Keeping it simple

Simple tips on diagnosing strokes

The American Stroke Association wants you to learn the warning signs of stroke:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Recognizing a Stroke neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can often totally reverse the effects of a stroke. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

 

 

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Remember the steps which are similar to the first three letters of the word stroke: 'STR' . Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

 

• S * Ask the individual to SMILE.

 

• T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out today..)
• R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

 

A fourth Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other , that is also an indication of a stroke.

 

Each year approximately 600,000 people suffer from strokes, of these approximately 160,000 people die. Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the US. Like a good boy scout, be prepared with these ideas and use them to save people's lives.

 

 

 

Regards,

Jeff

A simple way to dealing with Solomon warning messages when closing a module

This is a trick which we have taught users for years, to quickly resolve what batches are incomplete in the module you are trying to do a period or yearend close. This is the message I am talking about:

What Solomon is trying to tell you is that you have started a batch but it was not completely processed. Solomon wants you to know that it is best to resolve what you want to do with this batch as soon as possible. It may be that you started a batch, but got interrupted and restarted second batch; or maybe you have a suspended batch which needs to be fixed.

The problem is how to quickly find which batches are causing the problem, since there are many times multiple places you might have to look, especially with modules like AR and AP which have multiple input screens. This trick allows you to look one place and see all batches, both released, balanced for release, and suspended batches. It is a one stop to see, and if you want you can also delete the batch.

This trick should be restricted to only your power users and most trusted employees, because we are going to turn on a seldom used access right called initialization for the Journal Transaction screen, 01.010.00. You will need to navigate to the access rights screen which is either located under the administration area for Solomon 7.x or under the Utilities menu. In this screen add this feature for the initialization option :

Close out of the access rights screen.

Next we need to start the Initialization mode option. In the Solomon 6.x version, you need to click on the menu choice called Application_options:

You have started initialization mode when you have a check box displayed as shown above.

Next open up the Journal Transaction screen and note you have the ability to change the module field, which normally is set to a GJ grey value. Change this value to the module you are trying to close, say the Accounts Receivable module.

You can next click on the batch number field, and then F3 to display all batches, likely your batches causing the closing warning message.

We have found this trick very useful to quickly find incomplete or problem batches which are causing the warning when you try to close a module.

I hope you find this trick useful

Regards,

Jeff

Testing your computer for the worm: Conficker

Our company respects the software produced by Trend Micro for anti virus protection.  We receive this email from them regarding the worm: Conficker.  I suggest you review this document, especially how to test to see if you have already become infected. 

 

March 31, 2009   Background The first samples for the Conficker/Kido/DownadUp (detected by Trend Micro as WORM_DOWNAD.A) were discovered in November 2008 with new samples (detected as WORM_DOWNAD.AD and WORM_DOWNAD.KK) arriving in early 2009. DOWNAD exploits a vulnerability in Windows that Microsoft patched (MS08-067) in October.   DOWNAD.AD added the ability to spread through network shares and removable storage devices (e.g. USB drives) using the AutoRun function in Windows.   DOWNAD.KK shuts down security services, blocks infected computers from connecting to security websites, and downloads a Trojan. It also reaches out to other infected computers via peer-to-peer communications services, and includes an algorithm to update infected PCs.   What's the goal of this worm? It appears that the goal of this worm is to create a large botnet of infected PCs so that its creators may at some point send spam, steal personal information (user IDs, passwords, credit card info, etc.) and direct users to malicious websites used for phishing or downloading additional malware.   What's happening on April 1st? On April 1st, 2009, the latest variant (WORM_DOWNAD.KK) will begin to modify the way in which it communicates with other infected botnet nodes (PCs, servers), and will also increase the number of machines it attempts to contact in order to infect them. There is no evidence that the worm will do anything beyond modifying its communications methods.   Additional Information ·         Trend Micro CounterMeasures Blog: Downad/Conficker, who’s the April Fool? ·         TrendLabs Malware Blog: What Will Go DOWNAD on April 1? ·         Latest variant: WORM_DOWNAD.KK   Additionally, this threat is an example of the new breed of Web threats being developed by cybercriminals who use multiple techniques and protocols to infect and propagate their attacks. The Trend Micro Smart Protection Network blocks threats before they can enter the network and our correlated in-the-cloud web, email and file reputation databases allow us to quickly analyze and block new threats as they appear. Smart Protection Network powers many of our consumer, SMB and Enterprise solutions today. Learn more.   Need Help? Call our Partner Hotline at 1-888-SMB-TREND (762-8736).   How do I know whether my customers' PCs are infected? Instruct your customers to scan their PCs using their current Trend Micro product or HouseCall to see whether they are infected. If it is determined that they are infected, find instructions for removal below:   •   Consumers   •  Small Business   •   Medium Business, Enterprise   How do I protect my customers' PCs from being infected?   •   Customers should immediately install patches/updates for MS08067 and other vulnerabilities as soon as vendors release these patches. They should configure their PCs to receive automatic updates and patches from Microsoft and software vendors.   •  Make sure your customers' security software is up to date.   •  Instruct customers to disable the “Drive Auto-run” feature to avoid infections from USB drives.   •  Your customers should employ secure passwords using a combination of letters, numbers and symbols and frequently change them.   •   Educate your customers to take caution when searching online for DOWNAD and Conficker information. There are reports of rogue antivirus packages that are taking advantage of the situation. They will tell you that you are infected and ask you to pay money to download their application, which in many cases turns out to be malware.
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Free Photo Story 3 software for Windows XP users

Sharing photos is fun. But using those photos to tell a story with music and narration is so much better. That's why I love this free program for Windows XP users. It makes creating slide shows a snap. You can create a photo story that includes motion, narration, and music. It includes dramatic pan and zoom effects, picture rotation, and cropping tools to customize your photos.</P
You can also compose an original soundtrack from directly within Photo Story, narrate your story and add special effects, transitions, and much more. It's easy to use. Photo Story for Windows XP walks you through the slide show process. Simply create a new slide show and click Import Pictures to get started. You can add music and voice-overs to your photos. It will even animate them. Cost: Free Link:  http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx

 

Check it out.

 

Jeff Cozens

Good business tips for the small business owners

Reprinted from Miami Herald article, March 13, 2009

On the Nightstand

Author offers tips for businesses in recession

BY RICHARD PACHTER

Miami Herald, Kansas

Author Steven D. Strauss is a small-business maven. This USA Today small-business columnist and author of "The Business Start-Up Kit" and "The Big Idea" recently released a new edition of his "The Small Business Bible," a veritable cornucopia of advice and information.

His Web site, MrAllBiz, www.mrallbiz.com, is a one-stop resource for enterprise.

In light of the current economic anomalies and challenges, it seemed like a good idea to touch base with Strauss, so we sent a few questions to him by e-mail. Here are his responses:

How should small businesses deal with the current economic state of affairs in terms of marketing, advertising, personnel, customers, vendors, financing, expansion, insurance?

The biggest and most common mistake small businesses make during times like these is that they cut back in the areas that are actually needed the most right now -- marketing and advertising. Here's why: Customers are volatile; loyalty is something that most people abandon when what they really want are discounts and value for their dollar. The result of that is twofold: First, you will lose customers; we all will. Second, there are plenty of new customers out there to be had as habits change. But the only way they will find their way to your door is through your advertising and marketing. It is shortsighted to cut back in those areas.

That said, belt-tightening is smart. For example, if you can legally turn an employee into an independent contractor, do so. That can save plenty on costly labor expenses. Keeping overhead low in ways that don't hurt customer acquisition is key.

The other smart thing to do is to focus on customer service.

Can the Internet help companies survive the downturn?

The Internet is crucial to survival. Aside from the fact that it is where everything is headed anyway, the power on the Net in this economy is that it is so inexpensive to use, yet so powerful.

I recently saw a statistic that over 50 percent of all small businesses still don't have a Web site. That is shocking! You simply must have one, if for no other reason than Web sites are increasingly where people go to determine if they want to hire you or buy from you.

To what extent is the economy cyclical? Is it just a matter of "riding it out"?

I love this Paul Harvey quote: "In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these." It felt like the economic sky was falling when the dot-com bubble burst, and also after 9/11. We made it through then and we will again. Is this worse? Of course! But it is survivable. People are looking for bargains. Give them what they want.

What's something that most companies neglect to do when things get rough, but shouldn't?

Too many companies fail to see opportunities during rough times because they are so focused on survival. And while it's important to keep your eye on the ball, it is a mistake to lose sight of other possibilities.

For example, recessions are great times to innovate. The cost of goods and labor is less, and you and/or your staff probably have some extra time on your hands. Use that time to come up with new ideas and try them out now.

Recessions are also good times to see what fat can be trimmed. Find a cheaper supplier, or less expensive insurance.

But it's also important not to think the only way to increase demand is to cut price. Price cuts aren't the only way to stimulate demand, and they aren't the best approach for entrepreneurs. On average, entrepreneurs are more successful when they compete on service, quality or something other than price.

Richard Pachter is the business book columnist for the Miami Herald.

Getting creative with look up windows in Solomon

How you enter a name in the vendor or customer maintenance screens can improve finding last names. The trick is to remember to embed the symbol '@' in front of the last name. For instance if you are entering 1099 vendors in a vendor maintenance screen and you want these names to be displayed by last name first on the vendor listings, then you would enter them as: Firstname @LastName . For instance:

A second trick is to enter the as First Name ~LastName, using the tilde sign. This will cause the name to be flipped in Solomon so that the name is displayed for the saved record as Lastname @FirstName

But when the record is saved, it flips:

Most of our customers have forgotten the trick for the '~' flip option. Try it out and see which method work for you for finding personal names in the PV (Possible Value) look up fields when you hit F3.

Enjoy these keyboard tricks with your Solomon software.

Regards,

Jeff Cozens

Faxing for less money

About six months ago, I realized that I still needed a business fax capability for sending and receiving faxes, but the dedicated phone line for this business fax just seemed to be costly. I switched to a paperless fax system from Concord Technologies. There are multiple service options including routing faxes directly to individual company employees. In any case, I got a new fax line: 800 572-7031 which is a toll free number for people to use which takes the faxes received and converts it to a pdf attachment which is emailed to me. It is little slower than my direct fax line, but I really like the convence of getting my faxes via emails. I can pick up faxes remotely, when I check my office emails. My service is saving me about $15/month, which over a year totals $180. Savings are a good thing. The company's web site for the faxing service I use is: http://www.concordfax.com/ . I recommend them.

Regards,

Jeff Cozens

Making Royalty Payments as easy as 123

We just finished a simple customization for one of our clients who make quarterly payments for Royalties to several hundred people. Their CRM system which tracks the royalty data (i.e. Salesforce.com) created a simple Excel worksheet which listed the vendor's Accounts Payable id, the date for the royalty payment, and the royalty amount due. Our custom program reads the excel file and automatically creates a AP voucher for each royalty recipient. This batch is put on hold for review, and if no corrections is quickly released. We have turned at multi hour input task into a 15 second process. Nice integration. Hats off to our programmer, Kevin Hartman.

Give us a call if you have additional questions

 

Jeff Cozens

 

Yea team: Hosted Microsoft CRM and Cloud Computing coming soon

Looking backwards some of the biggest inroads with Software as a Service (i.e. SAAS) have been in CRM and Human Relations. It makes sense with remote employees who access to data in the central computer that these SAAS apps are a good fit for the internet. What seems to be in all the press lately is XYZ Company announces Hosted Microsoft CRM services. I see this as a good step for MBS back office products because we cannot use these Hosted CRM tools and their connections to the ERP packages to even better serve companies. When you have CRM and Microsoft Business Solution products all under the same division at Microsoft, you can get some great synergy. Google the phase Microsoft Hosted CRM and see what is out there. I believe these announcements bode well for the MBS ERP/CRM communities. Look for more integration of key data from both the sales channels and the back office systems coming to you via the web.

 

Regards,

 

Jeff Cozens

 

 

Transaction Import: a new tip

Users of Dynamics SL have a powerful tool with the Transaction import screen. Just about any data entry screen in Solomon has the ability to upload a standard file to this screen for data input. This feature is standard on all Solomon modules, and it in typically found under the Administration menu group or (Utility> transaction import screen for pre 7.0 users). The trick I learned this week is that that import file can be edited and saves while in the Transaction import screen. After you have attempted to import, it is a good idea to check on your status via the Edit Error button. This button displays a form that looks like:

 

The top section is displaying line item processing of each import line and associated errors. The bottom section displays the source input list. What I learned is you can make corrections in the bottom section of the screen, and then save your corrections via the File, Save Data File As command. The bottom section of the screen acts like a notepad.exe program and is an efficient and simple way to make quick changes and try the import again.

For years, I have been stuck doing my corrections the hard way. My old method was close out of this screen, then launch notepad.exe and then open the import file, make my corrections then save the changed file, and close out of notepad. Boy this simple trick will save me many hours of effort and I hope it can also save you some time and effort.

Happy TI'ing into Dynamic SL.

 

Regards,

 

Jeff Cozens