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

Schrock Innovations has hired Steve Borland to head our Data Recovery Division!

Steve is a promising technician and an entrepreneur in his own right.   His company, Minaska Outdoors, makes some of the highest quality gaming calls on the market. His made-in-the-USA products can be found in retail locations like Cabela’s.  The electronic game calls his company produces can bring animals within 10 feet with the push of a button!

Why Schrock Likes to Hire Entrepreneurs

Steve started his company from the ground up.  Now that he has people performing the company’s day-to-day operations, he thought it was time to try something new.  Steve is returning to his PC roots to use his 10+ years of experience for Schrock’s customers.

Some company owners are hesitant to hire people who have an entrepreneurial blend of talents.  A smart business owner is one who is willing to hire people who can do things he can’t do – or doesn’t have the time to do.  Rather than feeling threatened by an employee’s drive and ambition, smart business owners visualize the amazing things that could be accomplished if their company was able to harness those entrepreneurial abilities.

Steve Will Head Our Data Recovery Division

Just as entrepreneurs have a unique blend of talent and ambition, they also require a uniqe position that will motivate and challenge them every day.  Schrock plans on placing Steve in charge of our Data Recovery Division.

Steve is already training on the Deepspar Imager and the Salvation Data Hard Drive Doctor System, as well as a host of data recovery software suites.

Steve has some experience with software based data recovery and he is excited to expand his knowledge to the realm of hardware recovery.  He will be swapping drive heads in our clean room before you know it!

A few weeks ago I posted about a special offer we put together to help get Vista’s Service Pack 2 safely installed on computers before it is force-fed to our customers via automatic update on June 30th.  The response was pretty good, and we were turning around most of the installs (even the problem children) in less than a day.

We cut a new commercial that is running on local Lincoln television to promote the offer as well.  Take a look:

Jon had to pioneer a couple new fixes with Microsoft that we came across, but we were able to get everyone up and running with the new Service Pack.  Some of the problems we had to overcome included:

• If you are running Vista Ultimate and have all language packs installed, Vista Service Pack 2 will not install (you have to remove them to install SP2)
• The Czechoslovakian language pack doesn’t uninstall -  You have to do an in-place upgrade (the equivalent to a repair installation in XP)
• The dreaded 0x8000ffff “End of File” error – This stumped MS for 2 whole days
• Death after installation reboot – Usually a symptom of a bad hard drive
• Service Pack 1 was not installed – This is easy to fix

The Midlands Business Journal runs some really informative articles on subjects and trends that can seem daunting to many business owners.  When they are doing a feature on a technology related subject they will often ask for some comments on the basic questions they plan on writing about in the feature.

Michelle Leach is one of the MBJ’s most talented writers and she recently sent me an email with some questions about data recovery and data backup.  Here were some of the questions she asked and how I answered them:

• What are the emerging trends with regard to business continuity/disaster recovery?

The corporate clients we service are becoming more an more aware of the need for off-site backups of their critical data.

Secure off-site backups like encrypted online services are entering the marketplace as an alternative to carting a removable drive home with you every night.

In the past, businesses have demonstrated the value they place in their methods of doing business and physical inventories by investing in trademarks and insurance policies.

As our economy shifts away from a manufacturing base and more toward an information base, organizations are understanding the need to protect their data assets just as they do their physical assets.

We are seeing clients move away from the old CD and DVD backup methods.  They are slow, typically incomplete, and are extremely prone to human error.

Software has evolved to a point where clients can automate their backups using flash drives, removable hard drives, and even online storage options.

We just spent 15 hours sorting out an office in Beatrice that did not have any standard operating procedures for their data.  They had been backing up the same 2007 Peachtree information for three years while their current Peachtree files were being stored on the secretary’s workstation.

They had no backups, and all that stood between normal operations and a data recovery crisis was a single, 9 year-old hard drive.  That is not an optimal situation.

The economy is actually forcing companies to look at their stored data in new ways.  Small business owners are beginning to understand the power of couponing their products to their customers via email instead of direct mail.

They are starting to realize that you can look at a past customer’s purchasing history to predict future purchasing patterns.

All of these recession-busting sales and marketing strategies are based on current, accurate data.  As companies invest in these next-generation strategies to keep their balance sheets in the black during a recession, they are also protecting these newly discovered tools just like a salesman of the 20th century would guard his call list.

They are making backups because they understand that the cost of losing that data would by far exceed the cost of protecting it.

Thanks for asking   We currently have a functioning class 10,000 clean room in our Lincoln Service Center.  We have invested more that $70,000 in technology, equipment, training, and tools to establish the only fully-functional data recovery center in the Midwest (the next closest are in Texas and Minnesota).

Here are some Schrock Innovations Data Recovery Quick Facts:

1. We have recovered over 100TB (roughly the equivalent of 900 standard PC hard drives) of data for our customers and clients in 2009 so far
2. We are planning our next $50,000 investment to develop a class 100 clean room (allows us to do forensic data recovery)
3. 80% of hard drives in our Data Recovery Center don’t need to be opened to recover the data
4. We recover date most frequently from camera memory cards and flash drives than hard drives
5. Hard Drives tend to fail in their 1st year of their 3rd year
6. Larger drives are more likely to fail than smaller ones and are more difficult to recover when they do
7. Only 12% of our data recovery jobs are “software jobs” (i.e. 90% require hardware equipment to facilitate recovery of data)

You read that right!  Schrock Innovations is teaming up with 104.1 The Blaze in Lincoln, NE to give away one FREE netbook computer EVERY DAY for a whole month!  The promotion is called PC’s and Pudding.  (Seriously)

How to Win One of the Schrock Netbooks:

All you have to do to win is listen to 104.1 the Blaze on the air or on the Internet and wait for the cue to call in.  When you hear the sounder, be caller #10 at 402-464-1041.  They will air the sounder once each day.

Improve Your Odds of Winning:

If you are trying to win by listening online I have a couple pointers for you.  The online feed is delayed by upto 45 seconds.  Since you have to be caller #10 to win the computer a time delay will make that challenging for online listeners.

You can improve your odds (and get more sleep) if you follow the Blaze on Twitter.  They will tweet specific details about when the sounder will be going off so you can be one of the first people to call in.  Knowing WHEN the sounder will happen dramatically improves your odds of winning!

What Are You Trying to Win:

You are trying to win an Asus netbook from Schrock Innovations.  The netbook has a retail price of $349.  Because the promotion is called PCs and Pudding, the radio station will throw in a box of instant pudding as well (seriously).  If you don’t know how to use a netbook, the instant pudding is a nice addition to any office.

I have no inside information about when the sounders are going to air, and I can’t do anything more than what I already have to improve your odds of winning, so enjoy the great music and have fun trying to win!

Netbooks are the latest arrival on the computing scene and are rapidly gaining popularity and acceptance among serious computer users.  In fact, there are reports that even Apple who one said netbooks were “junky” is bowing to the pressure to enter the netbook game.

What is a Netbook?

Basically, netbooks are miniature laptop computers.  They have screens that range from 7.5 to 10 inches, small keyboards, wireless capability, and often don’t come with CD drives.

Netbooks are designed to be small, light and run a LONG time on a small battery.  For example, Schrock Innovations carries the Asus netbook line in our Computer Service Center.  These netbooks weigh in at less than 2 pounds, last 5-6 hours on a single battery charge, and have enough power to run Windows XP or Windows 7 comfortably.

Why Would Anyone Want a Netbook?

Netbooks are primarily designed for two user groups.  If you travel and you want the ability create documents, check email, and browse the Internet on a normal web browser (as opposed to a mobile browser) the netbook is designed for you.

For this user class the netbook fills the gap between smartphones and laptop computers with a device that can be slipped into most glove compartments or purses.

Secondly, netbooks are designed for people who have a standard desktop, but don’t have a need to spend $700-$900 for an entry level notebook PC.  Netbooks are priced between $299 and $499, so they offer an inexpensive alternative to their larger notebook brothers.

The idea is that if you only plan on using the unit occasionally, the small keyboard and lack of a CD drive won’t impact you because you will use your desktop for anything serious you want to accomplish.

Can A Netbook Be A Primary Computer?

Yes, netbooks can be used as the only computing device in your household as long as you do not do anything more advanced than internet, email, and solitaire.

Most netbooks have a VGA connector for an external display and at least 2 USB slots that could be used for a wireless keyboard and mouse.  With these devices you could use the netbook as a primary computer.

Which Should I Buy?

So with this new kind of computer on the market which type of unit is best for you?  That all depends on what you want to do.  Here is a basic guide that can help you decide:

Choose a Netbook for:

• Internet
• Email
• Very Basic Games
• Light Productivity Use (Word, Excel, etc..)

Choose a Laptop For:

• Internet
• Email
• Intermediate Games
• Home Office Productivity
• Digital Photography
• Light Video Editing

Choose a Desktop For:

• Internet
• Email
• IAdvanced Gaming
• Home Office Productivity
• Digital Photography
• Advanced Video Editing
• Specialized Applications or Activities

Just a few days ago I told you about an interesting meeting I had with Lynn Hinderaker, the man who invented the fast food value menu and literally transformed Taco Bell into what it is today.

Since that post, Lynn was also featured in the World Herald with some additional detail of what he did for Taco Bell, how he transformed a high-cost-low-profit company into a low-cost-high-profit national icon.

If you are loking for an inspiring story in a challenging economy give Lynn a call.  I am know as an idea guy, and he found a few things for Schrock that were right in front of my face that I had not seen!

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!