Today, we are launching a new weekly feature on the Open Office Space blog called Cool Huh?  Every Thursday from here on out,  we will select a new tool, application, website or technology that we think will make at least one entrepreneur or small business person (besides us) say "Holy s...! That could really be helpful to my business. How did I not hear about this before? "

Here's the catch! The selected subject will be featured in 2 parts.

Part 1 will simply mention the featured product or site, include some basic information detailing what it's all about, describe why we selected the subject and then welcome any comments from others who have experienced the subject.

Part 2 will be our review of the subject after WE had a chance to experience it ourselves.

Our first featured subject - Thursday August 13th - Usertesting.com

Description: UserTesting.com uses the Web 2.0 crowdsourcing model to dramatically drop the price of usability testing. It lets website owners easily get pre-screened users to rapidly do usability testing of their websites.

What this low-cost user testing service offers:

• A Flash video of a user speaking their thoughts as they browse your website. Watch a sample video.

• A written summary where that same user tells you what they liked, disliked, and what would have caused them to leave your site. See a sample summary.

UserTesting.com lets you "look over the shoulder" of people in your target audience while they use your website. And makes it fast, easy, and inexpensive, so you’re more likely to do it.

Why we chose usertesting.com as this weeks subject:  Because we know that the overwhelming majority of us plot, plan and strategize our online initiatives in a vacuum. Whether it's because we are too "thin skinned", think we know it all, or simply because we think we can't afford it, we usually launch with only feedback from our inner circle. 

Take a look at the powerhouse list of testimonials and you will see why we have such high hopes for this one.

Just because people aren't emailing us telling us why our stuff sucks, does not mean it doesn't. Most people will just move on the someone else's stuff.

Content and Image Source: usertesting.com website

If I have learned one thing from my 17 years as a personal trainer, it is the importance of getting my clients to put their obstacles, setbacks and/or short term failures in the right perspective. Once a client has been able to master this behavior, the chances that they will stick to an exercise program for the long haul will improve dramatically. 

Here is the typical scenario of a client that is NOT able to master this behavior: Client X will have a bad weekend of eating or drinking.  They will then cancel their training appointment at the beginning of the week as they feel like they already blew it and "What was the point!" The occassional Monday morning cancellations will eventually become more frequent and ultimately, Client X would drop out altogether(fail).

As I became more experienced as a trainer, I realized that if I was going to really help my clients to achieve their long term goals, I needed to get them to understand that they could easily move past their temporary setbacks by putting them into the right perspective.

The Right Perspective A bad weekend of eating of drinking is only a temporary setback. In most cases, a few good workouts and a consistent  week of good eating will get a persons health and fitness program right back on track.

All too often, the voices in our head speak much louder than common sense. As a result we tend to give short term failures much more relevance than they deserve, in many cases derailing our chances of long term success.  

As entrepreneurs, I think it is safe to say that the amount of possible obstacles, setbacks and temporary failures can be multiplied by a factor of 10. Whether it is a failed sales call, a denial of funding, a new competitor entering the market, a slow month of sales, etc., there are many opportunities whereby our overall perspectives can become blurred.

By learning to compartmentalize setbacks, obstacles and failures and view them for what they really are, temporary, we stand a much better chance of thinking about the logical "next steps" that will allow us to  move past them...perhaps even grow from them.

As Open Office Space continues to evolve, I find the need to remind myself of the advice I have given many others as a personal trainer - put things in the right perspective. And, when I take this self given advice, I am almost always in a better position to handle a given obstacle, setback or failure.

Sometimes, though, it is a little hard to hear myself over those darn loud voices in my head.

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Currently my wife and I are visiting Paris for the very first time. Over the past few days I think it is safe to say that we have walked over 15 miles and have covered many of the "must see" areas according to the travel guides.

In addition to the unbelievable architecture and famous museums, it is amazing how many restaurants and outdoor cafes there are throughout the city. One thing that we find quite unique about Paris is the the seating in many of these outdoor cafes faces outwards. In other words, it is encouraged to sit next to the person you are with and "people watch" everyone that passes by.

Similar to the bar and restaurant scene in NYC, some of these cafes were packed and some did not have a single customer. What was interesting to me is that some of the coolest designed cafes were among those that were empty.

So, what makes a restaurant, cafe, small business, office space, website, blog, social network, etc. have that certain "Je ne sais quoi?" - In english - that certain "I don't know what". For anyone that has not seen Austin Powers, the term is generally used to point out something which is usually undefinable. 

Clearly it's not simply a matter of design.

While I cannot say for sure, it seems to me that regardless of the venue, that undefinable element seems to result in a greater incidence of social interaction, networking and overall sense of belonging.

When I think back to the last few office spaces I have rented, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that I preferred the grungy, ripped couch space, to the modern and trendy loft space. While the look of the hip space was what initially attracted to it, the lack of interaction amongst the other space holders prevented it from ever feeling like home.

As a small business, I think it is a good exercise to reflect on which elements of your restaurant, cafe, office space, website, blog, social network, etc. will result in a greater incidence of social interaction, networking and overall sense of belonging of your customers/clients.

Perhaps an attention to that undefinable element will prevent YOU from being the "coolest" EMPTY cafe in Paris.