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Has Your Company’s Facebook Page Converted To Timeline? Here are Some Must Know Tips

Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company.

If you follow social media at all (and you should be!) you know that the landscape changes almost on a daily basis. One place this is very evident is Facebook.

Facebook is constantly working to “improve” your experience and now they’ve done it again with Timeline – not only for our personal pages but for our business pages as well.

Many business owners fought the changes and waited until they were forced to accept the upgrade to Timeline. Now that it’s been switched over, they’re complaining that it’s cumbersome, unattractive and difficult to navigate.

But the Facebook juggernaut is unstoppable – the new layout is here to stay. So, here are a few tips to make the most out of your company’s Facebook page, and dealing with Timeline a little easier.

• Create a cover photo: this is a great way to use Facebook to further build brand recognition.

The options are virtually endless when it comes to this image as long as you remember that you can use a brand or logo but you can’t offer a coupon or discount (no “%” off sales or coupons or similar ploys), no contact information (that’s what your “About” section is for) and no calls to action (that’s what your status updates are for).

• You can get private messages from fans through your business page: this is a new feature and very useful. Before, if your fans wanted to send a message to you through Facebook, it had to be through your personal page.

Now they can contact you directly through your business page. This one may be a little difficult getting used to, so make sure you check those messages – you don’t want to alienate a potential customer!

• Highlighted post option: you can now select a post to be highlighted (this can be those discount, sales or calls to action that you can’t put in your cover image). Highlighted posts simply means your post can take up both sides of the page.

These are just a few of the useful changes that Facebook Timeline brings to your business page. Don’t worry – the new timeline may not fit well with your thoughts about change but it’s all in our best interest. Don’t panic and go with the flow.

Stay Productive (And Sane) While Working From Home

More and more, working from home has become the norm for many people. Whether you’re freelancing or telecommuting from a full-time job, you really can be just as productive, if not more, than a cubicle dweller. Just remember this advice for succeeding on the home front:

• Start your day off right. You may not have to work a rigid 9-to-5 schedule when working at home, but take your job seriously: “Report” to your desk, wherever it is, at an appropriate time ready to work. Some experts recommend showering and dressing as if you’re going to the office to get into the right frame of mind.

• Understand what your organization needs. Working from home means you won’t get as much direct feedback and instruction from your boss throughout the day. Get clear expectations from your manager so you’ll be working on the right tasks and the right schedule. Set short-term and long-range goals that align with your organization’s objectives.

• Establish firm boundaries. Family members and friends should know when you’re working and realize that you can’t be interrupted for trivial reasons. Keep your door closed (if you have one), and let the answering machine pick up the phone if your spouse or child doesn’t get to it. You’ll find out about emergencies soon enough; don’t get distracted by irrelevant chitchat.

• Stay connected with people. Don’t let them forget you back at HQ. Check in frequently with emails and phone calls to let people know you’re on top of things. Visit the office when you can, and maintain your friendships with co-workers. You want to be thought of as a full member of the team, wherever you are.

• Take breaks when you need to. Don’t work yourself to exhaustion trying to prove you’re just as productive at home as you would be in a cubicle. Although you shouldn’t start a home renovation project in the middle of writing a report, there’s nothing wrong with spending a few minutes emptying the dishwasher or putting laundry away to clear your mind and relax a little.

• Evaluate your progress regularly. Keep track of your workload and your goals so you can review how much you’re getting done and whether you need to make any adjustments. As your own supervisor, you’ll need to keep an eye on what you’re accomplishing so you don’t fall behind.

Open Your Mind To Solve Problems Creatively

Everyday problems usually respond to tried-and-true solutions. But sometimes you need to go beyond the obvious. Try these tactics when you need to take a more creative approach to problem-solving:

• Do some extra research. Don’t assume you have all the facts you need. Before trying to solve the problem, dig deep into the background and the issues surrounding it. You may uncover something new that will lead to a fresh approach when nothing else has worked.

• Set up the problem correctly. In your rush to find a solution, you might treat the symptoms and not the underlying cause. Seek perspectives from other people, and keep an open mind about what’s really going on.

• Consider the impact. Who else does the problem affect? You may gain valuable insight by including others in your analysis and solution. You’ll also build support for your solution by drawing in your co-workers and other interested parties to help you implement it.

• Try a lot of solutions. Instead of zeroing in on one approach and hoping it works, experiment with as many different options as you can. Keep track of what you’re doing so you can identify what worked or combine promising aspects of different attempts.

Staying Connected When You Travel

Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company.

Summertime is vacation time for a lot of business owners, and keeping in touch with the office can be a challenge while you’re on the road. Here are some tips to stay in touch and connected – but only if you want to!

Cellular and mobile broadband
The single biggest change in mobile technology is the ubiquity of relatively high speed data service. Coverage has increased significantly, and speeds rival that of low-end landline connections.

Phones themselves have evolved – many are now small, powerful computers that are constantly connected to the Internet.

Tethering
Tethering is the act of connecting your phone to your computer so the computer can use the phone’s Internet connection. Sometimes inaccurately described as a “modem” in these situations, the phone simply acts as a gateway connecting your PC to the mobile data network.

Not all phones or providers support tethering. When available, it usually uses a USB cable to connect the computer to the mobile phone.

An option that’s becoming more popular recently is the ability of some phones to act as a Wifi hotspot. When enabled, the phone itself becomes a Wifi access point, and laptops and other Wifi-enabled devices can connect to the Internet just as they would via any other hotspot.

Cellular Hardware
If you don’t have a phone capable of sharing its Internet connection, another option are devices dedicated to providing Internet connectivity to your computer.

Many mobile providers offer USB devices that act as dedicated interfaces to the Internet using the mobile network.

Drawbacks of mobile broadband
There are two primary drawbacks to mobile broadband: Coverage, speed and cost. While decent voice service is nearly universal in all but the most remote locations in the US, good data coverage is a gamble.

It isn’t uncommon for one carrier to have “four bars” of coverage in an area, and another to have barely any, so if you travel much, particularly to more rural or remote areas, coverage matters. You can easily try out different carriers by purchasing “reloadable” service on that carrier – if the service doesn’t work, simply cancel without penalty.

Cost is another limiting factor to mobile connectivity. Most smartphones include some kind of base connectivity charge in their monthly fee, adding $20, $30, or more per month to the basic cost of the phone.

Free Wifi hotspots
At the other end of the cost spectrum are the networks of free open Wifi hotspots that you can find across the country.

Be it Starbucks, McDonald’s, local coffee houses, restaurants, bookstores, and more, many retail businesses provide Wifi as perk of doing business with them.

If your travels take you along routes populated with these types of establishments, you can travel from one to the other, taking advantage of their connectivity as you go. While technically free, the assumption is that you’re a customer – so at least buy a cup of coffee.

The drawbacks here include security and possibly speed. Depending on how heavily used the location is, your speed of access may depend on how many other users you’re sharing the connection with.

PC Too Noisy?

No one enjoys having a loud computer, but cooling fans to keep components operating at safe temperatures can make the whole system as loud as a blow-dryer. In the workplace, noise from computers may not be an issue, but in the home a quiet computer can be essential in order to avoid interfering with the enjoyment of movies or music.

The good news is that there are ways to make the computer be a little less noisy. One method is to use noise/vibration isolators, which can be applied to a computer system to reduce the overall noise quite dramatically. For example, rubber feet for the bottom of the computer are available to replace the usual
hard plastic versions.

Another good example is silicon gaskets, which can be installed between a fan or power supply and the computer case to lower vibration as well as cut down on noise.

Will Multiple Monitors Increase Your Performance?

by Jeremy Miller, Technician
When debating whether adding another monitor will increase productivity enough to justify the cost, consider this.

• What positions would need additional monitors?
• What sizes would be necessary?
• The product you have on hand?
• Are there any other solutions?

Different jobs and job types might require additional monitors. For example, any position that needs to be viewing more than one full-screen window at a time.

People who receive information electronically, such as an email, and then have to input information into some form or database would benefit from an additional monitor.

Also any one working with large or wide documents such as an Excel document with a lot of columns. Researchers can easily read from one screen and take notes on another.

If deciding to go with an additional monitor or multiple monitors you must decide on the size to be cost efficient as well. If you just need two screens to display information then you could use screens in the range of 16 inches and 22 inches.

Going above 26 inches can sometimes decrease productivity. In some cases having very large screens or even a single very large screen can leave you searching longer for information.

Exceptions to this could be a graphic designer or a video surveillance personal. It has been found that having more smaller-sized screens than one larger screen increases productivity in low-cost monitors.

Next, consider your product on hand. By this I mean: Do you have laptops, computers, monitors, desk space, or additional ports available?

If you already have a tower and a monitor, check to see if you can support additional monitors by checking if you have an open video port. If not, then you have to add a video card or use a USB monitor, and this can add to the cost.

Most laptops and notebooks come with an external video port. Also consider the type of available video port. There are many types of video ports including VGA, DVI, HDMI and less commonly, S-Video.

If your desk area is not large enough to support more than one monitor then you would have to either add desk space or mount the monitors in a manner that meets your space needs.

If for some reason you cannot support multiple monitors but wish to increase productivity from your monitors you can always purchase a higher pixel resolution one.

A good resolution is 2560×1440; this will add desktop space with minimal monitor size increase. The higher resolution the more that fits on to one monitor.

Consider the cost of the separate options. The cost of adding a monitor to an existing computer can be costly if you also have to purchase another video card.

If you are planning on purchasing new computers it might be more cost effective to be sure that they are capable of supporting multiple monitors from the start.

Track The Right Issues To Measure Sales Efforts

If you manage a sales team, you know that sales volume is an important measure of a salesperson’s success. But you also probably realize that other metrics are useful, too.

To keep your sales force productive over the long term, pay attention to these additional areas:

• Sales volume vs. units sold. One salesperson closes a single deal worth $1 million. Another lands 10 sales worth $100,000 each. Which sales pro is more valuable to your organization? Don’t overlook salespeople who produce consistent numbers in favor of those who score an occasional high-ticket shot.

• Profitability. Generating revenue is good, but if that doesn’t translate into profits, your efforts are ultimately futile. Make sure your sales force is pursuing deals that contribute to the bottom line, not just looking for break-even sales.

• Productivity and efficiency. A salesperson who spends 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to make his or her numbers probably isn’t managing his or her time as effectively as possible. Beware of honoring Sally for all her extra hours if Jill brings in the same sales figures in less time.

• Customer service. Retaining current customers is vital to most companies. It requires time that might be spent chasing new business, though. Do you reward salespeople for keeping today’s customers satisfied, or penalize them for ignoring existing customers in favor of new ones?

Tips For Buying A New Laptop Computer

Purchasing a brand new laptop computer can be something of a challenge given the amount of options and choices which are available.

For many people the process of buying a new laptop computer can actually turn out to be quite overwhelming. Fortunately there are some simple tips which can be followed to make the purchasing process much simpler.

One tip is to try and narrow down some of the key choices and options.

Identify and focus on the requirements and features which are the most important and this will help you to narrow it down to the best laptop computer which you can buy for your budget and needs.

The first thing to determine is what you will use the laptop computer for, as this helps to clear up your needs in terms of battery life, performance, size, storage capacity and weight.

If you need to use the laptop outside of your home or office, then this makes the weight of the system and the size of the screen important.

A non-glare screen might come in handy if you will use it outdoors or in bright rooms.

If there are a large number of files you wish to store, then a bigger hard disk drive will also be needed.  Asking these questions can make the whole process much less intimidating.

Time To Wake Up? Here’s How To Get Off To An Early Start

For many of us, the “early to rise” part of Benjamin Franklin’s famous advice is the hardest. But if you want to be healthy, wealthy, and wise, you can’t lie under the covers all day.

To get an early start on a productive day, try these strategies:

• Give yourself a good reason to get up. Choose something important to do first thing in the morning—something you enjoy and feel passionate about. Think about this as you go to sleep, and you’ll be more eager to get up the next morning.

• Practice good sleep habits. Avoid caffeine or alcohol, both of which can disturb your sleep patterns. Getting enough sleep is key to waking up on time.

• Don’t just hit snooze. Set multiple alarm clocks, and place them across the room so you have to get up and get moving in order to shut them off.

• Have a buddy system. Schedule an early-morning activity with a friend (like a walk), or just a phone call to ensure you get up on time.

• Develop a consistent habit. Get up at the same time every day, regardless of what you’re doing. Your body will adjust to a fixed routine.

• Drink some water. A glass of cold water first thing in the morning will revive and refresh you.

• Keep track of your success. Motivate yourself with a diary of what time you get up every morning. After a while, your desire to sleep will be outweighed by the knowledge that you’ll have to log a later waking time.

Why Make The Move To Managed Services?

If you are one of our clients, chances are you’ve heard us talk about “managed services.” However, you might not know what the term means.

In a nutshell, a managed services plan provides you with unlimited, comprehensive technical support and network management for a low, fixed monthly fee.

It gets the most out of the IT services you pay for, and eliminates the “Oh my gosh, we’re down” problems and costs for a small business.

A managed services plan lets you get a handle on your IT costs, usually at a fixed monthly fee, and also provides you with a much more comprehensive and up-to-date IT system.

Managed services delivers a network and computer system that’s dependable, stable and allows you to comply with regulatory compliances.

Control costs
In any business, it’s important to be as cost-effective as possible. IT costs are especially important, since poorly managed systems cost way more than they’re worth.

It’s essential to have a system that works with your budget, but doesn’t compromise on quality.

Managed services is the most feasible and practical way to accomplish that, especially in the long term.

Manage complexity
The constant evolution of hardware and software used in your business can really impact your bottom line. Companies with limited resources may very well find themselves left behind as technology moves ahead.

With Managed Services, you are able to enjoy the advantages of the latest IT solutions at a fraction of the cost – enabling you to provide the best possible service to your clients.

More dependable infrastructure
For a small business, maintaining an in house IT system can be tedius and time consuming.

With limited staff, the business owner or owners typically get stuck being the “computer guy” for the company – robbing the business of the owner’s talents for sales, marketing and customer service.

Companies run the risk of stretching resources too thinly, which can compromise the quality of your service or products.

Managed services provides you with a stable and dependable computing infratructure that’s dedicated to meeting your specific needs in a cost-effective manner.

Maintaining compliance
With the marketplace becoming more and more competitive, meeting different regulatory compliances has become a fundamental need.

From Sarbanes-Oxley to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), smaller companies can often find themselves lost. It’s managed services that helps these companies not only fully understand the requirements of these regulations, but also comply with them.

Small companies typically don’t have the resources to research what their requirements are for email archiving, for example. Under a managed services plan, services such as email filtering and archiving are included in the monthly cost.

If you want to know more about how managed services can directly benefit your day to day operations, please do not hesitate to give us a call – we’d be happy to sit down and discuss a custom solution that works for you.
Feature article by: Tech Experts