SoKy Local Business or "SoKybiz"

Anyone who has read my posts in the past, know I'm a huge advocate of disaster preparedness. I have written volumes about ways to get back into business should there be an issue. While I have talked about fires, floods and hard drive failures, attention to the smaller details can be equally rewarding.

Case in point: During a phone call earlier this week, my cell phone shut itself off. No big deal except no matter what I tried, it would not turn back on. I tried everything from different batteries to dropping it on the floor; nothing worked, it was completely and totally dead. I was much less concerned than I thought I would be. Here is why.

1) I called my cell number and entered my access code to change my message and let callers know that my phone was not working and to please call my office. It's interesting to note that many people don't know their own access code needed to remotely access their voicemail. They rely on the internal methods that check the phone ID and never give a moments thought to the pin. I asked my wife for hers, she didn't know. She does now.

2) I called the wireless provider insurance 800 number. Yep, I pay the $4.00 per month for loss, breakage or theft. 5 minutes on the phone and $50 and my phone came within 48 hours.

3) I took the "smart chip" out of my old phone, turned on my new one and I was back in business. Well almost.

I have hundreds of stored numbers and associated names in my phone. I would say it is my most complete listing of phone numbers. My new phone had none, it didn't even say "BabyDoll" when my wife called. No problem...

a) I set the codes in my phone for my Bluetooth data modem.
b) Set up a new connection on my computer for the new phone.
c) Opened my cell phone data program which I use to store call information, phone numbers and even send text messages from my computer.
d) I highlighted all of my phone numbers in the backup and dragged them to my active phone.

Done!

Now all of my numbers, names and even speed dials are all back in my phone in minutes. Sure, it took some time to research the right hardware and software, and it took some time to learn about it, set it up and backup once in a while. But the information in my phone was important enough for me to take the time and do it. The fact I use the same data suite to send and receive text messages ensures that my backup is current.

Okay, I bet you're wondering what I used. Fact is, I'm not all that pleased with either the USB modem nor the data suite I am using. They do the job, but there are many issues I have with them. I would like to see a more comprehensive bundle from the cell phone manufactures.

• The phone is a inexpensive Motorola V-557.
• The cell carrier is Bellsouth, no Cingular, no... AT&T. Yeah, that's it.
• The Bluetooth data modem is generic. No brand name and actually came to me direct from China. I use Cellphoneshop.com and am quite pleased with them.
• The software (caveat emptor, read the license and user agreement carefully) is MOBILedit! from COMPELSON Labs headquartered in the Czech Republic. I like the software okay, but there is so much more I would like it to do such as provide dates, times and other conveniences. The main issue I have with them is their license limitations that don't allow program updates after a few months. I've been tempted to upgrade but am patiently waiting for a different product to replace it. Some phones come with a data suite, I would suggest trying those if you have one.

I don't use my cell phone for e-mail or scheduling. I've been toying with the idea of investing in a Palm Trio but I'm afraid I'd become too reliant on it. I don't know anything about their synchronization or data software, but my point is if you have it you should use it. At least as it relates to disaster recovery.

Now for a little rant.

With the popularity of cell phones and the amount of money being made by service providers and manufacturers, I'm deeply disappointed in the resources for small business cell phone users. In this day and age, I would have imagined that there would be software and cables to allow people to set up, manage, backup and operate their cell phones. I use my cell phone more than my office phone and I long for a more powerful package of hardware, software and accessories to meet my needs. To this end, I do plan on discussing this with a software company who already creates software for VOIP networks, perhaps they can integrate some of my ideas into their bundle.

Bottom line, preparing for the worst took some time before and a little time after, but frankly, it took me longer to write this post than it took to recover from losing my cell phone. I guess that time was well spent, I hope this time was too.

This was posted by SoKy : 2:20 PM