The British Summer Is Now Well Under Way

Sunday 8th August 2010

The schools have closed for the long summer holidays, the Proms have started, the weather is hot and hosepipe bans are in the news

Although the warm, dry weather is generally welcome, it brings its own challenges.  Babies, young children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to dehydration and the effects of excessive exposure to the sun.  Adults, who are generally more aware of the dangers, will almost instinctively increase their intake of liquids and seek shade, before a serious situation arises.

It is all too easy to forget that computers are also vulnerable to the heat.  A general rule for the storage of printer and copier paper is that it should be kept in conditions which are comfortable for humans.  Cold, damp paper will tend to curl and jam the printer or copier, whereas properly-stored paper will run through freely.  Unlike paper, computers generate considerable anmounts of heat, all of which has to be disersed.  In datacentres and server rooms, this is achieved by the use of air-conditioning plant, which typically regulates the temperature at about 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit.  This is just a touch chilly for most humans, but since these are usually "lights-out" environments, the only time a human is present is likely to be when an engineer attends for essential maintenance etc.

Not all computers live a cossetted life in a datacentre or dedicated server room.  Many are tucked under desks or squeezed into an odd corner.  Not only do such machines have to cope with a rather higher ambient temperature, they also suck in all the dust and fluff which is a normal part of daily life.  Were it not, there would be hardly any need for dusters and polishes.  This material gradually builds up on heatsinks, grilles and fan blades, with the result that the working temperature of the various internal components begins to rise. Once the specified maximum operating temperature is exceeded, components are liable to fail.  Power supplies, for example, may simply die completely without any warning.  Alternatively, they may develop a short-circuit and damage the CPU or motherboard.  In the worst cases, a hard drive may be damaged beyond recovery.

It is wise to carry out a regular check on a PC in an office environment, to ensure that its cooling grilles are not obstructed and that it has adequate space for the airflow.  Every few years, the case should be opened and the internal components checked for build-up of dust, fluff etc.  This will help reduce the risk of the machine failing, which will always be "at the worst possible time", of course.

Marketing Matters!

Sunday 1st August 2010

Proper marketing is vital to every business, but it need not be costly

It is entirely possible to spend a great deal on an expensive advertising campaign, only to see little or nothing in the way of positive results.  As is always the case, it is so much easier to make the right decision from a position of knowledge rather than one of ignorance.  The best thing is that such knowledge is readily available at almost no cost and with little effort required, other than the exercising of natural curiosity.

All that is needed, at least for starters, is to find out what other stores in the same or similar sectors are doing.  Go and take a look round your local Tesco or Sainsbury's.  For a real eye-opener, pop into a Lidl store!  Their approach is as different as it is successful.  Take clearance/end-of-range lines, for example.  Every Lidl displays these items prominently in the middle of the store.  Although each item is available only in small quantities, there are often some amazing bargains to be had.  Last week, for example, one Lidl was selling men's pinstripe suits for £20 - at that price, it is hardly worth drycleaning them when they become dirty.

The big multiples are successful because people shop in their stores from choice, not because they have been coerced into doing so.  To them, image is all-important.  At one extreme, this includes expensive advertising campaigns with well-known celebrities.  At the other, it covers small details such as cleanliness, smartly turned-out staff, tidy shelves with no empty gaps and easy-to-read shelfedge labels.

Advertising your current promotions and offers with leaflet drops around the local neighbourhood is a good way to entice new customers through your door.  Involvement in the community, perhaps at school fairs and the like, also helps.  However, if those new customers walk through your door to find a scruffy, tired-looking store, with unkempt staff, gaps on the shelves and barely-legible shelfedge labels - well, you can easily imagine what their reaction will be.  As a consequence, you will probably never see them again.

Computers Grow Old Too, You Know, Just Like Everything Else

Sunday 25th July 2010

Just when does a computer become "Too old", then?

It is generally accepted that one year for a human is roughly equivalent to seven years for a dog.  Although a small dog, in particular, will often live to 14 or even 15, for a large dog, such as an Alsatian or a Doberman, much beyond ten years is uncommon.  Sadly, some very large breeds, such as an Irish Wolfhound or a Great Dane, have a life expectancy of only 7 or 8 years and will shows signs of senility well before then.

Computing equipment also ages, at roughly the same rate as a very large dog.  The consequence is that after  five years or so of faithful service, most PC's really should be retired and replaced with an up-to-date model.  "Green" issues apart, a new computer will normally be less likely to fail, more responsive, take up less space and make less noise than the one it replaces.  To see this effect in action, just power up a ten-year-old PC.  Watch how long it takes to load the operating system and listen to the deafening racket it makes.  Next, put your hand round the back and feel the blast of hot air blowing out from the fans.  Finally, marvel at the antiquated operating system - it is probably running Windows 2000, Windows 98/ME or even Windows 95.

The most obvious advance in the technology is with the monitor.  Long gone are the bulky, curved-front CRT screens.  Not only are modern TFT screens totally flat, they consume very little power, take up far less desk space and offer a much greater viewing area.  A 21" CRT monitor is a massive beast which requires correct posture when lifting it, if personal injury is to be avoided.  A 24" TFT monitor, on the other hand, is light enough to be carried comfortably under one arm by most people.  It will also boast a higher resolution and a sharper image, allowing more windows to be visible on the desktop at one time.     

Financially, therefore, IT equipment should be "written off" over no more than five years, although three years is generally recommended.

The Standard Rate Of VAT Is Being Increased To 20% From Tuesday 4 January Next Year

Sunday 18th July 2010

Make sure that you will be ready for this change

The retail grocery sector is unusual in that, Unlike most other market sectors, Standard Rate VAT is by no means universally applicable.  For example, most food items are zero-rated, while certain products attract the concessionary rate which is currently set at 5%.  Some transactions, such as PayPoint and National Lottery, are even "outside the scope" of VAT, although their effective VAT rate is zero.  Quite a mess, really.

Every EPoS system must be able to apply the correct rate of VAT to every item.  This is essential in order to calculate the profit margin correctly.  For those retailers who use Scheme "F" for their VAT returns, where the output VAT is taken from the actual sales data obtained from the tills, it is also essential in order for the correct output VAT to be calculated.

It is suprising, then, that amending the VAT rate on some EPoS systems is a major undertaking, possibly even requiring the use of a CD sent out specially by the system's supplier.  One of the hallmarks of a good EPoS system is that it is not difficult to make simple changes to such items as VAT rates.  With the best systems, it is merely necessary to access the screen displaying the VAT table data and key in the new rates as may be required, then click the "Update now" button.  The system will recalculate any changed margins and offer to create price changes where appropriate.  

Although there is still plenty of time before 4 January 2011, this is a matter which should be investigated now.  Once the busy Christmas period starts, it will be all too easy to forget about the VAT change.  The result?  You will be liable to lose money hand-over-fist on tobacco products, in particular, until you do remember to deal with it.