WHAT’S INSIDE Computers, Networking, Websites, Advertising, Marketing & Sales ISSUE 016 |May 2013
ACRBO MAG
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning” …Bill Gates The Owen Lea Foundation…. Let’s Make A Difference!
Association of Computer Repair Business Owners…Now over 4,000 members!
Association of Computer Repair Business Owners
CONTENTS 9
Become Visible to Market Your Business
14
Skybox is a Formidable Dropbox
16
Avoiding Business Burnout
20
Should You Clean a Virus Infection
23
5 Ways You May Already Be Using The Cloud
27
Passion in Your Business
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Contribute
Are you a writer? Do you enjoy writing down your experiences? Would you like to be able to contribute each month regarding your business model and give tips to other business owners? If so feel free to contribute to the magazine. Credit is given to all writers in the form of links to your website or any other way you would like. Share your experiences!
Editor’s Note Welcome to the latest edition of the Association Magazine. I'd like to welcome our new contributors this month. We look forward to bringing you more articles this coming year that can help you grow your business. Lastly I’d like to congratulate you for investing your time to educate yourself by reading this magazine. We are proud to be able to help all our readers, and look forward to serving you for many years to come.
Dan ACRBO Keep your valuable feedback coming. I try to reply to every email, I appreciate your input as it helps to make the ACRBO magazine possible. Write to me at: dan@acrbo.com
ACRBO Magazine Fredericksburg Virginia Advertising enquires: Send an email to dan@acrbo.com Contribute articles: If you would like to be a contributing author for the magazine then send an email to dan@acrbo.com and let us know what you would like to write about. Copyright 2012 ACRBO. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated or converted into machinereadable form or language without the written consent of the publisher. Articles express the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the publisher ACRBO Magazine Director: ACRBO dan@acrbo.com Contributors Various experts in their fields The instructions and advice in the Magazine is for entertainment purposes only. The creators, producers, contributors and distributors of the ACRBO Mag disclaim any liability for loss or lack of results from following the advice expressed herein
ACRBO inbox I am a one man show and was wondering does it make sense to work with competitors?
Do I need a book keeper? Great question, but one you have to answer yourself.
I make it a point to meet them and talk to them about business. A good relationship can go a long way and you might just find that they are not your competitor just another business like you trying to make a living. Helping each other is much more advantageous to both companies.
Do you have time to do the books properly? Do you know what you are doing when it comes to income, taxes, etc? Do you really want to do it when you could be out doing something else for your business?
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That’s a tough one. Typically if someone is a competitor you would not work with them. Personally I try to know have competitors…of course you can look at it like any other computer business in your town is a competitor but I tend to look at it like it’s just one of those things and to deal with it.
Everyone is going to be different in this thinking and that is why you need to decide what is best for you. Dan ACRBO
Dan ACRBO
Have a question? If so email it do dan@acrbo.com and we will be glad to answer it. It can be business related pertaiing to marketing, setting up your business, growth of your business or anything you can think of.
Do You Market Your Business Here are just a few things that you should be doing weekly/monthly • • • • •
Customer Follow-Ups Newsletters Social Media Postings Blogging Updating Web Site
Are you doing these on a continual basis? If not why?
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This month’s winner will receive the eBook “MSPorFail”. We will randomly choose a winner and email the winner. Just send an email to dan@acrbo.com and in the Subject line put: WinBook Last Month’s winner is Patrick Enright owner of The Techo
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BECOME VISIBLE TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS As a small business does not have so much money and human resource that can be used in advertising, you have to find out different cheap ways and means to make a mark in the minds of the consumers. You have to become visible more often so that people start noticing you and feel the urge to know about your business. One of the ways by which you can do this is by offering sponsorships if you have the necessary financial resource. When you give sponsorships, the organisers mention your name in souvenirs, or banners. People attending the show come to know of your small business venture very easily. You can the organisers to even give you some time of their show where you can speak about business. In this way you can make the people aware of your project. You can also organise a charity show or some other promotional show at a low scale. This can be done at home or a friend’s place. Spread the news of this promotional show through your friends. The word of mouth is the best way to reach out to a large number of people. Display the products of your business. You can also arrange for free items like coffee cups, T shirts, pens or folders carrying the name of your business project which people can take home. They will remember the name even if they do not buy the items. Next, you can use the different forms of media to become visible among large groups of people at a time. Television, radio, flyers, leaflets, posters, banners, magazine advertisements, internet are some of the devices that can be used to make your small business known to the buyers.
The word of mouth is the best way to reach out to a large number of people.
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Have a story to share with others about your computer business that might help them in the future. Submit it and we will publish it in next month’s issues right in this location. Send to dan@acrbo.com
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In business time is one commodity that you do not ever have enough of. There will always be enough projects, meetings, loose ends, appointments and more, but never enough time. How to make time for things that you never found time for before. How to not stress out at the end of each day because you did not finish what you started. Start Today “Time Is Precious”…www.TimeIsPrecious.info
Inside this article we are going to examine what needs to be implemented to be successful online. This system is really easy and one that people don't bother about too much. By telling you what to search for online, this is going to be a smart way for you to master how to set up a small online business.
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SkyDrive is a formidable Dropbox challenger and worth a look I’ve been using the new version of Microsoft’s SkyDrive cloud based file storage and sharing app for the last week or so, and really like it. For one, it gives you 7Gbs of storage for free vs Dropbox’s 2, and allows me to open and edit my office documents in either my Microsoft Office desktop apps or web based versions of the new Microsoft Office 13 apps whether I’m on my Mac, PC, iPad or iPhone. They also have an Android version available as well. You can also upload and share pictures, create and share slideshows, videos and view and upload files from another PC running SkyDrive, if the file isn’t already in your SkyDrive folder via the fetch files feature. You can for example, be on your Mac laptop and fetch a file from your PC at work and upload it into your folder so you can work on it. PC to PC of course works, but you cannot be on your PC and fetch files from a Mac at this time. The only caveat is that Skydrive must be running on the computer that you wish to access the file from, and the fetch files feature must be selected on that computers SkyDrives application preferences. You must also enter an access code that will be emailed to you prior to allowing you to fetch the file from the computer your trying to access, which is a nice security feature. Speaking of security, SkyDrive encrypts your files via SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption while uploading and downloading your files from Microsoft’s servers.
I’ve been using the new version of Microsoft’s SkyDrive cloud based file storage and sharing app for the last week or so, and really like it. For one, it gives you 7Gbs of storage for free vs Dropbox’s 2, and allows me to open and edit my office documents in either my Microsoft Office desktop apps or web based versions of the new Microsoft Office 13 apps whether I’m on my Mac, PC, iPad or iPhone. They also have an Android version available as well. You can also upload and share pictures, create and share slideshows, videos and view and upload files from another PC running SkyDrive, if the file isn’t already in your SkyDrive folder via the fetch files feature. You can for example, be on your Mac laptop and fetch a file from your PC at work and upload it into your folder so you can work on it. PC to PC of course works, but you cannot be on your PC and fetch files from a Mac at this time. The only caveat is that Skydrive must be running on the computer that you wish to access the file from, and the fetch files feature must be selected on that computers SkyDrives application preferences. You must also enter an access code that will be emailed to you prior to allowing you to fetch the file from the computer your trying to access, which is a nice security feature. Speaking of security, SkyDrive encrypts your files via SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption while uploading and downloading your files from Microsoft’s servers.
www.AGURU4U.com Jeff Roe, owner and president of AGURU4U LLC has been working in the IT field for well over a decade.
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Your Ad here Contact dan@acrbo.com Let Us Know > Want to see your ad here? Drop us an email.
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AVOIDING BUSINESS BURNOUT In today's 24/7 business environment, burnout is a major problem among business executives. How much time and money is your company losing because of executive burnout? Do you know you can avoid burnout in your staff--and reap higher profits? Here are four things you can do this week to avoid business burnout now and in the future: Focus on self-transformation. For example, practice re-writing your job description given your evolving challenges, and think about how to become the perfect candidate for the job you already have. A leader who focuses first on self-transformation will have the energy and perspective needed to thrive. A focus on self-transformation also inspires confidence from employees, and can keep a leader attuned to issues of organizational transformation. Bob Carlson, board member and recently retired co-CEO of Reell Precision Manufacturing in St. Paul, MN, took seriously the challenge of living up to Reell's values and principles and in the process, found himself transformed: "Having to frame decisions within the context of Reell's values and principles, has made me a better person." As a result, he found that he had more energy, made better decisions, and that employees had more confidence in him. Empower others to take ownership of the organization's values and mission. Help employees to find their personal passions and connect those to the organization's values and mission. Once employees share the vision for the organization's future, the leader's personal load is lightened. Jean Quinn, co-director of Sophia Housing in Dublin, Ireland, is committed to empowering everyone in her organization. She recently trained her managers in how to see themselves as leaders so they would feel comfortable taking more responsibility. Her load was lightened and the organization's effectiveness increased dramatically.
Everyone needs times of pulling away for refreshment and perspective. Leaders can't afford not to take time apart for renewal. Practice listening. Listening is a powerful tool for understanding an organization, building relationships, and knowing how to invest energy strategically. This practice manifests as leaders listen to themselves, to their senior leadership team, to individual employees, and to a higher power. A leader can also provide guidelines for employees that encourage respectful listening. The resources of everyone's inner wisdom then are brought to bear on problem-solving and more effective decisions result. Focused listening times can be employed during staff meetings, daily briefings, or during separate designated listening times. Jim Fitzpatrick, CEO of Mercy Medical Center in Mason City, Iowa, commits himself to listening to the pulse of the organization, especially when making major decisions. Recently he appointed a Mission Discernment task force to help him listen to the wisdom of clinicians, financial managers, and chaplains in deciding how to address pre-adolescent mental health needs. The result? An effective partnership with a local outpatient mental health agency that increased energy and vision for all concerned. Take breaks. Everyone needs times of pulling away for refreshment and perspective. Leaders can't afford not to take time apart for renewal. This can be as simple as a walk outside at lunch, or a commute listening to music that feeds one's soul. Seeking out supportive friends or mentors both inside and outside of the organization can also help refresh the leader. Furthermore, leaders can provide opportunities for their teams to be refreshed, thus lightening their load. Etta Erickson, program director of oncology programs at HealthEast, a healthcare system in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, holds an annual overnight retreat for the oncology leaders' partnership council. Retreats include meditation time as well as time for telling funny stories and playing golf. Frequent breaks renew energy, give new perspective, and increase creativity and productivity. There are dozens more ways to avoid burnout and achieve greater effectiveness by bringing spirituality into the workplace, but just start by following these four simple strategies and see how quickly your energy is renewed.
The Industry Site: www.TechNibble.com Who Is Technibble For? Technibble is a free resource for Computer Technicians and Computer Business Owners. Technibble helps computer technicians with information and how-to-articles published a few times a week and has a strong community of Computer Technicians to help one another. Technibble helps you by covering topics such as: - How to start a Computer Business - Advertising, how to get clients and keep them - Business and legal issues - Streamline your computer repair work - Technician related product reviews and discounts - New opportunities to look out for - Stories from “the trenches� from your fellow Computer Techs Technibble also has a large database of Computer Repair tools and adds a new on to its database every week. Be sure to check out the Archives, Computer Repair Tools section and the Computer Technician forum. .
www.Technibble.com
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Should you Clean a Virus Infection, or Wipe and Reload Everything?
This is a question that is frequently asked by IT support technicians, and it generates strong opinions on both sides of the argument. Usually those discussions in online forums generate more heat than light, with a lot of “mine is bigger than yours” and “you’re just lazy” themes. To save you the suspense of reading to the end, I will give you the definitive answer to this question right now. It is never in your best interest, and rarely in the client’s best interest, for you to wipe and reload the system. Clear enough? This article is directed specifically at individuals and organizations that provide outsourced IT support to the SMB market. Most of the same considerations apply to inhouse IT departments and to “do-it-yourself” computer users, but this is the desired outcome for a third-party support organization: • All malware is successfully removed from the infected computer • The cleaned computer remains malware-free for a reasonable period of time • The computer runs faster and more reliably after the cleanup than prior to the infection • The client/user pays a reasonable fee for the cleanup (2 hours of tech time, or less) • The cleanup is actually accomplished in 2 hours or less Some support organizations routinely follow the wipeand-reload approach, usually citing one or more of these reasons to justify that decision: • It’s the only way to be sure all infections are removed • It’s the fastest way to resolve the problem • In the process, it also gets rid of other clutter you don’t need More to the point, that approach doesn’t require as much skill or training on the part of the technician who is doing the work. But here are some of the reasons this approach is never in your best interest as the service provider: • If that’s what you’re going to do, the client doesn’t need you; they can do it themselves or, worse yet, use the techie kid next-door to do it for the cost of a pizza • Some programs, drivers, settings, and user data will inevitably be lost forever • The computer won’t “look the same” as it did before it became infected • The process will require much more time than you can bill for
ACRBO 20 From the client’s perspective, the wipe-and-reload solution is almost certain to lead to dissatisfaction, for a number of reasons: • Even though they signed a release or waiver, they rarely understood how different their computer would look following the reload • Some programs or data files that are infrequently used may not reveal themselves for weeks or months after the reload • The user will have to manually reload many of the drivers, reset the default fonts, colors, margins, folders, printers, file associations, and other system settings that have built up over an extended period of time since the computer was first put into service • The user will be without use of their computer for the duration of the process, which could require several days to complete • Some sophisticated malware could return following the rebuild unless specific steps are taken to prevent such reinfection; examples include MBR infections and malware that infects the computer’s BIOS.
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The only way to resolve malware issues to everyone’s satisfaction is to find and remove all infections, their activation methods, and their symptoms, and repair any collateral damage. That successful cleanup must be followed by preventive measures to ensure that the computer will not fall victim to another malware attack in the future. With proper training, tools, and a methodology to follow, the knowledgeable tech can usually accomplish this objective in less than two hours of hands-on time. And except in extreme cases, it can generally be done remotely without requiring an on-site visit. Is there ever a situation when wipe-and-reload is an appropriate solution for a malware infection? Yes, if all these conditions are met: • You have a recent full-image backup of the hard drive from that computer • There is only one user set up on the infected computer • There is no locally-installed software on the infected computer Those circumstances are commonly found in the enterprise environment, but almost never in the SMB or home-user market. But if the infected computer in question happens to meet these criteria and you can restore its full image in one hour or less, that is probably the most cost-effective approach to take. For all other situations, there is no acceptable alternative to intelligently and methodically removing all malware infections and repairing any damage they may have caused. Copyright 2013 by Ken Dwight, “The Virus Doctor™,” Houston, Texas. All rights reserved. Ken is a Computer Consultant, Speaker, and Trainer, and creator of the Virus Remediation Training workshop for computer support technicians. For reprint rights, information about upcoming workshops, or to inquire about booking Ken for your next Conference, Convention, or Company Meeting, contact us at www.thevirusdoc.com or phone (281) 537-0252.
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5 Ways you may already be using the cloud The cloud has been something of a hot topic for the past year or so in the technology world, with many articles and news pieces heralding how everyone and everything will soon 'make the move' into the cloud. Despite this almost constant tech-news coverage many people are still confused about what 'the cloud' actually means and can feel unsure about how it can be of benefit. Research has even shown that some people think that cloud computing is something to do with the weather! This confusion and reticence about the cloud in many people's personal lives can carry over into the business world and can, in some cases, create barriers to implementing and benefiting from the cloud in a business setting. If you are a regular internet user it is very likely that you are already using the cloud in one way or another. Understanding how you may already be using the cloud can be help to show how 'the cloud' can be translated to the business sector. 1. Collaboration The internet has revolutionized how we are able to work together and share things with each other. With the click of a button we can share presentations, documents and files with friends, family and colleagues whether they are sitting at a computer next to you or on the other side of the world. If you have used a document sharing service, like Google Docs, or a file hosting service, like SkyDrive to share files and documents with people you know then you have been using the cloud. Services like Google Docs and SkyDrive store your files and documents in the cloud so that they can be accessed from anywhere and so that you can allow other users to view them and make changes.
The cloud can also be particularly useful for accessing your own files when you are on the move or on a different computer. You can also make use of the cloud to access your bookmarks and preferences. Bookmarking websites like Delicious or Google Bookmarks will store your favorite websites in the cloud and let you login to view and edit them from anywhere. Equally some browsers have the functionality to keep your bookmarks, history and even current tabs in the cloud so that they are at your fingertips if you use a different computer. 2. Storage One of the key uses of the cloud is for storage. There are a large variety of storage options to choose from with new options appearing each month. Sites like Dropbox, Google Drive and MediaFire allow you to store your files and access them from anywhere through the cloud. Many of these options will allow you to store a number of gigabytes of data for free. Utilizing cloud storage can be a great way to store your files and to free up space on your own computer. Files, especially music and video, can take up a large amount of space on your hard drive and can be difficult to fit on a USB stick. Storing files in the cloud means you can view and use them whenever you like. Many people also use the cloud and storage services as a backup for their data - keeping a copy of your data in the cloud in case anything goes wrong with your computer. 3. Entertainment You may not have realized how many forms of entertainment now use the cloud to reach new audiences. A large proportion of internet users will spend time catching up with their favourite TV shows online or watching films on demand. Services that offer TV programmes and films to watch over the internet, like Netflix, iPlayer or 4oD make use of the cloud to bring these services to a wide audience. Music streaming websites like Spotify or internet radio stations like Pandora are also cloud-based services. The cloud means that large amounts of data and files can be stored and can be accessed by a huge user-base - a perfect solution for media-streaming websites and services.
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ACRBO 24 The gaming industry is also making a concerted move towards the cloud. Many online games are already hosted in the cloud and are played through the internet but console and computer games are following closely behind. A number of cloud gaming services have been set up in the past few years and may be closely involved in changing the gaming industry. With cloud gaming you can benefit from more powerful processing speeds and better graphic rendering without needing your computer to have top end specifications. More information about cloud gaming can be found here. 4. Communication One of the simplest ways of using the cloud that you may not have realized is email. Most web based email programs, such as Hotmail (now Outlook), Gmail and Yahoo Mail, are effectively a form of cloud computing. Your emails and contacts are not stored on your local machine; instead they are stored in the cloud, which enables you to check your email from anywhere. The cloud is a key part of many forms of internet communication. Skype, the popular video-chat and instant messaging service, makes use of the cloud so that its millions of users can all inter-connect with each other. Other unified communications platforms are also utilizing the cloud to deliver their services, for example Hosted Lync is Microsoft's unified communication platform hosted in the cloud. 5. Social Networking Many social networking sites are reaching millions of users and making use of the cloud is a sensible way for them to keep their services available and reliable. So every time you like a post on Facebook or write a tweet, you are using the cloud. In a similar vein photo sharing websites like Instagram and Flickr are also cloudbased services. It is down to the cloud that you are able to share your Instagram snaps with your friends from your mobile and as a result of cloud storage that you can back up and display your pictures through Flickr. If you pin something to a board in Pinterest, the image is part of a website that is hosted in the cloud. You may not think that you are using the cloud in your day to day life but it is highly probable that you are even if you don't realize it. Š Izzy Evans 2013 There are many different ways to use the cloud, these can include using a SaaS solution, a public cloud or a private cloud.
Are your clients using the cloud? Do you know a business that is using the cloud or could benefit from using it? Take a minute and think how you can incorporate the cloud into your services that are being offered
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If you are a Premium Member of the ACRBO then login to the website and download the documents for the 2013 scholarship(s). Get them out in your community and make a difference. We will aware 2 scholarships.
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The Role of Passion in Your Business Everywhere we turn, we're told "do what you love and the money will follow" or "follow your passion." Reality however, tells us that being passionate about our mission or simply doing what we love isn't enough. If it were, over 80% of all business endeavors would succeed rather than fail. After all, small business owners typically go into business because they love what they do and they want to make a difference. And yet, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, over 63% of those same passionate, doing-what-they-love business owners are out of business within 5 years. Why? Here are just a few of the reasons: 1. The business owner knows how to do "the thing" she does and may even do it exceptionally well, but doesn't understand marketing or understands it yet isn't consistent about it and so doesn't earn the trust of those contemplating doing business with her. 2. The business owner is so focused on getting new clients for "the thing" she does that she neglects current customers and clients, giving them a less-than-stellar experience. 3. The business owner is seduced by programs and products which focus on everything but what she needs most -- a consistent stream of recurring customers and clients -- thus taking her time, energy and money. So what's our business owner to do? She's working her butt off, yet not seeing the results she so desperately wants. She used to have passion and now she's wondering if she's lost it and should take a program to tap back into it (hint: she shouldn't). What she should do is take an objective look at what she's been doing: 1. to bring in new clients and customers 2. to keep existing clients and customers happy 3. to stay relevant and on top of what her community wants and needs from her Note that I stress the word "objective" above. So often we think we're doing much more than we actually are, especially when our business is our passion. "Objectively" reviewing something means looking at that which are real, which can be proven. For example: • • • •
how many new subscribers joined your list how many communications did you send out (whether audio, video or written) how many "reach out" activities have you performed how many offers have you made
You get the idea. These are things which can be tracked... no guessing or assuming necessary. Think of it as an audit of your business practices.
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The Role of Passion in Your Business Does this mean you forget about passion and fulfillment? Absolutely not! Passion is what keeps you motivated, what keeps you inspired and what keeps you going when otherwise you'd stop. Passion is important to your business, but it's one piece of the equation: Passion + Consistent Action + Ability to Adapt = Results My Request to You If you're like most business owners you've spent at least part of the last 30 days planning for the new year. But have you done a "business practice audit" of the type described above? Have you asked yourself the hard questions and looked for the hard support to back up your answers? And before anyone has a fit, let me assure you that I believe passion is important in anything we do. However, passion, no matter how ardent, without the business and marketing practices to back it up, will, sadly, make your business yet another failed statistic. It's avoidable. The choice is yours. As an inspiring and in-demand mentor, trainer and speaker, Sandy has helped hundreds of small business owners across the globe create sustainable businesses which make a positive impact. Sandy is also the founder of Escalator Marketing™, creating client engagement and raving fans by design. Sandy's Done 4 You services, programs, products and presentations on Escalator Marketing™ and creating lifetime clients through Extreme Client Care™ have made her an indemand and innovative expert. Meet her at http://www.sandramartini.com
To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work. – Sister Mary Lauretta
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New Release www.MSPorFail.com