Maui Sons
Maui Sons
Do You Backup All of the Digital Pictures You Keep On Your Computer?
I met a young man last April who came to Maui for the summer and ended up extending his break for another semester. He was having a great time, exploring the island, sailing, snorkeling and scuba diving, hiking in the crater of Haleakala, our dormant volcano, camping and hiking in the rainforests of Hana, and of course, enjoying the beach and the spectacular Pacific sunsets. To top it off, he lived in a house with 4 house-mates from his school that was right on the ocean side of Front Street in Lahaina. Needless to say, this is a popular place for barbecues, beach volleyball and parties!
He had an “awesome” digital camera and recorded all of his adventures in pictures, which he stored on his state-of-the-art laptop computer. He had literally hundreds of pictures and videos of beautiful sunsets, friends enjoying good times, spectacular pools and waterfalls, you know, just all of the great things that a vacation on one of the most beautiful places in the world has to offer.
Near the end of his 8 months here on the island, after a party that went well into the early hours of the morning, he woke to discover that his laptop had been stolen from his living room. He was really ticked about the violation of his personal space, and aggravated by the loss of his personal property.
But, he was ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATED from the loss of ALL of his photographs and videos of his stay on the island. You see, he had no backup system, be it flash card, CD, DVD, whatever. He didn’t have them stored anywhere else but on his computer. They were all just GONE in an instant.
That got me to thinking about how I’d feel if I lost all of my photos: family, my son at the various stages between 0 and 20 years of age, places I’ve traveled on and off of Maui, before-and-after home project photos, etc. I realized that I should back up my photos, at least, not to mention all the other valuable information I keep on my computer.
I looked into some of the methods out there, and discovered online digital backup. There are many advantages to this method because it will protect you against loss whether it’s human, as in error, stupidity, laziness or crime. But, in addition, there are forces of nature that can threaten the security of your computer documents. Storms, causing flooding and power outages, electric company blunders or problems that cause power surges, earthquakes and …I’m sure you get the idea. Another thing is that these natural disasters can threaten even backup media if they’re stored in the same vicinity as your computer.
About the Author
If you want to gain the peace of mind that your precious photos and documents are protected against loss using Remote data backup, read the following for more information on the best option out there at my blog http://dreamsinmocean.blogspot.com.
Giving Back
Have you ever noticed that people get incredibly happy whenever you unexpectedly think of them or do something for them?
It doesn’t matter if it’s related to your business or personal life. Take Oprah Winfrey for example. At a live event a few years ago, she mentioned how she loves to purchase makeup whenever it’s “Clinique Bonus Time” as she gets a gift.
Here we have a woman worth over a billion dollars who she loves receiving the cheap little makeup bag with free blush and lipstick, in colors she will never wear, just because they are FREE.
Free gifts, particularly those that are unexpected and just “show up” go a long way in reminding your clients that you are thinking of them – even when they’re not paying you to!
I recently spent two weeks in Hawaii. While there, I picked up a t-shirt for a special client and also got one for her 2 ½ year-old-son. It didn’t cost much, it didn’t weigh anything (I even mailed it from Maui so I wouldn’t have to think about it), but it was unexpected and meant a lot to my client (and to her son).
With the holiday season fast approaching (sorry, but it’s true), think about what you can send your clients as a “thank you”.
This year, I’ll be sending Thanksgiving Day cards to all my clients as a “thank you” for being my client – can you think of a better time to say “thanks”? While I’ll also be sending holiday cards, I fully expect them to get buried with the onslaught of holiday cards that tends to arrive each December.
If you sell widgets, you can send a coupon for a free item with a $50 purchase. If you sell services, you can send something related to what you offer.
Are you stuck?
Send a gift card: Starbucks, book stores and Dunkin Donuts (in the Northeast) are all good choices. Plus, with so many shopping online these days, an Amazon.com (or any online retailer) gift card is a great option.
Still stuck?
You can always find something at either Harry and David (www.harryanddavid.com) or Dale & Thomas (www.daleandthomas.com).
Don’t think it needs to be expensive or unique. It’s amazing how you can change someone’s day just by giving them the unexpected. I even get happy when receiving the sample pens that arrive every few months – it’s a pleasure to receive something other than a bill or solicitation in my mailbox!
Need to send several things without breaking the bank? Check out Oriental Trading Company (www.orientaltrading.com) for inexpensive goodies that you can send out to everyone on your list.
Gifts and goodies are an inexpensive way to help with client and customer retention – remember it’s much less expensive to keep an existing customer than it is to get a new one. This is a great and simple way to stay at the forefront of your customers’ minds.
About the Author
For the past 5 years, Sandra Martini has been showing self-employed business owners how to get more clients consistently by implementing processes and systems to put their marketing on autopilot. Visit Sandra at http://www.SandraMartini.com for details, compelling client testimonials and her free audio series “5 Simple and Easy Steps to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot”.
|
|
The Presence $7.91 Dr. Katherine Sundquist is an archaeologist who has recently begun studying hominid bones discovered near a volcano on the island of Maui. When her young son goes diving nearby, he discovers a geode from outer space, and subsequently his lungs can… |
|
|
Shane Victorino (Hardcover) $17.52 Chronicles the life of the first ever Maui native to ever appear in a World Series, from his struggles with ADHD as a boy to his entrance into the big leagues out of high school to his championship performance with the Philadelphia Phillies, in a book … |