Step 1 – Clean the hard drive of deleted and unneeded files by using the Windows Disk Cleanup Tool.  On most systems, you can find this tool under Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools.   Running this tool does take time, so set an hour aside once a month.  Just cleaning the files off your hard drive will keep your hard drive clean and uncluttered.

Step 2 – Defragment your hard drive.  When a file is saved to your hard drive, it is like writing a sentence on a lined piece of paper.  It starts at the top left and starts writing the file.  Now imagine a full page of sentences.  If you don’t need a sentence or need to write more on this page, you will need to erase a line or two.  This holds true for the hard drive.  When you delete files from your hard drive it has space here and there.  When files are written, the hard drive needs to utilize its space wisely so it will go to the top left and start to write the file until the first hole is full.  If the file didn’t fit into one hole or space, it goes to the next open space to continue to write the file until the file is written and saved to the hard drive.  The file is now called a fragmented file.  The hard drive is very good at tracking these fragments, however it does take time to collect the fragments and reconnect them in order for you to open.

Over time, your hard drive becomes fragmented to a point where it is taking a long time to collect all of the file fragments to reassemble the file.  This is called a fragmented hard drive.  One sound solution is to use another tool called Disk Defragmenter.

Running this tool once a month after the Disk Cleanup tool, will save time, space and wear and tear on the mechanical parts moving back and forth over the storage media.

Step 3 – Use the Evolve Vault to keep backups of your files off-site and in a safe and secure location only you have access too.  The Evolve Vault runs quietly in the background. When there is an Internet connection, it will keep your vault in sync with the directory you have chosen to back up.  The Evolve Vault can run on Windows or Mac and has an unlimited amount of storage.

Today the Evolve Vault Backup Solution costs $49.50 a year.  That is only .13 cents a day, for unlimited storage.  It is also half the cost and none of the hassles of maintaining your own hardware for backups.

What will you lose if your system goes down?

I am so confident you’re going to love using the Evolve Vault! During year of 2012, we are offering it to our subscribers for $20.12 for a year!  That’s .06 Cents a day for peace of mind.

Just go to http://evolvevault.com/packages-pricing/ and click the Backup Buy Now Button.

Enter code CIO2012 for your special discount.

*This article was written by our CIO Carl Boudreau as part of our monthly CIO Corner series.*

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We are entering the fourth full week of the new year today, and for the average American that means this is the week you will forget about or give up on your New Year’s Resolution. While New Year’s Resolutions are often personal (but unlikely) challenges stated at the end of one year or beginning of the next, business goals can (and should) be made frequently.

If you run or manage a small or large business, we hope you have created goals for 2012. If you haven’t yet, here are a few things to consider.

-Set one goal at a time, and give it a deadline. Stating you would like to double your business in 2012 is a nice goal, but probably not the most realistic. Instead, choose to open 40 new accounts by April 1st. Choose to sell $10,000 in products in February.

-When you have chosen what you will do, decide how you will do it. If you are blindly aiming at a target, you probably won’t hit it. With a plan, you have a much better shot. How can you open 40 new accounts by April 1st? Figure out the best way to go about it, and then do it.

-Share your goal with others. Share it with your staff, your family, and other people who will hold you accountable. If others know about your goal, you will be more motivated to accomplish it. If you have employees, specific goals will give them something to aim for as well.

-Evaluate what you have done, and decide what you will do next. Did you sell $10,000 in products in February? If you did, set a higher goal for March and make it happen. If you didn’t, what could you do better next month to make it happen?

Goals are an important part of growing a business. Come up with one goal at a time, write it down, make it known, and do it.

Good luck!

Are your business goals web and/or social media oriented? If so, we can help! www.evolve-systems.com

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Government agencies and businesses prefer to use P-cards for a number of reasons including cost savings from e-procurement, enhanced reporting on purchases, greater employee purchasing control, and lower negotiated rates with businesses (e.g. airlines). The Federal government saved over $1 billion in 2006 by using p-cards. Similar cost savings were realized by businesses in terms of percentage of spend. Merchants enjoy accepting the purchase cards because payment can be received quicker, invoicing costs are substantially reduced, and government agencies and larger corporations have been known to give preferential treatment to businesses that are able to accept these cards and provide the necessary Level 3 data.

What most businesses do not know is that standard merchant accounts are not typically set up for Level 3 acceptance and not all providers of merchant accounts can offer Level 3 capabilities. If a merchant’s goods or services can be sold to government agencies or larger corporations, they are wise to get setup with a merchant account that can facilitate Level 3 processing. Level 3 processing is exclusively used in business to business and business to government environments.

Merchants should also be aware that when the appropriate information is included in a Level 3 purchase, they are rewarded with lower processing rates which can be as much as 1.00%. Evolve Systems has the experience and expertise to assist businesses in working with Level 2 and 3 processing as well as your e-commerce and website needs.

For information on how to assist your clients in processing at Level 3 rates, please contact us at Evolve Systems.

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1. Promoting new products. Sharing images and information on new products is great, but showing your products in action is one of the best things you can do. This is something you can get really creative with, or keep it simple and direct.

2. Employee training. YouTube makes it easy to offer ongoing training without cutting into productivity by rounding everyone up for seminars. Employees can watch presentations when it is convenient for them.

3. Client training and Frequently Asked Questions. If you offer a product or service, there is a good chance you will answer the same questions over and over. With YouTube, you can create a short video giving an in-depth answer and all you have to do is share the link.

4. Testimonials. What is better than someone loving your product or service? Someone telling other people they love your product or service! You can easily record testimonials and share them on your website or blog for prospective customers to see.

So there you have it- 4 new ways for using YouTube. If you are not sure where to start, YouTube has put together a Getting Started Guide! Check it out today and discover the usefulness of this great media platform.

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Cheers!

Your Friends at Evolve Systems

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Here at Evolve, we update when we have something substantial to say that will be helpful to our clients. Sometimes that is several times per week, sometimes it is a few times per month. We have compiled a list of 5 reasons why blogging is good for business.

1. Blogging allows you to communicate with your customer base. You can share news, people can comment, and you can reply. If you have a new product or service, you can easily shine a spotlight on it with a simple blog post.

2. Simply put: Google loves links and new content. By blogging, you can easily link back to your website/homepage and google loves that. Why does it matter if Google loves your site? Because you want people to be able to find you with a simple search.

3. You can share things that may not have a place on your website. Quick updates, tips and tricks, links to related (but not competing) products, and publicity can all be quickly shared with a new blog post.

4. Reward frequent visitors. You can offer special discount codes, coupons, and savings to people who check in frequently. This will encourage traffic both to your blog and your website.

5. Request feedback! Both positive and negative feedback will benefit your business. Customers love telling their favorite companies what they like best and what could be improved. Give them the opportunity!

All in all, blogging is one of the easiest things you can do to establish a relationship with your customers. If you have a blog, people will go there first for the latest news. And if you DO have a blog, make sure you feed your new posts to your Twitter and Facebook accounts so people can find it easily!

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Twitter is really a public form of instant messaging. It gives consumers an opportunity to voice their praise/opinions/concerns, and gives businesses an opportunity to respond. The most common method of using Twitter is by sharing small snippets of thought, and replying to others’ small snippets. Each tweet can be re-tweeted (which is a great tool when offering a new promotion or discount) and replied to.

A less common method of using Twitter involves searching. There is a search bar on each twitter page- just enter a term such as ‘iphone 4s’ or ‘vikings game’ (just kidding- stay away from that term!) and you will instantly see what people are talking about when it comes to each term. Is the iphone popular? Of course it is. Do people have negative thoughts on it as well? You bet, and now you can see what they are. That is just one example- you can search for literally anything you want and you will most likely get results!

The bottom line with Twitter is that it gives your customers a chance to truly connect with you at all times. It’s customer service, promotion, brand building, and networking all in one.

On that note, follow us on Twitter, and stay tuned for our next social media post!

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Facebook is a wonderful tool for businesses large and small. It allows people to identify with their favorite products and companies on a personal level, and to interact with a real person, rather than a robot or answering machine. Here are a few of the best ways to use facebook:

1. Share news and upcoming events. The Facebook news feed is instant- when you post something, your followers will most likely see it right away. This is great for offering special discounts, reminding people of events they may want to attend, and directing people to your website or blog when you have a new product or something else to share.

2. Interact with your customers. When people are asked for opinions and feedback, they feel more invested in your company/brand. Ask your customers what they like best about your company, or what could be made better. Chances are, you will gain some valuable feedback that you may not otherwise receive. Feedback like this will help you improve your business.

3. Post a lot, but not too much. What I mean by that is don’t post sporadically, but don’t overwhelm your follower’s news feeds either. No one wants to have to scroll through a bunch of posts by the same person/company every time they log in. Post a few times a week, or once or twice a day and do it consistently! The exception to this is replying to current posts. You should always reply to people when they ask a question or offer information. This goes along with #2 above. Interacting with clients will never hurt you.

Do you use Facebook for business? Let us know so we can ‘like’ your page! Tweet us @EvolveSystemsUS or like us on facebook at facebook.com/evolvesystems

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While each network has it’s own benefits and characteristics, they all are used to communicate information about people and businesses. Is your business utilizing social media in more ways than one? Are you reaching as many potential clients as possible? Over the next couple of weeks we will be discussing the benefits of each network, and how they can help YOU promote YOUR business.

First up next week will be the ever famous Facebook. If you aren’t on Facebook yet, get ready to dive in! If you don’t even want to think about social media, contact us for information on our SEO and Social Media packages!

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Your field: networking with people in the same field as you is crucial. While these people may be ‘competitors,’ they are also met with the same challenges that you are. Two or more people faced with the same challenge are better able to devise strategies and overcome said challenges.

Related fields: these people will often become vital referrals for you. Being in a related field, they will meet with people often seeking out similar skills. For example, if you are a carpet cleaner, you will most definitely come across people looking to have their house painted as well. If you have networked with a painter, you have someone to refer. This not only benefits the painter, but it benefits your clients as well. Happy clients are repeat clients, and if you make a referral you are likely to receive one back when the opportunity arises.

Unrelated fields: networking with other business owners, no matter what their business is, is very beneficial! All businesses deal with similar things- customer service, bookkeeping, data management, etc. By networking with other business owners you will often find ways to improve your business practices.

Here in Minnesota, we are part of the WIN network. On September 27th they are hosting a Members-only Small Group Business Brainstorming session. This is a wonderful example of how small businesses can network and help each other out. This is an opportunity to discuss issues you are facing, ask for advice, and help others.

Networking is truly invaluable to a small business owner. If you aren’t doing it yet, you will be amazed at what it can do for your business!

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