When Your Computer Has a Meltdown
Why YOU Need a Data Backup and Recovery Plan!
Yesterday morning, my computer exploded.
Well technically it didn't "explode" but it might as well have. The system crashed. Ironically, it happened immediately after I installed an update to my Windows software that I downloaded directly from Microsoft's web site. (I can't print here how I'm feeling about Microsoft today! @&^$*!!)
As with most updates, you have to restart your computer after the installation. I restarted, but my computer didn't! I got the dreaded "blue screen of death," followed by the equally gut-wrenching "black screen of let me make sure you know you're dead." Thank God I had all of my data -– my customer database, my documents and projects, and even my family photos -– backed up.
When you're in business for yourself, you have to be responsible for protecting your greatest asset: your data. Unlike when you work for a big corporation, there's no IT staff that automatically backs up the network every day. You have to be proactive, and you have to have a data recovery plan. Your computer will crash, I guarantee it. It's not a matter of "if"; it's a matter of when.
I know, I know. Airfare prices are jacked up, hotels are overpriced, you can only get gas in exchange for your first child and food prices are out of this world. Still, if your industry has a conference, you need to bootstrap your way there now and then. The Bootstrap Babes bit the bullet last week to attend the
In honor of Earth Day, I'd like to share some tips on how we
can all reduce waste and be more eco-friendly in our home-based businesses.
My 

Meeting and entertaining clients is a necessity if you're in
sales or a service business. (Shoot, every
entrepreneur is in sales!)
It’s Girl Scout cookie time! Seeing the Brownie and Junior
Girl Scouts set up to sell cookies in front of my local grocery store conjures
up great memories for me. Camping, sing-alongs, and lasting friendships. I
learned a lot from selling cookies – perhaps that’s what planted the seed of
entrepreneurship in me at an early age.
Regardless of your marital status, you either have a Honey or someone who can stand in as one when it comes to helping out with your business. Honey may or may not dip into his coffers to finance your business, but there are lots of other things Honey can do to save you time -- which as we know, often translates into money.
I use all kinds of tools and technology in the work that I do, but here are the ones that allow me to work from home and on the road daily (and NO, I don't have a BlackBerry!):