TLCmagic Policy -- Technician Ticket

This form is intended to smooth the flow of computer repairs.



Customer Name: _________ Date and Start Time: __________

Tech Name: _____________ Date and Stop Time: __________

Steps taken to diagnose/repair:

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Diagnosis of Computer Problem:

_______________________________________________

Parts Used to Repair Computer:
Description of Part Used: UPC of Part Used:





Tips to avoid same problem later:

_______________________________________________

Recommended Upgrades:

_______________________________________________
Quality Control Check:
oSound oEmail/Internet Connection oBoot/Shutdown Process
oVideo/CD Function oAntivirus Subscription oOriginal Problem


QC Signature:_____________________________________

TLCmagic Policy -- Computer Repair Ticket

This form is to smooth the receipt of computers in need of repair from customers. Revised 10/26/05.

Customer Name: ____ PC Drop-off Date & Time: ____

Address: __________ Password: ________

City, State, Zip: ____ Email: ___________

Home Phone: ______ Cell Phone: _______

Computer Symptoms:

Items dropped off with computer:

Customer Signature:______________

TLCmagic Policy -- Client Profile

These questions have to be answered to some extent before we can begin to help a client.

Company Vision – What do imagine your company could be, do, or have?

Business Plan – How do you figure your company can make money and succeed?

Marketing Strategy – What are your objectives, policies, plans, and resources for marketing?

Website/Blog Purpose – How does a website/blog fit into your marketing strategy?

Can we help you? – Can we give you service of greater value than the cost of our service?

Press Release Outtake! 

Sneak Preview!

Twin Lakes Computer Magic Opens New Office on the Square

For Immediate Release

Mountain Home residents Bill and Misty Olen, owners of Twin Lakes Computer Magic, today announced the opening of their new office on the corner on the square across from the Baxter County Courthouse. The new TLCmagic office is at 101 East 6^th Street, in the space formally occupied by Byrd Insurance. Their hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the phone number is 870-424-7848.

“We have been providing computer and network support, and also website design and hosting, and with this new space we can also offer computer sales and repair,” said Misty Olen. “We are happy to be right in the heart of town, with all its history and vitality,” added Bill Olen. “Visit our website at www.TLCmagic.com or our weblog at TLCmagic.blogspot.com for more information.”

Who would imagine that it would take so much effort to order custom mugs with our logo, but we believe we have it now! 

The Future of Marketing

gapingvoid: we want to be part of something

Hugh gets it just right:
"Some time ago Jeff Jarvis wrote, to paraphrase, the future of marketing is not, "Here's why you should buy our stuff, but more "We're interested in the same things you're interested in."

Like I said, it's all about Outreach. It's about wanting to be part of something interesting, something larger than the actual product.

That being said, it's early days in this brave new world of ours. And I'm interested in finding out what the edges are. The only way to do that is by trying out different ideas. Some work better than others. "

TLCmagic Office Square Pan

This is our very first video post! Last Monday morning we went out to the Square in Mountain Home, AR to look at the office we will be moving into in a few days, and shot this video with sound using a Sony CyberShot digital camera. It was fun and easy, and we trust you will enjoy vblogging too. Click here to view video.

As we await the painting and carpeting of our new Office on the Corner on the Square, Misty coaches Intern Mick Lucenta in building his first computer on our livingroom floor. 

The Super Network

Wired 13.09: The Super Network

This interesting article by Josh McHugh tells how Bradley Horowitz at Yahoo! works on the problem of watching whatever you want (or didn't even know you wanted) wherever you are whenver you feel like it.

Last Saturday we went by Bull Shoals Dam just as a rain storm passed through, and it was beautiful! 

From 25 miles up, you can see the Twin Lakes, Bull Shoals and Lake Norfork, extending from Missouri in the North, down to Marion County to the West and Baxter County to the East. They look like Twin Dragons circling the Mountain Home area to the Southeast of the center of the photo. You can get the Google Earth download at http://earth.google.com/ and save photos too!

TLCmagic Policy -- Rate Sheet

Terms
Businesses – 15 days net, 10% per month finance charge
Individuals – Due upon receipt
Advance payment for hardware/software over $500.00

Support
$75/hour
Hours outside 8am to 5pm are billed at time and a half rates
Weekends at double time rates, Holidays at triple time rates
Start and finish – From and to TLCmagic office door
One hour minimum on trips, Half hour minimum at office
Half hour increments
Customer employee must be on premises
Phone support -- Start 2 minutes into phone call

Software/Hardware
Parts at wholesale plus 25%, plus installation
Computers -- $1000.00 -- $2000.00 -- $3000.00

Design
$1000.00 for a Basic Website/Weblog
$500.00 for a One-day Webware Workshop

Website/Email Hosting
$30.00/month for each website
$30.00/year for each domain name after first

TLCmagic Policy -- Cheers Marketing

In a place where everybody knows your name

In Mountain Home, AR, where Misty was born and has lived many years, most of the local residents know or know of her. Misty has family in town, some friends, and many acquaintances. Working on computers and networks over the last five years, Misty has gathered about 60 clients and helped hundreds of people. So how is it that people are not banging down the door and ringing the phone off the hook to buy our services?

People need an excuse and an easy way to get in touch. Referrals, business cards, brochures, press releases, yellow page ads, newspaper ads, car signage, and public appearances give people an excuse to get in touch easily. People need to feel comfortable about getting to know us without feeling committed to buying or continuing to buy from us.

Before we accept somebody’s business, they need to know our services, rates, terms, and relevant procedures so that they can make an informed decision to buy or not to buy, and can know that whether they buy or not is acceptable. That way, people can know that we are friendly, helpful, and professional without anybody getting their feelings hurt.

Colton holds the Key as he heads off to his first day at Montessori! 

Madison is uncharacteristically camera-shy as we all head into the Flow of the new school year! 

gapingvoid: flow and the new dimension

gapingvoid: flow and the new dimension

Hugh Macleod passes on some provocative ideas -- "What is next? Sig thinks "Flow" is next. Pretty interesting stuff."

TLCmagic Policy -- Admin Scale

ADMIN SCALE a sequence (and relative seniority) of subjects relating to organization.

Goal – Fun – Having a Good Time

Purpose – Play – Working with Others

Policy – Love – Being Friendly, Helpful, and Professional
Being More Than Fair



Plan – Make a Life of Freedom & Responsibility
See Bob Metcalfe's interview “30 years of Ethernet gains” –
Standards Compliant, Interoperable, backwards compatible

A. Our Family Life
See Clay Shirky's ”A Group Is Its Own Worst Enemy” -- you cannot completely separate technical and social issues -- Members are different than users -- The core group has rights that trump individual rights in some situations

1. Eat–Gather–Shop and Prep Food
2. Exercise–Hunt–Do Cleaning and Laundry
3. Rest–Farm/Ranch—Recreate Ourselves

B. Computer Network Installation, Support, and Optimization
See Tim O'Reilly's “The Open Source Paradigm Shift” –
The commoditization of software
Network-enabled collaboration
Software customizability (software as a service)

1. Computers
2. Networks and Servers
3. Website/WebLog Design & Hosting

C. Marketing Website/WebLog Design and Hosting
See Clay Shirky's “Situated Software” --tools for very particular needs, situated in the community that uses them.

1. Public Contact – Cheers Marketing – Office on the Corner on the Square
2. Public Service – Face To Face Analysis / Proposal – Services, Rates, Terms, Procedures – Building, Selling, & Warranting Computers
3. Field Control – Signoff – Free Choice

Ideal Scene -- Give And Take

Statistic – Income

Valuable Final Product -- Joy

TLCmagic Policy -- Blogging

We would like to use this blog to make our company policy available to Interns and Associates, to future Subcontractors and Employees, and to the Public, so that we may orient our company members while also being open with our public.

This would allow everyone an opportunity to make comments, ask questions, and share statements of conviction. Also, when and if a policy gets revised or cancelled, the revision can be linked in the comments or the cancellation can be posted. Also this would make TLCmagic Policy searchable within the blog.

We welcome your response!

Today we got the office electricity transferred to our name, got the phone and DSL service ordered, ordered a couple two-line phones, got the business owner insurance policy process going, and went down to the square to imagine what sign we could put up and how it would look. 

Building a Fan Base

AdPulp: One Man Gathers What Another Man Spills

Here's a great little article that pulls together several views on growing and succeeding -- "The idea is to build a fan base. Without that fan base you don't have Jack. So, do whatever you have to do to be totally solid with that the people who most vigorously support what you're doing. It's the old "give it away and see what comes back to you" trick."

We found this old post card online with an aerial photo facing North, of the Mountain Home Square. You can see that a building has replaced the tree on the North East corner location of our office. 

Light Within

Light Within

Sometimes we become so caught up in our own particular time and place, that we forget that after all, it is the World Wide Web. S. A. J. Shirazi posts, "I am obsessed with the virtual word, and forms of mass media at hand and cultures beyond borders. I'm always looking for friends." Check it out!

Last Saturday morning we went to the Farmers Market on the Square, and imagined the possibilities for our new office! 

gapingvoid: husband & wife

gapingvoid: husband & wife

Hugh Macleod, known across the planet for "cartoons drawn on the back of business cards" and for "how to be creative" and for "the hughtrain" and for pioneering the whole frontier of blogvertising gives us some link love. Now there's some Bigtime Global Microbranding for you!

In this 1933 aerial photo of the Mountain Home square facing East Northeast, the TLCmagic office is just a tree on the Northeast corner! 

gapingvoid: adrants

gapingvoid: adrants

Hugh Macleod, talking about bloggers trading ads, give some very useful advice: "So here's what I think my fellow bloggers should start doing more often: Find the coolest blog in the industry you're in, and see if you can't make a deal with the owner."

This young alligator worked hard on eating what he liked, in a non-standard office environment, with a bottom-up approach.

What Business Can Learn from Open Source

What Business Can Learn from Open Source

Paul Graham makes it clear what lessons open source and blogging can teach business: "(1) that people work harder on stuff they like, (2) that the standard office environment is very unproductive, and (3) that bottom-up often works better than top-down."

It was very simple for the fearless Crab Hunters Bill and Colton to take it easy one morning in Ocean Springs, MS. 

Freevlog: Tutorial

Freevlog: Tutorial

This is a very simple tutorial about how to create a free video blog, showing just how easy it is!

Two Sundays ago we posted ourselves on the Gulf of Mexico, subscribed to the waves, and tagged the pelicans. 

Posting, Subscribing, and Tagging

A VC: Posting, Subscribing, and Tagging

Fred Wilson pinpoints the three essential and fundamental functions and building blocks for all the different kinds of blogging in this insightful post.

When we arrived in Ocean Springs, MS at dusk on Saturday 7/23/05, out the back porch the sky offered us a wonderfully generous gift. 

HughPage

Main Page - HughPage

Hugh Macleod of gapingvoid.com offers a wonderfully generous gift to bloggers -- THE HUGHPAGE: THINK OF IT AS AN OPEN-SOURCE "CRAIGSLIST" FOR BLOGGERS.