PayPal has a new “Smart” button to use on your website. It offers PayPal, Venmo, major credit cards in one easy click. Much easier for your clients! There are other options you should check out too.
Let’s Meet Remotely!
Business Can Continue With Online Meetings!
Your Computer Lady was an early adopter of online meetings. It’s often my preferred method of meeting for its simplicity and time-savings.
But with COVID-19, online becomes more important. You can keep your business functioning in many ways with online meetings.
Yes, you can email but using video calls or online meetings allows easier, more clear communications.
What’s App
This is an app for iPhone or Android that allows chat as well as video calls. I work with a programmer in Germany and we meet 2-3 times a week via video. After you download the app, you place a video call just like you would a phone call. Apple provides a similar service called FaceTime. (What’s App is free!)
Zoom or GoToMeeting
Online meetings give you video, chat, screen sharing with 1 or 1000 people. There are free accounts with limited features and more robust plans that have monthly fees.
Your Computer Lady can help.
- You can use my account for a one time meeting.
- I’ll help you set up your own account.
- I’ll be your tech support during a meeting.
- I’ll train you to use the meeting service.
We are all going to need to make changes and adjustments during this crisis. But there’s no need to panic. We can do business! We can find work-arounds and hacks to make it happen.
Call me if you have questions or need assistance.
PS – You can use the same online meetings to stay in touch with family and friends. If you can’t do an in-person visit, jump online. Share those smiles!
Working Securely While Working Remotely
“In today’s digital workplace, more organizations offer the option for remote work in an effort to cut overhead costs, reach talent in other geographical regions, and give employees a more flexible schedule. In fact, 74% of organizations believe that flexible working has become the “new normal”. Now, in light of the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), some organizations are even requiring remote work. “
Click here to read the full article.
COVID-19 Won’t Stop Us!
Kudos to the Phoenix Women’s Leadership Summit for fast, creative thinking. Instead of cancelling the conference, they switched to Live Streaming and On-Demand. They sweetened the offer with 12 monthly webinars and a pass to next year’s conference. Good marketing! Good community building!
Phoenix Women’s Leadership Summit
End of Support for Windows 7
Microsoft is ending all support for Windows 7 on JANUARY 14, 2020. No more procrastinating!! You need to move to Windows 10 before that date. The sooner the better so you have time to update printer drivers, Office and other software, other hardware, etc.
Contact Building Bridges Business Solutions asap. They’ll take good care of you.
If you aren’t sure which version you have
-Go to Settings
-System
-About
-Scroll down to the Windows specifications section
-Look at Edition
7 Mobile Apps for Editing and Enhancing Images
This article from Social Media Examiner not only has recommendations, it has instructions on how to use the apps for specific problems.
This is “must read” material for those of you who use candid shots for your social media posts and blogs. Professional photography skills aren’t required. Whew! But worthy subjects and legible photos are. So one little tweak like removing the ugly wall plug on your photo can make a huge difference.
Take your photography to a higher level!
For the Future
JotForm is an established company that lets you create forms to use on websites. Your Computer Lady has used them several times. They have a new program that lets your form become a PDF immediately. So instead of getting an email with an unfamiliar looking line of fields, you receive a PDF with graphics, field titles, electronic signatures, etc. The PDF is ready for distribution to your peers or even to clients! Much more user-friendly!! Click here to check it out!
Don’t Get Scammed!
I had another client get scammed last week by the “Microsoft noticed that your computer has a virus and we want to help” message that commandeers your computer.
MICROSOFT NEVER EVER CONTACTS YOU ABOUT A VIRUS OR PROBLEM
WITH YOUR COMPUTER! NEVER.
Do not call the number given in the message! Do not let unknown persons remotely access your computer. Do not give unknown persons your credit card info.
If you are ever in doubt, call me or text me at 480-433-9995 for help.
Or take these steps to get out of the lock.
Try to close your browser completely.
If that doesn’t work, hit Ctrl+Alt+Del to open your Task Manager and force the browser to close.
If that doesn’t work, power off the computer. Hold the power button down several seconds until it forces a shut down.
Unplug your modem. Then restart the computer. If the message shows up again, try to close it again. There is no Internet connection so it can’t do any harm at this point.
Shut down the computer again. Re-plug the modem. Turn on the computer. Open your browser.
If you see the message again, call one of my hardware referrals. Let them clean up the problem.
If you don’t see the message, say a gratitude prayer!
Building Bridges Business Solutions
602-604-5000
Les Ticey
Expert IT Support
480-217-3721
James Casteneda
All That Tech Stuff!
Here is a cool site with lots of answers and lots of suggestions for you on all things tech – phones, online banking, Alexa, speakers, etc. The content ranges from simple “What is a platform?” to more complex “How to buy the right laptop.”
And it’s FREE!
Protect Your Site From Ransomware
Your Computer Lady can help protect you from being hit by certain ransomware by setting up reliable backups. It is important that you don’t store your backups on your web server. If, for example, they’re stored in a ZIP archive on your server, then if your site is taken over by a ransomware, the backups will also be encrypted and will be useless. Your backups should be stored offline, either with your hosting provider or using a cloud storage service like Dropbox. YCL does exactly that! In case your site has been compromised, our clean backups will be used to first wipe out the infection and, in a second step, to restore your website.
Backups are part of the WP Maintenance plan. For only $30 per month, Your Computer Lady:
- Updates your WordPress software
- Updates your WordPress plug-ins (These are the apps that do things on your site like a Calendar, scheduling, etc.
- Daily backups on the GoDaddy server which are kept for 30 days.
- Monthly backups stored on Dropbox which are kept for 3 months.
This maintenance is soooooo important that Your Computer Lady does it AT COST to help everyone get the maintenance.
PS – This ransomware is different than the junk that hits your computer. You know, the “Microsoft wants to fix your computer” messages. If you get one of those messages, DO NOT CALL the number on your screen. Call your IT company immediately. If you don’t have a reliable IT company, call me for a referral. Trust me on this. Neither Microsoft or Dell will ever send you a message about fixing your computer. They’ll send update messages but never “fixes.”