Blog
Data Security Requirements That Every Small Business Should Know
Data security is a big deal, and as you may have seen recently in the news, it’s a big deal that just keeps getting bigger. The most startling fact is that attacks are more common in the small business arena than in any other. That’s because small businesses typically...
Tips for Using Core Technology to Grow a Small Business
Growing a small business requires a lot of dedication, hard work, and strategic planning. It also requires creativity and outside-the-box thinking when leveraging core technology to its full potential. We should be clear here that by “core” we mean the essential...
5 Reasons Why Even the Smallest Businesses Need LinkedIn
LinkedIn has been around for almost 20 years and is the leading business networking and information sharing site in the world. Even now, many small businesses still regard it as a “corporate tool” or something that a hopeful event speaker spends all day on to connect...
Demystifying What Digital Transformation Means for Small Business
All small business owners understand that change is inevitable. After all, finding a horse carriage repair shop is now somewhat more difficult than it was just 100 years ago. But when change happens so quickly that the term “transformation” becomes more appropriate,...
How to Create Professional Charts in Microsoft Excel
The human mind is wired to create stories from pictures which is why charts are one of the quickest ways to communicate the narratives that data can tell. Very few people actually enjoy staring at raw 1’s and 0’s, and most need at least a little guidance to help them...
5 Biggest IT Management Challenges in 2021 (so far)
It’s been more than a year since the pandemic drastically upended small business IT plans, forcing organizations to improvise as they tried to remain operational under uncertain conditions. And while some parts of the world are finally returning back to normal after...
Small Business Takeaways from the Recent Colonial Pipeline Data Breach
You’ve probably seen a bit about the $5M ransomware attack that hit Colonial Pipeline Co., the largest pipeline system for refined oil products in the US. As a quick recap, the oil giant’s network was breached by hackers who encrypted their systems and demanded a...
3 Ways Employees Can Compromise Your Security (and How to Prevent Them)
Even if you’ve already implemented a state-of-the-art firewall, antivirus software, and every other element of modern cybersecurity, there’s a chance that your defenses could be compromised at any moment. That’s because no one can fully defend their data and their...
Communicating Clearly: Email vs IM vs Phone
Having options is great, but not everyone uses the same communication tools in the same ways. If you’ve ever received a two-word email that didn’t address your questions, or an instant message that was more like the first chapter of a novel, then you’ve experienced...
Hiring Employees Effectively in the Age of Remote Work
Employees in every corner of the nation are finally returning to their offices, but the global shift to remote work continues. Here’s a WOW statistic: According to data published by Upwork, 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely by 2025. That’s an 87%...
Why It’s Critical That Small Businesses Modernize Their Customer Experience
Technology has evolved in leaps and bounds through the decades, and customers’ expectations have evolved with it. Empowered by their always-connected electronic devices, modern customers are used to personalized services available through multiple convenient channels,...
How to Safely Disinfect Your Technology Equipment
Since cleaning and disinfecting have become a priority for most of us in the pandemic era, safety-minded tech users occasionally ask us “how do I make sure my hardware is safely disinfected?” Basically, they want to know how to clean it quickly and reliably without...
Key Strategies to Cope with a Limited IT Budget
You understand the need for a solid IT plan. You know the security risks and how they apply to your company. You want your employees to have the best tools available so they can do their jobs as productively as possible. But you don’t have an unlimited budget. How...
Data Loss Prevention Is About People and Strategy
Your data is one of your organization’s most valuable assets—perhaps even the most valuable. The problem is that there are many threats that can cause catastrophic data loss, including social engineering attacks, ransomware (and...
The Deep Web, The Dark Web, and Why You Should Care
From time to time, the news shouts about some company that had their data security breached and warns consumers that their information may have been leaked. But leaked where? Who wants the information and how do they get it? There are assorted answers to these...
3 Signs of a Great Remote Work Culture
Have you ever wondered what the difference between good companies and great companies is? In many cases, it’s their culture. Tony Hsieh, the retired CEO of the online shoe and clothing company Zappos, even believes that most of the other stuff takes care of itself...
Confusing Business Technology Terms Explained
We walk around all the time talking about the internet or the web, but did you know that there’s a difference? And that UI and UX are commonly interchanged, but they mean very different things? Here’s another one: Memory is not the same as disc space. Gets confusing...
Important Remote Work Mistakes to Avoid
A lot has been said and written about the benefits of transitioning to remote work since the pandemic made it impossible for many organizations to operate from a single, physical location. Whether enthusiastically or begrudgingly, many employees have made the shift,...
Email Etiquette Tips You Should Never Forget
These days more and more of our interactions are written out, whether in emails, instant messaging, or text messaging. Since we find ourselves writing more and more, it’s tempting to find ways to cut corners in an attempt to get more done. But at what cost? All...
Small Businesses Are Waging a Digital War for Customers
The way customers engage with businesses is constantly evolving. In today’s digital-first world, customers are always just a few clicks away from meeting their needs. And with the pandemic increasing concerns about in-person transactions, most consumers and business...
Common Compliance Issues Faced by Remote Employees
Since health safety guidelines changed the workplace, many employees have experienced what they had only read about before: the benefits of remote work. Their employers, on the other hand, are losing sleep over compliance. Remote Work Compliance Issues Won’t Go Away...
Advanced Outlook Tips for Expert Email Management
Workers who have used Outlook for years are typically familiar with These are some of our favorite tricky tips, but a word of warning: creating too many folders and automations (like those that rules take care of) can eventually create more issues than solve them. Be...
Outlook Tips for Better Email Management
Some days, incoming emails just won’t slow down. And if you’re trying to meet a deadline or focus on a customer issue, scanning each one for critical issues can be a part-time job that delays everything else. Even for people who continuously use the four “D”s of email...
How to Grow a Positive Remote Work Culture
The pandemic threw (and is still throwing) many curveballs at small businesses. One of the most impactful was the shift from onsite to remote work models. But as stated, that was only one. With so many other issues to face—like new technology needs and customer access...