Download audio file (wayne_horner_2010-06-22.mp3)

Summary

FreshCrop’s data recovery service saves the day for an accountant….just before April 15th!

“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.”

- Oliver Wendell Holmes

There are many drawbacks to traditional backup software: only saves one version or a snapshot of your files, if you lose a document during editing you can’t get those changes back, setting up is difficult and even then it may not be getting the files that are most important to you.

There is an opportunity here to have a better experience and give you peace-of-mind knowing that your documents, photos, music and video are safely backed up. Setup is quick and simple, taking under 10 mins while automatically selecting the files and folders that you use the most. The BackInTime feature gives you a time capsule view of all versions of your files. Travel back and forth to find the file you want.

Try FreshCrop MediaBACKUP free for 30 days!

I wanted to share a recent personal story from a FreshCrop customer:

“Had a terrible scenario come true this weekend. A compact flash card was formatted before the images had been downloaded. It happened so fast and unintentional, yet I knew what I had done seconds after it happened. I put the card aside and didn’t use it for another session.

I didn’t panic too much, as there are companies out there that will retrieve the files. But the thought that the formatting of the card may have wiped them out, that it may cost hundreds of dollars and weeks of delay, was still cause for a few steepness nights.

On a forum I found a link to MediaRECOVER software: www.freshcrop.com. For $30 the software worked just as was advertised. It took a deep scan and within 10 minutes every raw file that had been recorded that day appeared in a folder. Oh, you know I was dancing!

Just had to let you know that there is hope if you should make the same mistake. But of course you are smarter than I and you will not let it happen in the first place.”

If a customer has a great experience, don’t be afraid to ask! She went on to say:

“Yes, you have my permission to use it on your website. Every time I visited your site, I read the testimonials and gained more confidence in purchasing your product.

I found your link on the Boston Photographers Guild forum. Two photographers linked your site in their posts along with positive feedback after using your software.

I was dreading making the phone call to tell my clients I had “lost” their images. Now I’ll get to sleep tonight!”

Feels great to have a customer like that!

Download audio file (wayne_horner_2010-06-22_14.20.mp3)

Summary

FreshCrop’s data recovery service expert discusses common signs and symptoms that your hard drive is failing.

The Apple iPhone is very susceptible to damage from daily use. Drops, bumps and weight on the screen can cause glass/digitizer and LCD damage. As much as we use our phones, it is important that after an accident we have the problem fixed immediately so that we can go back to using our phone.

To kick off our iPhone repair service we will begin with offering glass/digitizer repair, LCD repair and battery replacement for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3Gs and iPod Touch with plans to add the iPad and iPhone 4 shortly.

iPhone 3G glass/digitizer repair – $79.00
iPhone 3G LCD repair – $79.00
iPhone 3G battery replacement – $35.00

iPhone 3Gs glass/digitizer repair – $89.00
iPhone 3Gs LCD repair repair – $99.00
iPhone 3Gs battery replacement - $45.00

iPod Touch glass/digitizer repair – $79.00
iPod Touch LCD repair repair - $79.00

Maverick is a recommended read that challenges every modern day notion of how to run a company. Some excerpts about Semco and Ricardo Semler:

Semco’s 3,000 employees set their own work hours and pay levels. Subordinates hire and review their supervisors. Hammocks are scattered about the grounds for afternoon naps, and employees are encouraged to spend Monday morning at the beach if they spent Saturday afternoon at the office. There are no organization charts, no five-year plans, no corporate values statement, no dress code, and no written rules or policy statements beyond a brief “Survival Manual,” in comic-book form, that introduces new hires to Semco’s unusual ways. The employees elect the corporate leadership and initiate most of Semco’s moves into new businesses and out of old ones. Of the 3,000 votes at the company, Ricardo Semler has just one.

via Christian Sarkar

“30% of people’s time is spent trying to understand why people make more than they do, how come people came late, why weren’t you at the meeting, can you do this by Wed 6 o’clock….and it’s all very silly.”

“This is just too much work. What do you want me to do? I’ll just do my 9-to-5 thing…I’ll learn how to survive in this environment.”

via YouTube

Why was it a disaster for us? Simple, not being focused and stretching resources thin.

We juggled over 30 prospective deals ranging from OEM bundles, retail to service related products with businesses as diverse as video game manufacturers to international publishers. Every one of these took one hundred man hours between emails, phone calls, conference calls, travel and proposals. Almost none materialized because of lack of focus. There wasn’t a strong connection to what our core value was, how our customers buy and the proposed arrangement.

There are always new possible deals that you can add or new markets that you can go in to. This can easily create diaster. It is best to be #1 in your niche. Understand the psychology of how your customers buy. After success in your niche you can then expand WITH MORE RESOURCES in to related products and services.

How to Take your Start-Up to the Next Level from Carsonified on Vimeo.

Marketing teams, testing, VPs and lawyers all need to sign-off. This is why creating an inside champion for your product is important

How can you help them help you?

Product managers and directors propose an add-on or addition to their products are generally met with skepticism and general grilling. “Why should we add this?” Properly training your champion on your pluses will help to deliver the sale.

First, does the product work properly? Get all of your ducks in a row for the big opportunity. A team of engineers will test for any errors. These days multi-lingual support is important. Make sure that translations have been done properly.

Second, who are you? Big companies want to trust that you will be around, that you won’t make them look bad and won’t cause any lawsuits. In the tech field Professional Liability / Errors & Omissions insurance goes a long way. A strong indemnity clause in the agreement is a given, expect this. A similar successful deal with another large OEM will offer a huge boost in the confidence of working with your company.

Third, help me sell you! Provide a pitch deck for your product or company. Provide a competitive chart, what is your place in the market? What awards have you won?

Nailing these questions will give you a leg up on the competition. Good luck, these deals can be a boon for your company!