solutions is a big part of our job...

I have been so fortunate in my life. I was raised in a good home, with everything we needed. I attended a good university (where I met my wife Lori)...

I spent a recent afternoon with my family on our traditional adventure to select our Christmas tree. Last year, we didn't have a real tree at all...

Think of a few things in your life that might have poor design... One thing remains the same between them: if they're poorly designed, we rarely use them.

The explosion of data analytics in the past three decades has revolutionized the way our businesses, governments, and institutions function. Data has always driven the world around us...

Recently we started working with a new client, and of course we were excited about the opportunity! But almost immediately the owner of the company started to aggressively question every step of our process...

Here are the latest phishing attempts that have been received by our team. Funny how poorly these are written, seeing as how these scammers are trying to trick you in to giving them access to your information.

Ever get lost in the perplexing world of software development? In this video, J Street's President, Armen Stein, boils down the specific technologies and platform that we specialize in.

As an Armenian, playing backgammon was pretty much expected of me from an early age. When I was 5, my mom said that she'd play with me, but I had to promise not to cry when I lost.

When our teenage daughter was playing Select Softball, we would sometimes travel to other cities for tournaments. Teams from all over the country would gather at a large sports complex and play softball over a whole weekend.

One of the many things that I've learned over the past several months is how much I like to spend time with friends, family and employees.

Time is not a renewable resource - the time I have today is limited. I don't want to spend a lot of time scheduling online meetings and phone calls.

It's hard to know what to say or write during these times. Like many of you, I'm uncomfortable, worried about saying something wrong or alienating people.

J Street went completely virtual in 2018, so we have experience with the challenges of not seeing each other often. Over the past two years, we've found ways to stay connected.

Way back in the early days of my career, I was a software designer at DIS Corporation in Bellingham, WA. I helped design and build dealership software for farm equipment and automobile dealers.

To help pay for my university education, I waited tables at a Denny's restaurant. Over the years I've realized that I got a pretty good education at the restaurant, too.

During this time of stress from the coronavirus pandemic, it can be difficult to get the sleep we need. But here's the deal: getting enough sleep, at least 7 hours each night, powers up our immune systems to help us fight viral infections.

During this trying time, not only do we have to worry about the pandemic, the economy, and our friends and family, scammers and hackers are doubling (tripling?) their efforts to get a hold of your valuable information.

The "originality" that scammers use to try to get people to click on their emails... Nope, this doesn't look phishy at all!

Here at J Street, we say that we build and support database applications. But really, what we do is solve problems. Every day. That is our job. And it's a skill that we've developed.

At first glance, this email looks legit. There is the Microsoft logo. All the words are spelled correctly and proper grammar format is followed...

If your life is anything like mine, anything that can help your day go smoother would be welcome. Here are a few things I've learned over the years that I use to keep me organized and efficient.

The hardest part of software development isn't actually software development - it's estimating how long the software development will take.

A great leader can make all the difference between success and failure, productivity and frustration, satisfaction and disappointment. But how do you know when someone's a great leader?

A few months ago we moved out of our physical office and went completely virtual! No, that doesn't mean that we are all CGI characters (we are still real humans), but it does mean that we no longer gather to work at a permanent office.

Do you respond quickly to communications sent to you? I'm not talking about spam or unsolicited email. I'm talking about real, honest requests and questions. I think you should try to respond right away, for a few reasons:

One of the hardest subjects to broach, in business or personal matters, is money. People are often uncomfortable bringing up the topic, especially when they need a product or service they're not very familiar with.

Sometimes we try to spare someone's feelings by saying "maybe" or "later" when the authentic answer is really "no".

Some customers balk when we tell them that we'll do some planning and design to start their project. They want us to just start coding. But we know that's a bad idea...

We're excited to be featured on Microsoft's Tech Community blog, with its first publication of an Access customer success story in North America!

Here are the latest attempts at phishing that our team has received. Funny how poorly these are written considering these scammers are trying to get your personal information.

To me, a developer saying their programming change "shouldn't hurt anything" is the equivalent of a person in a horror movie saying "I'll be right back" - things are likely to end badly!

Hackers are always trying new ways to trick you in to giving them your personal information! Here's the latest to come across our path.

Armen will be presenting his topic "Start Your Project Right" June 5th at DAAUG to conclude his Spring world tour for that topic that included Vienna, London and Portland.

The name of something is very important, for clarity and consistency. This is especially true when designing a database system and naming items including tables, fields, and labels.

An example of a VERY BAD attempt at phishing! Notice all of the hyperlink URLs - NONE of the links point to OneDrive. And they signed the email OneDriveS!!!

Few things are quite as frustrating as using some software and receiving an error message - except for receiving an error message that tells you NOTHING about what the problem actually is!

Be on the lookout for this phishing scam in your inbox! Notice how the email uses a local address (in this case an address in Bellingham, WA) to look more legitimate.

I recently had a conversation with my 22-year-old son, who was kind enough to list some words and phrases that I shouldn't say. They are simply out of date or otherwise not cool.

I recently visited Thailand, and I loved the country, food, and people. But I was shocked by the state of their wiring infrastructure.

In the last J Street Buzz, I explained what Microsoft Access really is - a desktop application development builder. But what about web applications? How do you choose which type of system you need?

One of our team members received this email today from "Wells Fargo" - CLEARLY a phishing scam!

Use caution when opening and clicking on ANY links in an email! It may be a phishing scam! This email from "Microsoft" was received by a team member at J Street.

One of our team members received a new type of phishing email - this one says that their account has seen irregular activity!

Heads up - scammers are getting more and more tricky! One of our team received this email from "Microsoft".

We build desktop systems using Microsoft Access, and web applications using ASP.NET. They each have their place. For many years we've heard negative opinions about Access, especially from IT people, and I think it's because they don't know what Access actually is.

Recently I read a great article, Learning Programming Isn't That Hard, Deep Work Is Hard, which explores the difference between shallow work and deep work. I mostly agree with the article, but I don't think that everyone who can do deep work necessarily has the aptitude for coding.

Recently we were contacted by a company that was in a tough spot. They had a thriving business, but things weren't going well with their software developer/hosting company.

Heads up to everyone - we had a client contact us that they had received a phone call from "Microsoft". The caller told our client that they could see that the client's network was not secure and instructed our client to go to a web meeting site so the caller could "help".

In the last J Street Buzz, I mentioned KOB, a custom application that we've built and extended for over 20 years to run our business. I asked, "Can you guess what KOB stands for?" I got a few guesses, but none of them were correct.

When our teenage daughter was playing Select Softball, we would sometimes travel to other cities for tournaments. Teams from all over the country would gather at a large sports complex and play softball over a whole weekend.

We believe in our products and development, which is why we "eat our own dog food". If we don't use the technology we recommend, why should you?

There have been movies made about it, and it happens in real life. A regular hard-working person buys a lottery ticket and wins BIG - and promptly quits their job.

'Tis the season of joy - and hackers trying to steal your personal information!

If you have ever experienced less-than-stellar customer service (and most everyone has!) then you know how frustrated you can become. Even if the end result is great, a bad customer service experience can spoil it for you.