5 Tips for Keeping Up and Fixing Up

Whether you’re a travel agent, an agency owner, a supplier or an accounting guru, we all have to keep up with rapid change. This is especially true of technology. We also have to find easier ways to fix problems that inevitably pop up. Today’s five tips are designed to help with both!

1.  Computer Skills
If you haven’t checked out the MANY tech courses in The Travel Institute’s Communiversity, you’re missing an easy, effective solution. From Microsoft Word to PowerPoint to computer hardware, the answers are right under your nose! Learn on YOUR schedule and watch your productivity soar.

2.  Software Errors and Computer Bugs
It doesn’t matter if you’re on Windows XP, Windows 7 or Mac OSX – bugs happen and computers misbehave. Google to the rescue! When an error message pops up, select (highlight) the text of it and copy and paste it into Google. Chances are very good that your solution will be at the top of the list. If there is an error code number, include that and you’re almost guaranteed to get an answer.

3.  Instant Assistance
Sure Twitter is an awesome marketing tool, but it’s an even better worldwide community of people who can help you out of a problem! I once Tweeted “Need to transfer Word docs from USB stick to iPad with no net connection. Ideas?”  Within an hour I had over 100 replies and solutions.

4.  Know When You’re Being Talked About
For me, the most important feature of Google is “Google Alerts.” Click MORE – EVEN MORE to find it. This incredible tool allows you to enter a search term, such as the name of your business. Then, Google starts to CONSTANTLY search for anything matching. If anyone posts a good or bad review of you six months or years from now on any website, Google will find it and alert you by email.

5.  Keep Up With Changes
This is not so much another tip as another application of Google Alerts. Imagine needing to know when a hotel’s renovations are complete, or when a new version of some software is released, or when an event is announced. All these things and more can be loaded up in a Google Alert. It’s free, it’s easy, it’s “spam free” and one of the easiest ways to stay on top of things.

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by Nolan Burris, Chief Visioneer, Future Proof Travel Solutions

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