Backup Importance

There have been articles posted in ActiveRain about the importance of backing up your files to enable recovery after a hard disk failure.  It's said that hard disk crashes are not a matter of "if" but a matter of "when" and that has certainly been my experience.  I've had 2 hard drive failures but I'm fortunate that both times I had manual backups in place and only lost a month or so of files.  Why a month?  Well if you back up manually, it requires extreme dedication to do it every day and it's really not practical.  In the real estate business, a month or more of lost files could be pretty awful!

Backup Solution + File Synchronization

There is an automated solution, it's free from Microsoft, and it does so much more than just a simple backup.  It's called "Sync Toy" developed to aid in synchronizing photos on different computers.  But it is not limited to just photos and works with all file types.  The implementation is fantastic and allows you choose between synchronization or echo (a backup) of individual folders and subfolders.  You will need at least 2 computers connected via a home network which many of us have these days.  For example, I have a desktop PC and a laptop that I carry back and forth between home and office.  They are networked at home so files can be transferred between them.  And best of all, Windows allows you to automate the task so that it will run unattended every night while you sleep!  Download it at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/prophoto/synctoy.mspx.  In case this link changes, you can find it with a simple search of "windows sync toy".

Use Sync Toy Echo To Backup

The echo function does a backup of a folder on one computer to a second computer.  Files are never changed on the Computer 1 but any updates, additions, or deletions on the first computer are echo'd onto Computer 2.  Only changes are copied from Computer 1 to Computer 2 as opposed to copying every file so the process very quick and it doesn't create duplicate files taking up extra hard drive space.

Use Sync Toy Synchronization (This is the real power of the tool!)

Synchronization is valuable in that any file modified on either of 2 computer will be modified on the other computer.   How can this be useful?  Well have you ever done updates to a real estate file on your home desktop only to arrive at the office with your laptop under your arm and discover it only has the old version?  Wouldn't it be nice if you could work on your home desktop in the evening and know that the updates would be copied to your laptop while you sleep and it would be there for you the next morning?  Synchronization does exactly that.

Sync Toy Interface

Sync toy is simple to set up.  The image below is my implementation where I have 3 networked computers.  In the left column you will see that I have set up 8 folders to be either echo'd or synchronized.  Each can be run manually by selecting the item and clicking Run.  But this is manual and it's possible to automate it to run "All Folder Pairs" each night with no intervention on your part.  Windows Scheduled Tasks will do this for you.

Using Windows Scheduled Tasks to Automate

Windows has a  build-in program for scheduling tasks (it's located in Accessories [ System Tools [ Scheduled Tasks).  I found setup to be a snap and chose to have it run every night starting at 11 PM.

In the "Run" line I put "D:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\SyncToy.lnk" -R (yes, enter the parenthesis as shown).  This may vary depending on where your program is loaded but make sure to put the "-R" at the end.

In the "Start In" line, I put "D:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs" (yes, enter the parenthesis as shown).  Again, this may vary depending on where your program is loaded.

In the "Schedule" tab, enter the time and how often you want it to run.

That's it!

One more thing!

Tip--Support information suggests that for automated running, it may be necessary to configure your computers for a Windows user login password.  It's a Windows option to allow anyone to log in to your computer or to set up your own user login with a password.  Indeed, I found that a login password was needed.  This is a basic Windows User setup function, unrelated to either Snyc Toy or to Scheduled Tasks.

Hope you find this helpful.  Happy Sync Toying!

Richard

Visit www.KauaiRocks.com for Hawaii real estate information

There was considerable interest among ActiveRain members in my previous posts, How to copy an Excel chart to an image file and Advanced formatting to dress up Excel charts.  Is there interest in a post on how to create a chart which can be changed "on the fly" merely by clicking your mouse button once to drag and drop an item to a new location?  If so, I'll post that in the near future.  I've shown an example below of how a chart can be changed by this method.  Once the baseline chart is created, only one click-drag-drop step is required to turn that chart into a totally new one.  The Microsoft name for this kind of chart scares some people so I just call them "Drag & Drop" Charts.

Using drag and drop, you can go from this...

...to this.  And do it in only 1 step using only your mouse

Please give me some feedback so I will know whether there is interest in this.  If so, I will post in in the near future.

Mahalo (thanks),

Richard

Visit www.KauaiRocks.com for Hawaii real estate information

Tropic Thunder 

The movie industry is returning to Kauai and will be filming Tropic Thunder, a big budget comedy.  Filming is scheduled on Kauai between July and October, 2007 and release to theaters is scheduled for the Summer of 2008.

An open casting call will be held this Saturday, June 23 at the ResortQuest Kauai Beach at Makaiwa between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m and extras are needed. The first hour is reserved for Screen Actors Guild members only.  ResortQuest Kauai Beach is the former Marriott Courtyard in Kapaa.

See you in the theaters???

Visit www.KauaiRocks.com for Hawaii real estate information

Get these helpful tips delivered directly to your email inbox...right now! 

No fuss, no wait, no discussion--it's automated!

FSBO = For Sale By Owner

 

*Your browser should open an email window when you click on a title.  Then just press your email "Send" button.  Your tip will arrive in your email Inbox.

If your configureation does not allow this, then send an email to P14@KauaiRocks.com with the words "Please email tip P14" in the subject line.

Change "P14" to any Tip Number listed (e.g., P40, etc.) in the email address and the subject line to get the tip of your choice. 

The tip will be sent to your email Inbox automatically with no wait!

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If you have been in the business a while, then it's easy to go to a listing presentation and give a very long description of your marketing plan, complete with lists of activities and page after page of sample direct mail materials, brochures, magazine ads, etc.  It's good to have this detail as backup but it's too much for the client to grasp and isn't effective at answering what you will do and when you will do it.

I believe that simple is better.  I now use a timeline chart to illustrate my marketing plan with the other material reserved for backup as needed.  That chart contains a time-phased list of the activities that will be completed in the initial period (I use the first 4 weeks).  My chart begins with "Listing Approved" because none of the rest follows without that!  And it ends with a 30-day review with the client and update of materials.  At the review, if you have followed through as promised then not only is the client pleased but it is a great opportunity to fine tune any details based on initial feedback & results (pricing, availability for showings, etc).  If you haven't followed through, well...then you're going to struggle at the review unless you're good at dancing.

Here is the chart that I have found to be effective.  I have removed the intermediate steps since it's my own proprietary plan but you should get the idea.  This may not work for everybody but I have found it to be an effective approach for me.

Visit www.KauaiRocks.com for Hawaii real estate information

Note that in the discussion below, menu items may vary somewhat among different Excel versions

I received a request to show how to add a background image to an Excel chart to dress it up.  Here is the step-by-step procedure to do that.

The standard Excel chart looks like this (see below)

But it can easily be made to look like this (see below)

If you prefer the former, then read no further.  But if you want to dress it up, here are the steps.

Left click within the chart plot area to select it, then right click and select "Format Plot Area..." to get the following menu. 

.

Click on "Fill Effects..." to get the following

Click on the "Picture" tab to get the following

Click "Select Picture..." to get the following

Navigate in the menu structure of your to find the picture you want to use (located on your computer's drive), then click "Insert" and hit "OK" two times

Voila!  That's it for the background picture. 

Now to dress up the borders...

Repeat the above steps except select the entire chart area and then in the "Fill Effects" menu, select "Texture" instead of "Picture" and then scroll down until you find the texture you like.  Here is the final result

The hard part is collecting the data and creating the chart so why not go the extra step and apply the window dressing.

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If you read my posting on advanced Excel chart formatting, then you may appreciate this thought on how background images can be used to amplify your message.  Consider the chart shown below with the ranking of Kauai brokerages in 2006 based on sales data from our multiple list service.  The bar chart is constructed so that only the number 1 company has it's head above water while the rest are submerged.  It's what the data shows and the background picture amplifies the message.  It's subtle but effective.

Mahalo!

Visit www.KauaiRocks.com for Hawaii real estate information

OK, you've worked hard and come up with a wonderful Excel chart that you would like to include in a presentation document.  But how do you copy it to an image file?  There is a hidden pearl that allows you to do exactly that.  Hold down the CTRL and Shift keys simultaneously while you select the "Edit" menu item with your mouse.  Edit will contain a "Copy Picture" item that is otherwise not present (see image below).  Copy it and paste into your favorite image program, MS Word, or Powerpoint.  Have fun!

Here is the resulting image (reduced in size for this blog).

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Kauai's Garden Island Newspaper published an interesting article on the debate over vacation rentals outside of county-designated visitor destination areas.  There continues to be debate in the county council over restrictions on such rentals.  Included in the debate is whether grandfathering should apply to new restrictions.  Nothing seems to be a given at this point so property owners could well be at risk.  Go to http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2007/06/14/news/news04.txt for the complete article.

 Visit www.KauaiRocks.com

Mahalo,

Richard Dolbeare (RA)

Century 21 All Islands

 (808) 651-4550 

A higher real estate inventory gives buyers more choices, interest rates remain at historic lows, prices have flattened, and it's easier to negotiate.  Is this the "Sweet Spot" for buyers?  See charts at KauaiRocks.com/news.htm or contact me directly.

NCL America cruise line has announced a reduction in it's Hawaii capacity effective February 2008 when the Pride of Hawaii will be reassigned to Europe.  However, Pride of Aloha and Pride of America will remain in Hawaii service.  A recent check of prices revealed that a week's cruise could be booked for as little as $499, an outstanding bargain for those already in Hawaii.

Hawaii Superferry service has been delayed to later in the Summer.  The delay is to allow for inspection and certification.  It was originally scheduled to start service between Kauai, Oahu, and Maui in July 2007.  A second ferry with service to the Big Island is planned in 2009.  One way passenger fare is $42 to $52 depending on the day.  One-way car/SUV fare is $55 to $65.  Discounts are available for children, senior citizens, and retired military personnel.  The trip will take about 3 hours.  For comparison to flying, air fare is $29 to over $100, excess baggage is $25 per piece, parking is $9/day, and car rental is around $46/day.

University of Hawaii economists say that construction has not yet peaked in Hawaii.  Multiple new projects are underway on Kauai ranging from affordable housing to communities offering the ultimate in tropical lifestyles.  Perhaps one of the most unique is right in Lihue itself.  Contact me for detailed information on these exciting developments. 

All information herein is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.