Business Solutions & Software Group Blog

What if you decided to turn to an AI program for assistance with something—let’s say a client proposal—only to discover, in the middle of signing the contract, that the AI had made up and included a half-off discount on the very thing that brought you most of your profit?

While hopefully hypothetical, this scenario can easily happen. So, while AI can be and often is a serious asset to business productivity, this is only the case when you are also paying attention. Let’s consider a few shortcomings that you avoid with the help of your human employees running interference. 

How much of your workday is spent driving your business forward versus simply keeping it from stalling? If you are frequently sidelined by minor technical interruptions, your company is paying a steep price for your time.

As a leader, your value lies in high-level strategy, networking, and closing the deals that define your future. Every moment you spend navigating a technical glitch is a moment of lost opportunity.

In IT, there is a painful proverb we live by: A backup isn’t a backup until a restore has been successful.

Many business owners and even some junior sysadmins fall into the set-it-and-forget-it trap. They see the green checkmark in their backup software and sleep soundly. As an IT expert who has performed countless digital autopsies on failed systems, I can tell you that a green checkmark is often a liar.

Did you know that most businesses are only one hard drive failure or disaster away from permanently ceasing to exist? While we wish this were hyperbole, the fact of the matter is that not all businesses take data backup and business continuity as seriously as they should. At its core, you can boil down data backup to three key pillars, and with the help of a qualified professional, it’s not nearly as challenging as you’d expect.

Have you ever wondered why your Wi-Fi is great in one room but practically non-existent in another? You've got a powerful Internet plan, a modern router, but are still experiencing those frustrating dead zones or sluggish speeds. Today, we’re going to tell you that one of the most overlooked, yet critical, factors isn't your Internet provider or router model; it's simply where you put your router.

The placement of your Wi-Fi router can make or break your home Internet experience. Let's dig into the optimal spots and common pitfalls to ensure you're getting the most out of your connection.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a strategy that has become quite popular amongst employees and employers alike. The employee gets to use a device they’re familiar with, and the employer saves money. Unfortunately, many businesses underestimate the security risks posed by unmanaged BYOD deployments, which can lead to severe legal issues.

Let’s talk about these risks and why they pop up in the first place.

The Internet is full of incredible resources that people can use to be more productive or to troubleshoot issues. One such resource is the near-limitless feed of videos on YouTube. All that said, most videos are chock full of filler that you might not want your team to waste time on, even if it’s done so with good intentions. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just skip to the helpful stuff right away?

A cybersecurity insurance plan sounds great in theory, but how much is it actually protecting you from potential threats? If you suffer a data breach, your business is going to have to suffer through downtime so it can address the problem, all the while you’re filing claims and hoping that your policy will cover the issue that occurred. What happens when you’re denied your claim, and you’re back to square one?

Stop me when this sounds familiar: you have 15 browser tabs open, each with its own, specific username and password required to log in. Despite what you’ve been told, there’s the infamous sticky note on your monitor, reminding you of your most utilized passwords.

From the business owner's perspective, this mess always results in frustration and missed deadlines, and honestly, it’s hard not to blame your team members. Before you jump to conclusions, however, you should consider something.

Even while on vacation, it’s difficult to resist the urge to open your email app and see what’s going on with your business. Of course, it’s not a true vacation if you’re constantly engaging in activities typically reserved for the office. Let’s examine ways you can encourage your team to step away from the business from time to time, and how they can do it without causing disruptions to its operations.

Listen up, nerds. We’re here to talk about desk and device hygiene. Yes, not only do you have to keep your devices digitally clean, but you also have to keep your devices physically clean so as to keep them working effectively. Let’s take a look at why it’s so important and what you can do to keep your devices in pristine condition.

As a business owner, you’re always plotting out that next big project, as well as what technology you need to implement to make it happen. Today, we want to give you some pointers on what you should strive for with your project management, as well as discuss how you can make it easier by working with a managed service provider like us. We’ll go over how you can improve the odds of your project’s success, implement tools that will make the process easier, and common-sense practices that will help your team carry out the project in record time.

We've all been there. One minute your business is cruising along, spreadsheets humming, emails flying, and the next, your screen freezes, things start buffering, or your entire network decides to take a nap. Since technology is the backbone of business, when it stumbles, it can feel like your whole operation is grinding to a halt.

With the way things are today, you need to consider ways to prioritize not just your mental and physical wellbeing, but also your digital wellbeing. This involves taking a look at how you use technology and the role it plays in your workplace; which, if we’re being honest, is probably a big one.

Here are some simple best practices to ensure that you are promoting workplace wellness to help your employees achieve a healthier balance in their day-to-day life.

There are many rules businesses need to follow. These rules help your business and also protect your clients and customers. Think of rules like HIPAA or PCI DSS. These are well-known and important. These mandates just point out basic things every business should already be doing to stay secure and work well. Let’s take a look at some things you should focus on.

For any business, technology is humming in the background. It's the engine driving sales, communication, and operations. We have all come to rely on it daily. With all the benefits, it’s not that often that we sit back and consider the environmental footprint of the technology that keeps our businesses running. It’s absolutely a conversation worth having.

We've all seen or experienced the exasperation when another cybersecurity memo lands in the inbox. Perhaps it's accompanied by a quiet groan. Who cares? While it might seem like a minor annoyance, this attitude towards cybersecurity is more than just frustrating; it's a digital pathogen that can quietly infect your entire organization, leaving it vulnerable in ways you might not expect.

Today, we’ll discuss why this mindset is so perilous and explore what’s truly at stake when cybersecurity diligence doesn't become second nature for everyone on your team.

If you’re like most professionals, you’re managing a growing list of passwords, both personal and work-related. The challenge isn’t just remembering them all; it’s doing so securely. Reusing passwords across multiple accounts might seem like a shortcut, but it’s a serious security risk, especially in a business setting. One compromised account can trigger a chain reaction, potentially exposing sensitive data, damaging your reputation, and even leading to financial loss.

Business depends on technology; this fact is what drives businesses to adopt new solutions from vendors and providers around the world. If your business needs to acquire new technology solutions to maintain operations, you’ll likely be working with third parties to make it happen. Today, we want to discuss the idea of business contracts and how to get the best deal from IT vendors you possibly can.

It’s easy to see all the reasons why you should make data regulations and compliance a priority. After all, you want to ensure you don’t violate the trust and security of your customers, as well as the integrity of your operations. If you make even one mistake, it could spell legal trouble for your business, as well as financial losses and loss of reputation.