Orange Jacket Blog

Preventing and Guarding Against Viruses

2009-01-15T13:51:00Z

I was contemplating some conversations that I have had recently with customers concerning virus protection. Sometimes I forget, we all do, that people not in our own business world, don't know everything we do about our business. For example, I have had mechanics tell me something about my car and become amused that I did not know how to do _____ or when to change _______. Well, I couldn't tell you when to change the anti-freeze or the transmission fluid. I am clueless about such things. Likewise, I forget how many people know little more that how to turn on a computer and barely know how to check e-mail.

So, for those of you out there who don't know about viruses, here are somethings that I have learned. Mind you, I didn't know these things until my computer crashed with a virus about three years ago.

Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software as well as a firewall. I use AVG firewall and anit-virus. AVG does a good job. They also have a free version for home computing. Just Google "AVG FREE" and it should show up. Yep! Just Googled it. It is number one on the list.
Reduce your use of Microsoft products as much as possible. Microsoft makes a fine product, but since they are the most popular, they are the ones who get attacked before anyone else. This is the primary reason that Apple does not suffer from virus attacks. Apple does not have the lion's share of the marketplace (yet). So, instead of using Internet Explorer as your internet browser, try Firefox. Instead of using Outlook as your e-mail client, try Thunderbird.
Check your e-mail on a web-based email client BEFORE downloading it to your computer. For example, Orange Jacket Web Design's e-mail comes with a web-based e-mail client. I check my email there first, delete what I don't want, then download the rest to my PC for storage. Why? The web-based e-mail client is "out there somewhere" while Microsoft Outlook is literally on my computer. Viruses can't cause me harm as long as they are "out there."
Back up your important files often. If a virus gets through, often times the only way to delete it is to wipe the hard drive clean and start over. When that happens, you lose everything. If you have backed up your files to an external hard drive or an online storage system, then you can simply reload those files once your computer is restored. Orange Jacket Web Design has an OnlineFileFolder just for this purpose. I upload all my important documents and files to that site as well back everything up to an external hard drive for safe keeping.

I hope this is helpful. These are some things I now do to avoid another virus attack. I have not had a virus for three years now. I hope it stays that way.

For more information on the OnlineFileFolder, go to www.orangejacketwebhosting.com. Information about this product will be under the "Email" tab.

Shannon Fields,
recovering virus victim

Customer Service: Lessons we have to learn

2009-01-07T19:34:00Z

I had a conversation today with the owner of a local music store. My twin daughters play flute and trumpet. They are both taking private lessons, so I purchased them their first metronome. This was an interesting process. Apparently, the cost of metronomes has gone up since I first purchased mine years ago. My last metronome was $10.00; the two I purchased today were $30.00 a piece. I about died!

Anyway, this article is not about metronomes. This is about customer service. We have two important music stores in town. One is personable and will bend over backwards for you. Their word is the truth and you can always trust them. The other store: not so much. I called up the "other store" at 9:45 AM. The owner answered and said , " Yea, we carry metronomes, but we don't open for 15 minutes, so you will have to call back in 15 or we will call you." I said I'd call him back. Did I? Absolutely not!!!! Would you call him back? No, you wouldn't either. Maybe I would call him back if he was the only store in town, but since there are many others (these are the two important ones, the others are lesser in importance) where I could probably buy a metronome, I am going somewhere else. And if he was the only music store, I'd buy on the internet before I purchased anything from his store.

This is the point we need to know about customer service. When someone walks into the store or calls us on the phone, they want to pay us for our services. Don't give them a reason to go some place else.

If someone calls and you are not open, don't answer the phone, let it go to a nice voice mail message, then get back to them promptly. Otherwise, if you are going to pick up the phone, then go out of your way to help the customer. We are in business for them. The more we help them, the more money we make. Customer loyalty is a powerful thing. It should be rewarded by prompt and kind service.

As my mother taught me, a little kindness goes a long way.

Shannon Fields,
Orange Jacket Web Design LLC

Where Does the Money Go?

2008-10-10T04:01:00Z

I have come to the conclusion that it is time to reveal what I do with the money that I make with Orange Jacket Web Design. I spend 90% of it on the business, my family, and me. The remaining 10% goes to God.

Well, not actually to God, but to a ministry that does work I believe in. Orange Jacket proudly supports the ministry of John Anderson and Wycliffe Bible Translations. Wycliffe translates the bible into other languages so that people can read the bible in their native language. From their website, they say it this way:

"Today about 200 million people do not have the Bible in their own language. Wycliffe’s vision is to see the Bible accessible to all people in the language they understand best. To make this vision a reality, Wycliffe also focuses on literacy development, community development and church partnerships."

One year ago, Orange Jacket was not doing any business. I could not get things moving. I had prospects, but no one would sign. Something was missing. I came to realize that I needed to do something with the money I was making. After talking with John Anderson, a Wycliffe Missionary, at lunch, I decided that I needed to give a tenth of each project back to Him who was giving me business to begin with. After I committed to God by giving to Wycliffe ministries, things started to happen. Customers started to sign. Orange Jacket started to grow.

Currently only a tenth goes to help others. I am dreaming of a day when I will make enough that I am able to keep only 10 % for myself and give 90% to Him by helping others. Most people run a business to make money. I am going to try to run Orange Jacket Web Design with the intent of developing a revenue stream to help others. I don't know if it is possible. On the other hand, with God all things are possible.

Now you know where the money goes.

Shannon Fields,
Founder, Orange Jacket Web Design LLC

What I do

2008-03-27T08:53:00Z

How do I do what I do?

I was talking with a long time friend recently about what I am attempting to do with my company and what makes Orange Jacket different. It comes down to these few items:

Complete Honesty and Integrity
Combining both Value and Price for my Target Niche Market
Coordinating Existing Services so I don't have to Reinvent the Wheel

Integrity

I attempt to be transparent and honest with my clients. I don't like feeling like someone is selling me snake-oil, so I try not to sell it myself. Some would say that I am going to lose clients this way, but that's ok with me as long as the clients I do have don't perceive that I promised them something I could not do. The truth is that I have actually gained clients this way.

About a year a go, I was contacted by a local business for a website. After a lengthy conversation, they gave me a deadline that they wanted the project completed by. I said I could not do it in that time frame and the project, at that time, was a little beyond the scope of my company. They said thanks and talked to two more companies.

Recently, they called me back and asked me to do the project. Why? They were priced by one company for $5,000.00 and by another for less than I charge. I was surprised that I was in the middle, which has never happened before. They said, "We felt you were honest with us. The other guy was promising stuff left and right, but had nothing to show he had actually ever designed anything before." On top of all that, they said to take as much time as I needed to get the website done.

Orange Jacket was awarded the contract because I was honest.

Web Services Coordinator

When it comes to doing what I do, I have found that I can give the client both value and a good price by not reinventing the wheel. What I love about the web and business in general is that there are people who are experts in doing one thing and they do that one thing better than anyone else. For example, I could script a calendar program from scratch every time a new client says they want one on their website. Then I could charge them thousands of dollars for the design time it took to code the calendar from scratch. On the other hand, there is a company that does calendars better that anyone else I have seen and they only design calendars. They are the calendar experts. Orange Jacket is a reseller for that company. By using their calendar, I can:

Drastically reduce my design time - saving my client money.
Provide my client with the best calendar program available because these guys are the calendar experts.
In many cases, these companies that I work with provide 24/7 tech support, which is something I cannot do.

Orange Jacket does this with everything. I have found the best web services and programs and coordinate them for my clients. By doing so, I can build a website quickly and efficiently with a high degree of functionality.

Am I a web designer? Yes, I am, because I have to design much of what I do from scratch. But, wherever possible, I will coordinate existing web services to save myself time and my client money while providing the best services from experts in a particular corner of the web.

High value at a low price with a short design time

EQUALS

Quality Web Design at a Reasonable Price

Shannon Fields,
Orange Jacket Web Design LLC

Volunteerism: Again!!!! (Part Deux)

2008-03-19T12:31:00Z

More frustrated pastors and staff members who have gone the volunteerism route.

In sales, it is common knowledge to argue value over price. I've been told that for years by sales people - good sales people - and just read it in Jeffrey Gittomer's book, The Little Red Book of Sales. As a consumer, I have to practice value over price for my family and as a sales person I have to preach it in order to gain business for my company. However, when I deal with churches, it always comes down to price.

Orange Jacket was set up to help small business owners and churches with their web design needs. Providing a quality product to meet a limited budget has been my mantra from day one. So far, my experience has been that business owners go with value, but churches go with price. If the price was within ten percent of my price - higher or lower - I could win the argument. But I don't compete against a ten percent difference; I compete against FREE.

In the average situation with a church, I know going in that they are also talking with another company whose price is somewhere above $3,000.00. (My starting price for custom work is $959.00) I can win that argument on both price and value. At some point, though, someone from that church walks in and says, "Ill do it for free." I can beat that argument on value, but churches, in an effort at good stewardship, look only at price.

In the past four days, I have had two more conversations with staff from two different churches about their frustrations with volunteers. Once again, I feel I need to address the problem of using a volunteer to do your website.

Let's talk about value.

One of these churches of whom I am speaking is the ultimate example of the problem I am addressing. Their website is AWESOME! I think it is really cool! It really is. If it were a website for the next Harry Potter movie or some new video game where you want people to come and hang out for a few hours, then it would be perfect. But, people don't visit the average church or business website to be entertained. They visit to get information quickly and go on with their busy lives. With that in mind. This site is dreadful. I say dreadful, because it is not easy to navigate and the information, when you finally find it and the page finally loads, is not up-to-date.

I ask you: What is the value of a really cool website, where the information is not accurate, not up-to-date, and the calendar function - one of the most used functions of the website - hasn't worked in WEEKS if not MONTHS?

Answer: No value whatsoever.

I ask again: What is the value of having a website that, as the pastor in charge of the website, you can't get it updated and the Deacon board is asking you, "Why isn't the website updated?"

Answer: No value.

I know what volunteers do and how they think. They start off with good intentions, excited about the ministry. At the same time, the pastor has one more item checked off of his to-do list and he saved money at the same time. Wow! That's a full day right there! But, after a while, the volunteer secretly wishes he had never volunteered and resents being at the beck and call of the church. Because he is a volunteer, the Pastor feels he can't do anything because he doesn't want to offend the volunteer and also doesn't want to stir up trouble. In short, the pastor is stuck and the website is useless.

Why do churches pay for custodial help and not for web design?

As I have said before, the website is just too visible to leave in the hands of a volunteer. The pastor with the pretty website said that he has been trying for months to get stuff updated and can't. I told him that I would have the website updated within 24 hours of his request.

Dependability and prompt fulfillment of a client's request. Now that's value!!!!

Shannon Fields,
Orange Jacket Web Design LLC

Everyone Needs a Website? Why?

2008-01-02T20:15:00Z

This is not a surprising questions depending on the person. If the person is internet savvy then they know that having a website is a necessity. If the person rarely touches a computer, they just do not see the need. However, each church and business need to concern themselves with the internet savviness of who they are trying to reach. AND if your target demographic is under 40, then you can bet they are internet savvy.

In the under 40 demographic, there are two examples to prove my point:

Under 40's are more likely to look for a phone number on the web - or on their portable internet device (i phones, etc.) - than to use a phone book. If you aren't on the web, they can't find you.
Under 40's do easily half to all of their Christmas shopping on the internet. If you do not have a website then you have lost customers before the shopping season begins.

Whether you are doing business marketing or church evangelism you have to use this tool.

Everyone must have a website!

And Orange Jacket is ready to help you.

Shannon Fields,
Owner, Orange Jacket Web Design, LLC

A Third Level of Web Design

2007-09-11T01:59:00Z

Orange Jacket is pleased to announce a third level of web design. In an increasing effort to place the customer's needs first, I looked for a mid-range package that would give the benefit of having Orange Jacket take care of all aspects of the design process, but be at a lower price like my template based service does. Great news! I found it.

There are several sites that have over 2,000 - that's two thousand - template options. These templates are available for use for free as long as we credit the original designer. My goal from the beginning has been to help the customer with web design at an affordable price. I am more than willing to use someone else's design and give them the credit if it will fit the customer's budget.

How it Works

The customer chooses from over 2,000 templates. The customer gives me their content and I take care of the rest.

What is the cost? The domain and hosting plus 10 hours of time. Your website can be up within days. Packages start at $609.26.

Your website is waiting and you can afford it. You can't afford not to have a website.

Orange Jacket Web Design: Quality Web Design at an Affordable Price

Shannon Fields,
Orange Jacket Web Design, LLC

The Volunteer, the Website, and the Frustrated Pastor: A Tale of Two Agendas

2007-03-18T06:38:00Z

I have had the same conversation four times in the past month while trying to scare up business for my new company. I thought that if the problem is that common then I should write an article about it. The four conversations went like this:

"My church just had our website professionally redesigned, but a volunteer was going to update it and he's not updating it in a timely manner."
"A volunteer does web design and has been promising to do ours for a year and hasn't done anything."
"Many people in my church would gladly volunteer to do our web design, but my congregation is so transient that they might leave in six months. Who will maintain and update the website when they leave?"
"One of our church members volunteered to pay for the website but just set up a blog and doesn't keep it as current as I would like."

    The basic frustration that all of these pastors share is that the website, while a wonderful tool in ministry and church communication, is ineffective if not properly and consistently updated. The common denominator in each case was the use of volunteers.

    Should churches use volunteers? Two pastors I spoke with had differing opinions. One said that using a volunteer was a great thing to do because that person took ownership in the ministry. The other pastor said the opposite pointing out that while using members who volunteer their time saves money, it doesn't do anyone any good if the job doesn't get done. Both added that if the job did not get done then it reflected poorly upon the pastoral staff and not on the volunteer.

    Interesting. Well, we can't pay everyone to do every little thing. (No church has that much money in their budget.) On the other hand, some jobs are too public to let go to the whims of the volunteer who doesn't necessarily share the pastor's sense of immediacy. Let's face it, folks, the website places your church in the public eye. Your site is being looked at by someone when you don't know it. Shouldn't they have the most accurate and up-to-date information available?

    With Orange Jacket Web Design you are assured that your website will be properly maintained and updated in a timely manner. Call today to see how Orange Jacket can not only save you money, but time, hassle, and headaches by letting us take care of your website for you.

Click here to get pricing info.

Click here for contact information.

Shannon Fields,
Orange Jacket Web Design, LLC

Using Podcasts in School Based Health Practices

2007-01-19T13:16:00Z

    In another conversation with my friend Barbara, the school based health physician assistant, she was telling me of another myth she encountered. (See previous post for background). Another patient thought she was pregnant because she had three periods that month. Her reasoning was that the pregnancy triggered the periods to make room for the coming baby.

    Barbara's school, like many high schools, has an audio/visual department that produces their "Morning News" programs. I suggested that Barbara purchase a QuickPodcast account, script the interviews, and have a student ask her leading questions. The interview would go about thirty minutes. She could easily produce a number of shows covering different topics, thus dispelling the "myths" that students believe about any number of health related issues.

    Barbara was skeptical. She wanted to know if kids would actually listen or even if they had the ability to do so. I explained to Barbara that teenagers are much more computer literate than our generation. I asked how many kids are walking around the hallways with an MP3 player of some kind (i pod, zune, phone with a MP3 player in it, etc.) I saw the light bulb turn on. She just realized the following:

If a student is doing the interview, other students - a group of friends at the very least - will listen to the podcast.
They do not have to listen on the computer, they can download it to their MP3 player and listen any time.
Students can get community service for helping with the interviews.
Podcasts can be coordinated with the entire health and science department at Barbara's school. Listening to the podcasts can become part of the teacher's lesson plans. Students can answer questions pertaining to the podcast as part of their assignment.

Barbara wants to find ways to educate many students at one time. She realizes that adolescents do not always have the correct information. Through our conversations, Barbara is learning of the innovative ways technology can help her to educate her patients. In her practice she discovers almost daily some new myth that teenagers believe. (I know from twelve years of teaching that students believe some crazy things.) Current technology can help Barbara, as well as all health care providers, get the correct information into the hands of those that need it most: the patients.

To learn more about QuickPodcasts, click here.

Shannon Fields,
Orange Jacket Web Design, LLC

Using a Web Log to Stay in Touch with Your Congregation

2007-01-14T04:47:00Z

Traditional churches publish a monthly newsletter. Every Pastor I know hates coming up with that new idea or having to explain why Independence Day is so special to him, (for the umpteenth time). Here's a new spin on an old idea.

Revive that newsletter by publishing it in the form of a web log. The pastor and his staff can all publish their own articles as different categories. Even better, church members can respond and give their views. Instead of a static newsletter, the pastor and his staff now have an interactive feature that allows for a dialog between pastoral staff and parishioners.

Using the same idea, youth pastors can do the same thing and stay in touch with their youth groups. Staying involved is now easier with more consistent communication than just a couple of times per week.

Shannon Fields,
Orange Jacket Web Design, LLC

Using a Web Log to Communicate with your Patients

2007-01-13T22:35:00Z

    In talking with a friend about how a blog could help her with her patients, we came up with a nifty idea that others could use also. First, some background.
    My friend, Barbara, is a Physician Assistant working in school-based health. She presented me with a typical scenario that she wished she had a more effective way to deal with it. She works in a rural setting and deals with constant misinformation. Teenagers believe some crazy things. For example, one young lady, 14 years old, came to visit with symptoms of pregnancy. When Barbara informed her that she was pregnant, the young lady protested saying that she had never slept with anyone.

    Barbara asked, "Do you mean to tell me that you have never had sex?"

    The adolescent responded that she has had sex dozens of times; she's just never slept with anyone.

    After I stopped laughing, I suggested that she could use a blog to deal with this kind of misinformation. The benefits are:

Barbara can get the correct information to all her students at one time while protecting the privacy of the individual involved.
get the correct information out there very quickly.
invite a dialog with the students at her school in a way that most school-based health professionals don't have the opportunity to.

Can this idea help you? A blog can be a very effective education tool. Try it.

Shannon Fields,
Orange Jacket Web Design, LLC