MicroTech Systems February 2019
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February 2019
Couches on the Roof Reminiscing About My First Apartment
A s my daughter Kennedi begins her second semester at Boise State University (BSU), she’s already thinking about her second year and preparing to rent her first apartment. I can tell she’s excited — and stressed — and I have to credit her for being so proactive. Her adventure into the life of a renter got me thinking about my first apartment, so I took a drive around my old neighborhood. Sadly, I couldn’t contain my dismay when I saw that the area had become so rundown. It was so disheveled! I called some old friends and told them the disappointing news: Our old stomping grounds had lost their luster. As we reminisced, they reminded me the area wasn’t all that pristine when we were living there, either. I was still upset, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized they were right. For example, I didn’t see a couch on the roof, like my roommates and I had back in the day. It was a perch for us to hang out, though none of us can remember why it was even up there in the first place. And that wasn’t even the weirdest thing to happen on a roof. One time, I remember seeing a guy up on the top of his house wearing ski goggles and mowing the roof. I guess the goggles were a safety precaution, because lawn mowers can send shingles flying at a high speed. If you ever see this sight, from personal experience, I suggest you run. Then there was also the time I had to bail Windmill out of jail. It was a typical fall evening of fun when what I’d call a “neighborhood brawl” broke out. A friend we had aptly nicknamed Windmill was wrapped up in the commotion, and to this day, we don’t let him forget about the few hours he spent in jail over it.
I guess the area wasn’t the Taj Mahal I thought it to be at the time, but it was worth every penny.
I moved into that place two days after graduation. It was a modest neighborhood, and we had a continual rotation of people living in our three-bedroom house. Throughout the seven-year period that I lived there, I had about five roommates, and the friends my wife, Keri, and I made there are still our friends to this day. Sure, we ate baby food because it was cheap and would scrounge up a few dollars for beer money each weekend. But the memories we created in that neighborhood — as crazy and slightly blurry as they may be — are some of our favorites. Today, it’s all a bit different. Kennedi hoped to live closer to campus, and she’s worrying about how she’s going to be able to afford her living and school expenses. I understand her fear. What cost us $500 or $600 has now doubled, and learning how to balance these costs on your own is complicated. But these are the kind of life situations that shape you for the future. Lawn mowers on the roof, bailing friends out of jail, and mystery couch placements are all part of growing up. Kennedi is experiencing the part of life when you stress about money, do stupid things, and learn wonderful lessons. I’m excited to watch her grow, because the memories I made are ones I wouldn’t trade for the world.
For some reason, though, she refuses to eat baby food.
–Randy Amorebieta
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Hyperlocal Advertising for the Broad Modern Business Marketing Starts Right Next Door
Whether you’re the CEO of a major tech-savvy corporation or a freelancer, your eyes should be set on your next marketing move in this digital age. While spinning signs on sidewalks and flying banners from the backs of airplanes may be considered staples of public
ads to potential customers within a 5-mile radius during the hours they are most likely to be hungry, on their lunch breaks, or when they are otherwise free to stop in for a bite to eat. Alternatively, a major car dealership in a metropolitan area could target their potential audience by running ads during local professional sports games. So how does this work for YOUR business? It all depends on your desired campaign for your targeted region. Assuming you’re well-informed about your current demographics or the demographics you’re hoping to reach, there are several methods to effectively implement hyperlocal advertising tactics. By using GPS and IP addresses, you’ll be able to target ads to specific cities, streets, and even buildings by inputting their coordinates. After you’ve narrowed it down, you can choose which areas work best for your goals. A mechanic shop expanding to a new city may cast a wider net, while a high-end jeweler may target areas with higher incomes. With hyperlocal strategies, your advertisements can be catered on a variety of digital platforms, like social media, streaming services, and apps. These new-age technologies will give you more exposure and patronage for your ever-expanding business!
outreach to some, the tides are shifting to more targeted ways of
reaching your future clientele. Virtually any business can benefit from utilizing hyperlocal advertising and its many strategic facets.
Hyperlocal advertising refers to the process of hyperspecific or niche marketing campaigns implemented for a certain focus area. This can manifest in many comprehensive forms, depending on the specific needs of the business. A local mom and pop restaurant may choose to take advantage of hyperlocal advertising by sending
WIN $5,000! Introducing Our New Referral Contest
3. Mention us to a business you love and trust every day. You want them to stick around, and we know our cybersecurity systems have the power to protect them. 4. If you’re friends with business owners, we bet you’d love to see them succeed. Mention our services to them at your next meeting! 5. Have a loyal business-owner client of your own? This client already trusts you, and you know them well enough to know what they might need. Try all five of these options and you could potentially have five tickets in our drawing for $5,000. Those are odds that are worth your effort. Don’t forget, the clients you refer to us must sign on for our services for you to be entered, but regardless of if you win or not, you will still be hundreds of dollars richer. So, seriously, why haven’t you done this yet? Learn more about our raffle online at MicroTechBoise.com
Last month we introduced our new referral raffle contest and your chance to win some extra money. The concept is simple: If a customer you referred to us signs up for our services, you get $500 and one of our 15 raffle tickets for a chance to win $5,000. It’s that easy.
This month, we just have one question: What are you waiting for?
As we make our way through another new year, more business owners are looking for ways to upgrade their IT and processing systems. We wanted to find a way to thank the community for supporting us for the past 50 years, and that’s why we created a lucrative opportunity that takes minimal effort while also tapping into the needs of the business owners we serve. Based on that, here are some ideas to get you entered. 1. Do you see your supplier or delivery person on a regular basis? Use some business savvy to strike up a conversation about their equipment, and mention our services during your next shipment arrival. 2. Offer your own award based off of ours. If a business you referred signs on with us, offer them a prize from you!
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The Top 5 IT Mistakes of 2018
And How You Can Avoid Them This Year
Creating an IT strategy for your company can be confusing, especially when your expertise is in your industry and not software processing. So, take our advice to make 2019 your best IT year yet by avoiding the following biggest IT mistakes of 2018. 1. Faithfully Filling The Cloud Applications like Dropbox are great for sharing photo and document files, but if you’re using them for business, you may want to rethink your process. These servers rely heavily on the internet and may not give you direct access while you’re on-the-go. Furthermore, the cost of utilizing these cloud servers increases as you fill them up, often making it costlier than purchasing a more-secure alternative. 2. Buying First and Learning Later You wouldn’t purchase a car without test driving it first, so why do you do the equivalent with your business? When you’re considering new software to help streamline your process, at the very least you must test the applications, do your research, read reviews, and consider alternatives. Avoiding blind purchases means fewer mistakes. 3. No Cyber Liability Insurance Here’s a sobering statistic: About 60 percent of small businesses will fail after a successful cyberattack,
due to the costs associated with recovery and fines. Cyber liability insurance helps your small business defray the costs of an attack, especially if you store sensitive information (like social security numbers). You may not think you’re prime for an attack, but hackers bank on that and specifically target small businesses. 4. Not Securing Every Piece of Technology Every device in your office is open to attack, even the smart thermostat or security cameras. Most businesses tend to forget that, so keeping even the smallest devices secure will ensure all your information is safeguarded. 5. Not Setting Goals It’s important to upgrade your old technology. Though it may seem overwhelming, the evolution of IT systems is advantageous to small companies. Start with a plan to reduce downtime and work your way up to improved security. The end result will be worth the time you put into it — and it’s less stressful than maintaining outdated technology. At MicroTech Systems, we know you can’t settle for mediocre technology. Let us upgrade your systems and help you avoid these five mistakes. Learn more online at MicrotechBoise.com
Have a Laugh!
Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
Inspired by Saveur magazine
For a sinfully delicious Valentine’s Day dinner, turn to this classic Italian steak preparation. It’s simply flavored with rosemary and lemon, allowing the meat to take center stage.
Ingredients
• • •
2 bone-in porterhouse steaks
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Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions 1/4 cup olive oil 2 sprigs rosemary
•
1. 30 minutes before cooking, remove steaks from fridge to bring them to room temperature. 2. Heat a grill or large cast-iron skillet to high. While heating, brush steaks with half the oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. 3. Place steaks on the hottest part of the grill or pan and cook for 5 minutes. 4. Flip steaks and baste with remaining oil, using rosemary sprigs as a brush. If cooking in a pan, place sprigs next to steaks after basting. 5. Cook for 5–6 minutes for medium-rare. 6. Let steaks sit for at least 5 minutes, slice against the grain, and serve with bone.
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
12592 W. Explorer Dr. #100 Boise, ID 83713
Inside
My First Apartment Memories
Better Targeted Ads for Your Local Customers
A Chance to Win $5,000
Avoiding 2018’s 5 IT Mistakes
Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
Book Review: ‘Do the Work’
‘Do the Work’ Overcome Resistance and Get Out of Your Own Way
Few modern authors have a resume as colorful or textured as Steven Pressfield. A graduate of Duke University, the best-selling author served in the Marine Corps, drove tractor trailers, taught school children, and worked as an oil field roustabout — all before penning his first published work. Having struggled as a writer for 17 years
on the drawing board. “Do the Work” is a follow up to it, prescribing Pressfield’s antidote to resistance — you guessed it: doing the work.
Compared to its predecessor, “Do the Work” is a quick read. Though it’s less than 100 pages, what this guide lacks in length it makes up for in specificity and approachability. The book is laser- focused on helping anyone who is undertaking creative endeavors to identify their own resistances and overcome them. Combined with Pressfield’s no-nonsense delivery, every page is filled with the distilled, biting wisdom of a man wholly dedicated to his craft. Pressfield manages to strike a tone that is stern, humorous, cynical, and at times even whimsical without missing a beat. You can feel the author smirking at you through the page when he tells you, “Stay stupid. Follow your unconventional, crazy heart.” He dares you to pick your pen back up and return to your drawing board. “Do the Work” crackles with the tempered passion and biting wit of a learned master. If you’re looking to reignite your creative spark, “Do the Work” needs to be a permanent fixture on your nightstand.
before seeing his first paycheck, it’s no surprise that Pressfield has plenty of wisdom to share when it comes to making long-term dreams a reality.
Pressfield first addressed the challenges aspiring artists,
entrepreneurs, and athletes face in “The War of Art.” This guidebook lays out Pressfield’s core philosophy that a creator is their own greatest enemy. It’s in this work that he first coined his idea of “resistance,” Pressfield’s word for the self-defeatist attitude that causes so many great ideas to be left
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