We are all in business together...

We work overtime to make our businesses the best they can be. Providing a first-rate package for your customers and clients is demanding. Behind the scenes is an equally demanding world that the customer never sees. Every day there is a new challenge. Naturally your problem-solving skills are well developed, or your business wouldn't be as successful as it is. But today, you may be facing a problem for which you have no ready solution, or you may be noticing that a certain type of problem is reoccurring. There is obviously a deeper cause, but you aren't sure exactly what it is. It's far too easy to overlook the subtle issues, which may be holding back your business. You probably need some help. Few of us can maintain consistent quality when working alone.

One of the most common problems business owners neglect is an adequate backup system. This is an easy oversight, but a dangerous one. Overnight, all of the data you've been maintaining -- all your business contacts, all of your financial information, and all of your email-can become inaccessible:

• 1 in 4 computer users will suffer a critical data loss this year.
• Most data loss is outside your control. For example, a hard drive crashes every 15 seconds. Over 2,000 laptops are stolen or lost every day.
• Out of all companies that lose their data in a disaster, 90% are out of business within two years, and nearly 50% never reopen their doors at all after the disaster. (1)

Since it's easy to make copies of your data, we'll do just that! It's cheap insurance at the price of a backup system, some technical expertise to get you started, and a few minutes a day of your time.

At QC Computing, the backup solution we use (as of this writing) is daily backups of mission-critical files onto a USB memory key, and monthly backups of the entire computer onto an external hard disk. We also have a second computer with the same configuration, so when the primary computer fails, we can continue to operate the business. The last computer crash was a blip on the radar of business problems.

One client came to QC Computing with just the kind of nightmare we want to help you avoid. He never realized what kind of danger he was in ... until the morning his computer failed. He took his computer to a hardware technician. (When your computer needs repair, the service company will not guarantee that the files on your hard drive will still be there when the service is completed.) Terrified, he raised his voice at the hardware technician. After some tense exchanges, the technician said: "Relax. It's not as if this is your life we're talking about."

The future client was not happy. "If you can't restore my data, I won't have a life."

When he came to Ms. Bailey for help, she listened to his complaints, looked at the total health of his business, and made strategic suggestions for improvement. Her expertise helped him create a more profitable business, so that he could relax and enjoy his life.

Your business concerns are Madeline's concerns. If she sees a potential business problem and you choose to address it, she will help you, or refer you to a qualified expert. Ms. Bailey has worked very hard to qualify her referrals, and wants to help you make your business first rate in every way!

(1) National Archives & Records Administration in Washington