There is a new paradigm that is going to be used going forward with a new out of the box mentality that our corporate synergy will begin to employ with the challenges we have experienced through the effective opportunities that we face.
What?! Yep, there are people that talk just like that. What they said, I have no idea. It is the emperor's new clothes approach to business and you should be mindful of anyone that you do business with employing these terms. Having nothing of substance to say, they weave a web of incomprehensibility that no one can penetrate. And because we don't want to appear uncouth, we shake our heads and smile all the while realizing that we do not have a clue what they are talking about. Well, STOP IT!
At the first sign of a paradigm shift, ask that person to leave. They have nothing of consequence to say unless they are able and willing without the use of words that make no sense strung together (i.e., they have a real solution to a real problem) they aren't telling you anything.
If you have a challenge, how to address it? If you have a problem, logic dictates that you begin to work on a solution. While a challenge may be a cool way of saying something, it doesn't dictate anything.
Think of it like this: on television there is a show that requires contestants to enter a challenge. That challenge is meet with effort but there isn't a particular need to do anything other than overcome the challenge. So is overcoming something better than finding a solution? That problem, as ugly a word as it is, makes you think of something. Maybe not a positive something but it does begin the process of moving your mind. Challenges seem more like something you try and if you don't succeed, well that is okay. When you want to motivate people, you want their minds sharp, not in the weeds.
Which brings up another area, avoid those that play in the weeds. Remember playing sports or activities as a child. The kid that was playing off in the weeds never really was involved in anything the team did. That kid just enjoyed being off in the weeds. Most companies that do marketing, LOVE the weeds. If they love them that much, let them play all they want, with someone else's money!
You know your organization, your marketing and sales people (from website to print media) should have a grasp of how to augment your knowledge, how to take your ideas and make them real while making adjustments and explaining those adjustments as you move along. If they can't, don't waste your time talking to them anymore. They do not know what they are doing.
And for the love of all that is holy, don't trust someone that only knows how to do one thing. Marketing your organization isn't the same as putting cars together on an assembly line. Each part does have an influence on each other part. Without the ability to know how changes in one area would affect another, you are risking damaging your marketing approach - the message as well - without even knowing it. So avoid the "Internet marketing companies." Their intelligence is about building one part, and without the whole knowledge you cannot accomplish anything but wasting your money.
Just like you would not try to put a puzzle together without looking at all the part, you need the context of where to put something to know how to put it in. With the wrong company helping you, that can cause your puzzle to be nothing but a mess. Don't let that happen. Look for overall approaches to solutions and how each expenditure of resources will impact the overall marketing outreach plan. If they cannot tell you or they say you don't need an overall marketing outreach plan, walk away. Don't end up telling yourself in the end, "boy, are you stupid!"
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
OH! So You Want It To Work Right The First Time?
Perhaps you have heard that the new iPhone 4 is about to come out for Verizon. If you are a big fan of the iPhone, which I will admit I am, you may have been waiting with bated breath. Well, you might want to wait a little longer.
With a new phone, new network or major upgrade to anything you may not want to be the first adaptors. Why? Because it might not work. Remember Microsoft Windows Me (Most people, including Microsoft don't); Windows Vista; iPhone 4.0 with the death grip antenna problem? All of these were somewhat good products that for one reason or another got out the door without an all too important battery of tests to find defects or they were shipped because of an arbitrary deadline set by someone down the line. A poorly performing product was therefore sent to market without being tested. Guess what, you as the early adaptor are going to pay the company to be that tester! Sounds great doesn't it?
Maybe not, especially if you are someone that needs your phone or computer to work regularly. Being the new kid on the block with the latest toy may be cool, but unless you are a tester or someone that really enjoys doing a lot of backups and restoring of data, changes are you aren't going to enjoy the new product hot off the shelves, regardless of the marketing campaign.
So back to the iPhone 4.0. It is suppose to have a higher front end cost ($50 more than the competitor ATT); the ability to act as a mobile hot spot (meaning you can connect more than one computer to it and use it's internet signal; and the death grip is suppose to be fixed. The big pro is that it isn't ATT's network. Which anyone who has slogged through the nightmare of speed issues can attest. However, there is a theory that as many as 6.3 million of the 9 million users may opt for Verizon and that with that departure, the ATT network may actually get the speeds they have been boasting about for years. Only time will tell on that one.
The jury is still out on a lot of the facts associated with the new phone, but because they are out is exactly why we recommend not buying it yet. You see let those that have the extra money go first. They will work out the kinks. No you won't be known as having the coolest, newest phone on the block, but at least it will work. Give it time, you will be glad you did.
With a new phone, new network or major upgrade to anything you may not want to be the first adaptors. Why? Because it might not work. Remember Microsoft Windows Me (Most people, including Microsoft don't); Windows Vista; iPhone 4.0 with the death grip antenna problem? All of these were somewhat good products that for one reason or another got out the door without an all too important battery of tests to find defects or they were shipped because of an arbitrary deadline set by someone down the line. A poorly performing product was therefore sent to market without being tested. Guess what, you as the early adaptor are going to pay the company to be that tester! Sounds great doesn't it?
Maybe not, especially if you are someone that needs your phone or computer to work regularly. Being the new kid on the block with the latest toy may be cool, but unless you are a tester or someone that really enjoys doing a lot of backups and restoring of data, changes are you aren't going to enjoy the new product hot off the shelves, regardless of the marketing campaign.
So back to the iPhone 4.0. It is suppose to have a higher front end cost ($50 more than the competitor ATT); the ability to act as a mobile hot spot (meaning you can connect more than one computer to it and use it's internet signal; and the death grip is suppose to be fixed. The big pro is that it isn't ATT's network. Which anyone who has slogged through the nightmare of speed issues can attest. However, there is a theory that as many as 6.3 million of the 9 million users may opt for Verizon and that with that departure, the ATT network may actually get the speeds they have been boasting about for years. Only time will tell on that one.
The jury is still out on a lot of the facts associated with the new phone, but because they are out is exactly why we recommend not buying it yet. You see let those that have the extra money go first. They will work out the kinks. No you won't be known as having the coolest, newest phone on the block, but at least it will work. Give it time, you will be glad you did.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Who Is The Doctor Here?
I have the unfortunate opportunity to go to a cardiologist regularly. While I am greatful for his help and knowledge, rarely does he provide positive news. It is always things that need to be done. And regardless of whether I like it or not, it is the way things will be.
How often we are with people that we work with. We tend to believe only those that provide positive or news that meets our expectations. That isn't the way we should be. Everything positive and negative works together, but surprisingly you are more likely to learn something from someone negative than positive. Once you filter our personal statements and find the core of what they perceive as the problem, you can begin to address solutions.
When you are given information or insight, examine it against your personal bias. A mature person is able to examine negative comments to determine if there is truth within them. That is how we learn to grow our organization. Without insight and wisdom (wisdom being the application of knowledge) our organizations will never get beyond what they are today.
Listen to the person giving you the honest truth, not just what you want to hear. You would not go to a cardiologist and tell him how to treat you. If he did, then he would not be much of a cardiologist would he? When Michael Jackson, or his close people around him, told a doctor how to treat Mr Jackson, that did not turn out well for him did it, either one in fact. So be open and willing to listen. Even if it is not what you want to hear, you are not the doctor, someone else has the ability and expertise to help you, let them. Learn to listen, you just might hear something!
How often we are with people that we work with. We tend to believe only those that provide positive or news that meets our expectations. That isn't the way we should be. Everything positive and negative works together, but surprisingly you are more likely to learn something from someone negative than positive. Once you filter our personal statements and find the core of what they perceive as the problem, you can begin to address solutions.
When you are given information or insight, examine it against your personal bias. A mature person is able to examine negative comments to determine if there is truth within them. That is how we learn to grow our organization. Without insight and wisdom (wisdom being the application of knowledge) our organizations will never get beyond what they are today.
Listen to the person giving you the honest truth, not just what you want to hear. You would not go to a cardiologist and tell him how to treat you. If he did, then he would not be much of a cardiologist would he? When Michael Jackson, or his close people around him, told a doctor how to treat Mr Jackson, that did not turn out well for him did it, either one in fact. So be open and willing to listen. Even if it is not what you want to hear, you are not the doctor, someone else has the ability and expertise to help you, let them. Learn to listen, you just might hear something!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Preparation
As I write this we in the south are preparing for a couple of days of winter weather. We react to messages of snow, ice and sleet by running to the store and buying copious amounts of bread and milk. I do not honestly know why we do that but it is how we cope with winter weather. But the truth of the matter is that we need more than milk and bread to make it in bad times; we need to be prepared beforehand, not rushing around at the last moment to put something, anything together.
That is how we should react when it comes to our organization. Running around in panic mode never serves us well. As a matter of fact, it only promotes a sense of panic which grows in many cases to almost epidemic status. People begin to realize that the only time things get done is when there is a panic. So, people create panics in order to accomplish things. We need to stop that by being prepared.
Granted you can never know everything that is going to happen in the coming year, but as we begin a new year, we need to be focused on getting our operations in order to make the most of the year to come. That means starting out with a plan, and given that you may be out of the office for a day or so, why not take the time to write up a plan if for no one else but yourself and what you want to accomplish this coming year. Make it have adequate goals - making a million dollars when you work at a $40k job is not realistic. But give yourself plenty of challenges. Try to come up with new ways, better ways to do the same things you have been doing routinely. Challenge the people around you. Even if they do not respond, continue to challenge yourself. IT makes you a better person.
Management and administration should be seeking to lay out new options to the same old tired ideas. Be open to new materials and directions. Never let the idea of we have always done it that way continue to impede your growth as an organization. What, you do not "grow"? If your organization is not in the mindset of growing then you are in trouble. Everything that is alive grows. In people, in operations in activities we grow because it is a sign of life. Plants grow, but they need a few things. What do you need to grow this coming year?
Make your list, be prepared. Even if you are made fun of make a change in the organization, be it work, church or social responsibilities, but your best into it and make a difference. People may laugh, but when the weather is bad, and you are the one with electricity, food and warmth when the neighbors are eating bread and drinking spoiled milk, they will realize who was the one they should have been trusting. Make a difference, plan for the best.
That is how we should react when it comes to our organization. Running around in panic mode never serves us well. As a matter of fact, it only promotes a sense of panic which grows in many cases to almost epidemic status. People begin to realize that the only time things get done is when there is a panic. So, people create panics in order to accomplish things. We need to stop that by being prepared.
Granted you can never know everything that is going to happen in the coming year, but as we begin a new year, we need to be focused on getting our operations in order to make the most of the year to come. That means starting out with a plan, and given that you may be out of the office for a day or so, why not take the time to write up a plan if for no one else but yourself and what you want to accomplish this coming year. Make it have adequate goals - making a million dollars when you work at a $40k job is not realistic. But give yourself plenty of challenges. Try to come up with new ways, better ways to do the same things you have been doing routinely. Challenge the people around you. Even if they do not respond, continue to challenge yourself. IT makes you a better person.
Management and administration should be seeking to lay out new options to the same old tired ideas. Be open to new materials and directions. Never let the idea of we have always done it that way continue to impede your growth as an organization. What, you do not "grow"? If your organization is not in the mindset of growing then you are in trouble. Everything that is alive grows. In people, in operations in activities we grow because it is a sign of life. Plants grow, but they need a few things. What do you need to grow this coming year?
Make your list, be prepared. Even if you are made fun of make a change in the organization, be it work, church or social responsibilities, but your best into it and make a difference. People may laugh, but when the weather is bad, and you are the one with electricity, food and warmth when the neighbors are eating bread and drinking spoiled milk, they will realize who was the one they should have been trusting. Make a difference, plan for the best.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Back It Up
At our office we backup our data, probably not as much as we should, but we do. I know i should backup but I don’t have the time or I just forget. Lots of excuses for not doing what we all know we should. And generally, we do not realize how important it is until, well it is too late. This past week taught me that lesson.
After having a tree fall behind the office and a leaky roof, I assumed the worse was over. Until that is, I tried to pull some backed up data off one of my backups. I use a Media Server as the backup with four bays for the system. That system sits on a single battery and brown out controlled power unit that is plugged into a single connection in the wall that run independently to the junction box. That being said, one would assume that power wise it was well insulated and protected. When I could not get access to my data I looked and saw where one of the drives had gone bad. Not a problem they were copying each other, only that drive that was bad was where the server OS was. Okay not a problem, data is damaged but not lost and besides that, I have another backup.
Plugged the second backup in to realize that the circuit board was completely fried. No power to the unit at all. The drive was not spinning - okay not a problem change it out to another circuit board. This task being accomplished I was qick to realize that the problem with the board was also with the hard drive. So strike number 2.
Now at this point you would assume that everything is lost, but you would be wrong. For there is a third backup of the data. That being said, it was an unfortunate series of events that made me realize that most of the time, 3 backups would be overkill. The events that transpired being what they were, I realized that 3 was just right.
Do you backup your data? If so, do you take it offsite? And do you back it up one more time for good measure, just in case? If not, consider it. And implement a process for getting your systems back up in a timely manner. If it takes 4 weeks to restore your data, then the backup is pretty useless. But if not, you should be able to get back up within 8 to 12 hours. Let that be the benchmark. Try a restoration one day or offsite restore. Make sure that what you are backing up is data and not programs.
Online solutions such as Carbonite and some of the less well-known solutions can provide online backup but they do tend to take a while. To backup a 13 gig system took 5 days with Carbonite. From that point on it does get faster as it is only looking for changes but that means that it would take 5 days to restore the data or more. The pro is that the system is cheap, takes the fuss and effort out of your backup and as long as you are online ensures that you will be backedup.
Tapes and drives are another popular item for backups. The pros are you have good control and faster recovery in the event of a problem. Incrimental backups are easier. Cons include the cost of the unit and the tapes. There is also the problem of who will take the tape off-site. Leaving it next to the server or in the drawer can end up being a real problem if you have a major damage situation such as a fire or breakin.
Regardless of the method, check the backup periodically. Never assume it is working. Try a restore - both for time and effort. Have an offsite plan in the event of a catastrophe. Be prepared for the worse and whatever happens you will be fine. If you would like to have some help with the right solution for your backup, of course we would love to help.
After having a tree fall behind the office and a leaky roof, I assumed the worse was over. Until that is, I tried to pull some backed up data off one of my backups. I use a Media Server as the backup with four bays for the system. That system sits on a single battery and brown out controlled power unit that is plugged into a single connection in the wall that run independently to the junction box. That being said, one would assume that power wise it was well insulated and protected. When I could not get access to my data I looked and saw where one of the drives had gone bad. Not a problem they were copying each other, only that drive that was bad was where the server OS was. Okay not a problem, data is damaged but not lost and besides that, I have another backup.
Plugged the second backup in to realize that the circuit board was completely fried. No power to the unit at all. The drive was not spinning - okay not a problem change it out to another circuit board. This task being accomplished I was qick to realize that the problem with the board was also with the hard drive. So strike number 2.
Now at this point you would assume that everything is lost, but you would be wrong. For there is a third backup of the data. That being said, it was an unfortunate series of events that made me realize that most of the time, 3 backups would be overkill. The events that transpired being what they were, I realized that 3 was just right.
Do you backup your data? If so, do you take it offsite? And do you back it up one more time for good measure, just in case? If not, consider it. And implement a process for getting your systems back up in a timely manner. If it takes 4 weeks to restore your data, then the backup is pretty useless. But if not, you should be able to get back up within 8 to 12 hours. Let that be the benchmark. Try a restoration one day or offsite restore. Make sure that what you are backing up is data and not programs.
Online solutions such as Carbonite and some of the less well-known solutions can provide online backup but they do tend to take a while. To backup a 13 gig system took 5 days with Carbonite. From that point on it does get faster as it is only looking for changes but that means that it would take 5 days to restore the data or more. The pro is that the system is cheap, takes the fuss and effort out of your backup and as long as you are online ensures that you will be backedup.
Tapes and drives are another popular item for backups. The pros are you have good control and faster recovery in the event of a problem. Incrimental backups are easier. Cons include the cost of the unit and the tapes. There is also the problem of who will take the tape off-site. Leaving it next to the server or in the drawer can end up being a real problem if you have a major damage situation such as a fire or breakin.
Regardless of the method, check the backup periodically. Never assume it is working. Try a restore - both for time and effort. Have an offsite plan in the event of a catastrophe. Be prepared for the worse and whatever happens you will be fine. If you would like to have some help with the right solution for your backup, of course we would love to help.
Time to Upgrade?
When do you know if it is time to upgrade? Operating systems, office applications, Shelby and/or ACS all have needs to be upgraded from time to time. Changes to software or related programs can cause you to have to make a move that might not seem like something you want to do. To help eliminate that hassle, you need to decide when it is appropriate to upgrade and when it is best to hold onto the software you have. Here are a few tips to help you along the way:
1. Review the functionality changes with the software. Find out what new features it brings and whether or not you will need them, like them or have to have them to function. If you need the new features, consider moving up, but if you don’t use those functions, it may be better to hold off.
2. Review when support will be discontinued on the software you are currently using. Don’t let time slip away and be forced to upgrade because you allowed the support for the product to lapse. Remember, support for your software may not seem like a big deal until the time you really need it. And when you need it, you will certainly wish you had it.
3. Review the hardware needs, i.e., do you need a new server or computers to use the new software? If so, do you have the financial support to make the change AND do you have the time to allocate to training on new hardware? If not, you may want to put off until you can allocate the time and financial need.
4. Make sure your software will be compatible with all the programs you are using. Case in point, when Microsoft Vista was launched, it didn’t work with several older software programs. As a result, many people were left with a brand new computer and operating system and the need to purchase even more software. Don’t get caught in that trap. Study and ask for help ahead of purchases.
5. Plan to move your computers BEFORE you have to. We recommend a rotation of computers yearly to keep each person who needs the most functionality with the best computer. That usually means that you are moving computers that operate properly, but the function should be to the highest need, not the highest level person. In other words, don’t give the owner the best computer for email and word processing when the publications secretary works on the worse systems.
If you need additional information, please email us to find out more information about how to know when to upgrade and when you hold. Remember it is your money and you only need to upgrade if it makes sense.
Seeing Marketing for What It Is
These days everyone is an Internet marketing company. Seems that history is due to repeat itself, if you happen to remember the dot.com bubble of the early 1990s. Everyone was going to be rich beyond measure by using unproven technology in a market-place that was not properly prepared.
To that end, the bubble burst and after one Super Bowl with tons of ads that were all .com this and .com that, the next year we are back to the normalcy that is the Super Bowl ads.
That principle is now being applied to marketing overall. Everyone that runs a website company now claims to be a marketing expert. But, there is a slight problem, you see to market properly you have to know what marketing is - how to set goals that are accomplish able. Real marketing does not just happen by accident, it is numbers and effort combined with knowledge. Knowledge that most companies do not have. Instead they push you to do this program only to find out that wait, that does not work for your type of company. Oh too bad, we got our money.
Take time to examine your marketing plan, if you have one. If not, let Netminister.net know and we can help you. It should have some basic things in it, from a SWOT analysis to an overall plan with goals that are realistic. This plan should meet the needs of your organization to find new people all while augmenting your efforts to draw in new people. That is the key, grow what you have while maintaining what you currently have.
Most companies do not want to spend that kind of time with you, want to know why? It cost too much, and they lack the foundation to help you with anything that is not in the book they have read this week.
Marketing is four Ps - product, place, price and promotion. Most companies want to sell you on the promotion or more specifically the sales. Then when it fails, someone else has to clean it up or you just leave it there hoping no one finds it.
Do not let that happen to your organization. When talking to the person about their Internet marketing plan, ask them some questions:
How does this fit into my overall marketing strategy? If you do not have an overall strategy, then you need to ask if they can provide you with one. Should they say yes, they should want to meet with you and your team to compile it. If not, it is not your strategy, it is one they bought online.
What is the ultimate, quantifiable goal(s) of this project? (Remember, true marketing creates brand awareness, it never creates sales. Anyone that tells you different, hang up the phone or end the meeting - they do not know what they are doing)
What is the turnaround and is it reasonable? Both for you and for the company you use, the timetable should be something achievable. Two days to get results is not achievable. Most marketing plans takes months if not years to begin to receive results, so be prepared to be patient.
Of course netminister.net provides this service and you can click the logo on the side for more information. But even if you do not use us, do not make mistakes that cost you resources blindly. Always ask questions and be looking for appropriate answers.
To that end, the bubble burst and after one Super Bowl with tons of ads that were all .com this and .com that, the next year we are back to the normalcy that is the Super Bowl ads.
That principle is now being applied to marketing overall. Everyone that runs a website company now claims to be a marketing expert. But, there is a slight problem, you see to market properly you have to know what marketing is - how to set goals that are accomplish able. Real marketing does not just happen by accident, it is numbers and effort combined with knowledge. Knowledge that most companies do not have. Instead they push you to do this program only to find out that wait, that does not work for your type of company. Oh too bad, we got our money.
Take time to examine your marketing plan, if you have one. If not, let Netminister.net know and we can help you. It should have some basic things in it, from a SWOT analysis to an overall plan with goals that are realistic. This plan should meet the needs of your organization to find new people all while augmenting your efforts to draw in new people. That is the key, grow what you have while maintaining what you currently have.
Most companies do not want to spend that kind of time with you, want to know why? It cost too much, and they lack the foundation to help you with anything that is not in the book they have read this week.
Marketing is four Ps - product, place, price and promotion. Most companies want to sell you on the promotion or more specifically the sales. Then when it fails, someone else has to clean it up or you just leave it there hoping no one finds it.
Do not let that happen to your organization. When talking to the person about their Internet marketing plan, ask them some questions:
How does this fit into my overall marketing strategy? If you do not have an overall strategy, then you need to ask if they can provide you with one. Should they say yes, they should want to meet with you and your team to compile it. If not, it is not your strategy, it is one they bought online.
What is the ultimate, quantifiable goal(s) of this project? (Remember, true marketing creates brand awareness, it never creates sales. Anyone that tells you different, hang up the phone or end the meeting - they do not know what they are doing)
What is the turnaround and is it reasonable? Both for you and for the company you use, the timetable should be something achievable. Two days to get results is not achievable. Most marketing plans takes months if not years to begin to receive results, so be prepared to be patient.
Of course netminister.net provides this service and you can click the logo on the side for more information. But even if you do not use us, do not make mistakes that cost you resources blindly. Always ask questions and be looking for appropriate answers.
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