If you only need a few key documents, you may decide to copy them onto a USB drive to take them out of the office. Be very careful if these files contain private information such as financial figures or customer records, as USB drives can be easily lost or even stolen. Consider USB drives with security features such as password access and encryption. You also need to keep in mind whether other people would need to access and possibly update those same files in your absence, as you don’t want to end up with conflicts where your changes overwrite theirs or vice versa.

You may be able to access your emails via any computer with internet access, using a web browser version of your email software. This would require you to enter your name and password and is then encrypted, using the same security mechanism as internet banking and online purchasing systems.

Email access on mobile phones is also becoming increasingly popular. If you’re worried about the large attachments that you receive and how big your phone bill may become, most phones allow you to download only a small part of each message first. You can then decide which emails you want to see the entire contents of and which attachments you which to download fully.

You can even remotely control your office computer across the internet from another PC, seeing and actioning everything as if you were sitting back at your desk. Access can also be granted so you can use the local disk drives and printers at your location, and copy and paste information between the two computers. This, however, would require your office computer to be powered on.

If you normally use a laptop, you may be able to achieve seamless connectivity back to your office using a ‘virtual private network’ (VPN). This secure channel across an internet connection allows your laptop to act as if it’s plugged in back at your desk, including synchronizing files for later use when you are completely disconnected.

- Sylvester

List management – If you already have permission to use your customer’s email addresses and you’ve been storing these in a database, spreadsheet or email program, you’ll want to be able to import this information easily. Also look for easy sign-up methods that integrate with your website but also allow you to manually add extra subscribers. List groups are a great feature too, allowing you to segregate your subscriber list so you can deliver content targeted to that particular segment of your customer base.

Templates – You want to deliver emails that look professional, but don’t require a professional developer to create HTML code changes every time you want to send something. Look for a tool with a broad range of templates that are easy to modify and re-use.

Measurable results – By reviewing statistical information about your email campaigns, you’ll be able to fine-tune your messages and identify what is working and what isn’t. Look for the ability to report on things like how many of your emails were opened and how many people clicked on links to find out more information.

Approved bulk mailer – Internet providers and anti-spam services identify sources of large volumes of emails and can ‘blacklist’ them to prevent a spam onslaught. Look for an email marketing tool provider who is known as an ‘approved bulk mailer’ and is accepted by many ISPs and anti-spam services.

Anti-spam law compliant – As many countries develop regulations to try and limit unsolicited email, make sure your email marketing tool is compliant with any local laws. These may include having to list a physical address in your emails and having to process unsubscribe requests within 10 days. Other anti-spam features are also desirable, such as ‘opt-in’ confirmation emails and a one-click unsubscribe process.

- Sylvester

Retail box or download – Many good software products are not sold in retail chain stores but are available for secure purchase and download from the internet.  This sometimes makes it harder to ask questions about the product, but remember that the retail sales person has a vested interest in recommending the product that they stock.  Just because a large chain store stocks the software doesn’t mean it’s the best software for your needs.

Impact on PC performance – This can be a tough area to gauge just by looking at the software description.  Check out the ‘Minimum System Requirements’ to see which software needs more resources (e.g. memory).  Also, consider installing a time-limited trial version of the software (if available) to test it for yourself before parting with your money.

Updates & upgrades – All anti-virus software should entitle you to download the latest information (updates) about any new viruses for free, for the duration of your license subscription.  Some software products also entitle you to upgrade for free if a newer version of the software is released, whilst others make you pay an upgrade fee.

Price – Software licensing comes in many different configurations, so make sure you are comparing the same kind of software license when you are comparing prices.  Factors that influence the price include how long your subscription is for (allowing you to download those free anti-virus information updates), how many PCs can use the one license and whether the software is being installed in a student/academic environment, home, business or not-for-profit entity. 

Management – If you run a business with more than one PC, a ‘network edition’ may be right for you.  This allows the updates to be downloaded by one of your computers and distributed to the rest of them, instead of each PC downloading the update.  It also provides an overall view of whether the software is working on each PC and if any infections have been found.  These features reduce the time (and cost) it takes to manage your anti-virus software across multiple computers.

Additional features – Many anti-virus software vendors now also produce ‘security suites’, which include firewalls and protection against spyware, malware and spam.  It may be more cost effective and resource effective to run one product to handle all of these security aspects.  

Trusted recommendation – There are many independent testing laboratories and software review websites that publish the results of their anti-virus software comparisons.  Your local Computer Troubleshooter also deals with a significant number of computers every year and will have developed a preference for the software they believe does the best job with the least amount of problems.  Find out what software your CTer recommends – chances are they know it well and use it in their own business.

- Sylvester

Those that have lost data, And THOSE THAT WILL!

75% of companies that suffer a major data loss go out of business within 18 months. (source: Depart of Trade & Industry)

Data backup is one of the most important yet neglected parts of business.

Imagine losing your invoice history your email server or your customer database? Even if you are one of the minority who back up your systems every day, your data may still not be secure! Formats such as discs, Tape, CDs, DVDs, Zip Drives, and USB devices, are either very costly or prone to corruption. Data is often not encrypted, mean anyone could have access to that data easily.

Everyday businesses generate critical data, which must be protected . A simple error or system failure can result in data, time, and even money being lost!

To ensure you adequately protected your data must be backed up using the following criteria: Regularly; Securely; Stored On / Off-site & Easily Retrievable.

At Computer Troubleshooters we have developed a Backup and Disaster Recovery Solution with built in business continuity that ensures that you can survive any server related disasters, downtime, or data loss.

Okay so let’s look at how our solution keeps your business running if, for instance, one of your servers goes down.

Well because our supplied NAS device takea data snap shots every 15 minutes, we can choose any 15min point in time shortly before the problem occurred, and with just a few clicks of the mouse, our software, and appliance allows us to activate it as a virtual server to keep business processes up and running while your IT staff or we diagnose the problem and plan a course of action for the downed server. All this in less than 30 mins!!

Restore a Servers operations In less than half an hour!

Our NAS device can “virtualise” failed servers while keeping the system in the same state as it was before the problem arose. No configurations are necessary. Once virtualised, the NAS will resume the backup schedule that was in effect before the failure.

Benefits to you and your business are:

• Maximised Business Continuity
• Backups every 15 minutes
• No user intervention required
• No system downtime required
• Schedule full and incremental imaging
• All processes are automated and occur when scheduled
• Complete system image restoration
• Bare-metal image restoration
• Onsite & Optional offsite backups (100 gig included in price)
• File, Folder and Mailbox recovery
• Standby Server with virtualisation capabilities
• Bare metal restores
• Unlimited restores & server recoveries

We are so confident in our solution, that we would like to give you a free demonstration so you can see for yourself what benefits the system has over other conventional backup methods including tape.

If you would like more information then please call us on 01 4533575, or alternatively please fill in the form below.

- Sylvester

As a backup method, it is highly efficient, since it allows for the illusion of storage of N copies of size S information chunks, with a total storage requirement much lower than NxS. If the original information that is backed up does not change between backups, the total size will approach just S. If it changes almost completely, the NxS limit will be approached.

Incremental: definition
A “normal” incremental backup will only back up files that have been changed since the last backup of any type. This provides the quickest means of backup, since it only makes copies of files that have not yet been backed up. For instance, following a full backup on Friday, Monday’s tape will contain only those files changed since Friday. Tuesday’s tape contains only those files changed since Monday, and so on. The downside to this is that in order to perform a full restore, one needs to restore the last full backup first, followed by each of the subsequent incremental backups to the present day in the correct order. Should any one of these backup copies be damaged (particularly the full backup), the restore will be incomplete.rrr

An example of a typical incremental backup command in MS-DOS would be: xcopy c:\source\*.* d:\destination\*.* /s /m

Synthetic full backup
A synthetic backup is a form of an incremental backup that is possible when there is a separate computer that manages the backups. The backup server takes a typical incremental backup of the system in question and combines this data with the previous backups to generate a new synthetic backup. This new synthetic backup is indistinguishable from a normal full backup and shares all the advantages, such as faster restore times.

Incrementals forever
This style is similar to the Synthetic backup concept. After an initial full backup, only incremental backups are sent to a centralized backup server. This server keeps track of all the incrementals and sends the proper data back to the server during restores. This can be implemented by sending each incremental directly to tape as it is taken and then refactoring the tapes as necessary. If enough disk space is available, an online mirror can be maintained along with previous incremental changes so that the current or older versions of the systems being backed up can be restored.This is a suitable method in case of banking systems.

Block Level Incremental
This method only backs up the blocks within the file that changed. This requires a higher level of integration between the filesystem and the backup software. Block-based technologies work with heavy changing units (blocks of 8Ks, 4Ks or 1K), they work independently on the file system. At the moment, this technology achieves the highest relative compression of the data, turning into a great advantage for the security copies carried out through the Internet.

-Sylvester

Consumer Reports surveyed over 23,000 computer users and created a picture of what computer support is really like today.  They asked questions about how effective each computer support provider was at resolving the problem, pricing and general satisfaction. 

First up was support from manufacturers, such as Dell, HP, and Lenovo.   Most manufacturers offer some level of free support, at least during the computer’s warranty period.  Not surprisingly, the free support was the lowest ranked of all computer support sources – according to the survey, the free support was only able to resolve the problem a mere 53% of the time.   Paid manufacturer support, both from “premium” support lines as well as extended warranties, was only slightly better at 62%.

Next Consumer Reports looked at data regarding what they called “independent” services, which included services from large retail chains (such as Geek Squad or Firedog in the US), and also non-affiliated, truly independent providers and franchises like Computer Troubleshooters.    Both types of “independents” scored really well when compared to manufacturers.   Retail-based services were able to resolve 84% of the problems on Windows-based PCs.   Their pricing was fairly high though, often double or triple the rates charged by the non-affiliated service providers.

The non-affiliated provider category included single-location stores, online repair services and franchises like Computer Troubleshooters.  Hands down we performed the best, resolving problems more than 93% of the time, and usually being much less expensive than the other paid options.

It is great to see an independent survey confirm our resolve to provide you with complete, cost-effective solutions to your computer problems.  

There are also things you can do now, to help reduce the time and effort it takes to recover from a computer problem, such as: 

• Keep all of your technology documentation, software CDs and licenses together in a convenient location. 
• Upgrade your technology regularly.  Underlying technology components have changed drastically from Windows 95 to Windows XP and Vista, and some problems may have been ‘engineered’ out.  Often it can take longer and be more expensive to find a solution to a problem on an older system when compared with upgrading to the latest software version.  Many manufacturers (including Microsoft) no longer provide support or fixes for ‘end of life’ older systems and, as they are not as prevalent anymore, troubleshooting information can be hard to source.     
• Make sure you have Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware software installed and regularly updated – the majority of preventable problems we see today are related to virus or spyware infections.
• Backup your data regularly and test that you can read your backups.  Recovering data from a ‘crashed’ hard drive is an expensive and uncertain process, whereas replacing a hard drive and restoring your backed up data can be relatively simple and easy.
• Consider using a proactive monitoring system such as Computer Troubleshooter’s Business Enhanced Support Technology (B.E.S.T), if available in your country, to monitor your technology for signs of impending problems.  Then your Troubleshooter can be automatically notified and can take action BEFORE problems happen.

- Sylvester

Smith’s company starts it sales process with lead generation. To keep a steady flow of potential customers in its pipeline, lead generation is tackled through daily calling hours. “We need to get an introduction, so part of the receptionist’s job is to call 15 companies every day, introduce us, and ask if we can send some information,” says Smith, who adds that tenacity is a must. “We go though those numbers over and over; typically, you have to touch them three times to get some action.” It was that kind of persistence that led Smith to one of his biggest customers, which resisted Smith’s advances for nearly two years. “They turned us down maybe 10 or 12 times over a 20-month period before we got through to them,” says Smith. “Now, four years later, we do $40,000 a year with them.”

Smith says from there, most customer relationships start with a simple IT product sale, what he calls his “foot in the door” offerings. “For example, we often ask a cold call if they are interested in saving more than $10,000 on their data and phone bill; that usually gets their attention,” says Smith, adding that because of a strong vendor partnership with ITC DeltaCom, $10,000 is the average savings over three years for a client that his company moves over to that vendor for phone and data service. “Being able to show the customer immediate savings gives you credibility and shows that you are looking out for their bottom line,” he adds. He says most products that work to turn a cold call into a sale answer basic IT pain points and provide immediate impact, such as bundled data/phone service or antivirus/antispam software. Smith also depends on vendors to provide leads to new clients. Both kinds of opportunities serve as a chance for Computer Troubleshooters to showcase how it handles IT work. “If I can get in the door and do anything for you, show you our quality and competency, then I feel we will keep your business,” says Smith.

Step 2: Offer Managed Services

For Smith, the ability to offer strong managed services has been the foundation for his company’s growth, but that offering comes at the end of a methodical process. “We build creditability first,” says Smith. “I am not going to try to sell a $10,000 solution to a client we just brought on board. I wait until they know I understand their business before I start recommending services.” That gives his company time to drill down and find out where the IT needs are within a new customer’s network and to build a working relationship with the customer and earn its trust. Smith trains his staff to have conversations with customers that reveal potential projects and any opportunity for recurring revenue solutions. For example, those conversations may include asking the decision maker at a new customer’s office about how much time the ad hoc IT person — perhaps the office manager — spends keeping the network up and running each week. “For the most part, those people are spending hours each week, and the boss doesn’t even know it,” says Smith. “Once we start talking about the cost of our services versus that person’s salary and lost work hours, a managed services sale gets much simpler.” Those exploratory conversations are a natural fit for technicians completing IT projects at the customer’s site, such as installing a new server or upgrading a security solution.

Step 3: Train Everyone To Sell IT Solutions

“Everyone who is touching the customer has to know how to see opportunities,” says Smith. “Everyone in our organization is focused on selling, focused on looking for the opportunity out there.” But, because he has found that technicians are often not extroverts, Smith trains them to be outgoing. In fact, from 8 to 9 a.m., three times a week, the entire company trains on making sales small talk. “We tackle topics bit by bit and continually improve on everyone’s sales skill sets,” explains Smith, who depends on role-playing to reduce anxiety that many employees have about talking with customers. By tackling face-to-face presentations with coworkers playing the customer’s role, Smith says he has tried to provide technicians with the tools to be successful in the customer environment. “We teach them how to be more extroverted: how to start the conversation, how to control the conversation, and when to stop talking.” While he doesn’t use any particular training tools, Smith does use some Microsoft curriculum, plus the experience of Jeff Weatherford, the company’s senior systems engineer, a former Microsoft trainer. “The bulk of what we do is simply share how we handle certain situations that come up during these interactions with customers,” says Smith.

Step 4: Offer IT Services That Connect Customers To Your Company

One opening that Smith trains his technicians to look for with new clients revolves around the VAR’s “sticky solutions” — those offerings that tie customers to the company. “Our ‘sticky’ products are those that function like a safety deposit box; you might consider moving your money from one bank to another but the idea of hassling with your safety deposit box will probably stop you,” says Smith. “If someone is just calling us for break/fix, there isn’t anything to keep them from calling someone else the next time. But if they have a hosted solution, or a website with us, they are not going to call someone else.” Smith says typically the products that work best for keeping clients in-house are remote off-site backup, phone and data contracts, websites, and hosted solutions. Often, these solutions are the bridge between the product Computer Troubleshooters used to get in the door and moving the client over to a managed services contract.

Step 5: Don’t Forget To Follow Up

Regardless of what compels a customer to stay, Smith says follow-up is key to keeping clients on the company’s roster. “You must talk to your customers often,” he stresses. Smith uses two communication automation tools, Xtreeme FollowUpExpert and Xtreeme MailXpert (which cost less than $300 total), to handle customer care. After a service call, the VAR reaches out to every client the following day via phone to answer any questions the client may have. Then, an automated email from Smith immediately follows that call, in which he reiterates that the client can call him direct at any time with questions or concerns. Two weeks later, another automated email is released from the company’s office manager, and lastly, four weeks after a service call, another automated email is delivered.

“Most of these are simply an opportunity to touch our client and to check on the status of their network, ask if there are any problems or any questions,” says Smith. He also uses the software to build customer relationships in another way; he sends out a weekly reminder of product features after a new product is installed. The trick is to provide added value to customers that can’t possibly remember all their new product’s features as covered in a training session.

Migrating customers from that first sale over to the ultimate goal — a managed services contract — has helped Computer Troubleshooters achieve 20% revenue growth in years past, and they expect to double that in 2009 (43%). The goal, says Smith, is to hit the $1 million revenue mark this year, fueled by managed services contracts. “Currently, about 60% of our monthly income [hardware sales excluded] comes from our service offerings,” says Smith. “We expect that by 2010, we will have enough services business to cover our entire operating budget each month. That is a game changer for us since it will free us up to adjust our model even more.”

To view this article online please visit : http://www.businesssolutionsmag.com/index.php?option=com_jambozine&layout=article&view=page&aid=3964&Itemid=56

For example, when Computer Troubleshooters tackled an ambulance service that was generating multiple copies of paperwork for each patient it handled, each copy of that paperwork was routed along a different workflow path. It clearly wasn’t enough for the recommended document management solution to just handle imaging. “We suggested the CNG solution to that customer, and then we talked to them about how it does not just handle the paper, but improves and automates the workflow, therefore saving them time and consumables,” says Smith. “That is offering value.”

Beyond CNG’s strength in terms of workflow, its licensing model helped sway Smith as he made his ECM product choice. He explains that often ECM licenses are tightly connected with support and maintenance contracts, so if a customer opts out of those agreements, the software may no longer work. “CNG allows us to buy it, straight out, and opt to walk away from support and maintenance contracts if the customer doesn’t want to do that,” explains Smith.

Lastly, because CNG has an open API (application programming interface), the product interacts well with many complementary products. Overall, Smith says he feels as if he has an expert in ECM on his team due to his partnership with Cabinet NG, not only because of the product, but also because of the vendor’s efforts to communicate to its partners changes in the ECM market, such as new compliance regulations.

To view this article online please visit- http://www.businesssolutionsmag.com/index.php?option=com_jambozine&layout=article&view=page&aid=3964&Itemid=56

As indicated by this month’s report on the industry’s progress on Payment Card Industry (PCI) data security mandates, small retailers are those most in need of help. They’re turning to solutions providers — from VARs to vendors — for assistance. Here, representatives from HP, Intuit, and reseller Computer Troubleshooters weigh in.

Why is a bundled POS hardware/software solution a better choice for small retailers compared to a best-of-breed or custom solution?

Tate Davis, sr. product manager, HP POS: Hardware/software bundles offer small retailers a complete, cost-effective solution for not only cash register capabilities, but also accounting and retail management applications. While the combined bundled POS solution is simple to configure and set up, it provides features for increasing productivity and makes processes more efficient by allowing retailers to monitor their inventory and business investments. But retailers should make sure the bundled offerings they consider are composed of hardware and software that have been tested and certified to run together, so they can rest assured that POS platforms and retail peripherals such as scanners, receipt printers, pole displays, and cash drawers work seamlessly.

Michael Lipps, director, Intuit Retail Solutions: A significant benefit of a bundled solution is the ease of setup and use, which save small retailers time and money. When you combine this with a simplified customer support experience (just one number to call) and a rich a la carte menu of products and services like payments, payroll, and financial accounting that you can integrate with your POS, bundled packages offer the most powerful “store management system” small retailers can buy.

Andy Oeftering, owner/product installer, Computer Troubleshooters: Apollo Signature in Englewood, NJ, a small high-end fashion retailer specializing in European name designers, was concerned about initial costs associated with the store build out [e.g. computers, cabling, and telephones]. A bundled offering was a very cost-effective solution compared with custom retail POS solutions. The system, which was purchased through CDW, was easy to install and QuickBooks provided a number of add-ons such as handheld inventory scanners, tag printers, and bar code scanners that automatically integrate into its POS software. Apollo Signature is planning to open three more stores in the near future, and the multistore version allows them to link stores to the headquarters location, giving Apollo’s owners the ability to monitor sales and costs for each store and for the company as a whole.

As this month’s report on the PCI DSS (Data Security Standard) initiative indicates, small retailers are not well-versed on payment security standards. How can they better lean on their POS vendors for assistance?
Davis: Security is always a challenge for any small business. In order to safeguard against theft and tampering with data, POS systems must be outfitted with uncompromising protection. We employ security tools including the HP Business PC Security Lock and HP Protect Tools Security Software Suite. Intuit is both a POS software vendor and a merchant services acquirer, so it stays on top of the latest PCI compliance requirements and works to integrate these into its POS solutions.

Lipps: Put simply, nothing can be more important for a small retailer than maintaining the security and integrity of their customer data. Your customers have to be able to trust you, and you have to trust your payment and POS solution providers to protect the vast amount of customer cardholder data that flows through systems. Make sure your solutions providers have the knowledge and level of integration to provide certified PCI DSS-compliant solutions.

The HP/Intuit offering resembles a mini-ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. What retail software apps are most markedly absent from small retail shops?
Davis: A few applications that are absent from most small retail shops include:

* Inventory management – keep track and manage inventory; manage your capital more efficiently
* Loyalty programs – an area where small merchants that are not using a powerful POS system struggle; understand your top customers and provide incentives for them to come back and shop more
* Payroll services – allow merchants to effectively and affordably manage payroll needs, save time, and focus on running their business
* Payments – payment solutions help small retailers receive electronic payments with a broad range of end-to-end merchant services for stores, e-commerce sites, and mobile devices
* Bookkeeping – allows business owners to effectively manage their business finances to help them save and make more money

Lipps: Small retailers face two problems when trying to run their businesses: 1) not being able to find affordable solutions to automate key tasks that take lots of time when managed manually and 2) dealing with the complexity and cost of managing multiple point solutions from multiple vendors. The key is to help the small retailer get the level of store automation once only afforded by the big guys.

Oeftering: Apollo Signature needed more than just a simple cash register; they wanted to know what store items are hot and how to link customer data from the POS system to marketing campaigns to drive sales. The retailer used customizable features within its software package and allowed Apollo to stamp its brand on everything from price tags to sales receipts.

How does the bundled offering open up avenues toward business intelligence for the small merchant?
Davis: Business intelligence and understanding customers can have a significant impact on a small merchant’s bottom line in today’s economy. Small merchants need solutions that will help them better understand their customer, buying trends, and what items are “hot” to optimize revenue. This allows retailers to better manage routine tasks, such as tracking inventory and customers. It also helps improve profitability through customer retention features, tools for increasing sales, real-time inventory management, and instant reports.

Lipps: Most small retailers take for granted the wealth of rich information that they have in their POS system. They also don’t have time to create and run complicated report scripts or mine data. What they need is a POS solutions provider who understands how to balance power and simplicity when it comes to business intelligence. Who are my most valuable customers? What are my most profitable products? Who hasn’t bought in a while? Fast answers to simple questions like these, provided in a format that is easy to use and understand, turn this insight into action (email campaigns, etc.).

What’s the next step in the evolution of the store systems architecture for small merchants?
Davis: We will continue to see seamless integration of software and hardware. Through these partnerships we will see simpler, more powerful complete solutions to enable small retailers to unleash the power of a POS system to help them to survive tough times. Additionally, we will continue to see complete mini-ERP (enterprise resource planning) packages of hardware and software to simplify the purchase and deployment of in-store solutions to enable small retailers to grow and manage their business.

Oeftering: Apollo Signature wants to gain access to important transaction, profit/loss, and margin information from anywhere, as the owners are on the move between stores and while traveling abroad to size up the latest fashions for their stores.

To view this article online please visit- http://www.ismretail.com/index.php?option=com_jambozine&layout=article&view=page&aid=7613

Manitowoc Computer Troubleshooters offers managed services for businesses, computer repair and upgrades for home offices, and Web site design for Internet marketing.

The business will help with clients’ needs including new Dell servers and workstations, I.T. project management, data management, business building solutions, Internet phone solutions, Web site development, optimization, marketing campaign management, business software data migration, specialized application development for data management, remote and on-site network maintenance, and printer maintenance, repair and installation.

If customers need faster computers, PC and MAC repairs, virus removal, data recovery, backup service, data security for home or office, cabled network installations, configuration of electronics, Internet and data security, wireless home computer networking, business branding, Manitowoc Computer Troubleshooters can provide expertise.

The business has the ability to tap into the resources of more than 1,000 computer technicians worldwide.

The Joplins said they use a proactive approach by helping to prevent computer problems from occurring in the first place with industry leading tools and service plans. Manitowoc Computer has a Host Program offering family parental controls for their computers.

Manitowoc Computers offers on-site service, a fully-equipped service center at their office location, Internet communications for remote support, Web site development for local and global clients, and seminars and training wherever customers need their expertise.

Who are the customers and from where? Manitowoc Computer Troubleshooters customers are from the Lakeshore area including Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Cleveland, and Green Bay. Some Customers are from other areas of Wisconsin and as far away as the United Kingdom.

How is marketing done? Marketing is done on the Internet, by direct mail, a monthly newsletter, radio and newspaper ads, by referrals, and through the Manitowoc Chamber of Commerce.

What are the keys to future success? The Joplins said the keys to future success include offering excellent customer service, exceeding expectations of clients, and saving businesses more money than what they thought possible.

Factors under control or not under control of ownership? The factors under control of owning this business include the service offerings, marketing and attitude.

What is your role of creativity or imagination in running the business or selling your products or services? Yavonda Joplin writes a daily blog on 5above.com and has many followers on Twitter at 5abovewebdesign.

What is challenging or frustrating? Yavonda Joplin said it can be a challenge getting the word out about what their business is all about.

What is enjoyable? Yavonda Joplin said, “I love everything about this business! I get to meet wonderful people and we bring them technology they didn’t know they could have. It’s really rewarding to see people happy with their technology.”

When business started: December 2008

Location: 1207A Washington St., Manitowoc

Phone number: 682-0911

Web site: www.manitowoc computers.com

Hours and days of operation: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday; after hours on Tuesday and Thursday and by appointment