This is a guest post by Leo Notenboom of Ask Leo!

If I told you that there was one fairly simple thing you could do, that once set up you’d rarely even have to think about it and that it could save you from almost any computer related disaster, would you be interested?

Such a thing does exist: it’s called backing up. If there were anything close to a magic silver bullet for recovering from almost any computer related problem, backing up religiously would be it.

Consider, for example:

• your computer becomes infected with a virus you can’t get rid of. Recover by simply restoring your machine to the most recent backup before the infection.
• you accidentally delete a file. Recover by restoring it from a backup.
• your computer’s hard drive fails and must be replaced. Recover by restoring your most recent backup to the replacement hard drive.
• you install some new software that, as far as you can tell, completely messes up your system and won’t uninstall properly. Recover by restoring your system from its most recent backup. Think of any computer-related disaster and there’s a good chance that a reliable backup makes recovery not only possible, but even easy.

Backing up does not have to be hard.

It’s been said that the “best” back up, like exercise, is whatever you’ll actually do — any backup is better than none at all.

But it’s not that difficult to create a backup process that regularly makes sure your precious documents, photos, files and even system changes have been squirreled away for safekeeping.

Yes, backing up can get complicated, but it doesn’t have to be, particularly for home and small business computer users. There are two basic and easy approaches that can provide the security you need.

The first is to purchase an external hard drive and dedicated backup software. Set up the backup software to take full backups of your system every week or every month, and then also take incremental backups perhaps as often as every day. Nothing older than a day can be lost since you can restore any file or even the entire system to its state as of any day on which the backup ran.

The second option that’s growing in popularity is to sign up for an on-line backup service. For a low monthly fee, these services install a small application on your computer that monitors for changed files and automatically uploads them to a secure location. You can then access those backed up files anywhere and restore them to any machine. While full-machine backups are typically impractical due to the massive amount data involved, if you have an always-on high-speed internet connection, online services may be a convenient and practical way to backup your most important data.

Remember, if your data is stored in only one place – be it on your hard disk or even in online service such as an web based email account – it’s not backed up and you risk losing it all. Resolve now to get a backup solution in place as soon as possible so that when, not if, disaster strikes you’ll be prepared to recover quickly.

Here is how it works: You sign up for a service such as Spam Arrest that uses a challenge/response system. Whenever someone sends you an email for the first time after you begin using the system, the email is not delivered to you. Instead, the sender receives an email saying that they have to click on a link, go to a website and enter a code. Only then will the email reach your inbox. If the email sender does not confirm by clicking on the link and entering the code, the email never gets to you.

Sounds great. The spammers won’t take the time to do this, so you don’t get any more spam. The problem is that

lots of people sending you email that you want will not bother to do it, either. Mystery shopping companies send out thousands of emails at a time. If they get a dozen, a hundred or a thousand challenge/response replies, they will ignore them. In fact, many of them probably have their email systems configured to send anything from challenge/response services directly to trash, so they will not even see them.

What this means is that you are going to miss out on mystery shopping opportunities. Worse, if an editor emails with a question and you do not respond, a report you completed for them might be rejected. Although they would probably call before rejecting a report, there is no guarantee that they would do so.

Of course, this goes beyond mystery shopping. Some of your friends may not understand why they are getting the challenge/response email and may ignore it. Some may be justifiably afraid to click on a link to a site they do not recognize in order to verify their identity.

There are ways to add trusted addresses so that they are not rejected or forced to go through the verification process, so you can avoid some of the problems of missing emails from family and friends. However, you are not going to easily add every possible mystery shopping company contact.

Yes, spam is a problem. But the solution is not to treat everyone—from mystery shopping companies to merchants with whom you have placed an order to your great-aunt Gerty—as a spammer. There are better ways, and I will address some of them in upcoming articles.

Make sure you don’t miss my tips on making sure you get mystery shopper job offers while avoiding spam. Put my RSS feed in your reader, or subscribe to get email alerts when I add new articles by entering your email address in the box in the right column under “Email Updates.”

Here are some suggestions for getting a good quality image of the receipt to submit with your report.

First of all, pay attention to the guidelines and submit the receipt as requested. The guidelines will always supercede any general information, such as these tips.

Some companies will want your name and/or shopper ID on the receipt. If so, write it neatly on the receipt.

In most cases, you may either scan the receipt or take a photo. I usually find that it is easier to take a digital photo. Use whichever method gets you a clear image in the easiest way.

When taking a photo, you may be able to use the camera in your cell phone. Most recent cell phones take good quality photos. Because you must upload the photo with your report, you need to be able to get the photo from your cell phone to your computer. This may mean simply connecting the phone and computer with a standard USB cable, or you may need a cable made especially for your phone. In some cases, special software may be required to transfer the photos from your phone.

Don’t use a flash when photographing a receipt. It can cause glare that makes the receipt difficult to read.

Once you have the receipt scanned or photographed, you can edit it using your favorite photo editing software. I like to use IrfanView, but you can use iPhoto (on the Mac), Picasa or other online photo editors. Make sure the receipt is easy to read. If the print is very light, you may be able to adjust the contrast and brightness to make it more readable.

Save the receipt file in portrait layout so it can be easily read on the screen.

Save the image as a standard graphic format, such as JPG or GIF. The file size may be large, so reduce the file size by changing the dimensions of the image. Be sure that you maintain the same proportions when resizing so the image is not distorted.

Use a file name that makes sense. The mystery shopping company may tell you how to name the file but if they don’t you might use a naming convention such as ClientName-Location-Date.JPG. So the file name might be ThePieHole-Houston007-102411.JPG. Do not put characters such as periods, commas, apostrophes and slashes in the file name.

Your receipts and other documents are an important part of your shop report. Make sure the images you submit are high-quality.

This is a guest post by Leo Notenboom of Ask Leo!

Internet safety seems like an oxymoron these days with all the threats aimed at our computers. Staying safe online doesn’t have to be difficult, and this article covers the basic steps that every computer user should take. The phrase “Internet Safety” often seems like an oxymoron. Every day we hear of new threats aimed at our internet connected personal computers which seems to just make it that much harder to actually stay safe while connected online.

Knowing how to stay safe online has become a practical requirement these days for anyone using a computer connected to the ‘net. Fortunately, a few relatively simply steps and a little education can go a long way to making sure that your internet experience is both safe and secure.

1. Use a Firewall – If you do nothing else, you must use a firewall. Firewalls act as a type of barrier between your computer and the internet, preventing remote computers from connecting to yours unless you explicitly allow it. A firewall can be a simple device such as a broadband router, it could be a feature of your operating system such as Window’s own built-in firewall, or it can be a full featured software package that you purchase and install on each computer. Which one you choose is less important than making sure you have one and that it is enabled and deflecting threats.

2. Back Up – Failing to back up your computer, or at least your critical data, is perhaps the most common mistake I see being made today. And sadly it can also be the most costly regret you’ll have when, not if, disaster strikes. If malware hits or hardware fails often your best if not your only resort will be to recover your system from its most recent backup. Don’t have one? Then you might be severely out of luck. I regularly hear from people who’ve lost all of their data due to a malware infestation or a hardware failure. If nothing else, invest in a large external USB drive and a good backup utility and start backing up regularly right away.

3. Keep Critical Software Updated – Every day people experience problems that could have been completely avoided had they simply kept their operating system and other PC software up to date. Both Windows XP and Vista make staying up to date very easy with “Automatic Updates” and I definitely recommend that it be turned on. Similarly, most other software and applications will now also check for updates and notify you as new ones are available. Make sure your system and applications are checking for updates regularly and installing them as automatically as possible.

4. Educate Yourself – No matter what else you do, no matter what other protections you put in place, malware authors can bypass it all if they can fool you into doing something you shouldn’t. The problem, of course, is that “what you shouldn’t” isn’t always immediately obvious. That’s why it’s so important to educate yourself on how to detect and avoid their attempts. In short: be skeptical. Don’t open email attachments or instant messenger downloads unless you’re positive they’re safe. Don’t click on links in email unless you’re positive that they’re taking you to where you expect them to. Don’t download and install software without first checking it for malware. Don’t ignore security warnings unless you’re sure it’s OK. Use strong passwords and never share them with anyone.

5. Scan for Viruses – Even with the best of intentions, viruses happen. Even with the firewall in place, the operating system up to date, and a healthy knowledge of what is and is not safe, sometimes something slips through. That’s where you’ll need a good anti-virus tool. There are many to choose from but the key factors boil down to this: select a reputable tool, enable its “real time” monitoring if you’re at all uncertain of yourself or others using the computer, configure it to scan your hard disk completely once a day, and make absolutely certain that it’s downloading the latest anti-virus information daily.

6. Protect Yourself from Spyware – Much like viruses, spyware can also occasionally make it through your defenses. Spyware is often relatively benign from a pure safety perspective – spyware doesn’t often erase your hard drive or send spam, for example. However spyware does represent an intrusion, often presenting ads or modifying other programs in ways you didn’t expect or ask for. And at its worst, spyware lives up to its name, spying on you and capturing potentially sensitive information. Anti-spyware utilities operate a little differently than anti-virus, so you’ll want to make sure that you have a good spyware scanner in addition to your anti-virus tools. Like those tools, you’ll want to make sure that it’s downloading the latest spyware information daily as well.

7. Secure your WiFi – The default configuration of most WiFi equipment, and certainly the easiest configuration to set up, is completely unsecure. That means that anyone within range of your WiFi equipment can monitor what you’re sending to and from the internet – including your account IDs and passwords. The same is true in most internet cafes and free WiFi hotspots. There are two steps you must take. First, at home, make sure you enable WPA security. This will require a password to connect to your wireless network, and will encrypt all the data so it cannot be monitored. (The older WEP security is no longer sufficient, as it is easily cracked.) Second, when you’re using an open unsecure WiFi hotspot, take care to only access sensitive resources through encrypted connections. That means making sure that any web page you’re visiting that requires personal information is connecting via an https connection. It also means that you shouldn’t be downloading or sending email via your POP3 or SMTP based email program unless you know those connections are configured to use encryption as well, since by default they do not.

Bonus Step: Understand Physical Security – An old saying that I’ve found myself repeating to people more and more in recent years is this: “if it’s not physically secure, it’s not secure.” All of the preceding tips are for naught if someone else who doesn’t understand these steps can use your computer and accidentally download malware. It’s all for naught if someone with malicious intent can walk up to your computer, reboot it, install software or hardware and walk away without your noticing. It’s all for naught if your computer can be stolen. Take care to understand just how physically at-risk you might be and take appropriate actions. Don’t let others use your computer until you’re comfortable with their understanding of the risks. Don’t leave your computer unattended if you can’t trust the people who might be able to touch it. Consider encrypting data on your laptop or other computer if it can be lost or stolen.

Everything I’ve outlined might at first seem overwhelming. The good news it that most of these steps are things you’ll need to do only once, and then consider infrequently thereafter. And to put it perhaps into a little bigger perspective they’re not nearly as overwhelming as the impact of an actual security problem if it happens to you. The practical reality of the situation is simply this: we as individual computer users need to take the responsibility of the steps required to Stay Safe Online.

Sign up for Leo’s FREE weekly newsletter and get his guide – “Internet Safety: Keeping your computer safe on the internet” – as a FREE gift. Sign up at http://ask-leo.com/

Failure to read the guidelines and form before the visit. In order to know what you need to do, you need to review the client’s guidelines and the report form you will complete after the shop visit. Without this preparation you won’t know what questions to ask, observations to make, required purchases, etc.

Going to the wrong location. Believe it or not, this happens all the time. There are many clients that have multiple locations in the same area. When shoppers do not verify the address they may end up at the wrong one. Even worse, some shoppers go to a location of another business, not the client.

Performing the shop on the wrong day or during the wrong time frame. Most shop assignments require that you visit within a range of dates. Some may specify a time of day for your visit. If your lunch shop is to be done between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., that means that you should arrive between those times. (You usually are not required to complete the shop by 1:00 p.m., but refer to the guidelines to be certain.)

Changing the scenario. Some scenarios seem odd, and mystery shoppers fear that they will be discovered if they present the scenario as described in the guidelines. The client has chosen that scenario for a reason and changing it will cause them to reject your report.

Drawing attention to yourself. Mystery shoppers should not be memorable. Dress like a typical customer, act like a typical customer, be a typical customer.

Purchasing the wrong products or services. Some secret shop assignments require that you purchase specific items. For example, guidelines for a fast food shop might say that you are to order a SuperDuper Burger Combo, and you are not to make any changes or substitutions. Ordering a SuperDuper Cheeseburger Combo or asking for your sandwich without onions could result in your shop being rejected.

Overspending. Secret shoppers receive reimbursement for required expenses. Do not assume that because you are being reimbursed for at least a portion of your purchase that you should spend like a drunken congressman. Ordering the most expensive item on the menu, buying a lot of items or upgrading services beyond what the typical customer would buy may not “out” you as the mystery shopper, but it may cause your experience not to be typical. That could affect the validity of your shop report.

Checking the bathroom last. Several mystery shopping companies have said not to visit the bathroom as the last stop on your visit because it is a clue that you are the mystery shopper. Of course, if visiting the bathroom is the giveaway and you do immediately before you leave, it doesn’t give them a chance to skew the shop results because they have figured out that you are the shopper. Nonetheless, you don’t want to be identified in case you want to return to that location.

Being obvious about taking notes. It helps to take notes during a shop, but do it discreetly. When you make the bathroom check in the middle of the visit, make a few notes while you are in the stall. If you use other methods of taking notes (e.g., texting) make sure you do it in a way that does not arouse suspicion.

Asking too many questions. Although you will need to ask questions during a mystery shop visit, asking too many questions will raise red flags. Ask only what you need to know to complete your report. Don’t get into too many details or badger employees with questions.

After further investigation, the sub shop has filed a report with local police. Arrests are expected in the case.

Although this mystery shop was done because the business was aware of a potential problem, sometimes the first indication of trouble comes when an integrity mystery shop identifies possible employee theft.

Integrity mystery shops are different from typical mystery shops in that instead of checking things such as cleanliness, courtesy and sales skills, they are done to verify that employees are behaving honestly.

Situations that may be tested by integrity mystery shops include:

• Are bartenders overpouring (to increase tips) or serving free drinks?
• Are salespeople negotiating inappropriate discounts?
• Are waitstaff serving items that are not included on the guest checks?
• Are cashiers failing to ring up cash sales and pocketing the cash?
• Are employees charging for less-expensive items than customers are receiving?

Employee theft is a big problem. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that employee theft costs businesses as much as $50 billion a year, and that up to 75% of employees will steal from an employer at least once. Wow. That is a lot of dishonesty.

Integrity shops can not only catch dishonest employees, they can deter theft. If employees know that customers (i.e., mystery shoppers) may be watching them, they are perhaps less likely to do things they might do if they were certain no one was looking.

Some mystery shoppers are uncomfortable doing integrity shops. They may feel responsible for getting someone in trouble if they discover questionable activities. Remember, though, that you are not creating the behavior, only reporting on it. Often, too, if you are not a trained security professional your report may be just the first step in taking action against an employee, not the last word. If your report identifies a problem, a private investigator may be sent in to gather evidence needed for any disciplinary or legal action.

One thing you should be aware of is that some states only want integrity secret shops done by private investigators or employees working for a licensed private investigator. Before accepting an integrity mystery shop you may want to verify the laws in your state and/or the licensing status of the mystery shopping company. Some secret shopping providers are run by private investigators.

Several people have reported getting text messages offering mystery shopper jobs paying $50 an hour. Tempting, but what do we know about things that sound too good to be true? That’s right: They usually are too good to be true.

People who respond to the text message by calling the phone number given are asked for personal information, including credit card and bank account numbers. (Note: real mystery shopping companies do ask for personal information, including Social Security Numbers, but they do not recruit by sending random text messages and they do not guarantee $50 an hour.)

If you receive a text message offering $50 an hour (or some other ridiculous amount of money) to mystery shop, do not respond. Just hit delete.

Scammers are always looking for new victims. Don’t let them find you.

Most of the time, you have options about how you pay for the purchase. Here is what you need to consider when making a purchase during a mystery shopper assignment.

What do the guidelines say? In some cases, the client wants you to use a specific method of payment. They may want you to pay in cash or they may say to use a credit card. When they specify a method of payment, use that method of payment. The client has a reason for requiring it. It may have to do with making sure the transaction is handled properly or it may be so they can more precisely locate the transaction to verify that you were there at the right day and time. Or it may be because you will definitely get a receipt with a charge purchase, while you may not be offered a receipt if you pay with cash. The reason doesn’t matter. What matters is what the guidelines say you should do.

Can I use a debit card if they say to use a credit card? Probably. In most cases credit and debit cards work in much the same way. However, you should be aware that if you are using a debit card for certain types of purchases, the merchant may place a hold for an amount greater than your purchase. For example, if you check in to a hotel and present a debit card, they may put a hold on an amount of money equal to the room rate and taxes, plus an allowance for incidentals (such as room service, in-room movies, gift shop purchases, greens fees and other things that may be charged to your room). If you do not have any additional charges to your room, those funds will be released–eventually. In the mean time, you may have less money available in your checking account than you thought.

May I pay with gift cards? Usually, but it depends on the client. I have seen guidelines where they specifically say that you may use a gift card, and others that are silent on the question. When in doubt, ask your scheduler. Some clients now pay shop reimbursements with gift cards, so they should certainly allow you to use those gift cards on future shops.

What about using coupons? Although some clients may allow the use of coupons, many do not want mystery shoppers using them on shops. There are various reasons for this, but the reasons do not matter. If the client does not want you to use coupons, do not use them. Some guidelines will say whether or not coupons may be used. If you don’t know for sure, ask.

Is there a “best” way to pay if the client does not specify a payment method? I like to pay with a credit card. There is a good record of the purchase, the credit card company provides me with a year-end statement identifying all of my business purchases, I often have my reimbursement before the credit card payment is due, and I get rewards (e.g., cash, miles and gift cards) for using a credit card. Of course, if you do not pay your balance in full each month you will incur finance charges that will cut in to your profits. In that case, you are better off paying in cash.

The bottom line: Follow the guidelines regarding how to pay for reimbursed purchases on a mystery shop. If you may pay however you wish, then choose the method that works best for you.

A mystery shopping staycation means working during your adventure—there are observations to make and reports to write—and you have to take your mystery shopping assignments seriously, even if you are thinking vacation. But you can have fun you might not be easily able to afford without mystery shopping. Here are a few ideas.

Take a break from cooking. Do a few fast food shops and give the kids their favorite food while you take a vacation from the kitchen.

Have a special dinner with your honey. Many companies offer restaurant mystery shops at upscale casual dining and fine dining establishments. Even if dining out isn’t in your budget, you can have a wonderful dinner by doing a dining mystery shop.

See the sights for free. Many attractions, such as amusement parks, museums and other tourist spots, get mystery shopped. Watch for these assignments and have fun while you work.

Go to the movies. Although many movie theater shops involve spending lots of time at the theater to, for example, verify the number of people at each showing of a movie, there are some where you just go to one showing.

Go bowling. Bowling alleys are air conditioned, so you can get some exercise without losing your cool. Bowling alley shops may include refreshments as well as covering your lane fees.

Treat yourself to a massage or other pampering. There are salon and spa shops where you can have your hair done, get a makeup lesson or even enjoy a massage.

Get away from home. Pick up a hotel shop and get away from home for a night or two without having to leave town. Although the high-end resort shops are hard to come by, many companies have secret shops of mid-range hotels available. Enjoy some time by the pool and just being away from home.

Want an out of town trip? Look for out of town hotel shops and assignments at restaurants and other places at your destination or along the way. These shops can be easiest to locate using self-assign job boards. Or, if you have good relationships with a few schedulers, contact them to let them know your plans and see what assignments they may have available for you.

Don’t want to work during your staycation? Do some extra shops ahead of time and stash the cash. Use the money to fund the fun you want to have. By doing a few extra shops here and there in the months before your vacation you can do what you want to do without working on your time off.

Enjoy your staycation! How are you using mystery shopping to have more fun without spending your own money?

I will again be presenting the Gold Certification Workshop. The workshop includes participation in exercises designed to help shoppers practice their observation and reporting skills. In addition, participants have the opportunity to network with other shoppers and representatives from mystery shopping companies. Following attendance at the workshops, participants must pass an online examination before being awarded Gold Certification. Shoppers must be Silver Certified by the MSPA before registering for the Gold Workshop.

WHAT: Mystery Shopper Certification Workshop
WHO: Sponsored by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), presented by Cathy Stucker, author of “The Mystery Shopper’s Manual”
WHEN: Saturday, September 10, 2011, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
WHERE: Embassy Suites Dallas – Love Field, 3880 West Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX 75220
HOW TO REGISTER: Enrollment is limited. For more information, go to http://mysteryshop.org/shoppers/gold.php
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Anyone who is currently a mystery shopper or is interested in becoming a mystery shopper.

Read what mystery shopping providers have to say about MSPA Certification:
http://www.mysteryshoppersmanual.com/why-you-should-be-mspa-certified

The more than 400 member companies of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) recognize that mystery shoppers are professionals, therefore education and certification standards are necessary to maintain the highest levels of performance. The goal of the Gold Certification Workshop is to improve the quality of mystery shoppers, which helps the companies for which they are conducting service assessments and ultimately improves the experience of the end consumer. Being MSPA-gold certified indicates to companies that these mystery shoppers have been trained in the essentials of mystery shopping.