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Business Security Lessons From the Earthquake Zone

What can a small home-based business learn from the Canterbury earthquake disaster?

Many commentators and experts have spoken about the recovery for medium to large businesses. This is all good advice, but how does it work when you are thinking about disaster-proofing a small business?

Right now Christchurch businesses are coping, with varying degrees of success, with injured staff, loss of premises, inability to access records loss of water and power and all the rest. Listening to a data system specialist on radio today, I learned that inability to get to servers and office computers, even laptops left on desks in collapsed buildings was a major problem for large businesses. These larger businesses are the ones we expect to have good back up systems. For many they have not worked. They are struggling.

I wondered about the many HBBs in Christchurch. How many of them have been forced to evacuate homes and relocate without the essential data to look after their customers. This may seem a low priority, but as I reflected on their future, the primacy of their income stream in rebuilding their future came to the fore.

I thought about the importance of keeping in touch with customers, and the way customers support a business experiencing temporary problems when disaster strikes.

How would we fare if an earthquake or volcanic eruption hit our small part of New Zealand? For the record we have operated a professional HBB for over 20 years.

I ran through a mental checklist. My answers to the situation after a disaster strikes may help you run your own reality check.

Q1: Where is our customer data stored?

A1: Paper files. Gone. Diaries. Probably lost. Off-site archives? You must be joking.

2 Apple laptops and an iMac desk computer. Probably gone.

Q2: Any backup?

A2: Yes. Hourly automatic backup of two computer hard disks to a 1 terabyte hard disk, Apple Time Machine, with full restore capability. It was inexpensive.

Q3: Where is it?

A3: In the same office. Probably gone. If we lose the house we lose the Time Machine.

Q4: Can the backup device go somewhere else? Somewhere safer?

A4: Yes, it's all wifi (Airport) capable. But what about power and weather protection? Where will it be safe and accessible after a disaster?

Q5: What about your email records?

A5: Several email addresses, with the really important stuff on NZ servers and unknown backup if we are dealing with a regional disaster. The others are on Gmail. I expect them to be safe with plenty of redundancy.

Q6: What about websites?

A6: Four to worry about. None are financially critical yet but they will be, and they are a big investment of irreplaceable time. They are on three different IP servers, 2 in New Zealand and one in the USA, but security is unknown. It is unlikely they will all go down in a single event. The backup and restore capability is good on the 3 that I run as long as the servers are intact.Conclusion

It's not looking too good, is it? Score 4/10 in a major disaster.

It seems that my strategy is "Cross fingers and hope."

Q7: Can it be improved?

A7: Yes, without a big investment, now I know where the vulnerable points are..

Q8: Will insurance help?

A8: Not really. The weak points are not financial, they are about the location of backup systems.

I hope this quick reality check prompts you to ask your own questions about the data security of your business. Remember, it's only worth the effort if you do something to reduce your risk.

If you can stay in touch with your customers, they will support you when things go wrong, and you will be able to recover your income quicker.

Michael Taplin has worked from home for over 20 years operating a boutique management consulting firm. He has a very practical view of what works and what fails when things go badly wrong. You can view more of his ideas on improving business performance at http://www.bizlearn.biz

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Business-Security-Lessons-From-the-Earthquake-Zone&...] Business Security Lessons From the Earthquake Zone

Promote Your Farmer's Market With Fruit And Vegetable Stress Toys

The farmer's market is one of the last cultural staples in modern times.

Today most people buy their produce at the supermarket, where it is rarely fresh and can be laden with pesticides and other chemicals. More and more people are starting to embrace the farmer's market as not only a shopping experience but a social event, as well as one of the first steps to a healthy diet.

If you own or operate a farmer's market you want as many people at your events as possible, and one of the best ways to ensure that people keep your event in mind is the promotional gift of stress toys in shapes of fruits and vegetables.

Promotional stress balls can be made to resemble virtually any object and there are many standard fruit and vegetable shapes that these fantastic promotional items come in.

With promotional stress toys you will be handing out an advertisement that will be kept and used for a relatively long time. When people get these squishy promotional products in their hands, they tend to hold on to them and not let go, making a long-lasting impression. Some examples:

Fruit Shaped Promotional Stress Toys

Banana- One of the most popular tropical fruits in the world, the banana is rich in potassium which is vital to the human body. It also has a nice-sized printing area.

Apple- "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" was a phrase coined in Wales during the 19th century, and it holds true today. Apples are rich in antioxidants and the outer skin is a very beneficial fiber. A promotional stress ball in the the shape of an apple is a tasteful way to keep your brand in the mind of its recipient.

Orange- A juice staple or eaten raw by itself, oranges are rich in vitamin c and is one of the most fragrant of all fruits. A promotional stress reliever in the shape of an orange is likely to remind its user of the citrus smell.

Tomato- You will probably be aware that many people think the tomato as a vegetable, but the anti-oxidant rich tomato is technically a fruit. Like the apple and orange, the spherical shape lends itself to a good sized printing area which makes it an excellent choice for a promotional stress reliever.

Vegetable Shaped Promotional Stress Toys

Lettuce- The slicing of a head of lettuce is often used in visuals to imply freshness. Everyone needs to eat their leafy greens, and a promotional stress toy in this shape will always serve as a reminder of that.

Cauliflower- Whether is is boiled, fried or eaten raw, the versatile cauliflower is among the most nutritious and high-fiber vegetable available. Cauliflowers can be white, orange or purple, just as your cauliflower promotional stress toys can be.

Garlic- Garlic has been used as a healing agent for centuries, and for good reason- this aromatic vegetable packs one of the highest levels of antioxidants available in nature.

Bell Pepper- Like the cauliflower, bell peppers come in different colors- red, green, yellow and orange. Technically a fruit, it was mistakenly given the name 'pepper' by Christopher Columbus when he returned with it from the new world.

Stress toys have shown to be one of the best promotional items in recent years due to the fact that, unlike many promotional gifts, they are not throwaway items.

What this means for you is that when you hand someone a promotional stress ball they are not likely to toss it out like they would a cheap keychain or biro. Most people will hold on to their promotional stressballs for months if not years, where they will serve as a reminder of your farmer's market event and keep them coming back.

To learn more about what options you have for promoting your farmers market, check out the massive range of stress product available at trade prices online.

All of the promotional stress balls featured at http://www.stressballs.co.uk are offered at trade prices.

This could save you up to 50%!

Dan Toombs is the author and Managing Director of CompuGift Limited - The UK's leading online supplier of promotional stress balls.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Promote-Your-Farmers-Market-With-Fruit-And-Vegetabl...] Promote Your Farmer's Market With Fruit And Vegetable Stress Toys

Watching TV Through Google and Apple

The Internet is rich in capabilities and content. The average user uses only a fraction of the capability of the service. One of the most exciting features about it is the ability to view media content, relatively easy and in the comfort of your home. The Internet has redefined access to films, making it cheaper, easier to view television shows, films and other media clips. Now there are a number of products, which download content right from the Internet and ready it for use on your television. The most popular companies are Google TV, Apple TV.

Google TV: Released in October 2010, Google TV is the newest of the bunch and has yet to reach its full potential or capacity as an Internet media portal. Using a small box that is manufactured by Sony and Logitech, the TV finds media content on the Web and streams is right to your TV. It is set-up like an all-in-one entertainment station and allows users the ability to listen to music, view digital photos and create a film playlist for digital content downloaded to the box.

Apple TV: Apple provides a similar product, but one that has been on the market for longer. The main difference is that you buy or download media files from iTunes or the web to your personal computer. Then, you can stream the content over to the Apple TV box, which then displays it through your LCD or Plasma television. Like Google TV, it will play HD content effortlessly and has all-in-one features for music and photo display.

For more information on the recently developed Google TV, check out this [http://hubpages.com/hub/Google-TV-The-Tour]Link

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Watching-TV-Through-Google-and-Apple&id=5890651] Watching TV Through Google and Apple

Regular Online Marketing Has Competition - Mobile Marketing

Computers have competition - mobiles.

Mobiles will beat computers. Apple is moving away from the computer business and moving into the mobile business with their line of iPhones. There are more than 5 billion people with mobile phones today. Considering there are under 8 billion people living today - that's a huge proportion of the human population! Very few marketers have realized how HUGE mobile marketing is going to be. It's big already but it's only getting bigger. There is money to be made in this. Lots of it.

Apple is selling millions of iPhones and Google is selling 100s of thousands of Droid smartphones each and every single day... Over 50% of all new internet connections nowadays are from smartphones.

Also, people never have their mobiles too far away. They often keep their phones with them at all times like they do with their wallet and keys.

With this approach, your ad becomes the only one of the page... this means no competition and more money to be made for you.

Making money with this is not some complicated science. It's real simple. It's also almost exactly like regular online marketing - only simpler. You still work with building lists of hungry buyers... you still promote Clickbank products and you still have the opportunity to make tons of money with CPA offers... the biggest difference is that advertising for this is dirt cheap compared to regular online marketing.

I'm going to grab my piece of this pie. I want to get in on the action. Don't you?

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Regular-Online-Marketing-Has-Competition---Mobile-M...] Regular Online Marketing Has Competition - Mobile Marketing

HTML 5, CSS3 and Cross Browser Support

It is about time we blogged some more, it is true about getting so busy with work we forget about spreading knowledge and keeping those interested in what we do informed, we shall try to do better in 2011!!

Well I am going to write about some web development that will eventually help us designers in easier styling and basic animation using CSS. There have been many articles written about whether flash in websites will die a death and CSS will take over. It amazes us that this conversation is even raging considering CSS3 is not supported in many browsers, and IE the most used browser still (change if it you have it please!!) does not support CSS, the IE 9 new browser is better - but still building websites that are not supported with IE is dangerous to say the least.

Also flash animation provides a much better stable platform for brand animation in details CSS will never achieve, certainly not in the next 5 years. Being honest Apple should "get a grip" and support flash so certain bias developers who are "in bed" with apple stop condemning flash. Indeed android and windows based mobile technologies are supporting flash, so apple should stop there ring fencing it is a real bore.

We have to point out that we moved away from developing full flash websites several years ago as they are too bandwidth dependant, not great for SEO and generally were too interactive meaning the message of our client could be easily missed. We do however like some professional flash animation for top banners or areas where images are dominant as it really enhances a website done well.
Back to the subject!!

HTML 5 is supported in the new IE9 explorer and most other major browsers however there is still differing support for various elements of HTML5 which web developers need to understand so they do not leave web surfers or clients customers with a mess of a website.

My View of IE - Internet Explorer:

Those of us web developing for clients who's target audience use mainly IE as their browser find the whole process annoying and frustrating. There will be a few posts about IE explorer and why people should dump it as a browser, but we are looking forward to IE 9 which is supposed to be more compliant and able to utilise CSS etc better than ever before. Those along with a much faster browser in terms of flash and frames per second - so we shall certainly test drive IE 9 and provide a detailed report probably by Prash our technology blogger!!

Microsoft and Apple are certainly dominate Companies that influence the internet, how it is accessed and used as they both provide the platforms most people use, this gives them both an advantage when it comes to which browser people use. Many people with a lower degree of knowledge of such things accept what they are given with their new PC or Mac. This gives both Microsoft who like there own direction of browsing and Apple who want everything their own way to make life difficult. I for one don't like either Company, although when it comes to browsers Microsoft are the worse and no one should use it. Apple is a Company you either love or hate, my opinion is the latter:)

CSS3 is flash Dead?

There is a buzz right now that CSS3 will allow animation of sorts and will compete against flash (oh I can hear the Apple execs rubbing their designer gloves) to the point that some think flash days are numbered. However the fact is many browsers still do not support CSS3 certainly not those versions that need updating to which there are many! Also CSS3 will provide limited animation which will be great for certain applications (possibly) but could not replace flash animation and what is achieved by those with experience, such as the flash animation professionals out there.

I do agree that pure flash websites days are numbered (if not gone - hopefully) with many of us web developers moving away from that type of website. Using flash animation in place of images to enhance a website will provide a positive enhancement, in our view, but full flash websites are resource intensive, more complicated to use and just not necessary.

So our view is that CSS3 will never replace what flash can do, Adobe can rest easy and Apple should support flash:)

Well that's about it I hope this article has provided some useful info

Author Adam Stacey
Webmaster, AS Design [http://www.gloswebsitedesign.co.uk]Gloucester & Cheltenham web design

Original article source and copyright [http://gloswebsitedesign.co.uk/wp/2010/11/html-5-css3-cross-browser-support/]AS Design Blog Article source

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?HTML-5,-CSS3-and-Cross-Browser-Support&id=5737677] HTML 5, CSS3 and Cross Browser Support

How Chat Software Can Be A Useful Tool In Business When Working From Home

There are many communications software applications available for us all. They enable you ton chat in real time to others and they are all available for free. You have MSN messenger, AOL instant messenger and if you have a Mac you have the iChat software already installed on your computer.

Chat software doesn't just allow you to type messages in real time now; they have evolved quite rapidly over the last few years. Most chat programs also now support voice chat, file transfers and even chat via video. With the Apple Mac you can attach a small camera to your computer and use the iChat facility to enable high quality video conferencing with up to three participants, for best results though you will need a fast broadband connection. So you can now have conferences with business colleagues, suppliers and even prospective clients all from the comfort of your leather armchair in your home office.

There is one issue with chat software though which is compatibility. For instance if you actively use MSN Messenger and your business partner uses iChat, you will not be able to communicate with them. Do not worry though there is a multi -chat program which supports all different platforms called 'Trillian', this enables connection of multiple chat networks simultaneously. This is a very clever and useful tool, but you will still need to sign up for a MSN Messenger account if you wish to use it with Yahoo Messenger, so you will also need a Yahoo account, and so on.

The downside is that the Trillian software cannot use of the advanced features, so for example it can connect to iChat but it cannot handle the videoconferencing part unless you sign up and pay for the Pro version. In my experience it is better to persuade your business colleagues to use the same chat networks as you. As not everyone has an Apple Mac then their offering while the best may not be suitable for all, unless of course you go out and buy an Apple Mac.

Never before has it been so easy and cost effective to able to speak to business colleagues and partners with the power of the internet. There is no more trying to ring around and speak to people at different times, you can schedule meetings via a chat network, while of course it does have its limitations it is so beneficial in the business world, especially if you are working from the comfort of your own home.

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Chat-Software-Can-Be-A-Useful-Tool-In-Business-...] How Chat Software Can Be A Useful Tool In Business When Working From Home

Working From Your Home Office - The Top 3 Ways To Make Your Admin Run Smoothly

No homeworker has the same method or style when they conduct their business. They will all use different types of software to get their job done. A write may depend on word processing software for the majority of his work in the day, whilst an accountant will be heavily dependant on book-keeping software such as Sage. But there are certain tool and techniques which make it easier for all people who work at home to work smarter.
Calendar. This may sound obvious to many, but having a calendar to diaries events in your day is crucial to your success. Electronic calendars have a big advantage over the printed one. The electronic variation can sound an alarm when a task is due, or overdue. If you have s smartphone then you can synchronise it with you PC or Mac. You can then add any new appointments or task to your calendar when you are out and about. If you have Microsoft Outlook Express as part of the Microsoft Office package then you have the excellent calendar which comes as aprt of the package. With the Apple Mac you have the excellent iCal program which also provides an excellent calendar. The iCal program is free with every Mac where Microsoft Office is a paid program. There are free calendar software applications available, most notably from Yahoo.
PDF viewer. Adobe's PDF format has become the leading way to publish documents digitally. Government departments to schools and computer companies publish their material in this way. On PC's you have Adobe's Reader for free, whereas on the Apple Mac it has stand alone support for PDF's. If you get any documents from business colleagues or groups that your business is part of then nine times out of ten they will send it you in a PDF format. This is a necessity for your working day.
Zip utility. The majority of downloads you do from the internet or from any business colleagues who have emailed you would have as a rule sent it you in a zipped format. This means that the intended file has been compressed in order to reduce the overall file size. Do not think though that this is just for compressing files to send to people or to unzip a files someone sends you. You can archive documents, emails - in fact most software applications. This way you can free up a lot of hard disk space on your computer, saving you the task of purchasing an external hard disk or to keep putting files on flash card and DVD's. There are paid and free zip programs for both PC and Mac. If you have a PC you can go for Camunzip or Winrar; on the Mac the most popular is Stuffit Expander.

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Working-From-Your-Home-Office---The-Top-3-Ways-To-M...] Working From Your Home Office - The Top 3 Ways To Make Your Admin Run Smoothly

PC Versus Apple Mac - Which Is Best For Your New Home Office?

This has been one of the oldest arguments in technology history, which is better PC or Mac? Apple Mac users do tend to look down their nose a bit at PC users as they think the Max is a more superior machine, conversely PC users laugh at Mac users as they think they have got far more value for their money with a PC.

So what are the differences between a Mac and a PC? Are there many? Well yes there are, but not as many as their used to be. For instance you could not get a Mac under fifteen hundred dollars, now you can pick up a Mac Mini for under eight hundred dollars. The big change that the Mac has gone from using different processors from PC's to using the same intel chips. The big difference that people split hairs over though is the operating system that they run on. PC's use Windows and the Apple Mac uses the operating system called OS X. The issue here is compatibility, the two cannot run the other way round. Luckily now though there are many programs that can be used for both platforms.

You can now purchase virtual PC software which can in effect get windows to function on a Mac b essentially creating a 'fake' PC inside your computer, the issue is it runs very slow and it also means you will have to purchase a copy of windows. So you have to ask yourself is it even worth it?

A lot of hardware though even now is only compatible still with PC's, such as printers, plug-in cards and fax machines. You have to ask yourself what you are most likely to use in your new home office. If your actual business is mainly dealing with graphic design for instance, then you may be happier with a Mac as they are known in the computer world in being more geared towards graphic design and video. But if your business is more likely to be dealing with word-processing, internet usage and phone calls then a PC could be suited.

It all comes down to personal preference at the end of the day; it's like when you get people who will always drive a Ford, but your dad will always drive a Toyota, people have their favourites and they tend to always stick with them. There is not always a good reason for it, people like what they like. So above all go for the one that you feel most comfortable with and will be able to use comfortably for many years to come.

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?PC-Versus-Apple-Mac---Which-Is-Best-For-Your-New-Ho...?&id=5547168] PC Versus Apple Mac - Which Is Best For Your New Home Office?

Weighing Scales Are Accurate To The Gram These Days

There are many ways of weighing all kinds of products but in the last couple of decades, this technology has really improved in leaps and bounds. Indeed, everything from electronic scales to industrial scales have been regulated to such a degree that no one is left wondering if they are right or not.

Before these newer machines hit the market, getting goods weighed precisely was a little bit hit and miss. Indeed, commodities like fruit and vegetables would have to be changed or swapped around until an accurate weight was found. Although there was always a slight anomaly in the weights, it was often the store keeper who lost out on the deal. This was because if he had twenty customers all buying the same product, all the tiny amounts that he was giving away added up over time and he would have to accept this loss.

From the new accurate machines came weigh stations which gauge how heavy a truck is and what the load is that he is carrying. This may not sound like much but most roads have a limit on what they can carry. If overweight trucks come through then the road is damaged beyond repair so this is really done to penalize those who insist on carrying things too heavy.

On the other hand, loads which have to pass from one country to another will have to have duty paid on them. While the load is in transit, particularly if it is coming from a port area, it is important for the owner to know if anything has been taken out of the load. Also, customs and excise will not allow the goods in transit to be delivered anywhere besides the target country so accurate measurements are paramount for all concerned.

In the same way, pharmaceutical goods which are to be given to patients will also have to be weighed extremely accurately since an over or under dose could have detrimental effects on the patient. Indeed, so accurate are these machines that any deviation from the norm means that each load will be discarded if tablets or capsules that are not within specified limits. Too many faults and out goes the whole lot for incineration.

The great thing about having this kind of machine these days is that we can pick up only the goods that we need and nothing more. We could never just pick up one tomato or one apple in the past but nowadays we can do just that. Indeed, so accurate are these machines that they also print out all the information on bar coded tags which do not even need a person to read them. They simply pass over a sensor at the checkout and away we go.

Finally, although these machines are great, it is important to buy them from a good manufacturer who only uses the best materials. They are rather expensive pieces of machinery and they last for years so getting a good set up may be the best thing that anyone could do.

Stewart Wrighter recently spent time researching [http://www.pennscale.com/]electronic scales for his new food market. His son ordered [http://www.pennscale.com/]industrial scales to weigh scrap metals.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Weighing-Scales-Are-Accurate-To-The-Gram-These-Days...] Weighing Scales Are Accurate To The Gram These Days

Scaling Down The Weights Made Easy With Clever Machines

Although it is quite obvious to most, having weighing scales that is absolutely accurate could just save a lot of money over time. A gram scale actually dictates that those who want to buy small amounts will only be paying for what they need instead of buying the commodity in larger portions too so this will also save money in the end. In the case of some high-priced commodities this is the only way that people will buy for sure.

The act of buying even vegetables has changed over the years. In our younger days, people would have to buy half or one pound loads of whatever they needed. These days though, if someone just wants one apple, for example, then that is exactly what they are charged for and nothing else.

Indeed, the old-fashioned method of buying goods meant that a balance was used to figure out how much of the commodity was in the opposite basket or similar container. When the whole thing equalized, and this was sometimes a needle which had to be vertical to the floor, then the person knew exactly what they were getting.

Although it seems odd, those things which could not be exact in size were often difficult to measure and took an inordinate amount of shifting around to get somewhere near the amount that fitted into the exact proportions. Nowadays though, and may we all be grateful, this is now a thing of the past.

In amongst all this new technology came the need to measure tiny amounts of things. In the pharmaceutical industry, this is for very obvious reasons, but then on the other end of this came the huge loads of commodities which are loaded into tankers and such.

Weigh bridges have been with us for a while and everyone knows roughly how they work. But getting the weight right even here is very important since some of these goods attract duty payments particularly if they are going across borders. This is also a good way to detect if a load has been tampered with too since many 'in transit' goods are not allowed to be sold or added too in the transit country. All the border controls have to do is to match up the weight of the vehicle with what it says when it entered the country. If it does not then this load will probably be impounded pending further investigation.

Finally, anyone who is looking for these kinds of machines must ensure that quality goods are bought since they could cause a lot of problems in future if they are not accurate. Weights and measures departments in all countries are really hot on checking these machines and if they find anything untoward then that venue can actually be closed down. Although it does not happen very often, there are some unscrupulous retailers who try to under-weigh goods so that they make a larger profit from the public but this is a crime and should be dealt with as such.

Stewart Wrighter recently spent time researching high end [http://www.pennscale.com/]weighing scales to use in his new food market. He ordered a [http://www.pennscale.com/]gram scale to weigh spices.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Scaling-Down-The-Weights-Made-Easy-With-Clever-Mach...] Scaling Down The Weights Made Easy With Clever Machines