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I have a sign in front of the building, and try to keep a friendly or funny message up. I currently have "Walk-Ins Welcome - Surprise Me" on it. I really feel like that sign was responsible for 15 new clients this year. People are not afraid to come in. I have heard, "Surprise!" about 100 times since January. (That's gettin old and tired, not gonna lie.) Below is a picture of what I had on there previously. My kids' friends got a kick out of it, but it caused some confusion, especially with one fella who was worried about me and my family issues. You win some, you learn some.

I ask my existing clients for referrals. Works out well because they will prequalify people and you don't get the bums and crooks

That's right, kids. Don't learn about science and technology from Buzzfeed articles. Any media outlet that relies on ad revenue and clickbait headlines will gloss over the science (because it's boring for the non-nerds, I guess) and sensationalize it to the point where it's got no substance, but guaranteed to be shared 10 million times on Facebook.

I have been by her office. I know EXACTLY where it is. Maybe we could arrange a group surprise...

If I am ever driving through Tennessee and see your sign, I am going to definitely stop in.

Y'all need to start typing in English. This stuff makes me feel like you are talking about me behind my back. If I am not a nerd, that would mean I am one of the cool kids on the block! Tom Newark, CA

Yeah....whatever. Like I said, talkin' bout me right to my face now and laughing 'cause I don't get it. I am going to get my kids read this and tell me how to respond.... Tom Newark, CA

I would love that so much, Gail! All of you are welcome, even if we're fried good and proper.

One of those that the nerds had to do your homework?? I earned quite a bit of spending money in High School....

I don't think you'll find a really satisfactory answer to that question anywhere, the two platforms are very different, and both are relatively secure. Like you say, Windows is a more appealing target due to numbers alone... so a better return on investment for people looking to spread malware. Apple does have one benefit though -- by default, macOS is configured to only accept software installs that are from apple-signed developers, which provides an additional layer of trust when installing new software. So, if you attempt to install some application on your mac from a developer that isn't approved/signed by apple, you get a worrying message about it. The software isn't necessarily bad, but the message that you're given is strongly worded to make you think twice about whether you trust that developer. On the other hand, when you install Windows software, you get the same generic UAC dialog box no matter who provides the software. People are trained to click YES without giving it much of a thought because it comes up every single time you install a program on Windows. So, that's one way that the average user is slightly more protected from themselves when using a Mac. It's not bullet-proof, though. Bad things can happen to good software. Example: I use a well-known video transcoding application called Handbrake on both Windows and Mac. It's legit software, and well-respected for the quality of the audio/video it produces when converting between formats. Somewhere along the line, the latest version was replaced (on Handbrake's download site) with a copy that included malicious code. Anyone who downloaded and installed it on their mac are infected with some nasty malware. Thankfully, I didn't download a new version recently, so I'm unaffected. However, I just read an article today that the developer (Panic Inc.) for another piece of software, Transmission (in my opinion, the best FTP Client available for macOS) did get infected by that malware-laced Handbrake download, and as a result a good portion of the soruce code for Transmission has been stolen. Is there a chance that vulnerabilities will be uncovered in Transmission when the source code is examined? Idunno. I'm considering using a free open-source alternative on my Mac for a while, though. If that wasn't a long enough post, here's some additional details about the two recent hacks in case you find these things interesting (ha) https://blog.malwarebytes.com/threat-analysis/mac-threat-analysis/2017/05/handbrake-hacked-to-drop-new-variant-of-proton-malware/ https://panic.com/blog/stolen-source-code/

The problem was I was too poor to have someone do my homework for me....my grades in high school will attest to that. Tom Newark, CA

e to the x, dee-x, dee-t, slip stick, slide rule MIT!

For the few calculations it adds, it's just not worth it to me. I know it has enhanced fixed assets (little useful) and document management (no use) but I just can't justify the price. Maybe if they offered it without enhance assets and document for a lower price, I would upgrade. How about some à la carte ATX?

A few thoughts: - Send out a mass mailer postcard. I think you can target zip codes that you are looking to attract from. While obviously there is a cost involved in that, it is very direct...assuming the recipient glances at it. - Post information about your services on Social Media sites. - Join local chamber of commerce or community groups. - Offer $xx new client discount. I offer a $25 new client discount and I also credit my current clients $25 when they refer new clients. - Sponsor a local sports team. In my area the name of the sponsor is placed prominently on the uniforms. These are just thoughts I threw out there. In some cases you will be spending some money for these ideas. Depends on what you're looking to do and how much you are willing to spend. Good luck!

I must say that I am still using a Win 7 Pro 64 bit computer, and I have have never had this problem.