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Backup Boot Camp

6/23/2015

 
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You may have noticed that our monthly newsletter features frequent reminders to backup your Act! database. Why? Practicing good backup habits is essential to protecting your investment.  We've had the displeasure of telling clients that they've lost their Act! data and that it's completely irretrievable.  We don’t want this to happen to you!

Here are our four steps to backing up your database.  Please note - it is imperative you perform all four of these steps for best results:

1) Know who is making backups
If your organization has several users of Act!, make sure you know who is responsible for your Act! backups.  Also, don’t assume your IT people are backing up your Act! database. Talk to them about it.

2) Make backups and make them often
Making a backup is as easy as going to File->Backup->Database when logged into Act! as an administrator.  We recommend that you create backups and store them in a place where you can readily locate them.  

How often should you make a backup?  To answer this question, ask yourself how often you can afford to lose your data.  In our office we make backups daily.  For information on how to schedule automatic backups using the Act! Scheduler, search Act! Help Topics found in the Act! Help menu.

3) Store a backup offsite
In case of disaster, it's in your best interest to store a copy of your database off premises.  Depending how paranoid you are (not always a bad thing!), you can create a backup to an external hard drive, to a laptop that you take home, or what we recommend—a cloud-based storage system. Or you can do all three!

4) Check your backups
Too often we've run into cases of clients who think they're running backups, only to find out too late that they were not.  To check your backup, keep an eye on the file size.  As you back up your database every day (ideally), the file size should generally get bigger and not vary drastically, barring any unusual deleting or importing activity.  If the file size drastically decreases or increases, you will want to test your backup.

We recommend testing your backups once every two to three weeks even if the files appear normal.  To test one, an administrator must go to File->Restore->Database, pull up the backup file and restore it. IMPORTANT - the administrator must rename the database so as not to overwrite the production database.  Test opening the database and logging in.  If everything looks good, the tested backup database can then be deleted.

And that's all there is to it.  Backing up your Act! database is not particularly time consuming or expensive, but it can save you time, money and frustration should something happen to your computer.

If you would like our assistance setting up, testing, or restoring your backups please contact us. We'd be happy to help!

Have you got your backup routine down to a science?  Tell us about it.

Say “Happy Father’s Day” with Act!'s Personal Info Tab

6/16/2015

 
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Father’s Day is just around the corner.  Have you considered reaching out to the fathers in your network to say Happy Father’s Day?

Act! is equipped with a tab that can easily keep track of the dads in your database.  By making use of the Personal Info tab a part of your best practices, you can store contact details that are not directly linked to your business but that should be noted to strengthen your relationships.

For instance, you are speaking with a client who tells you he is a team dad for his daughter’s basketball team.  You may make a note of the client’s daughter’s name on the Personal Info tab.  Then the next time you speak to your client, you can depend on your notes to remind you to ask how your client’s daughter’s basketball team is doing.

If you make a habit of noting the anecdotal details your contacts tell you as faithfully as you record the details relevant to your business, all you have to do is run a lookup in your Act! database to pull up a clean list of contacts you should reach out to on a holiday like Father’s Day.

Would you like to learn how to run a lookup of fathers in your database and send them a template email?  Or would you like us to assist in customizing your Personal Info tab for optimum contact data organization?  Contact us to set up an appointment.

Do you already use your Personal Info tab?  How has it improved your relationship with clients?

Introducing Act! Premium Cloud

6/11/2015

 
With Act! Premium Cloud you get on-demand access to the #1 best-selling Contact and Customer Manager in a secure Cloud environment. Flexible subscription options fit every budget. You own your data and have access to a copy at any time. Offline access and specialized services are available at an additional charge to help configure a personalized solution that meets your unique business needs.

What’s Included:
• Act! Premium, the #1 best-selling Contact and Customer Manager
• Windows®, Web & Mobile
• Act! emarketing (500 contacts)
• Expert technical support
• Exclusive video training and resources
• Automatic updates & upgrades
• Automatic nightly data backups
• No IT resources needed – setup and hosted by Act!

Ready to try or buy? Click Here or Contact Us.
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Schedule Your Appointment Now

6/8/2015

 
Kristi and Rachel will be attending a conference the week of June 22nd. They will have limited availability for support calls and no projects will be scheduled for that week. If you need our help with an upcoming Act!-related project, we recommend that you contact us soon to schedule.

What Can Kristi Smith Consulting Do For You?

6/1/2015

 
Kristi Smith Consulting sells more than just Act! software and we provide services that go far beyond basic Act! technical support. Whether you’re looking to purchase Act! for the first time or upgrade to a newer version, are interested in getting more out of the Act! software you already own or are in need of technical support, we can help. Our services include:

  • Act! Sales
  • Act! Installation
  • Act! Training
  • Act! Technical Support
  • Act! Consultation
  • Strategic Advice
  • Database Customization
  • Database Maintenance
  • Database Conversion
  • Custom Report Development
  • Act! Add-On Sales & Support

Act! provides great basic technical support which is now included with all Act! Premium license purchases. We encourage all clients with current Act! subscription plans to contact Act! with their basic technical support needs.

If you’re looking for advanced personalized support for Act!, support for older versions of Act! or support for Act! add-on programs, take advantage of all that Kristi Smith Consulting has to offer. Here at Kristi Smith Consulting, we’re familiar with our clients and their unique needs. We can not only tell you HOW to do something in Act!, but whether or not you SHOULD do it.

You can contact us to purchase a new Act! subscription, add subscription to an existing Act! permanent license , receive KSC Services and Support as needed or to sign up for one of our KSC Support Plans.

Comparison of KSC Support Plans and Act! Standard Support:
For more information on Act! Premium Support, please review the Act! Support Scope of Services document.
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