INTRODUCTION
The
computer age descended upon us, gathered momentum, and within but a
few
decades had all but decimated the long rows of clerks, typists,
accountants
and analysts that had typified the offices of yesterday.
Hoards
of highly trained staff, once considered essential if the cogs of
the
industrial world were to continue turning smoothly, had come to find
themselves
not quite so indispensable.
Today,
accounts programmes, statistical analysis packages, and word
processing
units, cope admirably with the wide ranging duties once allotted
to
accounts clerks, statisticians and secretaries.
The
take-over though, was not so all-encompassing as might have been expected,
often
for reasons of cost, sometimes because of the time which must be
devoted
to mastering the use of one's chosen model. And even in this day
and
age, old fashioned attitudes still account for the steadfast reluctance
of
many to allow computers into their lives.
Whatever
the reason for staying true to the values of yesterday, here lies
a
great opportunity for those interested in computers, and the possibility
of
entering into business providing services based upon the capabilities of
computers
and word processors.
Your
potential custom will come from those who see the benefit of
computerisation
to their businesses and lives in general, but who lack
time,
money, or the inclination to put their ideas into action. We may find
students
wishing to have their theses word processed or notes committed to
disk,
small shopkeepers with insufficient cash to invest,
businessmen,
even
potential high fliers, whose work demands their physical presence to
an
extent that leaves little or no time for learning computer techniques,
and
job hunters whose needs for a professionally produced curriculum vitae
or
application form, do not obviously warrant the expense of purchasing a
computer.
Also
among your potential clients, are those who readily recognise the
benefits
of computerisation, both to themselves and their own organisations,
but
whose needs are insufficient to warrant the expense involved;
again
we may see the small shopkeeper or small businessman as an example
of
someone who might see the benefits, but lack the work load to justify
such
an investment.
Your
level of proficiency and ambition will determine what you can, or wish
to,
offer your potential clients, and in the many options available for
starting
a business with your personal computer, we will discover a whole
range
of possibilities. At one end of the scale you might opt for providing
a
simple service, collating information such as customer records, mailing
lists
or customers orders; the whole thing very much akin to an upmarket
secretarial
or typing agency.
Alternatively,
you may decide to offer services requiring the talents of
one
highly proficient in all aspects of computers, such as one would expect
from
a consultant called in to single-handedly set up a computing system
on
the customer's premises, and subsequently to bear responsibility for
training
staff, and for the provision of an ongoing back-up facility.
In
deciding to enter this business, it is you and you alone who decide at
what
level you feel sufficiently comfortable, and there i no reason on earth
why
you should not expand your range of services at a future date. Because
success
depends as always upon satisfying the client, and in so doing,
guaranteeing
his future custom - hardly something you will accomplish if
in
the early days you attempt to provide facilities you find yourself unable
to
deliver.
Whether
to provide a wide range of services both simple and highly
specialised,
is something only you can decide. Working exclusively for local
firms,
offering a wide range of services, may have distinct benefits in terms
of
the loyalty you may attract from your customers. You may even, at some
time
in the future, consider employing someone else to take over the more
mundane
tasks, leaving you to carry out those which require a greater
level
of expertise.
FORMING
THE RIGHT IMPRESSION
In
business, whatever your speciality, image is of paramount importance.
First
impressions are lasting impressions, and more so in respect of
businessmen
such as yourself who will be offering services primarily by
means
of advertisements, including direct mail. Yours is not one to survive
from
the custom passing trade might provide. It is highly unlikely, at least
in
the early days, that you will have self-contained business premises into
which
your prospective clients can pop, to discuss their requirements.
More
likely, you will be one to approach potential clients, either
individually,
or collectively, as a result of advertisements placed in the
press
or trade magazines. In such cases, the impression you convey to those
whose
custom you seek, must be one to instil confidence sufficient to have
them
reaching for the telephone, or at least to cutting out your
advertisement
to retain for future consideration.
It's
vitally important to take time in designing your business stationery,
perhaps
even considering having it professionally designed for you, and
certainly
to have it typeset and produced on quality paper - photocopying
might
be tempting in view of the very many mailshots you will need to send
out
- tempting to you, not to the recipient! Your business cards should also
be
professionally designed and reproduced; the cost might be relatively
higher
than for 'run of the mill' cards, but you, remember, are not offering
a
run of the mill service, and as such there is no room for cutting corners,
unless
of course that is exactly the impression you wish to convey in respect
of
your services too.
Particularly
if offering your service by direct mail, or else if asking
interested
parties to send for further details of your services, you may find
it
beneficial to have a resume produced. Your resume need consist of only one
sheet,
again on quality stationery, on which are outlined the details of your
experience,
qualifications, references and any other details which will serve
to
convince the reader of your competence.
It's
not though, just your letters, business cards, and advertisements which
must
convey an image of professionalism if you are to succeed in a business
which
does, after all, require clients to place a fair degree of trust in
you.
You too will personally need to testify as to your worth, not by
shouting
it out loud, but by looking tidy, speaking well, being organised,
punctual
and, most of all, businesslike.
You
are, in bringing your attention to the business world, attempting to
sell
yourself, no less than does the grocer, butcher, or writer attempt to
sell
his wares. But we all need foodstuffs; we all need clothes, homes, and
many
of us need those items still thought of by many as luxuries - holidays,
cars,
dishwashers, and so on.
Computers
though, for those not familiar with them, or still not enlightened
to
the massive benefits computerisation has to offer them and their
businesses,
are not thought of as an essential, not when one still has the
use
of pen amid paper, midnight oil, and overworked grey matter.
Potential
customers may need 'educating' as to what you call offer them;
you
must therefore tell the of the benefits that will be forthcoming, how
they
will sell more, enjoy greater profits, and plan for the future, instead
of
working every daylight hour, hoping merely to make ends meet.
You
will meet many barriers in promoting your service, particularly in
respect
of the older generation, who not having enjoyed computer studies
within
their school curriculum, still, in many instances, distrust computers,
word
processors, and all things similarly 'high tech'. A 'softly softly'
approach
is best adopted in these cases, coupled with stressing to the
individual
concerned that not only will they save money by introducing high
technology
into there lives - they are likely to make more too, simply as a
result
of the extra time they will have to devote to their everyday tasks,
as
well as planning for the future.
Distrust
of you, and your services, is another hurdle you may have to
overcome,
particularly if you operate in a locality in which you are a
stranger. Are you, for instance, the type of person to
whom they can divulge
their
trade secrets without fear that they will be spread to all and sundry
over
pints in the local pub?
Problems
of distrust are hard to overcome, and in general they will tend to
disappear
of their own accord as word-of-mouth speaks for the
confidentiality,
reliability and security of your services.
There are,
of
course, many things you do to help promote that image you wish to
accompany
your every business dealing, such as never, but never, speak to
one
client about the business of another.
But
trust and commitment to what you propose will come as nothing if the
public
is unaware of your existence, and so an ongoing and effective
advertising
policy is essential if you are to develop and maintain an
adequate
level of business.
In
the early days you may consider servicing only local clients, often
people
who already know you and your capabilities, in which case a well
produced
leaflet with resume popped through their letterboxes may constitute
all
the advertising you need.
Your
services may also be promoted in the local press, either as a result of
placing
advertisements yourself, or by having a reporter produce one of the
new
business features many local papers are so keen to include.
Have
a leaflet professionally typeset for distribution to all enquiries from
your
advertisement, and include some means by which further contact can be
made.
Can you, for instance, call in on them, by appointment, at some future
date,
to inform them personally of what you can offer, and to answer any
questions
they may have? Try also telephoning a week or so after sending
your
brochure with its all - important accompanying personal letter,
ostensibly
to ask whether the person making the enquiry has in fact received
your
correspondence. Your intention, in truth however, is to jog the memory
of
those who might have forgotten about your advertisement, as well as to
ask
if you can provide more information by means of a personal visit.
PROFITS
FROM YOUR COMPUTER
Introduction
In a
money-oriented world, almost every adult is required to maintain
financial
records of some kind, for a great many reasons.
Some of them
purely
for the individual's own use; others for the use of outside agencies
such
as accountants, Inland Revenue and V.A.T. inspectors.
Though
most people can quite adequately compile such data as is required by
themselves
and for submission to outside agencies, not all of us relish the
task
- often one which requires us to devote
small amounts of time each
day
to making minor entries into our records books. For many the whole
task
is one guaranteed to spell frustration.
It's a job most people hate,
and
because of this, a high degree of inaccuracy will inevitably creep into
even
the most straightforward of record keeping systems. And because the
exercise
is not one we welcome, there is a strong tendency to delay
updating
our records, a sure-fire recipe for the missing of deadlines,
and
even loss of essential information.
So
what can you offer by which to make the lives of your potential clients
just
a little easier and infinitely more organised?
ACCOUNTS
AND FINANCE PACKAGE
Life
experience tells us that all adults need to maintain records of some
type
if they are to keep their financial houses in order. Some don't keep
records
however, which might go a long way to explaining the inability of
many
to live within their means, with all the resultant drains on their
resources
what will ensue from bank overdraft charges and loan interest
repayments.
For
the private individual and his or her family, you may provide a more
than
welcome service in simply collating and analysing their income and
expenditure. Alternatively, you may find yourself called
on each and every
April,
simply to take that awesome annual missive from the Taxman off their
hands.
Businesses,
particularly those with very few staff, might find little time
for
the albeit important task of stock control, and subsequent ordering and
re-ordering
of appropriate items. Computers of
course, can undertake the
job
in far less time, offering a greater degree of accuracy, whilst also
availing
the businessperson of that extra time with which to concentrate
on
selling the actual service or goods for which his or her business exists.
DATABASE
PACKAGES
In
deciding what to offer your customer now that you have effectively
sold
them the benefits of you accounts package, the database package is
invariably
the most logical step to take.
Basically
little more than a computerised filing system, the database
package
has much to offer in maintaining those records and details which
do
not necessarily fall within the realms of finance. So we find many
services
here to offer the business client, whatever size his organisation.
Suppliers
of goods and sources of raw materials can be committed to disk,
along
with product numbers, current prices, specifications, and many other
details
of importance to your client. The office
administrator and personnel
manager
can find themselves all but redundant if you take over
responsibility
for maintaining staff records. labour turnover details
and
subsequent analysis of trends, sickness records, and training records
too.
Not
just the personnel department would find itself depleted in numbers
should
you also find yourself being asked to computerise the stock control
system,
the filing, the customer record sheets, invoices, regular accounts
and
reminders to those whose payments are less than punctual.
Workers,
whatever their calling, can benefit from what your up-market
filing
system offers. For the writer, you may
record on disk the notes
he
will one day require, providing him with a 'cutting bureau' that requires
far
less in the way of space than did the shabby disorganised system of
stacked
cardboard boxes.
The
salesman, insurance agent, collector, scout leader.... they all, though
they
don't know it, have some part of their lives which could be made that
much
easier, less repetitive and boring, more accurate, and less
time-consuming,
if only they knew of your existence.
SPREADSHEET
PACKAGES
This
package is essentially a statistical correlation system, involving the
constant
shuffling and juggling of large numbers of variable factors,
consisting
usually of suppliers' details, tax points, information relating
to
costs, employees and stock, to name but a few.
The
spreadsheet emulates the familiar accounting system of rows and columns,
but
as is not often the case with the human statistician, the spreadsheet
is
capable of establishing where relationships occur between the rows and
columns,
thereby facilitating long term planning decisions, projections
for
the future, even to ascertain with a remarkable degree of accuracy
just
what effect any change in the variables might have upon the future.
PROFITS
FROM YOUR WORD PROCESSOR
Introduction
Word
processing bears an obvious similarity to typing, both essentially
being
concerned with document preparation. But
this is almost all they
have
in common. Whether the word processor is
part of a personal computer
system
or a word processor in its own right, it is different in several
ways
from a typewriter, and offers the operator various distinct and very
important
advantages.
Word
processors, unlike typewriters, have memory banks, wherein can be
stored
a great deal of information, ready for retrieval when the situation
demands. They do not however act upon such information
stored in their
memory
banks; they simply repeat the information as a result of commands
given
by the operator.
For
many operators the biggest advantage of the word processor is the
ability
to amend and correct information, before that information is
printed
out. Many of the newer models also offer
a spell-check facility,
by
means of an in-built dictionary in the word processor's memory banks.
To
all intents and purposes, but still obviously dependent to some extent
on
the skills of the operator, documents emanating from the word processor
should
be free from typing and spelling mistakes.
Documents once typed
into
the memory, can have minor and major amendments made, large sections
inserted,
deleted, even moved to another section, and all by means of just
a
few keys being pressed.
Once
information is stored into the machine's memory, the operator is able
to
call upon the machine to copy the same document many times without any
need
to re-type the information contained. Each
copy will be identical to
the
next, assuming of course that steps are taken to ensure the ribbon
strength
remains up to par.
The
person offering word processing need not of course content him or
herself
with providing facilities a typing agency might offer.
For
those skilled at composing letters there is the added possibility of
providing
full service bureau facilities to those regularly sending out
mailshots,
a service which might extend from producing the words,
to
creating the mainsheet, compiling the mailing list, and even to posting
the
finished articles.
Mainsheet
Facilities
Wherever
there is a need to contact people by post, whether for buying,
selling,
or for any of many different reasons, there will be business for
you
in producing mailshots, particularly if personalised in the manner the
word
processor allows. A mainsheet is that
piece of documentation sent out
to
often thousands of individuals, by which to inform them of services,
products
and facilities available. Such
information might also relate to
other
business matters - for instance, change of address or partners
within
the organisation.
The
word processor offers one distinct advantage over the typewriter to
those
involved in mailing items to many individuals, this being the ability
to
personalise each of many thousands of similar pieces of documentation
in
such a manner that the recipient believes the letter has been prepared
or
him - and him alone! There is still a
place in today's high flying
business
world for that element of personal service which once set the
small
corner shopkeeper high above the supermarket owner in terms of the
esteem
in which his custom held him.
The
majority of word processors allow the operator to enter that text
which
will form the body of all mailing pieces, and subsequently to add
the
addressees' personal data, such as names, addresses, details relating
to
recent purchases, relevant dates, and so on.
Updating
System
One
of the greatest advantages of the word processor, is the ability to
update
and amend documentation without the need for new documentation to
be
created. Once inside the computer's
memory banks, the details can be
added
to, have parts deleted, and have changes made, without any need for
the
item to be typed or re-processed in its entirety. The word processor,
of
course, allows the operator to bring the original document onto the
screen
and to make such changes as are necessary before the document is
subsequently
committed to print.
Customer
price lists can therefore be amended, whether it be in respect
of
price changes, or to items added or deleted from the list.
Other changes, such as to product number,
specification,
change
of supplier, and any number of other factors can be taken
into
account; all changes being made before the first printed version
of
the revised document ever appears.
Storage
of Standard Correspondence Details
'Canned
' data is that which can be committed to the memory banks of the
computer
or everyday filing system, ready for retrieval and subsequent
incorporation
into the letter or document being
processed.
The
mainsheet user obviously benefits to a great extent, since he or she
can
produce the main body of letters, before calling upon such data as is
stored,
to be inserted, unchanged, at set points within the text.
It
follows therefore, that a great many people may be sent what they
consider
personalised letters, albeit in fact the body of all letters
may
be identical, with changes made only to the name and address section,
and
such as comments referring to past purchases, by the customers being
approached
via the mainsheet.
DOING
SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT
Typesetting
Typesetting
often involves producing text on a page by means of a font.
The
end result is usually highly professional, can include graphics,
many
different styles of printing, and various layouts, all of which are
extremely
difficult, if at all possible, to create with just a typewriter.
But
for the word processor, many design packages have been created which
allow
the operator to enjoy those facilities normally reserved for much
costlier
design machinery, and desk top publishing packages.
Stationery
design might be one small service you could incorporate into
your
business plan, and certainly one to fit into those odd spare ours
you
will no doubt find between larger assignments.
You
may also offer a service whereby you will typeset magazines,
books
and newsletters, or create master forms for businesses and
individuals
to photocopy in unlimited quantities.
There is also a great
demand,
particularly in the field of home publishing, for manuals and
business
guides to be typeset, for a much more professional image than
the
typewritten originals you will be supplied with.
Mailing
List Broker
Mailing
lists are big business in the field of direct marketing.
Businesses,
for a great many reasons, not all of them concerned with
actual
selling, post mailshots to tens of thousands of individuals.
The
company concerned may of course have its own list of names, as do
a
great many specialist mail order companies.
Sometimes
the dealer may wish to address his offers to fresh clients,
such
as those appearing on the mailing lists of fellow mail order
specialists. Lists though are guarded jealously, and if
sold or rented
to
others, the fee requested will necessarily be high - no-one passes on
essential
information for insignificant returns!
This
is another business you can operate quite easily alongside your
other
activities. Basically you will be
keeping suitable addresses on file,
ready
for distribution to interested organisations, and usually printed on
sticky
labels ready for use. Obviously your
computer will greatly assist
here,
not only in storing the names concerned, but also allowing them to
be
subsequently reproduced on labels.
Let
us take another look at what the work of a list broker involves.
This
is one big business proposition to require an absolute minimum of
capital,
but nevertheless offer extremely high rewards in return.
'It's
not what you know, but who you know that counts'. In the field of
mail
order this is particularly true. Not
depending upon passing trade,
the
mail order operator must send out his mailshots to suitable targets,
and
in the course of a week or so he may make many thousands of identical
mailings.
Once
the names and addresses on his own custom-made mailing list have been
exhausted,
he is therefore required to obtain more names, hopefully from a
reputable
and professional organisation. That
professional organisation
will
be one to ensure the names are 'fresh', meaning that disinterested
parties
have been deleted, and 'gone-aways' too have had their addresses
removed
from the list.
The
better broker will similarly ensure that his lists consist only of
names
suitable for inclusion, and so a list of opportunity seekers will
indeed
consist of those who have expressed an interest in being informed
of
appropriate opportunities, as opposed to names selected at random from
any
telephone directory readily at hand.
It
isn't though, just in the field of mail order that lists are required.
Addresses
can be required in respect of:
Private individuals requiring certain
services and
products
Specific businesses, e.g. undertakers,
grocers, hotels,
engineering firms, and so on
Persons involved in particular sports
or hobbies
Those of a particular profession
The
beginning list broker may begin compiling names and addresses
from
scratch, in the case of opportunity seekers sometimes placing
advertisements
offering such opportunities and retaining details of
all
responses received. He may instead buy
suitable lists from small
mail
order dealers, expecting to pay a higher fee if those names are of
actual
buyers instead of mere enquirers.
Alternatively,
the broker may act as a middle man, buying or hiring the
list
in at one price, then offering it whole or split to interested parties,
at
a price that will obviously yield a profit.
One
point to note here is that anyone keeping data on disk may need to
register
with the Data Protection Registrar, based at: Springfield House,
Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AX.
A
Curriculum Vitae Service with a Difference
'25
POUNDS for every two pages typed', or so the advertising blurb goes,
for
those business manuals which inform us exactly how to set up a
consultancy
preparing the awesomely named 'Curriculum Vitae'.
Ten
years or so ago, those seeking employment were required simply to
commit
a few personal details to forms the prospective employer provided
for
the purpose. In an uncomplicated world,
with numbers seeking work
roughly
equal to the number of vacancies existing, the form fulfilled
its
intended purpose of matching workers to jobs.
But
conditions in the real world are far less Utopian, and with heavy
unemployment
we find vast numbers chasing such few jobs and positions as
actually
become vacant. Given the odds against securing any particular
position,
job hunting has become almost an art in itself, with applicants
now
needing to practice 'hard sell' tactics if they are to avail themselves
of
that coveted interview.
Consequently,
the job hunter is no longer satisfied with providing only
what
the application form requires of him; no longer can he confidently
commit
his form to the tender mercies of the postal service, if there
remains
a nagging doubt that details he considers appropriate were simply
not
provided for on the application form. To this aid comes the
curriculum
vitae, a type of self - made application form which allows
for
all relevant information to be provided.
The
curriculum vitae, despite its rather ominous sounding name, is little
more
than a biographical account of the applicant's personal and career
related
details, presented in a logical and easy to read format.
It
communicates everything the application form did, and more.
Giving
the numbers chasing so few jobs, it is essential that the
curriculum
vitae is well produced, accurate, neat, and creates an overall
good
impression. Very any agencies will take your personal details and
have
the necessary documentation prepared on your behalf, and they will
charge
seemingly high fees for what essentially
amounts to producing
two
to three typed sheets. Typing agencies across the country have come
to
recognise the benefits that offering so essential a service can provide.
one
big problem remains for the job hunter, in that the details typed
onto
the form, though indeed accurate and up - to - date
when
presented to him, can quickly become outdated. We need to consider
this
possibility no further than the next birthday of the intended job
hunter,
whose age on that curriculum vitae is no longer accurate.
Changes
of address and examination passes similarly render his
all
- important curriculum vitae hopelessly out of date.
The
solution usually is to have new documents prepared for each and
every
change that transpires - very costly, and very unnecessary too,
except
perhaps for those who only have the facilities of the everyday
typing
agency. But someone like you, who having committed the clients
details
to disk, could also offer him an updating service, at a fraction
of
the fee documentation would cost, will find a more than ready market
for
their services, and a profitable sideline to other services you may
also
have to offer.
Creating
Computer Games and Educational Programmes
Certainly
those blessed with a gift for lateral thinking, may find
themselves
cosy and very profitable niche within the world of games
creation,
for a market ever hungry to discover new and more captivating
ways
by which t test its imagination and ability.
Take
a look inside any computer accessories shop, and you'll be amazed at
the
almost impossible choice of games designed for users of all ages,
from
pre-school child to teenager, businessmen, war games enthusiasts,
hobbyists,
students, and many, many others.
Educational
programmes often masquerade as games, to make the learning
process
all that much more interesting.
And
so we find programmes aimed
at
developing the number skills, dexterity, colour and shape recognition
for
very young children, as well as programmes designed to make higher
level
mathematics much more stimulating than those staid, uninviting text
books
can ever hope to do.
Even
your life experiences can be turned into games destined to captivate
audiences
young and old alike. An example of such
is "Life and Death",
the
rather ominously titled game in which the player takes on the role of
surgeon,
making decisions which, in reality, are best left to the
professionals.
The
player discovers just what effect his decisions will have upon
the
patients, and scoring takes the form of, such as, refresher courses
being
recommended, appraisals being given by one's seniors, and at a
more
sordid level, the patient's life blood and all manner of essential
bits
and pieces flash nauseatingly across the screen - definitely not
for
the squeamish!
The
medical world, despite its obvious attributes in terms of the
colourful
display it can add to the computer monitor, is not the only
profession
to find its way into game. The player
can choose the status
of
chess master, teacher, driver, and many others no doubt you could name
yourself. It isn't the profession that matters, but
rather the skills,
challenges
and play points that can be brought to bear.
Support
Services to Current and Intending Computer Users
A
great many services exist which you might consider incorporating into
your
overall business plan, one being the hiring of computer time,
that
is, allowing your computer to be used, on your premises if need be,
by
those whose own computers have broken down, or else by individuals
considering
investing in a computer but as yet uncertain as to what
benefits
they offer the user. You may also, in
the latter case,
offer
your services as a tutor to first time buyers, or to those
purchasing
a machine significantly different to that with which they
are
familiar.
FREELANCE
WRITING
From
that very day the novice writer batters his first words into the
manual
or electric typewriter, with obligatory typing errors and subsequent
changes
to wording, the word processor becomes an almost impossible dream,
one
which will provide him with the ability to make all of those amendments
without
even one piece of paper bearing testament to the manuscript's
earlier
form.
The
word processor, of course, allows all such changes as are deemed
necessary,
to be made whilst the words are still visible only on the
computer
screen - no re-types, no typist's correction fluid, no hassle,
and
no more wasted time and effort!
Your
skills with computers may in fact be all that you need to incorporate
freelance
writing into your overall business portfolio, since many
computers
magazines depend heavily upon the work of freelance writers,
many
of whom have no in-depth knowledge of computers. Your more
specialised
knowledge, in fact, places you at a distinct advantage
over
'roving' freelance writers who, though they will produce work on
any
topic, for any source willing to pay for the privilege, would consider
the
research required for an article on computer methods and techniques
all
but prohibitive, even to the point of rendering the effort involved
not
worth the fees they receive.
Computer
Tuition and Advisory Service
Many
first time users of personal computers, myself most definitely included,
find
the whole experience of ownership anything but a pleasure. For some,
that
keyboard is the only piece of equipment to offer any degree of
familiarity;
the rest is alien - and frightening.
Imagine
then the relief to such as myself, who finds computer user manuals
to
be written in all but foreign terminology, to feel able to call upon
someone
to aid familiarisation with a new machine, as well as someone to
guide
us through the more complicated stages that invariably we will one
day
want to master - them, not me, for I am a lost cause, unless of
course
you just happen to live nearby!
And
as a useful adjunct to teaching basic or higher computer and word
processor
techniques, you could offer a troubleshooting service, one
which
might have saved me from throwing out all those disks I once
thought
were damaged beyond repair, but which I now find, via the services
promoted
in an advertisement placed in a writers' magazine, could have
had
their data retrieved - if only there had been someone then for me to
turn
to!
Consultancy
Service
If
you feel destined for only the big time in the computer world,
then
perhaps you should consider your future role as one of consultant;
a
trouble-shooter called in to analyse and solve problems as exist with
the
client's own computer system.
You
may be called upon to install new computer systems, update old ones,
and
train or re-train staff in new techniques and newly introduced hardware.
Obviously,
those seeking to work in the upper echelons of the computer world,
will
find themselves with relatively little competition compared to those
who
remain content with providing basic services.
Analysing
Biorhythms
A
few years ago, anyone offering a service whereby the individual's
biorhythms
are charted and analysed, would no doubt have been thought
of
as little more than mad. Yet today this
service is one taken very
seriously
indeed, and not just be those individuals who place great store
in
such as astrology and fortune telling.
Politicians, sportsmen and
women,
students and businessmen are but a few of the very many people
who
simply would not start their working day without at least knowing
how
well they are likely to perform, and how well their relationships
with
other people are likely to be affected on any particular day.
Biorhythms
are cycles that rule our minds, bodies and emotions, and life,
it
is said, goes through a series of rhythms, with patterns of ups and downs,
all
based essentially upon one's date of birth.
By charting an
individual's
biorhythm pattern, the analyst is able to select those
times
at which the person concerned is likely to be most efficient,
more
romantically inclined, perhaps a little moody, even under the weather,
and
a whole host of other factors which will influence that person at any
particular
point in time.
Biorhythms
are usually hand produced on graph paper, before presentation
to
the client, who incidentally will pay very handsomely indeed to know
what
the day, month, or year ahead holds in store for him.
Imagine
though, how much easier it will be to have your computer chart
the
rhythms, and how much more professional the customer's presentation
pack
will subsequently become.
Fortune
Telling
Still
on the subject of predicting the future, I recently made my way precariously
past a huge crowd of people in a local indoor shopping centre. Huge crown indeed, and so quiet, obviously
watching something so interesting that I also felt the urge to get in on the
act. In the midst of this group stood a
man and his computer, complete with printer from which churned several feet of
printout, upon which were huge hand-shaped drawings.
Upon
closer investigation, it turned out the man was reading the palms of
individual's
willing to pay him several pounds for the privilege.
I
tell a slight lie however, for he wasn't actually reading the
palm
- the computer was - the printout came as a direct result of the
individual
placing a flat hand on a king of photocopying device.
The
printout showed the various lines said to be associated with one's
future
fortunes, and the whole thing was nicely rounded off by the
stallholder
briefly explaining the printout and what the individual
can
hope for in the future.
A
Name To Reckon With
Nostalgia
is most definitely in! And with our
new-found interest in
anything
old, many of us will gladly spend long hours searching through
musty
old books, desperately seeking to discover a little more about
the
stock from which we came. Our ancestor's
graves are combed for clues,
birth
certificates are analysed, parish registers are scoured through for
details
of weddings, births, baptisms and deaths.
Imagine
then the interest which must have followed the emergence of a
new
business now available in almost all bigger towns and cities,
whereby
from huge volumes of surnames, the customer chooses that in
which
he or she has a particular interest, and the adjacent computer
prints
out, on parchment paper, the entire history of that surname.
I
have seen suitable business equipment being offered in magazines,
and
also complete business packages being offered on franchise.
Pen
Pal Clubs
Many
a successful Pen Pal Club has come about simply by means of a
co-ordinator
who, for a fee, places your name on his books, and
subsequently
searches through often hundreds of similar entries for
a
suitable person with whom you can correspond.
And 'books' here
is
the operative word, for in the past such clubs existed purely
because
the organiser was willing to place, on huge files, the details
of
many people, perhaps from all countries of the world, from which
files
he or she would then select appropriate partners, often after
many
hours of searching.
Imagine
how much easier the task must now be for those operators whose
customers'
details are placed on disk, with all but a few keys to be
pressed
to release the information customers have paid for, merely
names
and addresses of like individuals.
Many
co-ordinators don't even undertake this checking for suitability
themselves;
they leave that to the individual customer to carry out for
him
or herself, from a list of names, addresses and interests contained
in
regular newsletters issued to all clients.
Typing that list,
updating
and amending it each month, would be a laborious exercise
indeed
- but with a word processor, the sky's the limit!
The
Lighter Side of Business
To
end this range of business ideas on a light note, let me tell you
of
two small firms which subsequently became big businesses,
all
because of discovering a small gap in the market which they would
fill
- with the aid of their computers and word processors.
One
woman creates typewriter art portraits, once a very painstaking
procedure
when working with the old portable or electric typewriter,
which
even after hours of getting that picture just right, would still
offer
nothing but one copy of the picture so produces. Mistakes during
the
process of 'keyboard painting' meant that the entire operation had
to
be re-started or else mistakes blotted out, thereby leaving a nasty
blob
on the customer's copy. But with the
word processor, that artist
now
creates a perfect picture on her screen, ready for printing vast
quantities
of first generation copies for selling to the tourist trade
in
her home town. She also works to
commission, creating portraits of
the
client's chosen subject - miles removed from the charcoal, pen and ink,
and
everyday photographic studies we are usually offered, whereby to commit
our
loved ones to immortality.
Look
out every Christmas time for the advertisements placed by the man who,
having
word processed a story for his own child, incorporating into the
text
personal details relating to the child's name, age, friends, pets
and
hobbies, subsequently discovered his friends wanted such unique
presents
for their children too. His clients now
come from all countries
of
the world. The basic story remains the
same, although there is a
choice
of titles, and into each he simply word processes the recipient's
personal
details as provided by the customer.
Brilliant!
With
these two highly successful businesses, to have grown from the
humblest
of beginnings, I'll leave you to ponder the direction your
own
future will take. The choice of course
is phenomenal, and you
can
remain as small, or grow as large, as you yourself wish.
G O
O D L U C K !
THE
END
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