Robert Schmidt, Business and Computer Writing

Brief Excerpts

For an Internet and networking firm’s brochure:
From the cave paintings in Lascaux to the Rosetta Stone in Egypt . . . from Bibles illuminated by monks to radio waves spanning the globe . . . humans have always sought to communicate. It’s as fundamental to our nature as eating and sleeping. Indeed, scientists say our speech is what makes us what we are.

With the advent of computers, the dialog is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. At Torsys, our goal is to harness this momentum for your benefit. We provide high-quality networking and Internet solutions to help your people communicate.

For a freight management consultant:
Save 15-25% on inbound freight

How much does your company pay for inbound freight?
If you don't know, join the club. Most CFOs have a handle on centralized outbound freight costs. Inbound is a different story. Typically, buyers or purchasing departments negotiate good product prices. But most assume the "incidental" expense of shipping is a given, or that they're getting the best rate.

Misconceptions like this are a problem...or an opportunity. By identifying the best shippers and shipping methods and using leverage to get the lowest rates, most high-volume manufacturers, distributors, and retailers can cut inbound freight costs 15-25%.

For an article on uninterruptible power supplies:

Kra-ack! Whrrr. *groan*

A lightning strike . . . the computers shutting down . . . your pained reaction? Take care or the next sound you'll hear is the klink of your doors closing for business—permanently.

Most companies experience a handful of power outages a year—or so they think. In fact, a National Power Laboratory (NPL) study shows that almost 300 disturbances hit the average computer in the average year. The results range from imperceptible (but real) degradation to outright catastrophe.

For a white paper on retail store security:
The best line of defense is "excellent customer service," says Alan Ferraro, Vice President of Risk Management and Retail Operations at West Coast Entertainment Corp. Greet your patrons, look them in the eye, and ask them how you can help. "Thieves don't like to be recognized," he adds.

Guard against scams at the cash register. If someone is being a nuisance, scan the rest of the store for trouble. Count the customer's change out loud so everyone hears the amount. Look for stolen credit cards, counterfeit bills, and checks with no address. Use tools such as bill verification pens.

Ferraro notes one case where a customer paid for two expensive video games with travelers checks—only they were for 350 lira, not $350. There wasn't a word of English on the checks, he says. "The employee didn't pay any attention."

For an information systems firm’s brochure:
Since 1975, the U.S. government and aerospace industry have challenged Trident Data Systems to deliver the highest computer system performance. They’ve confronted us with the toughest computer networking problems. The most specialized applications requirements. The strictest security standards. We’ve responded, providing complex systems solutions and software applications for the most demanding, high-security programs.

Today, Trident continues to meet the information management requirements of the defense, space, and intelligence communities. We’re a computer services and risk management specialist, with a broad background in UNIX-based network and management information systems applications.

For an article on payroll services:
A small business owner incorporates his sole proprietorship, but neglects to switch over his books or his payroll. A law firm receptionist withholds part of the partners' wages, unaware that the lawyers are self-employed. A bank fails to transmit a company's federal tax deposits, resulting in an IRS penalty.

As these real-world examples suggest, payroll isn't the easiest thing to do. One study shows that a third of all businesses are penalized in their lifetime for improperly filing payroll taxes. And even if companies do their payrolls correctly, the headaches can be enormous.

For a grant application:
Johnny and Janie don’t read much these days, and when they do, they don’t do it very well. Only 50% of eighth-graders read for fun once a week or more often, according to the 1992 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). Not coincidentally, only 28% of these eighth-graders meet a national panel’s reading standards. The NAEP spells out the connection: Those who read more also read better.

Reading proficiency is worse among minority youths, especially Native Americans. While 34% of white eighth-graders meet the national panel’s reading standards, only 18% of Indian eighth-graders do likewise. In 1997, Indian educator Dr. Dean Chavers reported, "In data I collected from two different reservations, American Indian students were reading under one book per year outside the classroom."

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