Computer Crashes Are Not Good for Marketing
What a week this has been! But hopefully my troubles can carry some lessons for me – and for you as well.
After my computer crashed a year and a half ago, I bought an external hard drive, and started using it – sometimes. This time I was only about a month behind… Not good!
And, even though I kept saying I’d learn how, I had not learned how to back up my email or my email address book, so unless the lady I found to work on the computer can retrieve them, I’ve lost a lot of customer contacts. Hopefully, they’ll write me when they need me… but THAT IS NO WAY TO MARKET YOUR SERVICES!
The other thing I didn’t know, but know now… if you just back up one folder at a time, it goes into that hard drive the same way your paper files would if you just opened a drawer and tossed them in any which way. My files are there, I think, but they’re all mixed up.
Right after the crash, Murphy’s Law stepped in to complicate matters. First, the computer man I’ve used before is not there any more. So, I checked the phone book and found one company advertising computer services. When I picked up the phone to dial out, nothing happened. I had a dial tone, but when I dialed, I just got some noise on the line.
After an hour or so I tried again, and there was the phone! Thank goodness.I called the computer repair place – and got a message machine saying they were with other clients and would return the call in just a few minutes. That was a long few minutes, because it’s been days and they never did call back! (Guess where I’ll never take my business.)
Luckily, the lady behind the desk at the library gave me a good lead – and tomorrow I’ll take my computer to a lady she recommended as the one who keeps the library computers in good working order. She used to teach computer, so I’m betting she’ll be able to teach me how to back up my email, too.
Meanwhile, I’m struggling along with a laptop. I can’t type on the things, so I a while back I had bought a keyboard to plug in – and it’s awful! I didn’t go for the top of the line because we don’t use the laptop very often… and now I’m paying for it. It’s just a little different in size, so I make one mistake after another. And I keep hitting something that makes a different screen pop up – or tries to close down the internet. I haven’t figured that one out yet.
The whole thing had me so wound up that I didn’t get ANY work done for a few days. Between trying to retrieve lost passwords and set things up on the laptop I lost a lot of time. But then when I did try to work I sat and looked at the screen and couldn’t remember what I was supposed to be writing. Thank goodness I got over that! I don’t think my clients would be too pleased if instead of marketing copy they got a note that said “Sorry, can’t think.”
What did I learn?
- Procrastination doesn’t pay.
- Back up the whole documents folder every time, not individual files and folders
- If you need advice, ask at the library
- Keep client contact information in a safe place
- Buy good tools
- Stay calm – getting upset destroys the ability to write!
OK – have to get back to that copy. Please do learn from my mistakes… It’s cheaper and faster than making them yourself first.
Marte
Posted: October 25th, 2009 under Uncategorized.