You and your company have created great software, and it’s thanks in large part to your developer. You’re eager to continue down the path of further product development, and you can’t wait to see how they can improve upon the current software. But most of all, you’re ready to start on the next big project.
However, when your rate of growth is outstripping the size of your staff, you find that you need to pull the developer away from their “real” work to help run the business. In order to complete their work, your developer needs to put in long hours, and before you know it, they’re totally fried. There’s a reason that Web Developer is the most stressful job in tech and IT.
So how can you keep your developer from being overworked and underappreciated? Let’s explore the many reasons that your developer is one of your greatest assets, and how to keep them motivated and excited.
Better Product = More Revenue
Improving your product, or developing new and improved products, is going to make your company more money. Money that you can put into growing your company. Who can make that happen? Your developer.
With that in mind, it just makes sense to place a premium on your developer’s time. Sure, it’s tempting to grab the first warm body you can find and have them plow through the list of chargebacks that need to be done, but is that the best use of your developer’s particular set of skills? Probably not. Presumably, you’re paying your developer a good salary. Don’t turn them into a highly paid temp.
Instead, allow them to concentrate on their job: developing new software for your growing company and improving upon the software they’ve already created. They’ll be happier, you’ll be happier, and the temp you hire to handle the phones will be happy, too.
Stay on the Same Page
You’re convinced you need to head one direction, your partner thinks you should go another way, and your developer thinks it would be smarter to head a third direction. What’s the priority?
Your developer can’t work full-tilt on three different projects at the same time. Sit down together and decide which project is presently the priority. Then, your developer knows where they need to devote their time and attention, and they won’t end up burned out as they scramble to complete too many things at once.
Get Some Help
If you’re consistently pulling your developer to help you handle customer service issues, perhaps it’s time to look into an ecommerce system that can help you manage everything. A responsive ecommerce system can help you field questions about everything from operational issues to payment problems, leaving your developer to develop.
However, be sure that you choose a solution that will actually be a partner to you. Some platforms will leave you high and dry as soon as you’ve installed the program. As soon as there’s an issue, they’re impossible to reach.
Another bonus to a great ecommerce solution is the back end assistance it provides. You won’t have to squeeze in time to handle the chargebacks, refunds, and other issues that are bound to come up with a SaaS. A dependable ecommerce platform will handle that for you, freeing up your time to allow you to grow your business.