Spring clean your computer
Are you guilty of keeping every file you’ve ever created or been given? If so, now is a good time to prepare to spring clean your computer and free up some space.
Although computers are now being made with bigger and bigger hard drives and running out of space isn’t such a problem, cleaning up will help your system run faster. Plus, keeping old files and multiple copies only makes it harder to find something when you’re looking for it.
Here are a few handy ways you can save on disk space:
- SpaceSniffer: a good tool for figuring out which files you should delete, especially those you haven’t used in a while.
- CCleaner: another useful piece of software, which will review your files and make suggestions.
- An an old faithful of Windows is the disk defrag. This is a quarterly activity you should think about.
BUT, whichever option you consider using, it is important to save or close all your current work and the applications you are using, and do a back-up beforehand.
If you feel even slightly unsure about doing any of these, have a chat to your IT tech person first.
Emergency procedures – your back-up plan
Pilots have emergency plans. They don’t set out needing to use them and we all hope they never have to. But they’ve g
ot them in the event of an emergency, so they know what they have to do.
In the same way you and your business should have a back-up plan.
I know this flies in the face of all the advice you receive from business coaches, self-help and positive thinking gurus. But I believe an important part of anyone’s business plan is a back-up plan – what will you do if the whole thing doesn’t work out?
You certainly should not spend every waking moment worrying about what you will do if your business fails. That’s a waste of time and a real distraction from what you need to be doing which is focusing and working to make your business a success. That’s exactly why I think it’s necessary to have a back-up plan prepared before you start out. Otherwise, you can end up wasting a lot of time and energy worrying about it in the midst of a crisis.
Just like the pilots with their emergency procedures you need to have a considered and workable solution if the worst happens.
So, my advice for anyone considering starting up a business is to give a little thought to what you would do in the unfortunate event that your business does not work out. Don’t write a huge document, but do have a real plan, then put it away and don’t think about it further.
Then, if in a month or a year, your actual and projected cash flows are miles apart and you start to panic, you can remind yourself that you have a plan just in case things go really awry. That’s comforting, and should allow you to get straight back to the things that matter – making that next sales call, thinking clearly about your next strategic move or whatever.
Having run my own business for more than 20 years now, I have been fortunate not to have needed to implement my “emergency procedures” but I do have a back-up plan of action if I ever need it. It’s one less thing to worry about while trying to run a successful business.
Work faster on Facebook
You may find it a little easier to run your business Facebook page from your computer (rather than your mobile device). If so, you might like some of these shortcut keys to make it a little quicker:
- Open up a search box: Alt+”?”
- Open the home page: Alt+1
- Your profile: Alt+2
- Open the friend requests: Alt+3
- Open the Messages box: Alt+4
- Notifications: Alt+5
- Write a new message: Alt+M
These shortcuts work with Google Chrome. They also work if you use Firefox as your browser but you need to use the Shift key before each one (so opening your home page is Alt+Shift+1).
Windows 10 update
From midnight tonight, the new Windows 10 operating system is supposed to be available. We will have to wait and see if they are on time and whether there are any issues with it, but for now here are a few key points scanned and summarised from various sources:
- Starting to roll out from 29 July
- Will roll out progressively to those who have pre-ordered
- Designed to simply upgrade your existing operating system (Windows 7 or 8)
- As with any major upgrade or change to your software, backup first! You never know what problems might occur so it pays to make sure your existing data is safe.
- If you haven’t taken up the automatic free upgrade that has been on offer for the last few months, there’s no need to worry. The free upgrade will be available for at least the next year.
- As mentioned in the last article on this topic, it seems Windows 10 will be quite a different interface from what you’re used to. There will be new functionality, a new look, and one or two things that will no longer be available.
- If you do choose to download it, it’s likely to be a large file size so make sure you’ve got good internet connection and time.
There are still many questions. Will it launch on time? Will it have bugs and issues? How will you adapt if you do download and install it?
I still have the same advice – don’t rush. Wait till the early adopters have taken it on board and identified issues, which Microsoft will hopefully fix, then when the dust has settled, and you are prepared, go for it.
Driven mad by auto-complete?
If you use Microsoft Outlook you’ve probably been frustrated more than once by the auto-complete address function. As soon as you start typing 
an email address it cleverly tries to anticipate who you are emailing. Sometimes the electronic anticipation is not so clever or you hit enter in a hurry on the wrong address. This can result in the wrong person getting a bizarre email from you on a subject that’s of no relevance to them, or worse that contains personal information meant for someone else.
There is a way to get rid of these email addresses and it’s quite simple once you know how.
When in a new email message, in the TO: prompt, start typing the name of the person that you have an incorrect (or old) email address for. When you start to see this email address use the arrow up or down keys to select the address then simply press the [Delete] key. It’s that easy! If the [Delete] key doesn’t work in your version, Right Mouse button on the address then select Delete.
You can also turn the auto-complete option off if you wish. It could be tempting to save mistakes, but leaving it on as long as you are careful, saves a lot of time typing email addresses or selecting contacts.
To turn it off in Outlook, (depending up on your version) go to Tools > Options > Preferences > Email Options > Advanced Email Options, then towards the bottom of the list, uncheck the box “Suggest names while completing To, CC, and BCC fields” and selecting OK. It’s a simple matter to turn it back on again by checking the same box.
How to save when shopping online
We’re all looking at ways to save money and time. Shopping online is sometimes a more cost effective option based on price alone. Once you start adding in the cost of getting to the store, your time looking around, going to other stores to compare, talking to sales assistants and so forth, then buying online, even if the price isn’t cheaper, starts to look very attractive. Online shopping is particularly useful too for items you want to get from overseas that may not be available in Australia.
But are we really getting the best deal? Zurich recently published an article listing five ways to save when shopping online:
- Find the best day for the product type you’re buying (a bit like buying petrol on Tuesdays)
- Search for online discount coupons
- Use a VPN or switch to private browsing so your location doesn’t affect the price you are quoted
- Leave things in the shopping cart for a while to see if a special offer comes through to “tempt” you to finalise your purchase
- Use third party postal services for items from countries that won’t ship directly to Australia.
If you don’t already shop online maybe you can start using some of these tips. You can read the full article here. Happy shopping and saving!
Free Windows upgrade – to take or not to take?
If you are running a PC or laptop with Windows 7 or 8 operating system you may have noticed a new icon with the four windows boxes. Clicking on this icon leads you to information on how to reserve your “free*” upgrade to Windows 10 once it is available (currently listed as sometime after 29 July).
I am naturally a little skeptical about anything that claims to be free especially when there is an asterisk after the word “free” and you have to read the fine print for the conditions! However this does appear to be a genuine free upgrade for those who already have Windows 7 or 8. The question then is, whether to download automatically or wait until later to get your upgrade, or indeed, whether you need to upgrade at all (even though it’s free).
Naturally, Microsoft encourages you to take the upgrade because they’ve spent a lot of time and effort developing it and enhancing it with all sorts of new functionality, but it will still have bugs no matter how rigorous their testing. If you take up the free upgrade option, it will apparently download to your computer as soon as it is available, and you will then be able to choose when to install it.
Windows 10 looks like it will be fairly different from what you may have been used to in the earlier versions and my advice is to take your time and not to upgrade until you are ready and have some time to spend learning how it works. No-one needs to arrive at their computer and find a whole new operating system to come to grips with before even starting work! I expect Microsoft will be offering the free upgrade for some considerable time to come – it is in their interests after all – so there’s no need to rush in.
How perfect should your spelling be?
We are all under pressure from time constraints and reality often dictates that speed of response is more important than getting it right. Just getting it done has become the focus. Increasingly though, we seem to be using time management and our reliance on mobile devices as an excuse for poor spelling and/or grammar.
Many mobile devices have an automatic line at the bottom of emails saying “sent from my xxx device”. You can remove this or you can modify it, as in a recent example I received which had added “…please forgive any grammatical or spelling errors”.
If you look carefully enough (and I have a friend who does), you can find errors in even the most expensive and highly maintained websites, and you can certainly find them in the news and TV media (where people like editors are paid to check). I’m the first to admit my spelling and grammar are not perfect, but I do try hard to make sure I check things or have someone else check them, particularly in a business context. It probably doesn’t matter if your texts or emails to your family or friends are not correctly spelled or use poor grammar, but if it’s a response to someone you have (or want to have) a professional relationship with, then maybe it’s not acceptable.
So where is the line? Many people in business still look unfavourably on bad spelling or grammar. If you’ve taken the time to respond on your mobile device (when by definition you are probably “out and about”) then perhaps you should also take the time to make sure it is right. If it’s not critical to respond immediately, why not leave it until you have the time to properly compose and check your reply.
Commit to good business etiquette
I first posted this “pledge to business etiquette” a couple of years ago, but it is still very relevant! It’s a nice way to think about the way you act in business situations. Thanks to the SmartCompany website and author Emily Ross.
- I will not be late for meetings.
- If being late is unavoidable, I will make a short, genuine apology and get on with it. I will not make long-winded excuses.
- I will use my phone, tablet or other devices in a considerate manner.
- I will not tweet and talk simultaneously.
- I am capable of turning off electronic devices or at least switching them to silent mode.
- I will respond to emails in a timely, courteous way.
- I will resist the urge to use emoticons.
- I will RSVP.
- I will introduce people in social situations.
- I will pay attention to a person’s name when I am being introduced and make an effort to memorise it.
- I will not guess how many months pregnant women are.
- I will not make assumptions about someone’s sexuality or ethnicity.
- I will not act in an overly familiar way with new acquaintances, new clients and potential new investors – and will avoid discussing sex, politics, religion.
- I am capable of listening to a presentation/keynote address without looking at my iPhone, iPad, smart phone, tablet or Blackberry.
- I will eat, sneeze, entertain clients and behave in a culturally sensitive and professional manner at all times.
Some of these are more important than others, but all in all, they are a solid foundation for behaving appropriately.
Continuous Learning
“Life is a continue learning process. Each day presents an opportunity for learning.” ― Lailah Gifty Akita
Do you have a formal learning plan? For example, if you are a CPA (Accountant) you must clock up 40 hours learning a year, every year to keep your accreditation. While you may not have a formal learning plan, many of us do things each day like listen to a podcast, watch something on YouTube or search the internet for a snippet of information – this all is learning. So why not make learning a habit and subscribe to some of the fantastic Podcasts that are available.
How do you get to a podcast?
If you have an Apple device accessing podcasts is easy. You just need to find the Podcast app, install it, and then search for interesting podcasts to listen to.
Here are some useful links to help you access podcasts on your device:
http://www.abc.net.au/technology/techexplained/articles/2011/04/11/3158206.htm
http://www.androidcentral.com/top-5-best-podcast-apps-android#slide3