Last month's answer -

b) Weird Harold and Dumb Donald were characters on Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.

****************************

This month's question is:

What invention, more than 100 years old, has a product, a company, a town, an institution and a school named after it?

a) Canada Mint
b) Hershey Bar
c) Xerox
d) Frigidaire

Be the first to e-mail Sue Worthing sue@ezsolution.comwith the correct answer to win a $20 gift certificate to Isaacs Deli or Starbucks!

Here's how.

This past year with the introduction of EZCare, which is our comprehensive managed services platform, our services became proactive rather than reactive. The model works because IT issues are prevented before they become problems to be fixed. Because we charge a regular monthly fee to maintain computer health, rather than an hourly fee to fix machines that are broken, your costs are reduced when your network is healthy and strong. 

Lower Total IT Costs:Through a regular monthly fee that covers all preventative and proactive maintenance for client machines, total IT costs are lowered. We monitor a number of key network health indicators and regularly make upgrades and provide fixes before users are impacted or notice a decline in performance.

Reduced Hidden Costs and Increased Staff Productivity:Because client PCs and servers are stable and secure, with fewer disruptions or breakdowns, your staff has more time to be productive. A stable and secure network environment also means your staff experiences fewer instances of data loss, instances that not only require your time to rebuild the data, but also impede short-term and long-term business growth.

Greater IT Cost Predictability:Even with the most robust IT support structure, most small-to-medium businesses struggle to determine how much should be set aside each month for IT support to deal with tricky desktop issues or server and network outages. With our fixed monthly fees that cover monitoring, preventative maintenance, and unlimited remote support, our clients know their exact IT costs per month, and they can budget and plan appropriately.

Stronger Alignment of IT with Business Goals: As a client you will have access to our business review with individuals who have worked with other small-to-medium-sized organizations to ensure that IT furthers company strategy. Through the business reviews, our consultant examines business goals and provides advice and support based on both available and future technology, looking for ways to make your networks not only stronger but also more efficient. All with the purpose of making sure current IT investments match the uniqueness and breadth of your vision.

The bonus: Because our services eliminate issues before they turn into problems, we can make "worry free" IT a reality and who can put a price on a good night of sleep? If EZCare is for you, call Jeff Weaver at 291-0370 to discuss how to move from "worry" to "worry free".

Logos are everywhere. And almost every business has one. But what makes one logo successful and another a liability? One could write a book on the subject of course, but I'll attempt to make a few points about the attributes of good (and bad) logos. Since your logo represents your business in the marketplace, it's worth spending some time and resources to make sure it's reflecting your business in a positive light.

Think you have a bad logo? This could be the reason:

Poorly designed graphics: Many logos are weak simply because the graphics were created by someone who is not a professional designer. Like any other discipline, it takes much work and skill to create high quality artwork and to develop really good ideas.

Too complex: There is a tendency to try to have a logo communicate too much. Part of a successful logo is the ability to boil the design down to its essence. If your company has 5 divisions, maybe the logo is not the place to symbolically represent all of them.

Poor typeface choices: A typeface can make or break a logo. Since there are literally 1,000's of choices, it takes real design sensibility to select a font that really captures the feeling, or essence of your business. Less successful logos often feature typefaces that do not "match" the business. For example, using a 1960s psychedelic typeface to represent an elegant, classy product may not be the best choice.

Confusing picking a typeface with designing a logo: Many people, when designing their own logo, pick a font they like, type out their company name, and ta-da, they have their logo. Problem is, the power of a logo is in its exclusiveness. Anyone could select the same font and look just like you. There is nothing wrong with an all-type logo, but it will have a distinctiveness that sets it apart.

We've looked at a few problem areas that contribute to poor logo design. Here are a few of the attributes that successful logos share:

Excellent design: Even though you may not be a designer, you probably know good design when you see it. A well executed design, whether a logo, brochure, or even a building, has a sense of style and quality to it. It makes sense. It is obvious that someone put some real thought and skill into all elements of it. A good logo brings together great design, smart thinking and appropriate type choices in a pleasing way.

Communicates attributes accurately: A good logo reflects well on the company it represents. The viewer will get a sense of the attributes of the company and what it represents. Whether the company is a large international manufacturing company or a corner coffee shop, a highly focused tech firm or a quirky antique shop, the logo should give the viewer a good sense of the attributes of the company.

Is highly recognizable: When a logo is working well, it is very recognizable. This is the essence of branding. People begin to equate your specific typeface, your graphic symbol with your company. No matter where your logo is seen, it is recognized as belonging to your company. This is why consistent usage of a logo is so important.

Has a clever twist or surprise factor: Many times a successful logo will have an element in it that is not apparent on first viewing. It could be a shape created by the letterforms or a graphic that has multiple meanings that is only apparent after several viewings. When the viewer "discovers" the element, it brings them into the branding experience with an "ah-ha" moment.

Hopefully I've given you a few things to consider when accessing the strength of your logo. If you inwardly cringe every time you look at your logo, give Marlin at MDM Creative a call at 717.285.3789 for a free consultation. You can also check out some logos at MDMCreativeInc.com.

Bill Hager

Bill is a member of a long prominent family in Lancaster's history. His ancestor, Christopher Hager, founded the oldest family-owned department store in America in 1821.

Bill is passionate about bringing web site design and search engine marketing solutions to area businesses.

He is actively involved in several organizations, including LeTIP and the Sertoma Club of Lancaster, where he has served as an active member for 25 years and on the Board of Directors for 10 years. Bill is also the Co-President of the Lancaster Road Runners Club, an avid bicyclist, SCUBA diver and an exhibited photographer.

Active in his community, Bill has produced, written and directed an annual 90 minute stage show for the benefit of the Sertoma Club, a project he began in 1987. The gala event serves as the Kick Off for the organization's "World's Largest Chicken Barbecue" with a one day net proceeds record of $150,000.00.

Bill has a great sense of humor and keeps everyone at the office laughing. If you get the chance to meet Bill, ask him to do a magic trick or two for you.

"Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road."

- Stewart Brand

Middle Creek Builders, Inc.
www.middlecreekbuilders.com

B & T Cheese Co., Inc.
www.bandtcheese.com

Taj Mahal
www.tajlancaster.com

ShadowStone Village
www.shadowstonevillage.com

Eye Center of Lancaster County
www.eyedoctors.ws

Independent Educational Evaluators
www.ieeusa.net

Meadow View Woodwork
www.meadowviewgazebos.com

J-Mac Solutions
www.j-macsolutions.com

Terry's Entrerprise
www.terrysenterprise.com

Reamstown Insurance
www.rmins.com

Ener Systems, LLC
www.enersystems.com

Mennonite Information Center
www.mennoniteinfoctr.com

We are happy to welcome O'Donnell & Phillips, LLC as an EZSolution client. Drs. O'Donnell and Phillips are located at 230 Harrisburg Pike in Lancaster, PA. With a combined 50 years of experience in dentistry, you will find complete dental care with them.

The practice is especially focused on patients that require comprehensive complex dental restorations, which include bonding, crowns, bridges, dentures and implants. Also available are precision cosmetic dental procedures to keep that perfect smile. For more information, visit their website at www.odonnellandphillips.com or call (717) 293-2784.

Drs. O'Donnell and Phillips have elected to use EZSolution's Total Care Program. For one monthly fee, we provide 24/7 proactive monitoring and remote support for all of their servers and work stations. With quick access and emergency service available, we are keeping them smiling.

O'Donnell and Phillips, LLC's office manager, Lisa, has this to say: "EZSolution has been an asset to our practice. We have noticed less interruptions throughout our workday due to the proactive approach. When issues do arise, they have been very prompt in responding and correcting them."

For more information about Total Care call Jeff or Rich at 291-0370.

On the road, in the airport, at a client's site, or simply at home on the couch … these are places you can't – or don't want to – plug in your laptop. Want to keep your laptop running as long as possible without searching for an outlet? Here are five tips to help:

1) Keep your screen dim. A laptop's backlight requires a lot of power. Reducing the brightness conserves battery life.

2) Turn off unused hardware. Your Bluetooth and your Wi-Fi receiver can both be turned off if not in use. Unplug your external mouse or other device. Mute the PC's sound system. Not only will these steps save power, they will avoid annoying everyone else around you.

3) Don't multitask. Run as few programs as you can get away with. Stick to one application (word processor, browser, or whatever) if possible. (If online keep your antivirus and firewall on in the background.)

4) Avoid multimedia. Save your photo editing and video watching for when have AC power. These tasks use immense battery life. To listen to music, use your iPod (or similar device).

5) Sleep, standby or hibernate. Sleep mode (a/k/a "standby" in XP) keeps your PC on. It still uses power, just less than normal. Hibernate uses no power initially, but a lot of battery life to start back up

When your referral becomes a client (and has spent $1000 or more) then we will pay you $50 more. And, we will give your referral $100 off their purchase.