Due to the high demand and overwhelming success and of our Business Workshop presentations in the Orange County and Hawaii Apple Stores, Creative Resources has decided to offer these highly informative and free to the public Business Workshops to the San Diego area Stores as well. These workshops have proven to be quite popular and are very effective in educating the Business public on the power, ease of use and the latest Business Applications for Apples Macintosh. As a bonus, we are also getting the word out about Creative Resources and the premier Macintosh Technical Service, Support and Training we offer and have built our reputation on. We are new to the San Diego area with our latest office officially opening on September 1^st of 2006. There are currently three Apple stores in the area. These locations include UTC (University Towne Center), Fashion Valley Mall and the latest store at the new Otay Ranch Town Center.

  We started the program several years back at the South Coast Plaza as a result of Apples decision to focus on Business Clients as well as Education and the Home user. This change of focus resulted in a partnership with the newly formed Business Teams at the local Apple Stores and Creative Resources whereby CR would be given a forum within the stores to demonstrate the power and potential of the Apple Macintosh in a Business Environment. It was a pilot program that quickly grew and evolved to include 4 other stores in the Orange County area.

  The business workshops normally run every Wednesday at your local Apple Retail Stores. The Business Presentations last approximately 1 hour each and a current schedule can be found at the following URL:  Apple Retail Store listing

To find out the date, times and topics being presented at your local Apple store, simply browse to their website and click on your individual stores Calendar of Events. There they post all of their programs and presentations including those provided by us. We invite you to attend any of our Business Workshops, which are free to the public and will hopefully give you more insight into the power and capability the Mac truly gives to the computing needs of your Business. For more information, please visit our Website at www.creativeresources.net or call our toll free number for the office nearest you at 877-MACS-911

Selecting the right consultant for a project can be one of the most important and integral decisions one has to make. Consider these factors into your investment; research, time, energy and of course, money have all gone into this venture.  Once the purchase has been made and you have the equipment in hand, what is your next move to set up and ensure that your new devices are running correctly?

The following are two common scenarios that happen when it comes to setup time. 

1. New Equipment is installed and set up by in-house staff

     Or

2. An outside Consultant is hired to setup and install the equipment
   
   Scenario #1 is often the alternative that organizations decide as the best deployment means.  Companies should investigate to ensure that their in-house staff has the core knowledge of the equipment competencies.  This will save money and time, if a setup was done incorrectly.  Consider some of these questions before deciding on in house support.  Does the staff actually know what technical steps are involved to complete a proper set up?  Do they have the experience and knowledge to complete it right the first time without the possibility of putting a wrench in the works?   Do they have the right credentials?

Scenario #2 is a means of getting the job done by a specialist or equipment expert.  If you have in fact, hired an outside Consultant, do they have all of the certifications and knowledge to timely complete the project?  Interesting, when you’re selecting among a pool of consultants for an important project, know the signs that may warn you that a consultant might be trouble.

• Refusal (or failure by omission) to provide more than one reference

• Opposition to background or credit checks

• Overblown claims of success with past clients

• Inability or unwillingness to show proof of their certifications or to even get certified

• A price that’s too high or too low (the first will rip you off; the second may desperately need the work)

No matter what scenario you choose, your project depends on far more than the consultant; choosing the right person for the job is the bedrock of all good projects.  If you know your needs, shop around, interview well and write an airtight contract and your well on the way to success.