2004 FRAME SHOP TECHNOLOGY SURVEY & DISCUSSION

MATS: How does your shop cut mats? (pick any that apply)

  • Manual: Tabletop matcutter

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Manual: Handheld matcutter

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • CMC: Eclipse

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • CMC: Future/Valiani

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • CMC: Mat Maestro

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • CMC: Wizard

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • CMC: Zund

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    117

Mike Labbe

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2004 FRAME SHOP TECHNOLOGY SURVEY & DISCUSSION - NOV 2004
techsurvey.gif


A survey that compares how we've applied technology such as matcutters/cmcs, pricing/POS systems, internet access at the shop, websites, backups, security, etc


This was our most popular survey last year, and it will be interesting to compare the results between the years.


Your input and discussion are greatly appreciated!

RESULTS from previous surveys: www.custompictureframing.com/poll_results.htm

Mike

Note: One question asks how many unique visitors your site had in SEPTEMBER 2004. If you have access to this info, it will save time to have it handy before voting.
 
I just got a website up and running so really don't have any facts and figures regarding it except for hosting costs.
Because of that none of the answers applied on some of the questions.
 
Either Ron hasn't voted yet or he is ashamed of his CMC.....


BTW I voted "Yes" not that its anybodys business.

Carry on.
 
Tell me why not everyone lists their web address on their business cards and in all their advertising. It seems like such a no-brainer to me.

Betty
 
I haven't used up my last order of business cards since I set up the web site. So, I had to not check it in the survey. But, when I re-order I will add it.

Also, it is not currently on my vehicle, but as soon as my sign guy gets his act together it will be there as well.

For me, it's a matter of timing and not wanting to throw out usable material.

Might be penny wise pound foolish, but I just can't bring myself to throw the old ones away!
 
Me neither! I ain't gonna throw anything away! Just print labels that say "check out our website" with the address and stick them to the back of your business cards.

By the way, ever notice when you give a business card to someone how often they turn it over and look at the back?

Betty
 
Wow - what a fast moving poll! We already have 60 votes and it hasn't even been a day yet.

Some alarming statistics already, that perhaps we can start discussions about:

Some shops have expired or no virus protection.

Some shops have poor or no backups of their data.

Some indicated they run OPEN wireless networks in their shops. Others indicated that they have encryption on, but not mac address filtering. This means anyone with a laptop could be within a block of your shop and have full access to your data. (competitors etc) Even with WEP encryption and a password, there are free utilities out there that will break past this in about 30 seconds and gain full access. There's no way to completely secure your wireless network, but it's a good idea to combine encryption with a password AS WELL AS mac address filtering. Each network card has a unique "mac address" which is like a serial #. You can program your router to ONLY talk with those you specify, and to ignore anyone else. If anyone needs help with this stuff, email me and we'll figure it out together. There are freeware hacking programs to get around mac address blocking too, but when you combine several factors you'll minimize the likelyhood someone will get into your wireless network.

It's amazing how many networks out there have NO protection. I can drive from our shop to my home (about 11 miles), through wooded country roads with few houses - and my laptop detects about 76 wireless networks on the way. (using a free program called NETSTUMBLER) Of those 76, only 11 of them were protected. If I were a mischievous person, I could have looked at files and documents on their shared drives, used their printers, etc. If you have wireless, it has to be secured.

Would discussing these topics benefit anyone? Let's get the ball rolling


Thanks for the participation. As a computer person, this is the poll I find most interesting.

Mike
 
SHERRY LEE: Re: Question #6...

It needs to have an 'other' or, "Cost to maintain site is an agreed % of website sales."
Hi

Thanks for the feedback. I'll have this fixed in next year's survey. Once they're posted, I can't make changes.

A commissioned webhost is one scenario I didn't take into consideration. If anyone else finds themselves confronted with this problem, pick a financial range that represents the average amount you pay per month. Statistically, it should fit in fine.

Thanks for letting me know,
Mike

PS: Mat Maestro didnt have any votes last year either. Where's Ron?
 
VERY interesting Mike.

Interesting that so many have Fullcalc, as we do.

BTW: if you keep getting fatel error, you need to go to Foxpro and download Service pack 4, I think it was . . .2.3 hours on dial up.

Luckily we called our Tweaky and he ran over MS SP4 and saved us the 7 hour down load.
 
Thanks once again Mike for the tech snapshot.
Would discussing these topics benefit anyone? Let's get the ball rolling
If you would have told me ten years ago that my shop would be running a server and 8 workstations I would have laughed but that is what it has come to.

IT manager has has become another of the many small business hats I wear (right up there with the designated tax matters person hat and the guy to find when the plumbing backs up hat.)

Discussing these topics benefits alot of us I think. I know just about enough about network management to be dangerous. Some of my tech worries include:

1)Security of my wireless nodes (as of mike's post)
2)Backing up-we do regular backups but the more we use the network the more complicated the process becomes-and the more time intensive. backup strategies and prog
3) Network security - we haven't been hit by anything nasty but managing MS updates, virus updates & spyware sweeps take constant attention.

My system has grown like topsy - a POS station here, matcutter there, art puchase terminal over there. My management strategy usually lags a little behind.

I'm also watching for the next big thing. Computerized mat cutting and POS have been such profitable investments for us that I'm watching for the next wave. Somethings that I think are worth discussion include barcoding work flow, digital saw guides, memory programmed V-nailers, image processing such as large format printing and digital photo restoration services.

I think that Mike & the other tech weenies on this forum are invaluable resources and that we should flatter & coddle them so they keep us on top of things

Peter Bowe
Saline Picture Frame Co.
 
… why not everyone lists their web address on their business cards and in all their advertising.
I was faced with having a couple of thousand lying (laying?) around, so I gots me a self inking rubber stamp with my web address on it.

Now, when things get slow, I knock off a few hundred at a whack.

I took my time designing just the right font size with the right font face so it would pretty nearly fill up the back of the business card.

When someone asks for it, I generally hand them the card with the web address side showing and ask them to check it out.
 
Sherry,

Please update your profile and place your business name in the space labeled "Business Name" instead of the one labeled "Homepage."

The format of the profile page has changed since you registered and makes this update necessary to prevent other Grumblers from hitting a dead-end when they click on the Homepage button at the top of your posts.

Thanks.
 
Wireless Security Tips For Your Shop or Home
Moved the tips into their own thread in the computer forum at THIS LINK

[ 10-29-2004, 07:41 PM: Message edited by: Mike-L@GTP ]
 
For those that put "OTHER METHOD NOT LISTED" for job pricing, i'm curious how you price jobs?

For those that put "OTHER METHOD (PLEASE EXPLAIN)" for system backups, i'm curious how you do it?

I'm making a lot of changes for NEXT year's survey and want to make sure I list all the options.

Very interesting results so far. I'm surprised how MANY are using Wizards(~50% of all grumblers), how many don't use a POS(>25%), how many have internet in their shops (~95%), how many people keep their backups on-site (~66%), etc.

Good stuff

Mike
 
I finally took the poll so there'd be a Mat Maestro represented here.

Am I the only Grumbler that has a usable Mat Maestro in captivity? If I can't find at least one more, the species will die out eventually.
 
Hi Mike,
For those that put "OTHER METHOD (PLEASE EXPLAIN)" for system backups, i'm curious how you do it?
I do my main backup on a tape drive but I also back up to several of our POS machines. We run a server based Frameready system so the POS stations have no data files on them. I backup the server files to them.

Peter Bowe
Saline Picture Frame Co.
 
I had an interesting email/question this morning, asking if the webhosting price question is in US or Canadian.

I'll answer here in case there is any confusion. It was figured in US dollars, so please convert before answering.

Ron, there have to be more Mat Maestros still out there. I think there's a company that provides support and software updates for owners at http://www.gkenterprises.biz/ I think some of the former employees of MM work there.
 
Backup method - other - explain:

Like Peter, we also use a workstation to back up the server for onsite access of backup material.
 
Do you use another method as well, such as tapes/cd/zip?

What would happen if virus hit and wiped all your workstations, a fire, theft, etc?

I ask because i'm trying to stimulate discussion - not picking on you


We back up in this method as well, as a secondary backup. I copy our POS folder to the Wizard machine in the back room on a daily basis, so we could use that machine if the server went down.

The poll has almost 100 participants so far in less than a week, and I hope everyone jumps in to give their feedback.
 
For data protection we use the following methods, for various purposes:

1. RAID 1 on server (this will probably be changed to RAID 5 in the very near future when we upgrade),
2. Daily offsite backups of data by internet,
3. Daily onsite backups of data to network hard drive,
4. Monthly CD backup of applications.
 
It looks like you certainly have it covered.


We do:
1. Daily POS (data only) backups to zip drive, through Lifesaver's backup routine.
2. Midweek onsite backups from Wizard PC to server, and server PC to Wizard.
3. Weekly backup of POS folder to my personal laptop that doesn't stay at the shop.
4. Weekend backup of POS folder, My Documents, Quicken folder via internet to my home computer. (w/pcAnywhere)
5. Once in a blue moon i'll make a DVDr of the server, just in case. (taken offsite)
6. We keep a "crash kit" at the shop and home, which has all the program CDs to reinstall the POS. We would need to install those, then use yesterday's zip in a worst case scenario.

We aren't using RAID here. We're so small that if there was a problem, we could switch to the laptop or Wizard PC, restore yesterday's data from ZIP, and be up in about 2 minutes.

I'm trying to generate some discussions about backups, wireless network security, antivirus importance, use of POS, etc This is important stuff.

Based on the poll results so far, 90% of the shops with wireless are not secured. 50% have no security at ALL and are likely broadcasting their confidential customer database to their neighbors and parking lot. :eek: If anyone fits in this boat and wants to fix it, I posted some tips in the computer forum.
 
I have found that if some one has to do it, some one will forget it. Our once a month CD backup is the only thing that requires human intervention, and that's the reason for our the makeup of our plan.
 
Bumped to the top - middle of the polling period.

If you haven't participated, your opinions are appreciated. When it's all finished on December 1, i'll post the results comparing 2003 to 2004.

Are there any topics covered in the poll that you want to discuss or have questions about? (backups, antivirus, pos systems, cmcs, internet, wireless security, etc)

Mike
 
I started on a Mac 512. I've written five books and illustrated them all on a Mac. I made my own POS using FileMaker Pro by watching a video and it worked great for years, doing many of the things today's programs do. I say that so you'll know I'm not a complete idiot on a computer BUt it's all gotten so much more complicated!!!

When I moved my business home, I updated my computer system and haven't converted my POS over so I'm back to manual paper pricing. I bought Frame Ready to use but haven't had time to learn to use it. It looks easy enough, but I just have had no time and so far the volume of business I do, the manual method hasn't been too bad, but I really miss my program. I keep telling myself I will get it done.

I bought a ZIP backup system but haven't hooked it up. I'm afraid to do much on this computer because it's so much more complicated than it used to be. I had a MAC 4 but it kept crashing and the slightest thing would give me nothing but trouble so I got rid of it and now use a much easier iMAC but my experience with the other computer has spooked me so I'm afraid to do anything, it's terrible. I have a CD backup system, but don't know how to use it. I need to learn Photoshop, I used Digital Darkroom and Photoshop is much harder. I need to learn how to use In Design, I did all my work in Pagemaker, I need to learn Power Point and covert my classes. I'm going to buy a computer projector but don't have a lot of faith in my ability to use it.

I guess my message is that even if your computer literate, keeping up with the changes, at least for me is impossible. How Mike does it, I don't know. Maybe if there were 24 more hours in a day and I had less irons in the fire, it could be done, but I am swamped and I know many of you are also. On top of that, I still need 500 more framers to help support FACTS.
 
You're part of a very elite and proud group.

Some day I need to sit down, invest some time, and learn the MAC. It's new territory for me. Only one of my corporate clients has a mac. (one mac/38 Dell XP machines) They use it to edit layout for a magazine with Pagemaker.

The only work I've done with MACS is to install drivers and troubleshoot networking settings. They seem fairly intuitive and easy to navigate.

Does Microsoft make a version of Powerpoint for the Mac?

Mike
 
Does Microsoft make a version of Powerpoint for the Mac?
Yes, it's bundled with the MS Office suite. As far as I can tell, all of the documents created in any of the Office applications are cross compatible with both Windoze and the Mac OS.
 
Oh Nona! We have got to talk!
Burning a CD on a Mac is soooooo much easier than Windows. I just got a Mac PowerBook G4 running OSX Panther. It's really wonderful!
There is a big learning curve from PageMaker to InDesign but I've made the move and it was well worth it. (It really helps that my sister uses it everyday as a graphic artist at a newspaper.) InDesign will convert all of your PageMaker files. The hard part is learning all the things you never dreamt you could do before.
I'm afraid that I can't help you get 24 more hours into each day but I can send you some easy instructions. Then you'll just need to find time to read them.
Cheers,
 
Mike,
Most of the publishing industry uses Macs. They are fantastic at graphics and layout.
The Mac version of PowerPoint is called Keynote. I have converted some of my presentations to the Mac and they needed some rebuilding. I don't know Keynote as well as I do PowerPoint. I'm sure that some of the features I want are there, I just don't know where to find them. *sigh* So much to learn.
Cheers,
 
It took longer than I expected to compile the results. The results can be viewed at www.custompictureframing.com/poll_results.htm

Please note that this represents my own personal interpretation of the results. Statistics can be very subjective. The results are for entertainment purposes only, and represent a sampling of 121 Grumblers. They may not accurately represent the industry as a whole.

Some of the results are interesting and discussion is always welcomed, as are new poll ideas.

Thanks to all who participated!

Mike
 
That's impressive. Good job Mike!
 
ShaZammmmm!
One question was the total head count for the poll 2004 & 2003 combined or do you have seperate count for each?
 
2003 was 117, 2004 was 121. Pretty close!

I re-compiled the 2003 results so they were calculated the exact same way, for a meaningful comparison.

Mike
 
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