From the Desk of Janet Barclay

Windows Vista and Office 2007 have been on the horizon for a while now. I’ve been reading about them for months now, but resisted my invitation to download a free demo version. I love my computer and I love new technology, so maybe I’m just getting old and settled, but I really don’t have much desire to learn a whole new interface. Considering that I have Office 2003 and that many of my clients are still using Office XP, I wasn’t too worried about upgrading any time soon.

Now that both products have been officially launched, I’m starting to hear and read feedback from real people who have tried it, and I think it’s safe to say that I won’t be jumping on the bandwagon. From what I hear, both programs are real RAM hogs (even more so than their predecessors), causing all but brand new computers to slow down to an unbearable speed, or should I say lack of speed. In a way, I’m relieved that I’m not missing out, but another part of me is outraged that one company can have so much control over our lives - and our finances. Because I’m sure a lot of people will try to run these programs on their older computers and decide it must be time to buy a new computer, even though they may have been quite content with their existing system.

Of course, my Mac user friends are just sitting back and laughing at what they see as one more proof that Macs are better than PCs. I’ve never owned a Mac and haven’t had much opportunity to use one, so I’m really not qualified to comment on that. The most important thing is that everyone has a system that THEY are comfortable using and that allows them to accomplish what they want and need to do, whether it be for work, fun, or both.

I absolutely love clever taglines! It seems to be one area where "hokeyness" can be effective, because it makes it more memorable.

Here are a few good ones I’ve come across here in good-old-Hamilton:

Doctor PC - We make house calls and we do Windows! 

JK Business Services - Bookkeeping Solutions that Make Cents!

Hamilton Midwives - We deliver

Carstar Quality Collision Service - A bang-up job every time

Pioneer Car Wash - Our vacuums really suck

Life is overflowing with the new. But it is necessary to empty
out the old to make room for the new to enter.
- Eileen Caddy

I’m sure that Ms. Caddy, who recently passed away at the age of 89, had something spiritual in mind when she wrote this. It makes good sense that in order to make room in our lives for new attitudes and beliefs, we first need to cast off the old ones.

Yet the same applies to your physical belongings. How often have you said "I have nothing to wear" as you stared into your full closet? Or had difficulty finding somewhere to store your new purchases? Developing a habit of getting rid of one item for each new one you bring home will prevent this from happening.

Going through your possessions and discarding those that are no longer useful or enjoyable can also serve as a reminder to examine your attitudes and beliefs, and to eliminate those that may be hindering you.

This was forwarded to me, and supposedly originated with the administrator for a corporate system.  Whether it did or not, it is excellent advice that applies to everyone who send e-mails.
 
Do you really know how to forward e-mails? 50% of us do; 50% DO NOT.  You may want to print this if you are in the 50% who do not really know how to forward e-mails.  Then you will have a guide to follow.
 
Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail? Do you hate it? Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses and names. As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every E-mail address that has come across his computer. Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will make five cents for each hit. That’s right, all of that inconvenience over a nickel! How do you stop it? Well, there are two easy steps:
 
1) When you forward an e-mail,  DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top). That’s right, DELETE them. Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do. It only takes a second. You MUST click the "Forward" button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message. If you don’t click on "Forward" first, you won’t be able to edit the message at all.
 
2)  Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc:columns for adding e-mail address. Always use the BCC:(blind carbon copy) column for listing the e-mail addresses. This is the way that people you send to only see their own e-mail address. If you don’t see your BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear. Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that’s it, it’s that easy. When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say "Undisclosed Recipients in the "TO:" field of the people who receive it.
 
3)  Remove any "FW:" in the subject line. You can re-name the subject if you wish or even fix spelling.
 
4)  ALWAYS hit your Forward button from the ACTUAL e-mail you are reading… Ever get those e-mails that you have to open 10 pages/attachments to read the one page with the information on it? By Forwarding from the ACTUAL page you wish someone to view, you stop them from having to open many e-mails just to see what you sent.
 
Have you ever gotten an email that is a petition? It states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to forward it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book. The email can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses. A FACT: The completed petition is actually worth a couple of bucks to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and email addresses contained therein. If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient. Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email address on a petition.

So please, in the future, let’s stop the junk mail and the viruses.

Every weekend I read the Careers Section of the Hamilton Spectator. It’s a habit I developed while working as an employment counsellor. I especially enjoy Jay Robb’s column, which is often a book review. This past week he reviewed The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary, by Joseph Michelli. The book explains how Starbucks employees are encouraged to practice the company’s core values, as outlined in their handbook, the Green Apron Book.

I was very eager to read about the five principles that have made Starbucks so successful, and happy to learn that they are things I can easily practice in my own business, and very often, am already doing so.

So today I am formally adopting the Starbucks Five Ways of Being as my own:

1. Be welcoming.
2. Be genuine.
3. Be considerate.
4. Be knowledgeable.
5. Be involved.

I will not, however, be donning the green apron.