Author: Nikki Bennett

By Bonnie Mason

You don’t have to look any further than the Sola Salon Studios® in the Highwoods Preserve area of New Tampa to get the treatment you need to feel totally pampered and stress-free. Whether you want an invigorating massage or a rejuvenating facial, Sola Salon, located in The Walk at Highwoods Preserve shopping plaza at Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. in New Tampa is where you will find long-time co-workers and salon professionals Bonnie Whitaker, owner of Bonnie’s BodyWorks, and Colleen Frasca, owner of Colleen’s Custom Skincare.Continue reading

By Matt Wiley

The dread and terror that come with the spinning hourglass icon, followed by a blue screen, when using a Windows-based personal computer are the things of nightmares that can make even Freddy Krueger himself squirm. Instead of screaming your lungs out and shaking your computer screen, there is a simple solution right here in New Tampa.

Slow start-up times, networking issues, getting rid of viruses, spyware and malware, as well as general computer maintenance, are the specialties of Jeffrey Blank’s WSICA (We Save Individuals Computer Assistance), which started offering computer services in our area nearly two years ago.

“The business has been growing,” Blank says. In fact, he says that his business, which he started from scratch in the New Tampa area after moving to Grand Hampton (located off of County Line Rd.) from Vernon, NJ, in 2011, has close to 100 customers, or about triple the amount of people who took advantage of WSICA’s services at this time last year.

However, in addition to the time he has been working on computers in New Tampa, Blank also has more than 25 years of experience in the industry that he gathered while taking care of more than 600 customers in Vernon. And, it actually all started as a hobby.

Blank says that he would help friends and neighbors with their computer issues before his wife Laura suggested that he begin a part-time business. Eventually, it became full-time, which he hopes it will one day become here in New Tampa, too.

One thing Blank says that he has noticed in the past year is resistance from many of his customers to use the latest Windows operating system, Windows 8, which completely changed its look when it was released in the fall of 2012.

One of the new services that Blank has been offering customers who have been feeling overwhelmed by the new look and maneuverability of Windows 8 is installing a program that helps take away some of the anxiety.

Blank says that he has been installing “Classic Shell” for people who are running Windows 8. The “shell” program makes the new operating system look more like Windows 7, which had a more “classic” Windows look. The shell program is offered for free online and allows users to tweak settings over time and decide how many of the new Windows 8 features they want to use.

“This lets them move to Windows 8 more gradually,” Blank explains.

Although he is familiar with software for Apple computers, too, Blank says that his Apple services, which he did previously offer, have really gone by the wayside, due to a lack of customers calling him with issues with the computers and the difficulty of working on Apple hardware.

“(Apple) intentionally builds (its products) to make them nearly unserviceable, so you really have to bring them to Apple,” he says.

In addition to the few, if any, Apple computer issues he sees, Blank says that he also has seen a sharp decrease in the amount of internet networking and wireless issues than he has in the past.

“Because wireless Internet has become so big and people rely on it so much, companies are making routers that pretty much self-install,” Blank explains. “So, those problems are really starting to fade, but malware problems are definitely still growing.”

Blank attributes the rise in “malware” — or “malicious software” known to cause viruses and disrupt the way a computer operates — to malware writers and creators getting smarter and writing programs that are more difficult to combat.

“You’ve got to keep a good anti-virus program instealled (and updated) on your computer,” Blank says. “And, the all-important thing to remember is to always back-up all of your information.”

Blank handles all of the repairs and maintenance for his growing customer base, while Laura manages the phones and ensures that customers get a quick call back about any issues, no matter how small the problem. In fact, even though WSICA charges $75 per hour for most repairs, Blank will answer questions free of charge once you become his customer.

“(My customers) like that,” Blank says. “They don’t have to sit on hold with a call center in another country for an extended period of time to get a simple question answered.”

Another benefit of using WSICA is not having to pack up the computer and take it to a shop to get worked on. Blank says he will visit his customers’ homes or businesses and will do most repairs on-site, unless, of course, the issue is something that will take several hours.

For example, he explains that loading software is what takes the longest and that if a system has to be completely reloaded on any computer, it may be a situation where he would continue to work on the computer from home.

Blank explains that he will advise the customer whether or not their computer should be replaced, instead of repaired.

“If you’re not sure, I’ll let you know,” Blank says. “I don’t sell computers, so I don’t benefit from you replacing the one you have.”

Cathy C., of Zephyrhills, found out how helpful WSICA can be when her computers began to not run smoothly.

“I’m so glad that I found WSICA,” she says. “I was having problems on my laptop and my desktop computers. I took them to another business twice and they couldn’t fix the problems. I saw a WSICA ad and called. Jeff fixed both problems in a few hours.”

Tired of your computer running slowly? Give WSICA a call at 973-4507 or send an email to WSICA@ WSICA.com. For more information, you also can visit WSICA.com.