October 2014
Trivia Contest
Who Else Wants To Win A $50 Gift Card?
The Last month’s Trivia Challenge Quiz was: Which President declared Labor Day to be a legal holiday in the U.S.A.? The correct answer was B) Grover Cleveland
Now, here’s this month’s trivia question. The winner will receive a $50 Gift Card!
What vegetable was traditionally carved before pumpkin?
A) Beetroot B) Melon C) Turnip D) Swede
E-mail Us Right Now With Your Answer!
*Trivia winners are eligible to win again after 90 days of previous win.
This Halloween…Who’s Keeping An Eye On Your Computer Network?
Many business owners and managers we work with wait FAR too long to have us check and update their computer network’s health and security. Unless we are actively performing regular daily/weekly/monthly maintenance, a nasty virus, malicious hacker, unexpected software corruption, hardware failure or dozens of other problems could catch you off guard and result in extensive downtime, data loss and expensive data recovery efforts.
That’s because many businesses do not perform regular maintenance on their network and therefore are overlooking many serious threats that are increasing all the time. At some point, disaster strikes and they find themselves in a real mess, with a network down and employees sitting idle, waiting to get back to work.
By then the damage is done, and it can cost thousands of dollars to get the network back to normal, if that’s even possible. What saddens me even more is the fact that almost every one of these costly disasters could have easily been prevented if someone had checked their network’s security and health to remove these threats on a regular basis.
No More Excuses! Our Free Network Checkup Will “Exorcise”
The Demons Hiding In Your Computer Network
From now until Halloween (October 31st), we’re offering all clients and newsletter recipients a FREE Network Checkup ($497 value) so that you have no excuse for not making sure your computer network is safe and sound. Schedule your FREE Network Checkup to “see” if you are truly safe from spyware, viruses, hackers and other SPOOKY disasters by calling our office at 214-329-1349.
Don’t Make These 3 Mistakes With Your Next Office Move
Moving is always a pain in the rump, but it doesn’t have to be a horrific, expensive experience. The No. 1 lament from someone who’s experienced a “bad” move is “I didn’t know I needed to…” followed closely by “I completely forgot that…” In other words, it’s what you don’t do that makes the move a disaster. To make your move easy and effortless, here are the 3 most common mistakes you want to avoid:
Mistake #1 — Trying To Save Money By Using Your Employees To Move Your Computer Network
Don’t ask your staff to disconnect, move and reconnect computers, phones and other devices just to save a few bucks. You’ll frustrate them and end up with phones ringing at the wrong extension, lost cables and PCs that get dropped. You don’t want to let your movers do this job either; they may be great at moving furniture, but a network is a lot more sophisticated and sensitive. Be smart and hire an IT pro to pack and move your network.
Mistake #2 — Not Hiring The RIGHT IT Firm To Move Your Network
While we’re on the topic, make sure you know what to look for when outsourcing the move. A few things to look for would include references from other clients, proof of insurance (get them to fax you a copy), a service-level guarantee limiting the amount of time you are down and a professional, organized approach to quoting the move. A real pro will insist on visiting your current location as well as your new location to conduct a detailed site survey. NEVER hire anyone who wants to quote moving your network over the phone.
Mistake #3 — Not Giving Your Phone, Internet And Cable Vendors Enough Advance Notice
80% of unexpected communications blackouts and cost overruns on network moves are caused by failure to properly plan voice, data and electrical installation in advance. Just because the prior tenant had computers and telephones is no guarantee that the cabling is suitable for your phones and your computer network. Allow at least 6 weeks for Internet and telephone connections to be installed. Advance planning will help you avoid emergency rush fees or band-aid fixes to make things work.
Call us before your next office move
and get an Office Move Checklist,
Site Survey and Network Plan for only $99!
Refer Our Services And We’ll Donate $100 To Your Favorite Charity!
We love having you as a customer and, quite honestly, wish we had more like you! So instead of just wishing, we’ve decided to hold a special “refer a friend” event during the month of October.
Simply refer any company with 10 or more computers to our office to receive a FREE Computer Network Assessment (a $397 value). Once we’ve completed our initial appointment with your referral, we’ll donate $100 to your favorite charity for every referral that you’ve sent, as a small thank-you for thinking of us.
Simply call us at 214-329-1349 or e-mail us at info@rangersolutions.com with your referral’s name and contact information today!
THE BUSINESS INNOVATION TECHNIQUE OF BLENDING
Entrepreneurs are natural innovators, but even the most forward-thinking people sometimes need a little nudge to help open their minds to new possibilities for growth.
One of the best ways to think outside of the box is to start asking “what if” questions. Here’s a “what if” question I’ve been kicking around lately: What if we took 2 disparate businesses and blended them to make something new? I’m not talking about merging or partnering with another company; I’m talking about blending business methodologies from 2 (or more) industries to create a new business, or dramatically improve an existing business.
A classic example of this is Commerce Bank. Founded by Vernon Hill in 1973, Commerce Bank blended 2 industries: fast-food restaurants and banking. The owner of a fast-food restaurant franchise, Vernon Hill’s bright idea was to bring the convenience and perks of fast food to banking.
For example, fast-food restaurants are open every day, and they start early and close late; Hill implemented extended hours at Commerce Bank and kept the doors open 7 days a week. No other bank had done this before.
Hill blended other systems from his fast-food franchise when he launched his blended business. He installed a “Penny Arcade” coin-counting machine in his lobby, which had the same effect as video games in family restaurants. Kids could count money and win a prize, and the adults loved it too.
One of my favorite examples of Hill’s blending genius is when you use the drive-thru window at Commerce Bank and get a treat for your dog, just like the toy in a kid’s meal. Is it any wonder people call it “McBank”? By blending 2 industries, Hill created the fastest-growing bank ever.
Commerce Bank grew from one location to more than 400, and the franchise sold for $8.5 billion in 2007. See what a little game of “what if” can spark?
What if you blended your business with hallmarks from another industry? Start thinking WAY outside of the box, looking at winning concepts from industries that may seem to have nothing to do with your business. (Of course, you do have something in common with businesses in ALL industries: customers.) You never know—you just might make billions.
Consider yourself nudged.
MIKE MICHALOWICZ (pronounced mi-KAL-o-wits) started his first business at the age of 24, moving his young family to the only safe place he could afford – a retirement building. With no experience, no contacts and no savings, he systematically bootstrapped a multi-million-dollar business. Then he did it again. And again. Now he is doing it for other entrepreneurs. Mike is the CEO of Provendus Group, a consulting firm that ignites explosive growth in companies that have plateaued; a former small-business columnist for The Wall Street Journal; MSNBC’s business makeover expert; a keynote speaker on entrepreneurship; and the author of the cult classic book The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. His newest book, The Pumpkin Plan, has already been called “the next E-Myth!” For more information, visit http://www.mikemichalowicz.com/
Shiny New Gadget Of The Month:
Neo Grab
It’s amazing how quickly our technology evolves. When the GPS devices for cars first came out, could we imagine that our phones would quickly take over that job? More and more, we see people using their phones to navigate in the car, but holding on to the phone while driving can be dangerous. The result has been a series of phone-holding apparatuses that cling to the car in the same manner our GPS’s did.
Finally there is one that is not only functional, but also beautiful, and it battles one of the biggest problems with car phone holders. The NEO GRAB allows you to mount and remove your phone one-handed, and it works for you in ways unimaginable, not only in the car, but also in the kitchen, office, bathroom, bedroom, garage, at work, etc. With its extreme suction cup, the NEO GRAB is easy to attach to any smooth, non-porous surface, like glass, drywall, plastic, wood and metal.
The NEO GRAB fits devices with LCD screens up to 6 inches and can be used for smartphones, mini-tablets and even your GPS device. Needless to say, this is the ideal accessory for any smartphone user.
It comes in 5 colors and can be purchased for $34.99 from www.SkyMall.com.
Should You Leave Your Computer On At Night or Turn It Off?
I’ve been asked by customers whether or not they should leave their computer on all the time or turn it off when they are not using it.
Several years ago I would have told my clients to turn their machines off to save power. But with the proliferation of viruses and threats over the last few years, I have changed my mind.
Today, anti-virus programs and anti-spyware applications need regular updating. These updates are often scheduled to run in the wee hours of the morning when you are not using your computer.
Windows also needs to be updated whenever a new security patch is released. This is usually not daily, but it may happen several times a month. It’s important to update your operating system as soon as a patch becomes available because hackers move very quickly to reverse engineer Windows updates. As soon as an update is released, they create a virus specific to that vulnerability and start looking for unprotected machines to infect and invade.
In addition to the above, you should be backing up your data every day, and the best time to do this is at night when you are not using it.
So bottom line, leave your computer on all night and restart it two or three times a week to clear the memory.
The Lighter Side: Halloween Graveyard Story from Vienna
By the time they arrive back at the grave, the music has changed. This time it is the Seventh Symphony, but like the previous piece, it is being played backward. Curious, the men agree to consult a music scholar. When they return with the expert, the Fifth Symphony is playing, again backward. The expert notices that the symphonies are being played in the reverse order in which they were composed, the 9th, then the 7th, then the 5th. By the next day, the word has spread and a throng has gathered around the grave. They are all listening to the Second Symphony being played backward.
Just then the graveyard’s caretaker ambles up to the group. Someone in the crowd asks him if he has an explanation for the music.
“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about,” says the caretaker. “He’s just decomposing!”
