How to Take Control Over Your Computer

Technology is supposed to help you save time and make it easier to keep your business on track.  For most of us, it does, but the reality is that anything with a screen or a power cord is only as effective as the person using it.

Of all of the equipment in my home office, my laptop is the one piece that makes it easier for me to run my business.  While the only problems I’ve had with my laptop have been self-imposed, a computer can offer a few challenges that are easy to overcome.

Challenge #1: Storing too much information on your computer

You can store more data on your computer than in your file cabinets…great. But that doesn’t mean that your hard drive won’t fill up as quickly as your cabinets, which makes it difficult to find the files you [Read more...]

Save Your Data and Sanity by Backing Up Often

A few weeks ago when I accidentally drowned my computer with a fresh glass of Crystal Light grape drink, the first person I called was my Mac guru, Chelanie Israel. When I met with her so she could pronounce my laptop officially dead,  I asked her to write a guest post about how to back up data, especially data that’s too valuable to lose.

Guest Post By Chelanie Israel (aka Miss Mac)

Clients often come to me after their hard drive or archive drive has died and when I ask them if they have backup, they give me a “No, of course not…why do you think I came to you?” look.

I can’t stress back up enough.

How often do I backup? Every day, every week, and anytime I’m doing something I don’t want to lose. For me, that’s everything.

I keep three copies of everything and sometimes four if it’s something I just can’t live without (i.e. my client database, the things that help me do my job: passwords, settings, Quickbooks, and the projects I’m currently working on). [Read more...]

Making the Most of Home Office Technology

When I was in the corporate world, I had the perfect assistant. She was never late, took care of the tasks I didn’t have time to do, and was always in a good mood. When I started my first business I couldn’t take her with me, but since then I’ve relied on a few other assistants, my home office equipment.

The cost of equipment and the size of anything with an on and off switch (to borrow a phrase from flight attendants) drops all of the time. So having access to the equipment you need to help you stay productive is easy. Knowing what to buy can be tougher, but it doesn’t have to be.

The Crucial Computer
Keeping up with the latest computer is as easy as changing the tires on a moving car. You can either wait until you think the [Read more...]

Are You Taking Technology For Granted?

#265-4 ways tech changeWhat did we do before e-mail, voice mail and the Internet? How did we get anything done in record time? It’s easy to take technology for granted (until you lose power in a snowstorm) but consider how tech tools have changed the way we work from home.

1. Computers. Computers have come a long way from cabinet-sized hard drives to small laptops. From storing information electronically to keeping us on budget and on time, computers are invaluable for running a homebased business.

2. Handhelds. You say Blackberry and I say iPhone. Either way the Internet, contact information, to-do lists and anything else we need to function every day is in the palm of our hands. [Read more...]

The Dynamic Duo: Your Site and Twitter

I’ve known for awhile how valuable Twitter is and what it can do to drive traffic to my site, but after reading 6 Ways To Integrate Twitter Into Your Site,” I realized I haven’t been using Twitter to its full potential. The tips in this article go far beyond the usual “be a resource” and “recommend links to others” tips that I see all of the time. Instead these tips are more detailed, easy to implement and make it clear why Twitter and your site should work together rather than function as separate entities.

I especially liked the tip about creating Tweetbacks for WordPress. It combines the comments people make about you on twitter, with the people commenting about you on your blog. It’s a match made in heaven…or at least on the Internet.

Computer Comments For a Klutz

Usually I’m the one commenting about blog posts but today I’m turning the tables on myself. John Scott, founder of IQ Computers, responded to my post about falling on my laptop and breaking my screen. The tips he shared were too good to leave in the comments section. [Read more...]

Do You Have a Computer Geek Within Reach?

A few weeks ago while I was walking to my home office carrying my MacBook, I fell and landed on top of it. From that graceful experience I learned something very important: make sure you have a good computer person in your back pocket.

You never know when you'll need to fix your computer.

You never know when you'll need to fix your computer.

It turns out I’d cracked my LCD screen and a guy at the Apple Store told me Apple could fix it for $750. Really? I could buy a new Mac for a few hundred dollars more. [Read more...]

What's Twitter?

Is it fair to say that anyone who doesn’t understand Twitter has been living under a rock? Not really. Almost everyone’s heard of twitter but not everyone knows what it is. So they get a free pass.

twitter_logo_headerWhen I told a client that my twitter following was growing, she admitted that she had no idea what I was talking about. I explained that Twitter is a microblog that allows you to update friends and clients in 140 characters or less. That made it clear, right? Not so much. When I saw the confused look on her face, I realized I needed to find a better explanation. [Read more...]

Shredding a Few Pounds

Shredders are invaluable for protecting information.

Shredders are invaluable for protecting information.

The other morning while I was working in my home office, I heard a strange grinding noise. (Sounds like the opening line of a gory, horror movie!) I knew it wasn’t a lawn mower or a leaf blower or the neighbor’s go cart so finally I went outside to check it out.

Parked in front of my neighbor’s house was a huge truck with a shredder inside. My neighbor had trashcan loads of paper to shred and instead of wasting time shredding each piece, he had hired an on-site shredding company to do it for him. [Read more...]

A Clean Cell Phone Slate

When I bought my iPhone last year, I took the SIM card out of my old phone, deleted text messages and contact information, and then tossed it in the recycle bin at Staples. My old phone didn’t have any incriminating photos, racy text messages or anything I wouldn’t want my mom to see. Still, I wouldn’t have wanted anyone to have access to my personal and business contacts. Now I’m not so sure I deleted everything.

According to a recent issue of Southwest Airlines’ Spirit magazine, a study by British tech recycler Regenersis reports that cell phones headed for recycling aren’t always cleared of their information. They found that 65% of old cell phones had saved text messages, 50% contained personal contacts, and 31% had pictures. And they recommend that you use a recycler that guarantees to clear all of your data.

I guess that solves the mystery of how embarrassing photos make it to the Internet.

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