Introducing ZenDash – TSC.03

The ZenDash project, is an idea I had after we opened our first restaurant Los Tontos! ZenChef is an amazing tool, pricy, but amazing. It has so many options and exceptions that it does require a learning curve to get it exactly how you want it to be.

The Dashboard Problem

In ZenChef you can see your data and reservations day per day, or on the dashboard it compares your current month with your previous month. But there are no more settings than that. I cannot go to the next or previous month, or click on any of the numbers to see some more information.

On the reservations page, I can see all our reservations for that day. I can navigate between days, and change the view of the day, but I cannot see our restaurant performance on a weekly or monthly basis. If we upgrade our account, we do have access to the calendar view, but you still need to make the calculations yourself if you like to see some totals.

Of course, we don’t upgrade to a higher plan just for a monthly overview.

ZenChef API

I reached out to ZenChef support to ask if they have API access, and they replied that API access is only for premium customers. Which we are not, as we’re on the lowest plan.

Unfortunately for me, this was a bummer for my plan of playing around and seeing if I can improve the dashboard a bit so we can see the data exactly how it’s interesting for us to see them. The current dashboard doesn’t give much detailed feedback on our restaurant’s performance.

When navigating in the ZenDesk app from between days to check our reservation, I checked the network tab in Chrome to see if they are making any API requests themselves… and it turns out they do!

They do use their own API to retrieve their data in the app, so lucky for me I could try this out and see if I can send the same request from my own device as well.

We need to check the headers of what’s being sent together with the request: our API key (which everyone has for the reservation widget) and our restaurantID. The payload of the request is the date of the day I would like to retrieve, as the /daily request only shows information for one specific day. I assume they also have monthly requests, but our plan does not have that, so I cannot peak at how they setup those requests.

With this information, I quickly tested on my machine using Bruno if I was able to get a response too. In between our other projects I just created a GET call to see if I pass the correct headers and parameters, I would actually also receive the right data. And it did!

Big win! My idea of creating a small, personal ZenChef dashboard for my personal use could continue. Happy me!

Getting started – TSC.02

Okay, so I had a great idea in November last year to start side projects on my train commute to the office and back home. It is 45 minutes one way, so I gain 1h30 minutes per day!

The idea was genius, the execution a bit chaotic. Fast forward 2 months later and I’m still thinking this idea could be fun!

Choosing the perfect side project

Spoiler alert, I don’t think there is one. Classic startup struggles, you have a great idea, try to build it but then lose interest in the project before it’s finished or no time to finish it off exactly how you wanted it.

Another issue of mine, is that I have new ideas constantly. Every idea sounds like a good one so I instantly need to try and build it. Can’t help myself.

Choosing focus

To try and not jump from project to project in every TSC (The Startup Commute) Episode I post, I will try to limit my current focus on 2 projects. One is purely for fun, playing around with the ZenChef API for personal use in my restaurant.

The other idea is a project idea of me and my business partner Yannick, that we will try to commercialize in the end. So let’s see if that works out soon 🙂

Building an idea with our tech background and expertise is the easy part, convincing the world that our own app idea is the bomb, is something else.

But we’ll keep going!

The Startup Commute: A 1.5 Hour Grind.

My commute to our Weichie.com office in Brussels is 45 minutes one way. Going back home also takes me 45 minutes, so with some quick maths, my lose 1 hour and 30 minutes per day that I’m going to the office.

How can I turn this lost time into a win? Because there is a lot to do with that time if you count them together. Some people use it to chat loudly on a crowded train, some read books, work, watch movies, call their loved ones to discuss what’s for dinner, …

Personally, I used it to play games on my phone, read offline articles I’ve saved, or continue to do some work now and then. With my idea for the “Startup Commute” series, I want to motivate myself to make the most out of my commute time.

On average, I work 3 – 4 days a week at the office. This gives me roughly 6 hours a week or almost 30 hours a month.

I am lucky to take a direct train to Brussels, so there are no transfers along the way. I can fire up my laptop once on the train and put it away 1 hour and 30 minutes later.

The Startup Commute Idea

The idea is to build a startup idea on the train. I will try to document my startup adventure in episodes and will try to publish one episode each month. I will try to not spoil my app idea, as it is obviously a genius app idea and no one may steal it! I only go as fast as 1.5 hours a day.

On the train, there is also no internet, so I might cheat a little and do some research in the early morning or evening to help me when I’m stuck.

But my development setup can run completely offline on a local Lando server.

The App Idea

The App Idea itself will be an Android & IOS mobile application, hopefully, available in the App- and Play Store one day. We’ll be targeting the Hospitality industry as this is one of the industries I enjoy the most.

Code-wise, the app will be written with the Ionic Framework. A nice JavaScript framework for building native applications. We’ll be using the VueJS framework (Vue3) together with TypeScript – and probably Pinia as store manager.

For the backend of the application, my colleague Yannick will take care of that. Using Laravel and having all the API routes ready for me like the hero he is on Bruno.

I pull everything in from our GIT repo before the train takes off, and after that, I’m on my own for the next 45 minutes for building feature after feature.

The first month

This month is currently ongoing so I will update this paragraph later. But with the holidays in December in mind, I probably use this pilot episode to get started on the base setup of my application. Combining November & December 2024 as an extended, pilot episode.

Pitfalls in the journey

Working offline is fun and all, but as a developer it’s hard to know everything by heart. Not having internet to Google things slows down development quite a bit actually.

Some pain points I’m facing:

• No Internet, Google, AI, …
• No Vue/Ionic/Capacitor documentation
• I need to prep for the journey: pulling before leaving home or the office

For motivation, here is our first start-up commute in action with me and my Weichie.com business parter Yannick. Bringing our first startup idea to live on a plane flight from Brussels to New York.

Good luck!

Episode 4 – Y2M2

We’ve started a newsletter! If you’re reading this in February 2024, you can still subscribe to receive our Y2M1 edition! We send out monthly-to-quarterly emails (depending on your preference) with backstage info on our Weichie.com web agency. Introducing new employees, agency struggles, new client work, internal initiatives, and much more. A best-in-class newsletter that’s a must-read!

We’re also getting settled in our new office in Brussels. In our previous episode, I mentioned that we were moving to a new location, now that that’s done, we can start making the place our own. Currently still in love with this amazing location in the city center of Brussels.

Growing our office

In our previous office, WeWork accommodated everything; Not only the coffee, tea, milk, microwave, and printer, … Also the desks and office chairs were included in the rent, as well as cleaning services.

For our new location, we need to get those items too, but it will be a continuous process. Currently started with 6 offices, office chairs, screens and monitors for the working area. Our kitchen started with a fridge, microwave, coffee machine, water boiler, and a cookie jar.

Next up will be a meeting/lunch table, so we can leave our desks for a moment.

Business evaluation

Last year, 2023 was a big investment year for Weichie.com. We upgraded to a bigger office at WeWork, to finally ended up leaving WeWork and moving to our own private space. The private space requires a security deposit but comes at around the same monthly renting price as we had at WeWork. But our new office is more spacious, leaving more room for growth.

A private office means we’re also required to purchase everything ourselves. Desks, monitors, office chairs, a fridge, cups, a microwave, a coffee machine, a meeting table, a tv, … Those are all required to create a nice work environment for the team, but aren’t free of charge.

Despite our growth with the Brussels team, we’re also trying to penetrate the US market!

The New York progress?

This belongs to a different journal, our New York Adventure Journal, but just wanted to let you know we made progress there as well and are all ready to go to make some new business there! Weichie.com Inc. and Weichie.com BV are ready for business!

Weichie.com Inc. is ready for business (NY-001/03)

Finally, Weichie.com Inc. Now also has a bank account! We’re ready to start working for US clients, be able to invoice them, and most importantly for our business: our clients can pay in their preferred payment method. No more international wire transfers that not only come with additional fees but not everyone can make an international wire transfer that easily we discovered.

Some of our clients always needed to call their bank to explain that they wanted to make a payment to Belgium. So with our US Bank account, working with Weichie.com Inc. is easier than ever. And there is no difference with other US-based digital agencies anymore – except our exceptional service in web design & development of course. You won’t find the quality that we deliver with Weichie.com at any other agency.

Our first American Clients

We already had a few American customers without our US branch. Those were customers who already worked together with me when I was living in New York and kept working together with us when I moved back to Belgium. We can now better support our long-term clients as we are now also reachable through our US Phone number.

Onboarding new clients is the next step! Currently onboarding our first new clients are all in the eCommerce sector, going hard on Shopify – which we love!

Episode 3 – Y1M10

August was a very intense month in terms of workload, but because most of our clients were on holiday the feedback and approval on those projects had huge delays. For our agency, this was a very busy month but the cash flow was not present. That means that on paper, everything looks good, but in reality, it simply does not work on paper only. In theory, all our invoices should be slowly dripping in in September, but it feels weird that you work your ass off.

In navigating the complexities of digital projects, I’ve identified scope creep as a significant challenge we face. Our commitment to client satisfaction often leads us to accommodate new ideas, reflecting our flexibility and desire to deliver exceptional work. However, I’ve realized that without clear boundaries, these well-intentioned adjustments can compromise both the project’s profitability and our ability to deliver on time. Moving forward, I must refine my project management skills, ensuring clear communication from the outset about the scope of work. Guaranteeing that both our team and our clients have a shared understanding of what the project includes – and maybe more importantly, what it does not.

I discovered that scope creep is currently one of my biggest flaws. We spend time on a project proposal, estimating a project timeframe and budget. But during the project, clients will come up with new ideas and we just want to help. But many small changes make the project unprofitable in the end, so definitely a management skill I add to my bucket list to ensure everyone knows what’s included in the proposal that we made – and what’s not.

New Office for Weichie.com!

We’re excited to share that we’re moving to our own private space beginning in December 2023! We loved WeWork and are very thankful they could support our starting agency in its early years. I grew there from a hot-desk membership just for me, to a private office space for 3 people. Because we needed to upgrade on more time to a 4-people’s private office, I also asked prices for a 6-people office.

You can never be too enthusiastic, but for example, if an intern would join us for a few months, I would not like our office space to become too small once again. The prices for the 6-desk office were very competitive with other office rentals in Brussels, so I started my journey there.

The opportunity for one of those location seemed almost too good to be true, yet it ticked all the boxes. Its a spacious area, capable of comfortably accommodating a small team of up to 10 people. While we haven’t grown to that size yet, it’s an exciting prospect, leaving us open to the possibilities that the future may hold!

More info about our new Weichie.com Brussels office can be found in this article, but our new address is above the OTOMAT restaurant in Place St-Catherine in Brussels!

A new hire!

If you haven’t heard it yet, we also have our official 2nd employee at Weichie.com! Except for me and my business partner Yannick, we now also have Mathias who joined our development team. If you would like to meet them, our accountant, or our freelancers, feel free to have a look at the Weichie.com team page.

All the foundations for healthy growth are now in place at our agency! This solid base allows us to concentrate on improving client satisfaction and refining our onboarding process. Our goal is to ensure Weichie.com becomes the best digital agency that businesses could wish for — known not just for our expertise but also for our fairness, passion and dedication to our clients.

Episode 2 – Y1M8

A personal journal can help me learn from my mistakes – and maybe – inspiring or helping someone on the way. But I still need to find the time to make it a habit. To occasionally write something down. In the second quarter of this year, we launched our new maintenance studio: SnappStudio, and had one of our most extended quotation phases so far! Thanks to our branding partner Kolos for a new project, we’ve also received a great opportunity. In the end, we also have not one, but two nice surprises!

Resurrecting old clients, the good & the bad

The good

A very big name in Brussels in the restaurant/catering sector got in touch with us a bit more than one year ago to make some small SEO tweaks to their website. Besides those small tweaks, it never became a real partnership. It was more troubleshooting for their website so they could move on. A few months later they came back to us for another project, a concept website that we also built for them. When the concept site launched, we went our separate ways again.

This year, in the early summer, they called us to let us know that if we still had room in our schedule, they would like us to become their digital partner. They have a round 20 websites that need maintenance and are fully renewing a few of them. So they really need a dedicated agency if they want this to work. As we loved the agency and the work we had done for them in the past, we really felt that we could be a great partner for them.

Not only for new businesses but simply to do some maintenance updates on their sites. But they also need someone who knows something about the digital world, in terms of servers, hosting, emails, and security, … We think together with them and try to find the best, cost-efficient, and long-term solutions for their challenges.

The bad

It’s not all fun & games. Also a bit over one year ago, we got contacted by a fashion label. They wanted to grow and take things seriously, so decided to work together with us for the makeover of their Shopify webshop. We’ve created a brand-new design, and rebuilt their Shopify store from the ground up, but I should have seen the red flags from the start.

Right after signing our proposal, their requests went berserk and out-of-scope. Yet they could not understand and send us new requests after new requests. I told them that we would launch the website as promised in our proposal, although we already did a lot of extra work. We’ve launched the webshop for them and they never paid.

Even now, a year and 6 months later, the webshop we’ve built is still online and running. So the quality of our work was there and they’re actually using the work we’ve made. Yet I was too kind to let them away with it and we never saw our money.

Now the best part, in July this year they reached out to us again telling us that they would love working with us again to make some additional tweaks to the website. To me, this proved that they actually were happy with our services and collaboration. Having the guts to come back and ask for more tweaks was one step too far. I’m in full learning process, but working for free is no longer on my list.

I simply thanked them for their request, but we will not be working together again.

SnappStudio is born

As our maintenance services and clients started to increase, we needed to find more ways to support our clients. At the beginning of this year, we had 10 clients on maintenance. Our challenge was to try and double our maintenance clients this year, to have a recurring income with our support. Now we are at 35 clients on maintenance.

Not all sites on our maintenance are of the same size, they also don’t have the same needs. We also keep learning and find better ways to support our clients on performance and security. But our maintenance fee is very low. We simply cannot provide our performance and security updates for the same budget. Therefore, we created maintenance packages so the client could choose which one would best fit their needs.

To maintain a clear and transparent overview of our services and costs, we’ve decided to launch a side business named SnappStudio. Solely focussing on maintenance and smaller website projects that have short deadlines.

New Agency Business

During the summer of this year, we’ve got a lot of new requests. One of those new clients was for a big city in Belgium to create a digital platform where citizens could easily find their way around all the summer activities of the city. It’s nice to see our agency grow this way. That we can start working for clients that most people know. We grow with every project we make, but having a big name in your client portfolio makes the growth of our agency a bit easier.

The most important part is clear communication and keeping promises.

The American Dream (for business)

More on this topic can be found in our New York Adventure posts, but the next steps in this business are also taken during the summer months. Our US Tax ID is approved and Weichie.com Corporation (Weichie.com Inc.) is officially born! To actually start doing business our next steps are to have it signed with a notary and open a bank account.

As always, I’m excited about my own new episode in our agency journey!

The Corporation startup (NY-001/02)

We’re getting serious about starting up a business branch in New York! As a Belgian agency, we have the luxury that many associations can assist with your US expansions. I’m pretty sure every country has them, you need to find them. I encountered one of them by accident and then got redirected to each and all of them from there.

Get advice on how to get started for your use case

It’s easy to just go for it, it’s a bit more complex than that if you want to do it right and want to make sure you’re not banned from the US for doing some illegal stuff. We started by joining Belcham, a Belgian agency that offers assistance, office space, advice, and a strong network of same-minded businesses that also want to move, or already made the move to the USA.

There I learned all the different tax rates per state in the US, that tax rates depend on where you’re invoicing to and not where you’re invoicing from, and that there are multiple business formats with each their benefits or flaws. We’ve also found our legal and accounting partner through the Belcham network.

Besides Belcham, in Belgium we also have FIT. A government instance that gives advice and financial support for businesses that want to grow overseas.

Requirements for Starting a Corporation

You will need a lawyer to file all your required documents and register your business in your preferred state. We went for a corporation and the business structure is the following: Each corporation will need a Director, a President, and a Treasurer. They can all be the same person if needed, but you need to register a person who will be accountable for those titles. A heads-up: The President can only sign to start the firm through a notary. You’re not required to go to the USA for this, a notary in your country is fine too.

I still don’t know much about all that paperwork so to make sure I am not telling any lies, I will simply suggest searching for a lawyer and follow their assistance.

Starting a bank

Starting a bank is another adventure. I wanted to hop by a bank and open a business account for our business, but apparently, the Belcham office that we have is not allowed. Banks don’t allow coworking spaces as legal addresses to open up a bank account.

That wasn’t even my first problem, also everyone who will receive authority over the bank account does need to be there in person. Compared to starting and registering the actual business, where everything is allowed remotely – for starting a bank account you will need to go the the USA physically. Which I did, but not with everyone who will receive access to the banking details of Weichie.com Inc.

We’re halfway there for our US adventure but we’ll get there! Opening a bank account is for the next chapter!

Getting Started in New York City (NY-001/01)

The Dream: Starting a weichie.com branch in New York City! Big dream, lots of work… But if I can keep myself motivated, it should be possible.

Last week I returned to New York for a week, but mainly for holiday reasons. Again, this made me super excited about my dream of starting a New York branch for our digital agency. More about the trip in a bit, but I will first get started on the current state of the business and all the preparations that are already made.

Why New York?

The big question. My entire career started in New York. When I was in my first year of university college, I knew I would be doing my final internship in the United States. It did not matter to me if it was New York, Los Angeles, or San Fransisco. In my mind, in our sector (web & tech) the United States is at the top of the industry.

I had sent out emails to literally hundreds of agencies in the States to ask if they’d offer international internships. The internship would be unpaid, so I was simply asking if it would be possible for a Belgian Student to run an internship at their company. Of the 100+ agencies I’ve reached out to, only 5 replied. 3 of them were positive…

Long story short, I managed to get a 6-month internship at a digital agency called Night Owl Interactive. The agency was based in New York City and existed out of a small team of 8 people. After my 6 month internship, I got hired right away and I stayed for 2 years in New York. Because Night Owl Interactive was a small agency, doing big projects, it always intrigued me to start something similar on my own.

Our base set up in New York

During my 2 years at Night Owls, I became very good friends with some of my colleagues. When our adventures ended at Night Owls, we stayed in touch. Some only for social and fun reasons, but with some I continued working. Because I wanted to take full advantage of the opportunity my internship and early New York career gave me, I really wanted to work more and more with my New York colleagues.

Belcham US Readiness Program

The power of side projects

Are you a developer? A designer? Illustrator? Animator? Something else in the creative world? I don’t even care and you shouldn’t either. Side project will benefit you anyway, even if the side project has nothing to do with your day-to-day job.

Why would I spend my time on a side project?

“Practice makes perfect!”. It’s a great way to increase your skills.

Which side project should I pick?

If there aren’t any ideas to get started, then don’t push it. It should be something you really enjoy doing without feeling like an obligation. If you need to force yourself to work on a side-project, simply drop it.

No-one is going to ask about your personal projects. It’s something you love doing and maybe, once it’s done, you can publish it online for other people to see and maybe even to use.

You can always google some creative app ideas or beginner guides and if you find something you like, you can tweak it any way you want. An example for me would be to follow a simple React tutorial, but actually making it with Vuejs instead of react. I love Vuejs more than react and this way I can challenge myself to see if I can make the same react app in vue. It’s also a good method to compare both Vue and React to see how both frameworks are doing the same thing in their own way.

Ain’t nobody got time for that?

However, finding time for those side-projects ain’t always easy. But because a side project should be something you really love, and not something that feels obligated, it actually helps to work on it during breaks.

When I’m doing client work and feel like I’m losing the zone, I can hop on a side project to take a little break from work. This can be a bit dangerous as working on side-projects can be more fun than working on client work. Too bad we still need to make some moneys, and a side project is not going to do that right from the start.

A routine that works for me is waking up early and spend 1 hour on my personal project in the morning, before I do anything else. It actually helps me waking up happy and full of energy as I really want to get started on my project. Get that first cup of coffee at 6am and make it work!