Canadian Small Business Women

Connection, Synergy, Community

Top 5 Reasons why You should Blog for your Business

Jemi

Blogging has become a huge phenomenon in the online world. Anyone and everyone can start a blog. It’s easy and very inexpensive to start. All you need is a computer, the internet, and the time to put together a blog. As a business owner, you can stand out from your competitors by giving useful tools and great expertise to your customers at minimal cost to you. Here’s what blogs can do for you and your business:

  1. Open Communication between you and your customer: You are starting a conversation with your potential client. When they read and follow you, it gives them a direct insight to how you are as a business owner.
  2. Subscription list: If your readers enjoy your blog they can be notified directly via e-mail. This is an opportunity for you to create database for you to promote your services and products. Limit your e-mails to once a month or twice a month.
  3. Affiliate marketing: When you are receiving a large following of readers, you may want to consider using affiliate marketing into your blog. This will create another stream of passive income right into your bank account. Affiliate marketing are just like businesses advertising on your blog, when your readers click the ad from your blog, and a sale is made, you will get a portion of the sale!
  4. Higher rankings: Google analytics like to see different clicks going to and from your website. The more clicks coming to your blog from your social media sites, and vice versa, Google “bots” see it as a popular place to be and will rank your blog and website higher for FREE.
  5. Free publication: Having a blog puts you, as a business owner, on a different and personal expertise level than someone that is competition and not blogging. You never know who may be reading and following your blog that can create a whole new venture for you that will make you even more money!

Hope these tips will get your fire burning to write a blog. Even if the blog is just once a month to start, it will generate a following that will be expecting your great insight. Happy blogging!

Contact Jemi Echevarria by phone: (647)785-5851 or by e-mail:  jemiechevarria@gmail.com

Software Updates Made Easy

Laura Bungarz

I know many people that get really concerned about updating their computers.  Every time we do an update there are always warnings to shut everything off, don’t turn off your computer, the update may cause problems or conflict with something we have in our computer, and on it goes.  So how do you know if the update is safe?  How do you know when to be concerned or worried?

Well here are some things to think about.

1.  General Software Updates

If you’re updating something simple like your e-book reading software and something goes wrong, chances are good you can uninstall or delete the software and try it again.  It is very unlikely that it’s going to go so badly wrong that it will shut down the entire system.  Just make sure the software you are updating is not running and relax.

2.  Operating System Updates

If you are updating your operating system, Windows for example, you need to be a little more cautious.  Because those updates tend to affect necessary system files, having an update run badly has more potential to cause problems.  Now that said, major updates done through Microsoft have built in protections in place.  Often if something goes wrong, the installer simply begins the uninstall process and aborts the installation.  It’s much less dangerous than it has been in years gone by.

I always recommend installing Microsoft’s security updates week to week.  As hackers find holes in security Microsoft issues updates to plug those holes.  It is important to keep your computer secure.  Microsoft often also provides updates to other software on your computer.  Again, completing those updates is a good idea.

3.  Firmware Updates

This is probably one of the most dangerous kinds of updates to do.  Firmware updates are updates to specific files that certain pieces of hardware need to function.   Errors or issues with this installation process can make the hardware unusable.  You don’t always have to do firmware updates.  Unlike Microsoft security updates, which you should do regularly, firmware updates are not required unless the update is providing additional functionality you need or solving a problem you have.  It is best not to do firmware updates unless absolutely necessary.

4.  Driver Updates

What’s a driver?  It’s software that allows your computer to use the hardware you have in your computer.  So for example, you may have a video card in your computer.  Without the driver, the video card won’t work or won’t work properly.  Driver installations that go wrong usually aren’t the end of the world.  They will not render your hardware useless, although they may create some difficulty with your computer.  Typically just removing the offending hardware and the driver will solve the problem.

5. Recovery Options

So something has gone wrong.  Now what?  Here is a list of things to try, in no particular order, depending on the problem.

  • Uninstall offending software
  • Remove offending hardware
  • Use System Restore to go back to last known working state
  • Re-download new software or drivers before trying again.  Sometimes files get messed up during download.
  • Replace hardware that has had a failed firmware update
  • Try running software in compatibility mode if you get errors about conflicts or compatibility.  Here is a little guide for Windows 7 users.  http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-windows-vista-compatibility-mode/
  • Ask a computer technician to help you.

My final thought is this, software shouldn’t be scary.  Whether you’re updating what you already have or installing something new, the process is generally the same every time.  Once you’re familiar with it and you learn what to expect you’ll be better prepared to deal with problems if or when they occur.  Keep your computer updated!  It’s an important part of keeping your computer running the way you want it to.

 

Laura Bungarz Computer Training
212-207 Fort Street
Winnipeg, MB R3C 1E2
(204) 421-6679
Laura@Laurabungarz.ca
www.LauraBungarz.ca

Top 5 Ways to Get More Confident

Laura Bungarz

There are a lot of people out there that struggle with computers.  It’s a common theme that I hear at every networking event I attend.  It gets posted on my Facebook page and I get emails and phone calls from people that tell me they aren’t confident in their skills.  Many ask me how I did it so I figured I would share that today.  So below are the top 5 ways that you too can become more confident in your computer skills.

  1. Practice makes perfect!  I know its cliché, it’s an awful saying, but it’s true.  How did I get good?  I guess you could say I got addicted to it.  How did Tiger Woods get good at golf or Wayne Gretzky good at hockey?  Hours and hours of practice.  They found something they loved and they spent hours perfecting their craft.  The same is true for computers really.  It’s about spending time at it, trying things, making mistakes and trying again.  Eventually you figure it out, you get good at it and your computer skills no longer slow you down.
  2. Trial and error.  I just did a webinar about this very topic!  Even if you aren’t addicted to computers and you have better things to do in your spare time, the best way to learn is simply to try.  The computer will not blow up if you make a mistake while putting together your PowerPoint presentation.  It just won’t.  You may mess up a slide or two, but that’s easy to fix.  It’s a matter of trying it, figuring out how to get what you want and then remembering what the heck you did so you can do it again another day.
  3. Have some small successes.  Did you figure it out after a while?  Probably.  Did it take you much longer than it should have?  Did it frustrated you all to bits?  Yep.  But you did it!  Take some pride in the fact that you did it.  Whether or not it took you ten times as long as it might have taken somebody else is irrelevant.  You figured it out and that’s all that really matters.  Be proud of yourself and remember that next time you have to do it won’t take as long.
    You know that program you can now use with your eyes closed?  Yeah that one that used to take you hours to figure out.  You have it now don’t you?  You know how to do it and it doesn’t take you hours, in fact you don’t even have to think when you use it.  Well guess what?  You can do that with any program you want to.  Getting comfortable just takes time.
  4. Be okay with making mistakes.  This is a toughie.  It’s hard to accept that we screw up sometimes.  But we do.  Making mistakes in computers, ruining that PowerPoint slide, mucking up the Excel spreadsheet, stuff like this happens.  But there are ways to avoid disaster like saving often and CTRL-Z (undo your mistake, it’s like a mulligan only better!).   Once you learn some simple tricks like these it’s easy to feel confident that even if you do mess up you’ll be able to go back and fix it.
  5. It’s okay to ask for help!  When I first started with computers everybody was learning.  Windows was brand new.  The Internet was still an infant.  There weren’t experts all over the place, geeks that knew everything and had blogs and forums full of information.  It didn’t exist.  I basically had to figure it out on my own.  I learned by a combination of simple need and trial and error.  I learned by doing.  But you don’t have to.  You have resources like myself and many other people just like me.  The Internet is chalk full of forums, blogs and FAQ’S, whole websites dedicated to helping you with your computer troubles.  You need to do nothing more than ask for help.
    Never be ashamed of your questions either!  We all start somewhere.  We were all new at one time.  It was foreign to me too at one point.  I still run across things that I don’t know.  I still have to find people that specialize in certain areas to help me.  It happens even to me!  And it’s okay!  If it’s okay for me, it should be okay for you too.

Always be proud of how far you’ve come!  You’ve come a long way baby!  And you will continue to improve.  Keep doing what you’re doing.  Keep asking those questions! Be proud of small successes!  Don’t let anybody tell you different!

Now be proud! You did it!

If you have questions feel free to contact me using the information below.
Laura Bungarz Computer Training
212-207 Fort Street
Winnipeg, MB R3C 1E2
Laura@Laurabungarz.ca
Web:  http://laurabungarz.ca
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/nontechforwomen

Buying A New Computer?

Laura Bungarz

So it’s time for a new computer is it? That can be a very challenging experience. What’s the difference between the $399 model and the $799 model? Why should I buy this one and not that one? What was the sales guy talking about?  Lots of questions, lots of decisions. But I’m here to help. Here are some simple questions to ask yourself that will narrow down your decision.

1. What am I going to use it for?
Internet? Email? Videos? Music? Just word processing? Games? The more media types you use (videos, music, games) the more power you’re going to need. Generally the low end models of computers aren’t designed to run online games and store your top 500 favourite movies of all time. They also aren’t meant to stream large quantities of video. Don’t get me wrong, they will do one here and there but it probably won’t have enough power for a movie buff.

2. What’s my budget?
$400 or $1500? There’s a big difference in price and features between a $400 computer on sale at your local computer shop machine and the $1500 top of the line model that does everything but the dishes. You can narrow the list down considerably just by deciding how much to spend.

3. How much do I need to spend to get what I want?
The gap between what you need to spend to get what you want and what you actually have to spend may be wide.  Think about what you can live with for now and what you really have to have.  Many computers, particularly desktop computers, are upgradeable.  You can buy more parts as the budget allows for it.  Things like video cards, sound cards, RAM and storage are easy to add after the fact.  Look for a computer that gives you the room to grow that you need but that still fits within your budget.

4. Laptop or Desktop?
Laptops and desktops these days are mostly equal in terms of power. Technology has advanced enough now that we can squish all of that power into a machine that’s rather small.
There are lots of pros and cons between laptops and desktops, but speed and power aren’t on that list anymore. Decide whether or not you might need to be portable and go from there.
Portability doesn’t always affect the price either. It depends on what brand you choose and how much power you actually need.
Within that you also need to decide how much room to grow you want to have. Laptops don’t allow for the same amount of part changing that desktops provide. Is this something you intend to trade up in the next couple of years or do you want to keep this machine for a while and would like to be able to add a bigger hard drive, a new video card or increase the memory?
Laptops also tend to be disposable.  Once they break they are done.  They aren’t easily fixed and are often more expensive to fix if you decide to go this route.  This is an important consideration for those that may want to keep their computer for more than a couple of years.

5. What did the sales guy mean when he said…?
Yep, computer sales people can be worse than car salesmen at using all that fancy terminology to talk you into buying something you don’t really need.  Here are the big things to think about.

  1. 1.    RAM (Memory):  Get at least 4 GB if not more.  That’s standard these days and it will last you a while.  Extra is cheap to buy and install.  Don’t get talked into a more powerful computer when you can buy a stick of RAM for $40.
  2. 2.    Hard Drive space:  If you’re like me a 500 GB hard drive is impossible to fill, but for some of you that take a lot of pictures or download music or videos, you’ll eat through a 500 GB hard drive in no time.  If the computer with the bigger hard drive is too expensive, think about external storage.  External hard drives are under $150 now.  It’s definitely cheaper than upgrading the computer solely for the space.
  3. 3.    Video and Sound:  Onboard video and sound (as it’s called), is just video and sound that is built into the motherboard.  It’s good, basic quality video and sound for not a lot of money.  If you want amazing graphics or professional quality sound, spend the extra money to buy yourself a video card or sound card.  The computer tech at your local shop can install it for you.
    Laptop users remember that you probably can’t add a sound or video card to your computer.  You have to get a laptop with that already in place.  You can upgrade hard drives and RAM however.

There you go.  Whether it’s a Christmas present for someone you love or a new computer for business, there are lots of things to think about when buying a new computer.

I am Laura Bungarz, owner of Laura Bungarz Computer Training which I started in January of 2012.  I am a certified teacher and English as an Additional Language instructor in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  I specialize in helping women small business owners who are terrified of technology but know they need to learn.  Teaching, computers and helping people are my three favourite things to do and I get to combine them every day in my business helping other women succeed in their businesses.

Contact Laura:
Laura Bungarz Computer Training
212-207 Fort Street
Winnipeg, MB R3C 1E2
Laura@Laurabungarz.ca
www.LauraBungarz.ca

The Mind – The most incredible computer ever!

anna

Our mind is an organizational and functional computer.  Taking a look at our computer and noting that the information that we enter and process is exactly what it will give expel back to us.   This goes to deduce that what information we learn and experience is what we will use to make our decisions.  Therefore if we want to improve ourselves we need to start with improving our minds.  Reading, learning and experiencing our daily lives is what creates even more information to be added and processed.

However our brain can go into brain overload.  We can have too many circuits going off at the same time and to many programs to try and analyze.  The computer freezes when we overload the circuits and so do our incredible brains. Our minds then stop working effectively and we take more time in decision making and work less effectively.

Here are some ideas to help you prevent your brain freeze:

1. Recharge – Do something for you! Pick something that relaxes you.  Exercising, swimming, reading or meditations (my personal favourite) are some ideas. Choose the time that works best for you and do this consistently.

2. Plan the time – We all lead extremely busy lives and we tend to put ourselves last.  How can we possibly give to others when we have nothing left to give?  Take out your calendar or agenda and book in “you” time for the month!!!!!  It is the most effective way to create time for yourself.

3. Write out what is in your head – Take the time to write out your thoughts. Not just tasks, everything. Writing crystallizes thought!!!!  Once they are out of your head you can then decide the

Take care of your mind (a.k.a. computer)!

Anna Ottaviani is a Board Certified NLP Master Practitioner & Master Coach, Board Certified Master Hypnotherapist,Creating Your Future® , Time Line® Therapist Practitioner and Reiki Master. Her methods are unique and tailored to each individual client. She can be reached at www.sucessfullyyou.ca or by phone at 289-221-5772. You can follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/successfullyyou?ref=ts&fref=ts