This article was published in the Chamber of Northeast Cincinnati's "Navigator" magazine for members of the chamber.

By Don Wallace, Computer Support of Warren County

“It’s 11:00 – do you know where your data is?”

PC users are “preached to” by computer vendors to “back up your data regularly” in the same righteous vein as flossing regularly or changing your engine oil every 3000 miles.

The difference is this: “backing up your data” is something that you almost need to be an “IT expert” to accomplish usefully. Nobody gives the average PC user clear, obvious directions as to how to safeguard their data by making additional copies of it.

What I will do this month is to provide you with information about a really easy and practical way to back up important data. It will probably cost you a few dollars, but it will give you great peace of mind.

The point is this: the easier it is for you to back up, the more likely that you will do it. (Sounds like some diets!) And this is easy.

External, Portable Hard Drives – “Huh?”

An external hard drive is a hard drive which you plug into your computer as needed. When you plug the external hard drive in, it becomes accessible to Windows. You can then basically duplicate large portions of the data on your hard drive periodically so that you always have a backup. How large? Entire “Outlook PST” files of multi-gigabyte size, for instance.

The single great advantage of an external hard drive over other backup media such as CDs, DVDs or tapes, is that it’s seamless – there is no swapping of disks necessary when you use it. You can copy most of your PC’s data to it, and walk away until the operation has completed. Unplug the drive, and put it away until the next time you back up – or when you need to recover your precious data.

What does it cost?

I use a hard drive of the "Ximeta" brand. Ximeta’s drives can use either your network (Ethernet) or USB connector. The 80 gigabyte drive is currently available online for $99 and up, refurbished.

And What Software?

Maybe none. Because an external hard drive looks like a new drive letter to Windows, you can use the “Windows Explorer” to copy your data to the external hard drive. You can “drag and drop” files from your PC to the external hard drive using the mouse.

Or, if you prefer more handholding, there are free and commercial software programs that give structure to the process. (Google or use your preferred search engine to find these programs):

• SyncBack – a well regarded free backup program
• Second Copy – an extremely well liked commercial program
• Windows Backup – free, built into Windows – takes some patience and skill to work with.
• WinZip – bundles up your files into compressed “zip” files - requires some skill to use.

Conclusion

I have described a painless, easy way to maintain a second copy of your data that doesn’t require a stack of disks nor the patience of a saint to use in your everyday work.

This article was published in the Chamber of Northeast Cincinnati's "Navigator" magazine for members of the chamber.

By Don Wallace, Computer Support of Warren County

Blogs, or “web logs”, have captured a lot of attention in the last couple of years. A blog is a web site that contains a public “daily diary” of the author’s personal view on subjects. Famous people and everyday people have their own blogs and, in some cases, large and devoted followings. It seems like “everyone” in the media, and every second or third private person you run into, has their own blog.

So, what is important about blogging for the small business person? Should you develop your own blog?

Blogs, first and foremost, are a highly personal form of outreach. “Marcom” (marketing communications) have traditionally been regimented and highly controlled in the business world because corporations are very sensitive to the public image that they develop. A blog is by nature a series of personal essays and runs counter to the usually careful practice of “marcom”. Many blogging packages allow the general public to attach their own commentary to blog articles, adding a further degree of uncontrollability to the picture (how many newspapers let you say that a columnist is “full of hooey” and make it stick?!)

If you are a business owner who is comfortable with writing and able to write on an ongoing basis, then you should strongly consider blogging as a flexible and low-cost format for publicity and image-building. Instead of calling it a “blog”, think of it as an online newsletter to your clients, prospects and the general public.

A blog can build tremendous respect among prospects and fellow business owners by allowing you to state your professional opinions candidly and in an “intimate” context. The sort of personalized material that you can post to a blog just doesn’t work as well in a formal brochure or business letter context. You can project your business’s philosophy and values effectively and convincingly. And you can write and post articles as they occur to you, not just when you have the time and budget to produce a new brochure. A blog has that “psst – did you consider THIS?” ambience that lets your readers feel that they are “in” on something interesting and unique.

I suggest that you start blogging in a low-key way. Write a set of articles – 4 or 5 – and set up a small blog of your own on your personal web site space (most internet providers give you an allotment of web site space for personal use). Ask friends and colleagues to read it and comment frankly. If your articles are well-received, consider registering a domain (dot com name) and publish your own blog to support and enhance your business.