Words of Wisdom by MrWes

AAA and Backblaze save the day

Wes Johnson — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 06:57:00 +0000

On the same day I was wondering if money spent on AAA and Backblaze was worth it; I found out both were. They both saved my butt, just when I needed them.

AAA is American Automobile Association. Backblaze is an automatic online backup system.

Fortunately, AAA is available to help you resolve simple issues like Locked Keys, Out of Gas, Jump Start, replace Tires, local towing, etc. I have only one key for my car & I accidentally locked it in my car. Of course it wasn’t smart to do that. I don’t know what I would do if AAA wasn’t around to help. At least the problem was easy to resolve and help me get back to being productive.

A few months ago, I started using Backblaze.com for backups. I have been recommending it to my family, friends, and clients. It is a reasonable service at $5/month for unlimited data storage. Actually pretty affordable when compared to other services.

One client has Backblaze software installed on several Windows 7 computers. It has been operating for a few months and nothing to report good or bad. Backblaze has been quietly backing up data without any issues. It wasn’t until recently we discovered that her computer was infected by an email virus that wiped out her documents and email data.

Fortunately for her, Backblaze had been backing up her data before the computer was infected. After retrieving the lost data her computer was back up & running in no time.

Just like AAA, Backblaze is there when you have an emergency. The only problem is you need to start using them before you have an issue that needs to be resolved.

AAA and Backblaze save the day is a post from: Words of Wisdom by MrWes thank you for reading my blog.

Focus on more than Facebook to build Web Presence

Wes Johnson — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:26:47 +0000

Don’t spend too much time on Facebook.

Some people think all you have to do is post frequent status updates on Facebook in order to develop your web presence. While it may be possible to use Facebook to get onto page one of your search engine results for a brand name or a unique name, that doesn’t mean you’re going to compete for other categories in your industry. In order to develop your Web Presence you need to spend more time sharing information on other Social Media.

There’s more than Facebook:

LinkedIn (Sharing with your professional networks)
Twitter (Sharing in 140 chars or less)
Social Bookmarking (Sharing websites or pages you really like)
- StumbleUpon
- Delicious
- Digg
Blogs – (Share useful information or insights with others)
Comments on Blogs – (Having an opinion helps others know who you are)
Flickr – (Sharing your pictures)
YouTube – (Sharing Videos)
Collaboration on Projects

Do you agree or disagree?

Start today, make a comment.

Focus on more than Facebook to build Web Presence is a post from: Words of Wisdom by MrWes thank you for reading my blog.

Business search using Thumbtack.com

Wes Johnson — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 09:37:06 +0000

I recently became aware of an business searching website that helps people find trusted businesses near their location. The name of the service is called Thumbtack.com.

Their business uses a trust based point system using various trust criteria such as verification of email, phone, website, background checks, customer recommendations to name a few.

They also provide a platform for businesses to share about their services and what differentiates them from other businesses providing the same service.

I was so impressed by their service that I decided to list my business with them. The service is virtually free. However, there are a few background checks that cost a few dollars for the company being listed.

MrWes Consulting is listed under Personal Computer Repair.

Business search using Thumbtack.com is a post from: Words of Wisdom by MrWes thank you for reading my blog.

Tips for Business Card design

Wes Johnson — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:14:13 +0000

My Business Card Journey

Most people know they need a business card to help their contacts remember who they are and what they do. Many times, they get the help from an online business card service like www.vistaprint.com because it’s FREE or virtually free for their basic designs. Usually, you end up paying more for some extras like double-sided printing, glossy finish, card stock, etc.

My first batch of business cards I ever did was 250 personal business cards. I started out with their standard template, then I customized it. Some people might say I went a little overboard with the information. It was packed with information on the front & the back of the card.

My second batch of business cards was a similar experience as the first. I chose a template that I felt would represent my business, then I proceeded to add too much information to the front & back. After all, I wanted everybody to know everything I did.

When creating the other two batches of cards, I had never though about using it in different media like paper advertising or Social Media. It wasn’t until I started talking with publications that I realized my previous decision to go with a vertical card wouldn’t fit in with advertising. Most advertisers require a horizontal business cards; not vertical.

Faced with the need for a horizontal design plus the fact that my vertical cards were running out, I decided to re-design my business cards. This time I decided not to use a template but to have them designed from scratch.

Tips for first time business card design:

Use one-sided design – People like to write notes on the back of the card

Less is more – Too much information will overwhelm your customer

Design for the Media – Plan for using the design as a card and for Social Media

Good Design takes time – Don’t expect for it to happen overnight

Communication is key - Be as detailed as you can. Images, Color Samples, Font Styles

Be patient - Unless the designer knows everything about you, the first proof will not be anything like what you wanted

Tips for Business Card design is a post from: Words of Wisdom by MrWes thank you for reading my blog.

One step forward, two steps back

Wes Johnson — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:07:56 +0000

Most organizations create a monthly newsletter to share recent activities, resource needs and upcoming schedule. They usually create their newsletter as a pdf file to ensure their audience will be able to read it on whatever computing platform they’re using.

PDF stands for Portable Document Format. Most people will recognize these documents since you need Adobe Reader installed on your computer.

Once a newsletter has been created the organization needs to get the word out to their audience. That’s where many organizations turn to an email marketing solution like Constant Contact or MailChimp to reach their subscribers.

The idea of sending out a mass email with little effort sounds really good for the person tasked with the responsibility of Public Relations.

It sounds easy until you find out there is a big hurdle to overcome. At the time of this post these services don’t like to send PDF attachments.

What are the alternative methods to send the information?

You have several options

Send the emails with PDF attachments yourself using your own email account
Use one of their basic templates (Look like everyone else)
Pay a premium for a more fancy looking template (Spend money)
Create a custom template using their tools (Spend time)
Create a custom template using your own tools (Some programming required)
Convert the PDF into HTML, then try to use it as a template (Email services like gmail, yahoo, etc don’t like CSS too much)
Convert the PDF into an image & send the image

Each of these options comes with its own pros and cons.

There seems to be extra time or money involved with each option.

Make things easier on yourself, give yourself plenty of time to get your newsletter out & decide early which option you plan to choose before there is an information deadline.

One step forward, two steps back is a post from: Words of Wisdom by MrWes thank you for reading my blog.