Small Business Owner Makes Eyes at Iomega® Zip® Drive
Despite years of publicity on the advantages of the paperless office, most small business owners are yet to realise these supposed benefits - instead finding this trend fraught with difficulties. Not the least of these problems are the dramatic increase in electronic storage requirements, and the need for a reliable, failsafe backup system. However, an increasing number of small business owners are addressing these issues with the introduction of storage and backup systems based on an Iomega® Zip® drives.One such businessman, artificial eye maker, James Morphett, purchased a Zip drive almost six months ago and, in doing so, implemented a system which significantly improved his ability to manage information.
Covering several clinics throughout Sydney, Mr Morphett is one of only a handful of specially trained artificial eye makers currently practising in Australia. In a similar process to the fitting and manufacturing of false teeth, Mr Morphett creates a wide range of artificial eyes for clients of all ages.
Like many specialist practitioners, Mr Morphett's client records are central to the successful operation of his business. Until recently, Mr Morphett maintained these records manually, and would pull the appropriate file as client details were needed. However, as Mr Morphett visits a range of both urban and rural clinics each month, this process meant he would have to carry patient records with him, or leave them in remote clinics - a procedure which caused major issues when on-the-spot requests needed to be addressed. A little over a year ago, Mr Morphett purchased a laptop computer which enabled him to carry all clients records with him when practising in remote areas. However, while the laptop alleviated any issues regarding the mobility of his office, he soon found that with only one copy of his records, a reliable storage and backup system was essential.
"As computing is not really my specialty, I needed to find a solution that was simple to use, secure and that I wouldn't have to replace twelve months down the track," said Mr Morphett. "After speaking to several computer literate associates, the Iomega Zip drive came up as a popular storage solution, and one which offered the convenience, reliability and portability I was after."
With an installed user base of over 26 million, Iomega Zip drives and disks provide small business people with an easy and economical solution to their storage and backup needs. Zip drives enable both home and professional users to quickly and simply expand their hard drive in 100MB increments, move files and backup valuable information
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"My initial plan was to investigate options for inputting client photos onto the laptop, so I could alleviate the need for printed photos," said Mr Morphett. "However, what I didn't realise was the huge amount of memory each scan would take, and how quickly they would fill my hard drive.
"I looked into the possibility of a second hard drive, however this approach would have drastically impeded my mobility. On the other hand, the Zip drive is still portable, and has allowed me to extend the capacity of the laptop as needed. I can now travel from city to city or between computers, and know that whatever information I need is at my fingertips.
"With the additional capacity offered by the Zip drive, I have also been able to enhance the detail of my client files. I can now keep a complete profile on each client which includes pictures, notes from each consultation, and details of the next examination - all of which is on call at a moment's notice.
"So now, if a client I haven't seen in several years walks into my Canberra office, I can still bring up their details whereas before I would only carry selected client records with me, so impromptu visits caused major issues."
Apart from the convenience of an extended hard drive, Mr Morphett's Zip drive has also enabled him to easily backup and synchronise his business's two computers - his laptop and the desktop computer he uses from home.
"Before the Zip I had no real backup system which made me very nervous, especially when I stopped keeping paper records," he said. "I'm what you might call a computer Neanderthal - the idea of messing around with complicated backup procedures is just too daunting, so I never got around to it
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"On the other hand, Iomega's one-step backup system is simple enough even for the likes of me - all I need to do is pop in a disk, double click on the icon, and the disk pops out when the backup is complete.
"Because the Zip system makes it all so easy, I am much more disciplined about doing a weekly backup. I now have one set of backup disks that travel with me and another which is kept away from both computers so I can sleep at night knowing the records are safe and secure." "While the Zip drive and disks are easy to use and very affordable, the biggest benefit for me personally has been the amount of time I save. Which means I can now spend more time making eyes and making money instead of dealing with administration and manual filing."
Copyright© 2000 Iomega Corporation. Iomega, Zip, Zip 100, Zip 250, Jaz, Clik! and ZipCD are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Iomega Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Certain other product names, brand names and company names may be trademarks or designations of their respective owners.
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