Posts Tagged ‘data’
Backup Schmackup: Im Afraid, Very Afraid!
“Why should you be afraid?”, I can hear you ask.
I just got an email from my friend Miche who said,
“My laptop is sick at the hospital. Hard Drive failure. Am praying data can be retrieved.”
Her exact words.
Ohhhh : tremors of fear running up and down my spine!
Why?
Because … and I have to be honest … I haven’t *backed up* my laptop for ages!
Oh I can hear your derisive laughter, your looks of scorn … I can feel your disbelief.
Me – of all people – admitting this. My friends call me “TechieGirl”!
Well, the best part of my friend’s scary dilemma is that it’s forcing me into action!
I’m dusting off the cd burner and plugging into the power, plugging it into the USB slot – now how *hard* was that? I’ve got a stack of blank cds gathering dust on my desk … why not use them?
Hmm … why not do a *big* backup on the first of each month, and a *mini* backup every Monday [or Tuesday or Friday ... whatever works best for you]?
::::: Plan it! :::::
OK – stick with me here – open your online Diary or Appointments Database or hard-copy Diary and make an appointment *with yourself* – which part of the week could you devote say a half hour to, to do a quick backup? What about when you sit down to open the mail, or read a report, do your return phonecalls? If you work from home, why not start the backup as soon as you get out of bed so it’ll be done by the time you’ve had your walk, eaten your breakfast, and showered.
I can hear you saying, “Oh it’ll take too long … I’ll do it later … tomorrow … next week … next month …”. And then one day I’ll be getting an email or a call from you saying, “If only I’d backed up the computer …”
Imagine losing all your documents, projects, databases, passwords, software settings, names, addresses, phone numbers, email names, website links – YIKES! I’m scaring myself again!!!!
If I lost even *one* thing in that list above, I’d be in BIG trouble – REAL BIG trouble.
::::: What do I backup? :::::
Good question. The most important thing NOT to backup is your software.
You do have all the original cds, don’t you? And you made copies of those cds when you bought the software, right, as a *backup* in case the original cd failed? Didn’t you? Yeah, I thought so … no-one bothers to do that, but it’s the one thing which could save your hair from going white overnight after your computer dies.
MUST backup:
* LOGINS, ALL passwords, FTP access codes, banking details, etc. Where do you currently keep this info? Please don’t tell me it’s in a little book on your desk … oh so easy to get lost, to get put in someone else’s pocket, to go walk-about. You should have a password-protected spreadsheet or document, or even better – a password-protected database. I have a database which I open as soon as I create a new login, or add myself to a mailing list, or join a new news group etc – paste the info in *as* you create it, to ensure you’ll *never* forget it. Sure, you sometimes get confirmation emails with this data … but if your computer has *died* … get the picture? You can’t access the emails!
* CLIENT documents / projects / websites (if you’re a developer), in fact ANYTHING which could cause grief if you lost it or didn’t have a copy of it. If you’ve printed a lot of this stuff, what would you need if you had a *fire* and lost all your paper files? Think about that. Hard. Now make a list and maybe have a backup cd for each Client or group of clients, depending on your business.
* EMAIL software folder which should include ALL your emails. You do *keep* all emails don’t you? Please tell me you’re not one of those people who deletes emails as soon as you read them (business ones I mean). Have you ever considered that emails are a form of *database*? I can search my Eudora software for any word or phrase and in a nanosecond I have a list of emails relating to that item (all neatly filed in their email folders … but that’s *another* article!). I *love* Eudora’s features! Getting back to business, emails with historical information on projects are invaluable to see who said what and when they said it. It’s a timeline, tracking resource, for a project’s life.
* PHOTOS, personal, professional – unless you’re using them all the time, these can be kept on CDs on a regular basis. When you download from the digital camera, save to cd straight away and save space on your hard drive [note to "self" : follow own suggestion]. If you have photos related to a project or client, save them to the Client cd you created earlier, if there’s space.
* FINANCIALS. All your spreadsheets, MYOB or whatever other software you use to track financials. Every document which the tax department might one day want to see … for the past 7 years. Business plans, budgets, everything relating to your business which you’ll need to continue to *be* in business.
* FAXES – do you use online faxing like I do? Where every incoming fax comes into my inbox as an email? From now on, whenever one arrives, put it into a folder called FAXES or save with your client data. Faxes are also a record of what’s transpired – another form of database. Plus if you use this kind of fax service, you’re saving trees. 
>
* INSURANCE. Keep quotes etc on your computer? You’ll be needing these.
* DATABASES – all of them. A must. Trust me, you’ll kick yourself if you need one of these you didn’t bother backing up.
* COMPUTER DESKTOP. OK – what’s still sitting on your desktop which hasn’t be put away or filed yet? Probably a bunch o’stuff – clear this up before you backup, make your job that little bit easier.
* EXCEPTION to the SOFTWARE RULE above – if you’ve bought any software online, or downloaded any software or programs of any kind for which you did not receive a cd, then back it up. If you’ve still got the Installer file, save that – it’ll save time.
* BROWSER Settings – go through your browser Preferences screens, take snapshots (like printscreen) of those settings – it’ll save you a TON of time if you have to set up your email and ISP settings at a later date.
* PDFs : have you downloaded any pdfs or purchased any ebooks? Are they all in the same download folder, or in a PDF or eBook folder? You’ll want to save these.
Oh boy – I just looked at my hard drive – 222 folders of stuff – I need to do some serious sorting and computer *housekeeping* before I do a backup, otherwise it’ll take forever to sift through all that stuff! So here’s the list of things to do:
* tip : do it in bite-sized pieces, baby steps, little chunks each day
* make a list of things you want to backup – think about your client info etc
* do your computer housekeeping, put things away in folders, then put those folders in main folders to tidy up your own special filing system – do this on one day so it’s not too overwhelming
* on the next day, make sure you have spare cds – you might need a few, depending on how much filing needs to be done; go buy cds if you need to. Consider buying Read Write cds, rather than the regular cds – if you want to be able to add info to cds later.
* if you’ve got an internal cd burner in your computer, you’re a lucky dog – if you’ve got an external one, plug it in and make sure it works
* when you’re ready, start the software you need to backup (usually Toast or something similar)
* be prepared for this to take at least an hour, maybe more if you’ve got a ton of stuff, but *don’t * put it off! An hour spent now could save you *weeks* of worry and work in the future!
* when you’ve done the first *big* backup, pat yourself on the back, you’ve accomplished a very important business task!!!
While you’re feeling smug and proud of yourself, think about when you should do your next backup. How much work would you be ok about losing? One day’s worth? One week’s worth? How about a month of work? Whichever is the one you choose, make *that* the amount of time before you do your first *mini* backup. Don’t be afraid to set other backup procedures for times which suit you, your projects, your clients.
The main question you need to ask yourself is,
“How much work would it be OK to *lose* without it affecting me or my business?”
::::: DON’T FORGET :::::
Label your cds. How are you going to file them? In a cd box? Will they be in a hard plastic shell or sleeve? Where would it make sense to *see* the client name on the cover, when it’s in the box? How easily would you be able to find a cd in that box? You can write on cds with thick permanent markers, or if you’re really keen, you can print onto cd labels (available from many stationery companies).
Keep 2 backup copies.
If you don’t work at home, it might be worthwhile keeping a backup copy of the backup – one at work, one at home. Just in case.
Now that I’ve scared myself silly, I’m off to dust the cd burner and make a latte – don’t expect me to reply to your emails over the next few hours, I’m doing a backup!
© Teena Hughes is the Director of Build A Website Tonight, a website where you can build your own site online – with no skill – no fear – with no additional costs to update your site. Teena has been involved in the I.T. industry for over twenty years and has written many articles and ebooks, and loves to help people get their business started.
http://www.BuildAWebsiteTonight.com
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Protect Yourself Before Your Hard Drive Crashes
Almost everyone who has used a computer has experienced a hard drive problem at some point. Are you prepared to lose your data? If your hard drive crashes right now, do you have an action plan to follow?
Most people get complacent about protecting the data on their computers. The time to back up your data is before you experience a problem. Don’t set yourself up for a disaster if your computer hard drive crashes.
Your data integrity action plan should consist of the following:
1) How often you will back up your data
2) What data you will back up
3) What back up procedure you will use
How often you back up your data can only be determined by how important you feel it is. Answer this question, “If my hard drive crashed right now, would I be alright if I had the data from at least (time) ago?” For some people, a daily backup is required while for others it may be weekly depending on how often you create important data files.
Of course you would want everything but if you could have the data from 1 month, or 6 months ago would that be sufficient? Whatever time is sufficient, mark it on your calendar and set up a reminder on your PC to help you remember. Another idea is to use an automatic backup program where you can set up specific times for the backup program to run.
Should I back up my entire hard drive?
What data you back up depends on how you use your PC. Some of the key directories, if you are using the Windows operating system, are the My Documents, Favorites, Program Files, and Desktop directories.
Remember if you are using multiple profiles on your PC then some of the directories above can be different for each profile and each one would need to be backed up.
You will also want to include your email data. Don’t forget to write down the email accounts you have. You should also write down any username and passwords so they are not lost. You should look at every directory to see if it has information that you would need.
Make a list of all the software programs you are using. If you have the physical CDs put them all together in a safe location. Don’t forget the CDs for your peripherals like your scanner, digital camera, PDA etc?
Collecting these CDs may remind you of additional data that you need to back up.
If you are running software that you installed from downloaded files, burn them to a CD-R and add it to your collection. If you use a CD-R or DVD-R you can update it as you download and install new applications.
How should I back up my data?
What procedure you use to back up your data can be determined by the amount of data you want to back up. Your data might fit onto a CD or DVD in which case you just need to burn it and you’re done.
If it spans multiple DVDs then you might want to consider getting a second hard drive to copy your data onto. If you are not comfortable with adding a second internal hard drive or you are using a laptop then you can purchase an external hard drive to back up your data. An external hard drive that uses USB 2.0 is a very convenient way to back up yoru data. You just have to plug in the drive to the USB port of your computer and you’re ready to go.
The information you have on your hard drive could disappear in a flash. If you don’t want to spend thousands of dollars to have a data recovery company retrieve what information they can from your hard drive, then take a few minutes right now and create your back up action plan.
If you ever have a data emergency your action plan will be your insurance policy. If you adhere to it, your valuable data will adhere to you!
Jim Scotty maintains a website with the latest news updates on data recovery and protection. This article may be reprinted provided that it is reproduced in its entirety and with the hyperlink and author information kept intact.
What is SSL (the little padlock)?
SSL (“Secured Socket Layer”) is a protocol used to encrypt the communication between the user’s browser and the web server. When SSL is active, a “little padlock” appears on the user’s browser, usually in the status line at the bottom (at the top for Mac/Safari users.)
This assures the user that sensitive data (such as credit card numbers) can’t be viewed by anyone “sniffing” the network connection (which is an increasing risk as more people use wireless networking).
Common web site owner questions about SSL:
How do I get the little padlock on my site?
To get the little padlock, your site must have an SSL Certificate from a Certificate Authority. Once an SSL Certificate has been purchased and installed, it provides three things:
Once obtained, the certificate must be installed on the web server by your web host. Since your web host also has to generate an initial cypher key to obtain the certificate, very often they will offer to handle the process of obtaining the certificate for you.
My web host has a “shared certificate” that I can use. Should I?
It’s still fairly common for small sites to use a shared certificate from the host. In this circumstance, when a page needs to be shown in secured mode, the user is actually sent to a domain owned by the web host, and then back to the originating domain afterwards.
A few years ago, when SSL Certificates were quite expensive (around $400 per year), this was real attractive for new sites just getting their feet wet in e-commerce. Today, with a number of perfectly functional SSL certificates available for under $100 (exclusive of installation, etc.), it is a lot less attractive. Since your user can look a the address line of his or her web browser and see that the site asking for the credit card number is not the site he or she thought they were on, the cost savings is probably not worth the risk of scaring off a sale.
What’s the difference between the expensive SSL Certificates and the inexpensive ones?
Usually, mostly price. Some expensive certificates have specific functions, like securing a number of different subdomains simultaneously (a “wildcard” certificate), but the effective differences between basic single site certificates are very slight, despite the wide range of prices:
The encryption mechanism used by all of them is the same, and most use the same key length (which is an indicator of the strength of the encryption) common to most browsers (128 bit).
Some of them (“chained root” certificates) are slightly more of a pain for your web host to install than others (“single root” certificates), but this is pretty much invisible to the site owner.
The amount of actual checking on the ownership of the domain varies wildly between vendors, with some (usually the more expensive) wanting significant documentation (like a D&B number), and others handling it with an automated phone call (“press #123 if you’ve just ordered a certificate”).
Some of them offer massive monetary guarantees as to their security (we’ll pay you oodles of dollars if someone cracks this code), but since it’s all the same encryption mechanism, if someone comes up with a crack, all e-commerce sites will be scrambling, and the odds of that vendor actually having enough cash to pay all of its customers their oodle is probably slim.
The fact is that you are buying the certificate to insure the safety of the user’s data, and to make the user confident that his or her data is secure. For the vast majority of users, simply having the little padlock show up is all they are looking for. There are exceptions (I have a client in the bank software business, and they feel that their customers (bank officers) are looking for a specific premier name on the SSL certificate, so are happy to continue using the expensive one), but most e-commerce customers do not pick their sellers based on who issued their SSL Certificates.
My advice is to buy the cheaper one.
I have an SSL certificate — why shouldn’t I serve all my pages in “Secured” mode?
Because SSL has an overhead — more data is sent with a page that is encrypted than a page that isn’t. This translates to your site appearing to run slower, particularly for users who are on dial-up or other slow connections. Since this also increases the total amount of data transfered by your site, if your web host charges by transfer volume (or has an overage fee, as most do), this can increase the size of your monthly hosting bill.
The server should go into secure mode when asking a user for financial or other sensitive data (which may well be “name, address and phone number”, with today’s risk of identity theft), and operate in normal mode otherwise.
Updates to this article, and many other great articles and tutorials for small business web site owners can be found at Insanely Great Sites!
Growing On G.R.O.W ? A More Specific Coaching Model For Busy Managers
The effective coaching of employees by their line managers is fast becoming an expectation from both senior management and from the employees themselves. Many managers are now being taught how best to coach their employees by employing the standard coaching model called G.R.O.W, where G equates to the Goal to be achieved, R to the Reality of the present situation, O for Options available and W for the Way Forward and Will.
G.R.O.W, constructed by Graham Alexander and championed by Sir John Whitmore, is a well-established coaching model and an excellent “starter” model to enable managers to get used to using a structure for coaching. Very competent managers and coaches can use the G.R.O.W. model effectively by taking time and ensuring depth at each of the four stages but busy managers or less competent managers and coaches can tend to “skip” through the stages which, can often result in the following scenarios:
? An acceptance of Goals or Objectives without checking the validity of the reasons behind wanting to achieve these goals or objectives.
? A lack of full understanding of the Performance Gap between the present situation and the desired outcome.
? A lack of exploration in the Options phase meaning that only a few options and probably the more traditional “tried and tested” options are highlighted.
? Not enough time spent checking the Motivation of the employee to move the actions forward and also discussing how the manager is going to provide onward support.
G.R.O.W provides a structure but may not provide enough “discipline” for busy managers to ensure adequate depth of understanding and support.
The OUTCOMES® coaching model has been designed to enable managers and sales managers to undertake more structured and productive coaching sessions with their employees and sales executives than perhaps they have been used to. The increased structure will result in more depth to their coaching and as such will enable an increase in more understanding, motivation and commitment to action than they may have experienced with other coaching models such as G.R.O.W.
OUTCOMES® provides more structure than G.R.O.W simply by the fact that there are more distinct stages that a manager or coach must adhere to. The initial reaction from most managers I have introduced it to has been one of initial frustration in that with it having more distinct stages to go through and check, it can take more time to implement. However, once the managers understand the reasons for the extra steps and the fact that if they use this model carefully, they will get good results, the managers have warmed to the model.
So what are the stages behind OUTCOMES®?
I am going to guide you through the model by way of a “coaching conversation” between Mark, the manager and Jonathan, the employee
O ? Objectives
It is important that the objective for the coaching session is established at the onset. What are the specific reasons for meeting and what exactly would the employee look to achieve as a result of the coaching session?
In all situations it is vital that a desired outcome or objective for the session is identified and the manager must take time to fully establish exactly what is to be achieved. Only that way can the coaching session be measured in terms of its effectiveness.
Questions to ask:
What would you like to discuss and what would you like to get out of the session?
What specifically do you want to achieve in this session?
How specifically can I help you?
How will you know that we have achieved our objectives for this session?
Be careful when accepting outcomes or objectives that cannot be realised within the course of the coaching session. Sometimes employees can come with weird and wonderful challenges and ideas and many expect solutions from one coaching session. Manage their expectations and break down the challenge or idea into manageable “chunks” so that you achieve something every session on the way to achieving the overall objective. Some objectives need to be broken down this way into smaller objectives and actions before the overall objective is realised.
Let’s start our coaching conversation between Mark and Jonathan.
Jonathan was a new employee and was attending his first review session with Mark, his line manager. Mark had contracted well with Jonathan in terms of how they were going to work together and he had also outlined that the review sessions were for Jonathan to use Mark’s coaching skills to support him to find solutions to any challenges and ideas that he had within his role. Jonathan’s mindset, based in previous experience of managers, was that this “one to one” was really just an opportunity for the manager to “check up” on what he had been up to. Jonathan did have an issue in that he was way behind with a report which is due to be handed in to another manager the following week and as such he was no way near finished it.
At the start of the meeting, Mark again outlined the aims of the “one to one” and then started the OUTCOMES® process by firstly establishing what Jonathan’s objectives were for the meeting:
Mark: “Jonathan. What specifically would you like to achieve over the next half hour?”
Jonathan: “I thought I would bring you up to date with my overall progress.”
Mark: “Anything in particular you would like support on?”
Jonathan: “I don’t think so.”
Mark: “If there was one thing in particular which if you could find a better way forward it would help your progress, what would it be?”
Jonathan: “Well. I do have to get a report in and I am already behind schedule. I would like some support in getting this finished.”
U ? Understanding
This stage is an important one in that it is vital that the manager or coach fully understands the reasons behind why the person being coached wants to achieve a particular goal or objective. It also helps if the person being coached fully understands why they want to achieve that particular goal!
You will find that on many occasions, employees identify objectives which they think the manager wants to hear. This happens if the employee has not fully committed to coaching and/or is suspicious of the manager’s motives and intentions. Perhaps they see the “one to one” as an assessment as opposed to a developmental meeting. If they do then they will be tend to be defensive and not as open to learning as they should be.
A good coaching manager will seek to establish why a particular objective is looking to be achieved. Once this has been established it not only helps the manager to understand but also reinforces the drive in the employee to attempt to achieve the objective.
Mark: “This report that you have to get completed, tell me why it is important to you that you get this report done, and on time?”
Jonathan: “I am new to the company and want to impress, so getting this report in shows that I am both keen and capable. If I don’t get it in on time then there may be some questions asked about my capability and commitment”
Let’s stop the case study there. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for Mark to suddenly jump in and start giving advice as to how to finish the report. This is the typical manager’s response. But, Mark, by asking the question as to why it is important for Jonathan to get the report right and on time, is ensuring that Jonathan is identifying and reinforcing within himself the need to get this report right. He is now more open to Mark’s coaching and Mark is now more aware of Jonathan’s desire to get the report right.
T ? Take Stock
If we continue the coaching conversation involving Mark and Jonathan the next stage of the OUTCOMES® model is to ensure that both parties have a complete understanding of where Jonathan is in relation to the overall objective which is to ensure that he has the tools and drive to complete the report.
Mark: “So, Jonathan, it transpires that you have a report to finish by next week and that you feel you are slightly behind with this.”
Jonathan: “Yes”
Mark: “How useful would it be if we worked on this together over the next half hour in order that you went away from here confident and with further information that would enable you to complete the course?”
Jonathan: “Very useful”
Mark: “OK. Tell me more about exactly what stage you are at with the report”.
Jonathan: “I have written the executive summary but I am struggling to find the information I need to complete the report”.
Mark: “What information specifically do you feel you need?”
Jonathan: “I cannot find the sales data for Product X from the last three years.”
Mark: “If you were able to access this data would this be sufficient to complete the report?”
Jonathan: “Well, yes. Although I may also need a bit of support to graph the figures.”
Mark: “If we got you support to be able to graph the figures, would this mean you could now complete the report?”
Jonathan: “Yes.”
Mark: “OK. So basically you have a report to finish by the end of next week and in order to do this you need to access three years sales data for Product X and learn how to graph these figures?”
Jonathan: “Yes”
Again, let’s stop the coaching conversation there. Mark has now established the current situation in other words they have both “Taken Stock”. Mark must now establish and clarify the exact gap that has to be “closed”.
C ? Clarify the Gap.
It is important that the manager now fully establishes exactly what has to be done in order for the employee to realise their objective. Let’s follow Mark’s coaching with Jonathan.
Mark: “Jonathan, exactly what sales figures do you require to finish this report?”
Jonathan: “I need Sales per year, quarter and by month along with growth and market share, and of course I need to present these graphically. I would like to do decent line graphs and pie-charts but don’t know where to start.”
Mark: “Anything else you would like or need?”
Jonathan: “Perhaps, some help in putting the report into a nice professional binder”
Mark: “OK. So if we can enable you to get the figures that your require plus support to graph it and present it professionally, you will have achieved your outcome?”
Jonathan: “Absolutely”
Mark is now at the stage where the outcome has been defined, the reasons established and the exact amount that has to be done identified. Mark must now ensure that he continues to coach Jonathan appropriately as opposed to just tell him where to get all these figures etc.
O ? Options Generation.
Mark: “In terms of sales figures, what have you done so far in attempting to get these?”
Jonathan: “I looked at the Sales Department’s recent communication but it only gives figures for the last six months. I need three years worth. I left voicemail messages and sent an e-mail but to no avail as I have received no replies”
Mark: “Where else could you try?”
Jonathan: “I could speak to IT, I suppose. They should have all the data on file somewhere.”
Mark: “Anything else you could do?”
Jonathan: “I really should chase up the sales guys. I actually don’t like not receiving a reply to messages that I have left!”
Mark: “What about learning how to graph the data?”
Jonathan: “IT as well?”
Mark: “Could be! You may also find that both IT and the Sales people will have the capability to show you how to present your report.
So, where are you now with a way forward?”
Jonathan: “I am going to chase up the sales guys again, perhaps even go over to their department as opposed to leaving voicemails or e-mails. I will also check with IT.”
Mark: “And the graphs and binding?”
Jonathan: “I will check with both these departments as well in relation to both the graphs and the binding”
M ? Motivate to Action
The temptation will be for many managers to leave the coaching conversation at this point but it is important that you check the motivation and capability of the person to carry out the tasks. Otherwise the action may not happen.
Mark: “Great. How confident do you feel about approaching these departments?”
Jonathan: “Now you mention it, I don’t really know anyone there and as I am new they will not know me. So I suppose, not as confident as I would like”
Mark: “What do you need to make you feel more confident?”
Jonathan: “Perhaps a personal introduction. Or even if I could just use your name?”
Mark: “Sure, just say I sent you over and you are probably best to seek out James in IT and Sally in Sales.”
E ? Enthusiasm and Encouragement.
At this stage the employee should be motivated to action and now it needs some re-inforcement from the manager.
Mark: “I am pleased with your progress Jonathan since you have been with us. Keep up the good work and thanks for the effort that you are putting in.”
Doesn’t take long to say but it can be worth one “hell of a lot” to an employee to hear these words. Sadly too many managers fail at this juncture. Also very few managers actually offer any form of support and the last stage of the OUTCOMES® model is to ensure that support is discussed.
S ? Support
Mark: “Is there any way I can be of support in enabling you to complete the reports?”
Jonathan: “At this stage I have all the information I need to move forward. If, though, I can’t contact James and Sally because of whatever reason, can I give you a call?
Mark: “Sure. Try these people and their departments first. I am sure they will help you out”.
We come to the end of our coaching conversation and we have a situation where the employee, Jonathan has come with an issue and left with action and motivation, coupled with a satisfaction in knowing that his manager, Mark, is there if he ever needs support.
Obviously it is not always this simple and that there will always be situations where the coaching conversation will be more complex but I hope that this example gives you a flavour of how to use the OUTCOMES® coaching model.
Allan Mackintosh is a Performance Management Coach with Reivers Development Ltd and who also oversees the Management Coaching Consultancy, Performance Management Coaching. He is the author of The Successful Coaching Manager book and the creator of the OUTCOMES® and CARERS? performance coaching models.
He can be contacted on 00 44 1292 318152 or e-mail at allan@pmcscotland.com
Web: http://www.reivers-dev.com and http://www.pmcscotland.com
How Does a Creditor Determine Whether to Grant You Credit?
Credit 101
How does a creditor determine whether to grant you credit? For many years, creditors have been using credit scores and credit scoring systems to determine if you’d be a good risk for a loan or credit card. More recently, credit scores have been used to help determine what rates you pay for insurance. What is a credit score and why is it so important?
What is a credit score?
Credit scores and credit scoring systems are used to help creditors evaluate the risks associated with granting loans and extending credit. Everyone has a credit score. Information about you and how you have handled your credit is captured onto a credit report. How you have paid your bills, the number and type of account you have, late payments, collection actions, outstanding debt, and the age of your accounts, is collected from your credit application and your credit report. Using a system, creditors are able to compare all of this data against the credit performance of other consumers with similar profiles. A credit scoring system assigns a point value for each factor and helps predict who is most likely to repay a debt. The total number of points is combined to form your credit score. Your credit score predicts your creditworthiness or the probability that you will repay a loan / credit in a timely fashion. The higher the credit score, the lower the risk associated with extending loans and credit. The lower the credit score, the higher the risk associates with extending loans and credit.
Because credit reports and credit scores are so important in today financial world, it is imperative that you monitor these closely. I recommend that you contact the three major credit bureaus to obtain a copy of your credit report at a minimum of every 90 days. To obtain a copy of your credit report contact:
Equifax: (800) 685-1111
Experian (formerly TRW): (888) EXPERIAN (397-3742)
Trans Union: (800) 916-8800
Just as there are three major credit bureaus, there are three separate credit scores provided by each of them. All of these scores are developed utilizing a method Fair Issac came up with to ensure that an accurate picture of our credit risk is generated. Each score may vary slightly, as the information contain on each credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus is different.
When lenders and financial institutions evaluate your credit report and credit scores, they use information provided by these three major credit bureaus. It is imperative that you monitor these credit reports, as your financial future is contain on those pages. There are rights afford to each of us as consumers by law, which allow us to ensure that the information contained on these reports are accurate With the Federal Bureau of Investigation naming “IDENTITY THEFT” as the number one crime, it is imperative to maintain your credit profile in today’s world. Don’t let a theif steal you and your families financial futures!
For more information regarding your credit scores, credit reports or debt options currently available to you, please contact Gateway Credit Connection or visit us online at www.creditmonkey.com.
Michael Goff is the Co-Founder of Gateway Credit Connection, helping empower consumers to take control of their personal and business finances.
Gateway Credit Connection
15770 Dallas Parkway
Suite 1100
Dallas, TX 75248
469.547.4323
Visit us online at http://www.CreditMonkey.com
Riches Through Creative Thinking!
When solving problems after you have exhausted the normal means of coming up with the solution, think in terms of unorthodox methods. Vary your thinking and try to solve the problems by creating something completely new and irrelevant. Come into the problem through the “back door”.
Research and curiosity go hand in hand in solving the toughest problems. Quite often the answer is so simple, it is not obvious to us. Use an organized plan to work with and record the results logically so you will have a format to follow and a basis for review as you proceed to create something new or solve an “unsolvable” problem.
Creating new programs or products by association is another method of thinking. You first think of an object which is similar or adjacent to the subject item, then continue the “chain” of associated thoughts until new and useful programs or products emerge as ideas. Relate these ideas to the subject item by trial and error or by analysis of all the variables involved.
Plain old fashioned “daydreaming” is another method of creative thinking. Make up a fantastic story in your mind and try to visualize (dream) your way to a successful conclusion based on what results you are trying to achieve.
Consider all the alternatives to what you’re trying to come up with. Gather together and analyze all the data you can find about the subject. If you get into a rut, leave it lie. Go to some other aspect of the puzzle. come back to it later. Quite often as you progress it will suddenly appear, bright and clear. When it does, write it all down so you won’t lose it as your mind drifts to the next step.
Complete one step at a time. By breaking it down to size you can solve it in segments. Don’t try to override your mistakes. Recognize them and bury them so they will help, not hinder, your progress toward your creative goal.
Don’t further confuse the issue by doing so much study and research that there are too many roads to take. If you want to get tons of new ideas and get the right ideas, you can visit http://www.best-internet-businesses.com to grab a few brainstorming tools and softwares.
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Julia Tang publishes Smart Online Business Tips, a fresh
and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people
like you! To find out the best online business opportunities,
and to discover hundreds more proven and practical internet
marketing secrets, plus FREE internet marketing products
worth over $200, visit: http://www.best-internet-businesses.com
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Computer Data Backups: Test Now or Cry Later
If you’re like most small business owners, your computer data backups are one of those things that you rarely pay attention to. Computer data backups are kind of like flossing your teeth and eating low-fat, high-fiber foods? everyone knows what they’re supposed to do? but how many REALLY do these things religiously?!?
Unfortunately when it comes to your computer data backups however, complacency can be very dangerous. Of course, it’s always a good idea to have a local computer service company that you can rely on for advice on selecting and maintaining your computer data backups. But, unless you’re prepared to put a full-time PC support person on your company’s payroll, it’s really important that you get some basic understanding of the major issues with computer data backups.
So here’s a compilation of some really crucial tips on computer data backups that I’ve put together, after nearly 15 years of helping small businesses protect their valuable computer data files.
Test your computer data backups regularly and monitor their log files.
To be effective, computer data backups must be highly automated to ensure that jobs are launched consistently and correctly, but your computer data backup system also needs to be watched over diligently to make sure it continues to function reliably.
Unfortunately, monitoring the computer data backup system generally isn’t a priority until something goes wrong. By then it’s too late?. Like the article title says, “Test Now or Cry Later!”
People have a strong tendency with a computer data backup system to set it and forget it. Automation clearly has many benefits, but a totally hands-off approach can be very dangerous if no one is overseeing your computer data backup process.
Test and Then Test Again: VERY Important with Computer Data Backup Systems
With any newly installed computer data backup system, don’t assume everything works correctly right out of the box. Even more important, don’t take for granted that your backup system will continue working indefinitely. You need periodically to restore some folders and files from your backup media to validate that your computer data backup system still works.
If your automated computer data backup routine is configured to include a verify run with each backup job, testing a sample restore job monthly should be adequate. However, if you have an extremely low tolerance for risk, you may want to simulate a sample restore job once a week.
The Hazard of Moving Parts and Open Design with Computer Backup Systems
Why do you need to take these precautions if you’re purchasing a reliable, business-class computer data backup system to start with? Typically, a tape drive or other backup device is one of the few components in a PC or server that still have moving parts.
As a result, it’s more prone to mechanical failure. In addition, because a backup device generally is open, as opposed to the sealed design of a hard drive, it’s easy for the inside of the computer data backup system device to attract a significant dust buildup in a relatively short period of time.
Sample Restore Jobs and Cleaning Tape Heads of Computer Data Backup Systems
Testing a tape for a sample restore job is also a great time to clean the heads of the backup drive if your backup system requires this kind of maintenance.
Restoring a few hundred megabytes (MB) of data to a scratch directory and running a head-cleaning tape should take no more than 15 to 30 minutes.
When running a test restore job, always restore the data to an alternate server folder path, so as not to disrupt the use of any shared folders.
Building a Computer System Backup and Restore Procedure Checklist In times of crisis, the most crucial issue becomes how quickly you can get the data back onto your system, undamaged. So, as you build your computer data backup system, be sure to document your test procedures into handy checklists.
This documentation also can be great for cross-training and crucial for avoiding panic during an emergency. Be sure you have a hard copy of this documentation next to your system and stored off-site with your backup media.
Watching the Log Files of Your Computer Data Backup System
In addition to running test restore jobs, you must inspect your computer data backup system log files daily. When the backup system is first installed, take time to get familiar with the way log files look when everything is working. This way, if something goes awry, you’ll be better prepared to pinpoint the nature of the problem immediately.
As network operating system (NOS) suites and backup software have become more sophisticated, it’s now possible to monitor backup system log files remotely and more proactively. In most cases, the backup system log files are just plain text (.txt) files.
Many third-party tools and utilities, as well as those included with Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server (SBS) and Microsoft BackOffice Server, can automatically e-mail or fax a backup system log file at a preconfigured time.
Automatically and Remotely Monitoring Tape Backup Log Files
Many computer consultants have their small business clients’ log files automatically e-mailed to them daily, so the consultants proactively can watch out for potential problems with the computer data backup system.
However, don’t think this proactive monitoring is limited to professional consultants. If your company has one or more branch offices you support from a centralized location, you also can use a similar method to monitor backup system health in remote locations.
For greater flexibility, you can set up an e-mail alias so the computer data backup system log file automatically is sent to you, your second-in-command and perhaps an external computer consultant ? so you are all kept in the loop. Also, this way, monitoring continues even when you’re out of the office or on vacation.
The Bottom Line
If your small business depends greatly on its computer systems, backing up your data is not optional? and it is not something that can be casually brushed to the back burner.
Use the computer data backup tips in the articles to help you become a more IT-aware small business owner. And remember, when it comes to computer data backups, “Test Now or Cry Later”. The choice is yours.
Joshua Feinberg is a 15-year veteran computer consultant, an internationally recognized expert on small business computer consulting. He has appeared in dozens of business and IT trade publications including American Express OPEN Platinum Ventures, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. To learn more about Joshua’s money-savings tips for small business PC support, visit his site at http://www.PCSupportTips.com
Choosing Online Data Backups
Processing DATA is what all businesses do. Protecting data is what SMART businesses do. Smart businesses understand that when they lose their data they lose their business.
