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Shortcuts Australia (1300 66 73 74) // NZ (0800 555 650)
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EVOLVE #10 ARTICLES
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This is your Shortcuts Life…Take the time to pause and reflect on the year that was 1994. A year when Christina and Britney were innocent mousketeers and Salt n Peppa, Boyz II Men and Pearl Jam were storming up the charts. A year that George Clooney provided the much needed eye candy to women as ER hit the small screen and the phrase “life is like a box of chocolates” was coined as we were inspired by babbling idiot Forest Gump. While we wore flannelette shirts over our hypercolor tees, as ladies throughout the western world wore the ‘Rachael Cut’.1994 also saw the first code for Shortcuts being cut. Tonight we are here to celebrate and acknowledge the dedication, commitment and enthusiasm of two invaluable employees who have been on the roller coaster ride that is Shortcuts for over the last ten years. Paul Gordon was one of the original developers of Shortcuts beginning to cut code with Kaine Escott ten years ago this month, in the back room of a porta loo business in Yeronga with a trestle table, two computers, a bookcase and a sofa. Joanna Burgess has been involved with Shortcuts since conception taking on an active role in 1995 bringing the hairdressers’ touch to the software. Paul and Jo this is your Shortcuts life… As a young woman Jo returned from her backpacking journey in October of 1992 purchasing her first hair salon, Peppermint Park, one week later. Jo began researching computer systems, undertaking a demonstration from a now competitor in 1993. Jo thought the system was amazing as it looked like it could do everything she needed it to. However, with a $10,000 price tag the software was worth more than her salon! She was put into contact with a new IT graduate, Kaine Escott, who started talking about developing a better product on Windows with a touch screen. Kaine made Jo promise not to buy the software insisting he could produce a better one in three months time. With some Windows training Jo managed to create her database within Excel for the interim. Meanwhile Paul graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Information Technology, quitting his job at Signet Identification Systems to begin developing the software, forming Salon Computer Solutions with Kaine and Tony Rigney. Jo revisited the team in April 1994 as she was excited to implement this solution within her salon, so much that she had already bought a touch screen! In May 1995 a small salon in Toowong, by the name of Peppermint Park, became the first salon to install Shortcuts on the ultra fast 16MB RAM computer. This significant milestone was the precursor to the full market launch at Hair Expo in June of that year. Getting the software to the market in 1995 was no easy feat. The programming team moved from the porta-loo guy’s office into Jo’s three-level townhouse where they occupied a small study beside the garage with two computers and one table. The location gave them quick access to the salon which was around the corner. When Jo wasn’t at the salon she was watching the guys cut code, chatting features, while enjoying many drinks and eating a great deal of pizza till the wee hours of the morning. When Jo kicked them out two months later they upgraded to a garage in Taringa and then moved into Medi-Link to work part-time to cover expenses. A lucky break arrived when Robert Whitten from Matrix checked out the software in Jo’s salon in September 1994 and again in October when he brought Robert Aubin in for a second opinion. February 1995 saw Paul and Kaine migrate to Sydney to take up residence within Matrix’s head office and Jo purchase her second salon in Red Hill. Just eight months later the team moved back to Brisbane as resource costs were too high in Sydney. They took over the toilet guy’s space adding three developers, as well as Jo and Chris, our much loved Graphic Designer. Jo sold both of her salons making a 300% profit on her second salon that had run Shortcuts from day one; a true testament to the profit maximisation capabilities of Shortcuts. As the product continued to grow so too did Shortcuts, enjoying the floods and droughts of staff in the unpredictable IT industry. In 1996 the company moved to the Toowong offices to begin their descent through the building moving from level 8, to 7, to 5, 4, and finally 3 before moving with a large team to the current Spring Hill premises in July 2002. Toowong times saw Paul and Jo travel the world to build and promote Shortcuts, showcasing the innovative product at trade shows in the US and Japan. 1997 provided the opportunity for a large deal through Japanese distributor Takara Belmont. Following submission, Paul and Jo returned exhausted, the years of hard work catching up with them. They could see the finish line on the horizon as they checked into Camp Eden for a week of rest and relaxation. They emerged to a fallen deal. The next year they bounced back as the first US distributor was signed, Software Creations. Paul and Jo have seen Shortcuts rise, fall and pick itself back up again for a decade now. Tonight we are truly honoured to have such committed enthusiastic people who see a vision and will not stop until it is achieved. Paul and Jo have put in the hard yards over the years wearing the many hats of Shortcuts to ensure its growth. Paul would man the helpdesk during the day and develop the product by night. While Jo would order hardware, complete configurations, run the office, assist on helpdesk 24/7, and travel interstate for installations and training. Paul and Jo have definitely earned the right to use the phrase “when I was young I had to work 24/7” the phrase most of our parents use to convince us we have it a hell of a lot easier than they ever did. But thank god we do. Sales methods have progressed since the early days. No longer do we have to board with potential clients after a demonstration at their home, nor drive from Sydney to Brisbane with a computer in our boots to do so. No longer is the Shortcuts office packed with hardware for sale to clients, nor do we have to install each client personally. No longer do Paul and Jo have to wear the multi hats of the once small Shortcuts team. Their knowledge, however is always called upon. They are the reason Shortcuts has a buzz around the office, their journey is truly an inspiration. Thank you Paul and Jo for continuing the Shortcuts dream. This is your Shortcuts life…
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