Tag: Google Apps to Hosted Exchange
Is Technology Moving Too Fast For You To Keep Up?
I think so! As a technical consultant, most of my clients call in for help with issues such as buying a new computer, new software, what should I use for email, how can I manage my work with my team, efficiency needs and of course…tech support. Many of my clients find us via LinkedIn and the majority of them complain that technology is moving too fast. I have to agree! I have found that even working in technology, it’s all too fast for me, too. I think what’s moving too fast right now is all the smartphone and Windows 8 changes. Even though I work in the field, I too have a lot to read up on. I can’t spend my days surfing Tech Crunch or those hyped up techie sites to keep up (Just like you all, I run a business!). Some days I find myself drowning in technology.
Even as a social media enthusiast, I can’t keep up with the ever changing social media apps and fun stuff. I noticed this years ago after I wrote my eBook about social media; everyday there was something new to learn and figure out. I get a lot of information from of course LinkedIn and Facebook, but feeds are hard for me to keep up with there, too. I catch probably 5% of what is being pushed out. When my friends ask, “Didn’t you see my update”….I usually say, “No, when was it,” because I only see what comes up when I log in (usually a couple of times a day).
The iPhone is a lot to keep up with for me, too. Everyone talks about this app and that app, and to be fair, I use my phone for 5 things – phone, text, check my email and my calendar on the road, and do Facebook messenger because my best friend is completely addicted to it. Yesterday I unplugged my phone during an update… not the brightest idea I found out. But luckily my computer did a backup before it had to restore to factory (UGH). So I ended up losing all my apps, but my data was safe. I didn’t even care. I never used the apps.
What are your thoughts on technology moving too fast? Or are you keeping up? And if so, how much time do you spend on the upkeep?
Call That Girl’s Guide To Outlook
Call That Girl will be launching a new business services line of support and to get going, I thought I would do a review of Outlook. Outlook is probably one of the most used software programs out there. I am a big fan of it, have used it for years…but there are a few things everyone should know. The big tips are at the bottom of this blog. We will start with a review of who uses Outlook and for what purposes.
HOME USERS
So, let’s start with the average home user. Why do you need Outlook? You probably don’t unless you have a smart phone and like synchronizing your calendar, tasks, contacts, etc. Most home users use free email services such as Gmail, Hotmail and Comcast. Many Mom’s like Outlook for the kids calendar, home calendar and keeping track of contacts.
SMALL OFFICE/HOME OFFICE USERS
SOHO (small office/home office) crew. Yes, you folks need an email program of sorts if you are going to run a business. Outlook is a great option, and here is why…
- Email from mulitple accounts can be added to Outlook in one profile
- Easy to move from an AOL, Hotmail, MSN to Outlook and start using your professional business email account with easy transition.
- Great for smart phone users, synchronizes all data from Outlook to smart phone.
- Rules and Alerts, use these to organize emails from certain groups, people, companies that need to be organized as they come in your email inbox.
- Easy to back up
- Easy to use with social networks
- Most importantly, give your business that professional edge! Getting your own website and email is where it’s at for running a business.
SMALL BUSINESSES
Small businesses need Outlook help too. If you are in an office with around 20 people, you probaby don’t have in-house help, but rather one person who happens to know the most about the company IT and do it as well as their real job with the company. Sometimes having an outsider who knows Outlook is a great option for the quick fixes (for us!) and less headaches (for you!). With our 15 minute quick fix rate of $25, you can’t go wrong asking Call That Girl to help out on occasion.
CORPORATE USERS
Many corporate users have Outlook and keep all of their contacts/calendar appointments at work. They may also have rules about taking data with you, so we recommend you check with your manager or HR department before calling us and assisting with that. Your company IT department may also be able to assist you in exporting critical Outlook information (email, contacts, calendar).
Are you an Outlook Express user? If so, as you may or may not know, Outlook Express is no longer supported by Microsoft. You can still use it, but support is not an option with them. We at Call That Girl can support you, but many functionalities just do not work so well and we are now moving folks to Outlook. You can also opt for Windows Mail or Windows Live Mail if you are still looking for a free option. But of course, you may have problems importing in your folder list from Outlook Express. I have seen this be a problem for some of my clients.
TIP: Outlook by default opens a PST File (Personal Storage) in a hidden file on your computer. That is where most of your email and folders probably are. Not everyone knows this and it’s very important that you back up that PST file often. If your computer crashes, the PST is just as important as your pictures and music!
TIP: if your Outlook is getting slow to open, you may want to see how large your PST file is. Some versions of Outlook will lock you out if it gets too large. If you have a newer copy, you have a lot more room. But keep this in mind, the larger your PST file, the longer it will take to open. I won’t get into technical talk about this, but if your Outlook is slow to open, call us for a quick review on it, we can help you move off old emails to another PST and get your Outlook in good shape again.
TIP: Using multiple computers and am sick of dealing with mail everywhere? I happen to use a service that synchronizes all of my email and folders. I was at a place a few months ago where I had 4 computers I was checking email on and was just tired of all the extra work I had to do to manage the email. If you are interested in learning more about this, contact us for a review.
TIP: Set up rules and make your life easier! I have been doing this for years and LOVE IT. If I happen to get a ton of email from one person, I give them a folder and a rule. When I get an email from that person, it goes right to the folder I need. Outlook marks it unread, so you know there is new email there.
TIP: Looking for a calendar sync tool? I have been using the Google calendar with my Outlook for a couple of months and have to admit, I really like it. As many of you know, I’m not a big fan of using Google for everything, but I am liking this calendar option. You have to invite yourself to the event, and then it syncs to your Outlook calendar. I have my assistant do all the bookings on the Google calendar and I get the invites on my Blackberry and every computer I have Outlook on. I really dig this!
TIP: Be sure to check your junk e-mail folders! So many of us forget to check that folder, and I have found many important emails sneaking in there! Why is that? Because of the subject line. The person sent it with a title that was caught by spam/junk filters. I think checking that daily is important, you can mark what is not spam/junk to make sure that those emails come to your regular inbox.
I hope this helps many of you, if you have any questions about your Outlook, feel free to comment or give us a call for a review of any problems you are having. 612-865-4475