Micro Tech Systems October 2019
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October 2019
Halloween Candy Crisis Trick-or-Treating Was (Almost) Ruined
Halloween has never been a favorite holiday for my wife and me. We just never really got into dressing up or watching all the horror stories. But after we had kids, the holiday became more important. Halloween is so much fun when you’re a kid. It seems like every kid’s second favorite holiday — right behind Christmas, of course. For kids, there’s nothing more exciting than collecting mounds of candy just for walking around your neighborhood in a costume. It’s a pretty sweet deal. But as you get older, the line between being the right age and being too old for trick-or-treating blurs a bit, and it’s hard to tell when it’s time to start handing out candy instead of collecting it. It was typically my responsibility to take the kids trick-or-treating, while my wife hung back home and handed out candy. She was in charge of picking out their costumes and getting everything ready, so it seemed like a fair trade — until we started pushing past my 9 p.m. bedtime while I dragged sugared-crazed kids home. One Halloween, my kids were impressing me with their speed and dedication. We were sprinting through the neighborhood and collecting tons of candy. As a business owner, I couldn’t have been more impressed with their efficiency. I remember thinking, “Huh, maybe I have a few business minds in this family.” (In hindsight, it was just the candy.) After making our big loop, I announced that it was time to head back, and with a quick glance at my middle daughter’s overflowing sack, I knew it was a great time to head home. At this point, we were exhausted, sweating to the nines, and ready to be done.
When we got home, the kids began the typical tradition of sorting out their loot, but as my son opened his bag, he realized he only had four pieces of candy camping in the bottom of his bag. My heart sunk as panic streaked across his face. Being the youngest of our three children, he was in his prime Halloween years. He was just devastated; I could have had “bad dad” written in permanent marker across my face. Apparently, the strap on his bag was too long, and the bag had been running along the ground the whole time, ripping a hole for the candy to escape. So, as he went door to door, he left a trail that could rival Hansel and Gretel’s. Of course, I couldn’t believe that he didn’t notice anything weird every time he opened his bag.
After the heart-wrenching discovery, I checked the clock. Maybe we had time to make it right!
We didn’t.
It was 8:30 p.m. and too late to go back out. As I tried to calm my youngest child down, I began to wrack my brain for ways to solve this problem, but I came up blank. Thank God for his older sisters. The two of them stepped up and offered him piles of their own candy, and that was enough to soothe my son’s heartache. The crisis was averted, and I’m happy to report that this is the only real exciting Halloween we have ever had, and I’ll be happy if it remains that way.
–Randy Amorebieta
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‘GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU’ George Harrison’s Sales Advice
‘It’s Gonna Take Money’ As the first verse of the song suggests, building this promising relationship isn’t going to be cheap. If someone hasn’t already taken the leap to become a customer, they need some incentive to get serious. This is where free trials and giveaways are your best friend. Targeting these special offers specifically at your warm list is a great way to cultivate lifetime customers. ‘It’s Gonna Take Precious Time’ The No. 1 mistake sales teams make is giving up on leads too early. If you dump a prospective customer because they hesitate on your first few attempts, you’re shutting the door on future profits. Depending on your business, leads that take months or even years to convert can more than make up for the time and effort you’ve spent on them. Customers won over this way are far more likely to stick with you. ‘To Do It Right’ The final conceit of George’s song is that there may be other ways to win a person over temporarily, but this is the right way. By remaining dedicated and spending the time and money to build your relationship, you can win over lifetime customers — no singing required.
In conversations about sales, one doesn’t usually think of George Harrison. But the truth is that the Beatles’ lead guitarist actually has some solid words of wisdom when it comes to converting warm leads. His last No. 1 hit single, “Got My Mind Set on You,” may
sound like dated courtship advice, but it’s actually the perfect road map for turning interested parties into loyal customers. ‘I Got My Mind Set on You’ The theme of the song is painfully straightforward: A
lovestruck singer has his mind set on dating someone. While your mileage may vary on single- minded romantic pursuits, this level of unwavering dedication is a must for warm leads. Unlike the mystery woman of Harrison’s song, these are people who have shown interest in your business. To build toward a sale, you have to return the favor. Send personalized emails or newsletters, or pick up the phone and call them.
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CELEBRATE!
At MicroTech Systems, our mission to provide 5-star IT service wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated employees. Whether they have been with us for years or weeks, we appreciate their commitment. This October, we would like to recognize Mike for his five years of dedication to MicroTech Systems! Thank you for all you do, Mike. To keep the celebrations going, we’d like to wish a very happy birthday to Stuart and Heather . Cheers to many more years, everyone!
“MicroTech is a fantastic company to work with. We have used them for well over 15 years, and they have been an excellent resource for our group. They are small enough to provide their customers with individual attention but large enough to have the resources and materials to solve major issues. We have had them put in a few servers, countless boxes, several pieces of equipment etc. They always get it right and keep us going. I am glad we found them way back when we did.” -Shawn Snow
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Are You a File Hoarder?
KNOWING WHEN AND HOW TO DELETE YOUR FILES
There’s no paralyzing feeling quite like accidentally deleting a file. As your heart stops and sweat pools, you curse yourself and promise to never delete a file ever again. But before you swear off a clean server, follow these tips for organizing, trashing, and saving old files.
data, our technicians at MicroTech Systems can set up an archiving system. Clients can store old data they rarely use in a way that makes the most sense to them. This archive is backed up less often than a regular server, and data can be later deleted without impacting your active server. Don’t procrastinate. Organizing your files is a lot like cleaning your room. If you do a little work each day, your server will be more efficient. Take the time now to organize your files into their appropriate homes and create an archiving system that keeps your old content stored safely and out of sight. An effective organization system can save you a marathon cleaning session and protect your files.
Go ahead and trash it. It’s difficult to know when to remove old files from your computer, especially with the overwhelming sense of permanency that comes with pressing “delete.” But files use up space, and as your server swells with
information, your processes will begin to run slower and slower. To avoid a slowdown, determine which files you can live without. You likely don’t need the images you download for your fun email blasts, but things like invoices and client information should be stored securely.
The experts at MicroTech Systems can help you develop an organization system that will keep your technology running smoothly and the file- hoarding to a minimum. For more technology tips, visit MicroTechBoise. com/MicroTech-Blog, or call (208) 345-0054 for more information.
Not ready to give it up? When it comes to sensitive documents, saving an old file becomes more pertinent. Instead of swiping a computer clean and losing that valuable
Have a Laugh!
Miso Caramel Apples
This silky caramel recipe is spiked with miso for a complex, rich snack that won’t hurt your teeth.
Ingredients
• • • •
4 Granny Smith apples 1/2 cup raw pistachios 1 1/2 tsp plus 1 cup sugar
• • • • •
2 tbsp white miso, divided
4 Popsicle sticks
2 tbsp light corn syrup 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 tbsp sesame seeds
Directions
1. Heat oven to 275 F. 2. In a food processor, pulse
infrequently, until caramel is a light amber color.
pistachios and 1 1/2 tsp sugar. Add sesame seeds and 1 tbsp miso, pulsing until miso is fully broken up. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15–20 minutes and let cool. 3. Meanwhile, insert a Popsicle stick into the center of each apple. 4. In a saucepan, bring corn syrup, 1 cup sugar, and 2 tbsp water to a boil. Boil for 5–7 minutes, swirling
5. Add cream and salt to caramel,
whisking to combine. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and quickly whisk in remaining miso. caramel, then in pistachio mixture, before resting on greased baking sheet.
6. To assemble, first roll apple in
7. Let cool 30 minutes and serve.
Inspired by Bon Appétit
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Inside
Parenting Adventures in Trick-or- Treating
Play This Song to Your Sales Team
Should We Delete Our Files?
Miso Caramel Apples
Tips for Women Climbing the Business Ladder
A Woman’s Guide to Corporate Success ‘Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire: Business Sense & Sensibility’
While Mireille Guiliano is best known for “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” her book on healthy eating and balanced living, authorship is actually her second career. Before she took up the pen, Guiliano was president and CEO of the French Champagne brand Veuve Clicquot. She developed Veuve Clicquot’s reputation in America almost single- handedly over a 20-plus year career, and now she has chronicled that success in her 2010 bestseller “Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire: Business Sense & Sensibility” — a guide to climbing the corporate ladder geared specifically toward women. Just as “French Women Don’t Get Fat” upended the typical diet book format, “Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire” leaves the usual business book style behind almost immediately. As Guiliano writes in her introduction, “This isn’t another business book that tells you how to ‘succeed’ or ‘get the corner office.’ Yes, of course, you’ll find advice on getting ahead and getting promoted … but more than that, you’ll find advice on being happy and living a good life, even while you are making the biggest contribution you can to the workplace. That’s why I dare to talk about style, and clothes, and food, and wine, and entertaining, and LIFE in a business book. We don’t work in a vacuum.”
Guiliano is true to her word. Between the covers, readers will find advice on topics as far-ranging as developing the perfect handshake, choosing catering for a business dinner, dressing for success, and putting together an effective presentation. Guiliano has plenty of experience to back up her counsel and shares amusing anecdotes about the food and beverage industry, French culture, and her own journey along the way. There are no easy three-step solutions here, only long-term goals and strategies.
What really makes “Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire” unique is that it caters specifically to women in pursuit of high-powered CEO or CFO jobs. Guiliano covers circumventing prejudice right alongside choosing a dress and tips on being the perfect lunch date. Still, both men and women will come away from this book with ideas about how to achieve success without sacrificing the pleasures French women hold so dear.
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