About three or four years ago, I read Paul Hawken’s book Growing a Business. It was a subtle revelation for me. I had always casually thought of “business” as a sort of low-class, dog-eat-dog kind of world, and as a software developer, I had more lofty and noble things to occupy my mind and my time. But this book really opened my eyes to the idea that making a profit and making a positive difference in the world are not necessarily mutually exclusive activities. It is possible to be a socially-conscious capitalist, and rather than simply whine about inhumane customer “service”, humorless and stifling work environments, and uninspiring corporate visions, it seems to me to be more effective (and satisfying) to create a better sort of company. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” (Although I’m not sure he specifically had software companies in mind.)
So that’s the general idea behind Wholeweal Software: to create a great company. A company where we foster mutually-beneficial relationships with our customers, creating software products that help them succeed in their businesses. A company where, when we see a problem in our procedures, we think about it in depth and figure out how to fix it once and for all so we never have to fight that fire again. As we grow, Wholeweal will be a simply great place to work, where we treat each other with respect and admiration as peers and colleagues. Top-notch software is created by top-notch developers, so my goal is to build a company that will attract and retain the best software developers in the region (and beyond). These are ambitious goals, and realizing them will take time, but I’m confident that we’ll get there.
Wholeweal’s first product is a reservations management system for bed-and-breakfasts, guesthouses, and small hotels. It’s called EverybodyInn, and is scheduled for release in the autumn of this year. It’s a cliche that travel broadens the mind, but I really do believe that travel and tourism can have a profoundly positive effect on cross-cultural understanding and tolerance. When I travel, I enjoy staying at unique B&Bs and small hotels. EverybodyInn is my contribution towards helping these small businesses succeed and thrive.
I’m currently working on putting together the product website for EverybodyInn, so check back soon for a lot more information including a guided tour of screenshots. In the meantime, you can send us email at customer-service@wholeweal.com with any questions you have. If you want, we will put you on our mailing list to be notified when EverybodyInn is released. (We will only ever use your email address to tell you about EverybodyInn - I hate spam too!)
I’ll be writing more here soon about the travel and tourism industry, about the company I’m building, and, of course, about EverybodyInn and the thinking behind some of its distinguishing aspects. So stay tuned!