Peanuts to Profits With Thor Schrock
Peanuts to Profits With Thor Schrock

Those who read my posts regularly know that I believe that a recession is the best time to attempt to expand your business.

Durring a recession your competition:

• Will be reluctant to match your moves
• Will cut back on service to increase the bottom line
• Avoid investing in people and equipment

How Do You Expand Your Business When Your Customers are Spending Less?

The answer is pretty straight forward – you get more customers.  You take them from your competitors.

While your competitors are cutting like mad, you reach out and entice disgruntled customers into your fold.

To do this you have to increase your marketing budget, and radio auctions are a nifty tool to convert your unsold inventory or service certificates into needed advertising dollars!

How Do Radio Auctions Work?

Typically, radio stations sell air time for money.  In a tough economic climate,advertisers cut back, so stations have to get more cretive to hit their sales goals.

For example, lets say you own a website design company.  You might provide a $1,000 gift certificate to the radio station to auction on the air.  You would receive $1,000 in trade to spend on commercials, et. in exchange for your certificate.

The station would then auction the certificate on-air to its listeners who call in to make their bids.  The certificates often sell for less than their value, so the callers feel like they are getting a good deal.

You get the free commercials (not to mention a 5-minute plug during the auction its self), the customer gets a great value, and the station gets money.  Everyone is happy.

Keys to Success in a Radio Auction

There are a few things you can do to make sure your item sells for a decent amount in the auction.  Nothing is worse than getting no bids on your item!

1. Don’t assume the disc jockey knows what your product is or why it is a value.  Put this information in writing and provide it with the certificate.  You can’t sell something if you don’t know what it is!
2. Make sure the certificate has an expiration date. Make it expire in 90 days.  Light a fire under the customer to move on it quickly, or lose it all together.
3. Never provide a physical item to the station.  If you are giving away a surf board, give the station a certificate for a surf board.  This forces the customer to come to your business, learn where you are located, and establish a relationship.
4. Get Paying Customers.  If you have a service business, provide a certificate for services that ensure you are capturing a new paying customer.  Using the web site design company example, if a new website normally costs your customers $3000, providing a certificate for $1000 is gaining you a new $2,000 customer.
5. Provide multiple certificates for different things.  These auctions only happen once or twice a year – take advantage!
6. Save your marketing dollars for a single, large promotion.  Don’t spread them out over time.  If you see the most website sales in June, then save them until May and fire them all off to become top of mind just before your customers come looking for you.
7. Be a part of the auction! In some cases you can call in to help “sell” your product.  Also, listen to the other products being offered.  You might be able to save some money on needed business items by putting in some pretty low auction bids!

All About Vista

This week our show focused heavily on the the latest Vista service pack update. The update was originally scheduled to be pushed via automatic update on June 30, however Microsoft has been making it available on Windows Update now.

If the install is popping up on your computer, you need to install it ASAP. We recommend you bring your computer to Schrock Innovations for our $39.99 installation special. This way you can be assured the update has been installed correctly.

In the News

The latest virus hitting the internet is called Gumblar. This virus attacks websites you trust and infects your computer. An interesting fact is that 37% of the websites you trust actually infect your computer. The Gumblar virus is no exception. The best way to prevent this from happening to you is to stay up-to-date on your security software. As always, we recommend Norton 360.

The Key to Key Words

Have you ever searched for song lyrics or “free” stuff on the ‘net. The majority of us have and the likely hood of you getting a virus is great. Our suggestion, call your radio station and ask for the lyrics to the song and simply stop searching for free things.  Here are the most dangerous search terms on the web.

There are, however, key word searches you can type in without worrying about getting a virus. These are phrases such as things about the economic crisis and health questions. Search away about the economy and that agonizing pain in the neck-you’re safe.

Taking Your Calls at 489-1240

After much discussion about the Vista Service Pack, we moved to the phones where we had several computer questions.

.dll extensions

Mike had an issue with his Windows XP machine. When he went to boot his computer he received a message that he needed to run a .dll file. A .dll extension means that there was probably malware on his computer that was taken off by his security software, but the extension was still on the computer. To solve this problem we recommended that Mike go his start, run menu and then type in msconfig. Then he needed to uncheck the box in the Microsoft utilities window for the .dll extension and it won’t show up anymore.

Vista Service Pack and the Internet

Sharon had a question about the service pack update. Since Sharon said she never gets on the internet, the updates will not be pushed on her. However, we recommended that she updates her computer with the latest vista because it will speed up her file transfer times and also keep her battery life running longer. Keep in mind this is true for both laptops and desktop computers.

Virus Protection, Protection you should have

Ellen’s computer boots up and tells her that she needs to download an update. However, when she goes to click cancel on the update, it does not let her. This is because it is not a genuine Microsoft, meaning she has been infected with Malware. We suggested that Ellen has a maintenance checkup to get rid of her viruses and registry keys. This a $59.99 special at Schrock Innovations.

Tune In

Tune in next week for Compute This radio show, Saturday, June 7 at 10am on KFOR 1240 am. We will answer your computer questions, draw a winner for the 25 dollar gift card to Schrock Innovations and get you up-to-date on the latest computer news.

A Reminder

If you have Vista and need your computer updated with the latest service pack, stop into Schrock Innovations and get the $39.99 special. If you questions you can also contact Schrock at 423-9595 and we will be happy to answer your Vista questions!

If you have ever eaten at Taco Bell, you have this man to thank.  Without Lynn Hinderaker it is very possible that Taco Bell would not exist and that the concept of the fast food “value menu” may never have seen the light of day.

In the 1980’s Taco Bell was a struggling subdivision of PepsiCo and was about to be closed down completely.  One struggling franchise owner contacted Lynn and said he wanted to make his restaurant’s last stand on an idea that surrounded a value menu.  His idea was that if customers could buy their food through inexpensive small transactions, they would buy more of it and profits would follow.

Lynn helped design the concept, the marketing pieces, and then shepherded the franchise owner through the process.  Success soon followed and as the word spread, other franchise owners asked Lynn for his help.

Word eventually reached PepsiCo and the value menu was officially sanctioned and launched across the nation to all franchise owners.

I found Lynn after he was slated to speak at the Lincoln Independent Business Association Monthly Luncheon in Lincoln, Nebraska.  After reading about what he did for Taco Bell, I decided that this was a guy I should get to know.  I added him on Facebook and sent an email through his company’s contact form on the Omega Point website.

He replied to my email and we had a meeting in his Omaha office last Friday.  After our 30 minute meeting had grown to nearly three hours, it was pretty clear that Lynn Hinderaker has a LOT of expertise that could catapult Schrock Innovations to a whole new level of service excellence.

I am pumped to have the opportunity to work with Lynn.  You get a better feel for Lynn’s passion and insight by seeing him in action.  On June 16th Lynn will be presenting one of his cornerstone concepts, Dance with the Customer at the LIBA luncheon.  Here is a sample of what he will have to say:

We closed the Schrock Service Centers early today for our annual company BBQ.  Schrock employs more people than ever, so the BBQ gives everyone an opportunity to tie a face to the telephone extensions between Omaha and Lincoln.

This year we held the BBQ in Omaha at my house.  We have 1/3 of an Acre in South Omaha, and our employees’ kids made the most of it.  I have to admit that one of the best parts of our BBQ’s is watching all of the kids have a blast playing together.

Kim made her usual favorites – cold veggie pizza, raspberry chocolate cakes, and some awesomely marinated chicken and beef kabobs.  I played grill-meister and we cooked and ate an ungodly amount of food.

As usual we gave away thank you bags loaded with nifty knickknacks.  This year’s theme was family night, so the bags were loaded with a classic game (like Sorry, Jenga, etc..), poker cards, a box of poker chips and some candies.

This year we also did something new by giving away some smaller gift bags with various prizes.  Each employee got to draw a bag to see what they won.  Scott’s wife won a 4 GB talking iPod Shuffle, and our other employees found gift cards for everything from gas to iTunes, to WalMart in their bags.

Once everyone had finished eating we stoked up the fire pit and toasted smores with the kids.  Everyone had a blast, the kids got dirty, and everyone left with a very full belly.  Thanks for coming everyone!

Did you miss the show this week? Listen to the commercial-free recording here!

The first part of the show was a top ten list of technology fails of the decade. Here they are:

1. Microsoft Vista
2. Gateway
3. HD DVD
4. Vonage
5. YouTube
6. Sirius XM
7. Microsoft Zune
8. Palm
9. Iridium
10. Segway
(from times.com)

FBI experiences a virus

In other news, the FBI and US Marshal were hit with an inexplicable virus. The FBI was not releasing any information at the time, except that social security numbers had not been accessed.

Marketing can happen to you

Despite the holiday weekend, we had many callers with computer questions. Charles had trouble getting off his internet. He was given a message that if he left the site he would lose everything. In reality this is just a marketing trick, you will not lose anything by closing this window.

Norton 360: All around protection for up to 3 computers

Bill had a question about getting his Norton 360 on his other two computers.

If you are experiencing similar problems, I recommend calling Schrock Innovations to set up a Schrock Desk. It is a simple way for us to see what you are seeing and we can help you get rid of the problem or get your Norton up and running.

Adobe Acrobat(ics)

Mike had a question about Adobe 8, which was not working properly. After viewing the Acrobat in his programs files he saw that it had to do with Acrotray.exe files. To fix this problem go to adobe.com/downloads to disable it and upgrade to Adobe 9.

Tune in next week..

If you are experiencing any computer problems stop by or call Schrock Innovations at 402-423-9595 and we will get your computer fixed up and in working order. Otherwise, be sure to tune in next week at 10 a.m. central time to KFOR 1240 am for next weeks, live, Compute This! Call in and ask a question, you may win $25 to Schrock Innovations.

Before you get blind sided by a huge automatic update next week, you should know that Microsoft’s latest major update will not install on your computer without some additional preparation.

This morning Microsoft released Vista Service Pack 2 for manual download. It should start automatically downloading to your PC within the next 10 days. You need to prepare your computer for this BEFORE it happens.

If you do not do these things, your computer will not be able to successfully install Vista Service Pack 2.

BEFORE you allow Service Pack 2 to install you must do the following:

• Install Windows Vista Service Pack 1. You can’t install Service Pack 2 without first installing SP1. If you try, the installation will fail and could damage your Windows Vista installation.
• Install the Microsoft Servicing Stack Update. This is the most complicated Service Pack that Microsoft has ever released. For it to even install properly a patch has to be downloaded and installed first!
• Backup your data. If something goes wrong during the installation process, you don’t want to lose everything.

For a limited time Schrock Innovations is offering a special Service Pack Installation service for only $39.99.

Rather than jumping through all of the technical hoops yourself, we can do it for you!

Bring your PC into one of our Service Centers and we will have it back to you in 1-2 business days.

For the $39.99 price we will:

1. Scan for and remove any viruses / malware from your computer
2. Install Vista Service Pack 1 if you don’t already have it
3. Install the Microsoft Servicing Stack Update
4. Create a System Restore Point
5. Install Vista Service Pack 2
6. Test your computer to make sure it is working properly
7. Back your Service Pack installation with a 30-day warranty

Installing the latest Vista Service Pack can take up to 3 hours on your own on an original installation of Windows Vista.  Let our trained technicians install your Service Pack for you and know that the job is done right!

If you have any questions about Vista Service Pack 2 feel free to call us anytime at 86-496-8772.

We have a bit of a lunch tradition at Schrock Innovations.

Each day one of my employees asks, what are we getting for lunch?

The chorus of “i don’t know” and “not Jimmy Johns again” echos through our service center.

After some discussion we all agree on a place and each employee takes a turn buying lunch for everyone else.

Scott suggested we try something new as a favor to him.  He told us we would not be sorry.

He asked if we could order lunch from White or Wheat Sandwich Shoppe.

White or Wheat took over the bay that used to hold Brown Baggers on 70th and Van Dorn.  I was so impressed with the sandwiches we ordered that I called to speak with the owner and tell her what a great job she was doing.

Most sandwich shops either buy pre-made bread, or make their own.  Making your own bread is a tricky thing.  You have to keep it fresh because without good bread you can’t have a good sandwich.

On the flip side, the sandwich business is not exactly a high-margin industry.  You have to keep your food cost around 25% of your sales – no higher than 30% or you simply won’t survive.

To my knowledge, White or Wheat is the only sandwich shop in Lincoln, NE that hand rolls and bakes each and every piece of bread they use in their facility.  When I say hand rolled I mean they don’t use a machine.  Their bread is HAND ROLLED and you can taste the difference!

The owner of White or Wheat Sandwich Shoppe did not ask me to write this and I was not paid to write this.  Their sandwiches are genuinely good and I highly recommend them!

White or Wheat Sandwich Shoppe offers catering as well as delivery.  Call them for more information at 402-434-3980.

On Compute This, the term “whaling” was discussed. No, this is not another word for fishing; it is a word that describes online attacks for account information. We also touched on Google’s fail that happened earlier in the week. Google’s search engine was down for several hours, leaving users unable to use the site.

The Lincoln, NE Police Department is looking for a Dell Inspiron notebook with service tag JKXQHC1.  It was stolen in Lincoln, NE on or around May 13, 2009.

If you have any information about the location of this notebook, please contact the Lincoln Police Department’s non emergency number at 402-441-6000.

What is whaling and why does Steve Jobs care?

On Compute This, we talked about the term “whaling.” Whaling is a term similar to phishing except that big names are targeted for maximum impact.

Over the past month, several whaling attacks have taken place against wealthy executives and individuals. The reason for whaling these people is quite obvious, they have the most money. However, how do wealthy, smart business executives fall for such a trick? These hackers have included legitimate logos, credentials, and terminology making it appear legit.

This has certainly caused a large stir among the wealthy, perhaps this is a lesson to all of us to watch out for these types of attacks, whether a big fish or not.

Can Google’s services really be trusted?

Google had a massive fail this week. Google maps, Analytics, Reader, Adsense, Gmail and everything else Google was down for an hour and a half. The cause of the fail was due to a traffic routing error directing people to the same place. What can we all learn from this error? We will let you figure that one out on your own.

How can I change my external IP address?

To change your external IP address it is quite simple. Just call your internet provider and they will do the rest for you.

Eric Whiteman Gets an on-air ‘atta boy!

Our onsite guy, Eric Whiteman was given a pat on the back by a caller. Our caller, Charles, wasn’t sure on how to hook up his computer, so Eric went to his house, got it hooked up and connected to the internet. Way to go Eric, you truly are “one smart cookie.”

The next Compute This

Tune in next week to KFOR1240 am at 10 am for more computer advice. If you have a question, call in or shoot us an email. If you aren’t in or around Lincoln, Nebraska you can listen live at kfor1240.com. Don’t forget, if you call in, you have a chance to win a 25 dollar gift certificate to Schrock Innovations!