Starting a small business is exciting but keeping it running is the real challenge. Many businesses start with a great idea, a solid customer base, and high hopes, only to crash and burn because of avoidable mistakes. If you’re a small business owner or planning to become one, look out for these three major pitfalls that can sink your business faster than you can say bankruptcy.
If your business owns more than one computer, you’ve got tech to track. Laptops, monitors, printers, routers, projectors, phones; it all adds up fast. If you’re not keeping an eye on it, your business could end up with missing equipment, surprise inefficiency, or worse, security problems. That’s why tracking your hardware is imperative.
When your business’ data is so important to your successful operations, there are certain precautions that you simply need to take for the sake of your business’ longevity. One such precaution: data backup.
Your data is the gas that powers your business’ engine, whether you’re referring to project files and intellectual property or financial info and customer records. As such, imagine what it would mean if your business ran out of gas… or, more accurately, it was siphoned out.
Technology doesn’t just support today's businesses, it drives them. Whether it's handling customer transactions, storing data, or running day-to-day operations, businesses depend on their IT systems to work reliably. But what if you could spot problems before they actually cause trouble?
Remember purchased software on disks and installing it, computer by computer? Fortunately, those days are long behind us. Today, Software as a Service (SaaS) provides powerful advantages, especially for small and medium-sized businesses.
Listed below is how you can benefit from these subscription-based tools.
The world of cybersecurity is in constant flux, demanding that businesses continually reassess their defensive strategies. A traditional focus solely on preventing breaches, while crucial, is proving insufficient in the face of sophisticated and persistent threats. As highlighted in a recent Illumio podcast episode, "Trust & Resilience: The New Frontlines of Cybersecurity," the very foundation of digital interaction—trust—has ironically become a primary vulnerability exploited by attackers. This necessitates a fundamental shift in perspective.
If you're like many small and medium-sized business owners, you're juggling countless online passwords for email, banking, software, supplier portals, and more. It can be overwhelming. This usually leads to using simple or repeated passwords, which opens the door to cyber threats like data breaches, a serious risk for any business. Fortunately, there's a straightforward solution: a password manager.
The Snipping Tool is a convenient utility application integrated into Windows that offers users with significant screen-capturing capabilities.
Listed below: how to use it and how it can prove valuable to your business.
Technology is no longer just a support function for a business, it's a critical driver of business performance, security, and competitiveness. As systems age and newer solutions are implemented, the need to evaluate and upgrade your technology becomes imperative. While it’s easy to maintain the mindset of reactive maintenance, relying on outdated technology can quietly hinder growth and expose your business to significant risks.
Running a small or medium-sized business means juggling countless priorities. You're focused on your customers, team, and bottom line… but what about the technology that powers it all?
Usually overlooked, your IT infrastructure is far more than just the computers on desks. It's the complex web of network equipment, essential software subscriptions, cloud services, and even the personal smartphones and tablets your employees use for work. Keeping this entire ecosystem running smoothly and securely is a significant challenge for many SMBs.
Today's small businesses generate a lot of data. From customer details and sales records to inventory tracking and employee schedules, you need to be able to structure this data so that you can use it effectively. Keeping that data organized and accessible is critical but managing it effectively can often be a hassle. This is where smart database management comes in. When done right, it helps businesses run smoother and often save money.
It is great to have pride and confidence in your organization, especially in the team you’ve assembled… including your in-house technical support team. However, even the most capable IT team may not fully meet a business’ needs.
Listed below: an IT team's responsibilities and what can be done to correct any deficits they may encounter.
Data storage can be hard for SMBs to manage, but the cloud can make it significantly easier and cheaper. There are real, tangible advantages of using the cloud for your data storage requirements. Listed below are three major reasons why your business should have cloud storage on its list of tech infrastructure priorities in the coming months.
Does your business have an internal IT department or dedicated IT resource? We know it can be hard sometimes to find the talent you’re looking for, but that doesn’t make it any less critical. Listed below are some of the issues you’ll want to keep in mind if you want to get an IT technician on your staff.
Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, is a common approach for businesses that want to take advantage of mobile technology to increase productivity. Instead of supplying each individual employee with company-owned devices, businesses allow employees to utilize their own devices for work-related purposes. While this is great on the budget, it’s only really effective, and safe, if the employee prioritizes security on their devices; otherwise, it’s a liability.
Today is World Backup Day, an annual reminder that losing your data is just one accidental delete, spilled drink, or cyberattack. The idea is simple: back up your files before disaster strikes. Nothing ruins your day faster than realizing all your work, memories, and important files have vanished.
You open your email and you have a message claiming your bank account has been hacked. You click the link, log in, and, whoops, you just handed your credentials to a cybercriminal. You’ve been a victim of phishing, where scammers bait you with fake messages and reel you in like an unsuspecting fish. You don’t have to be their next catch. Listed below: how to recognize and fight back against phishing attempts.
It's common for many people to make up an answer that they feel seems plausible if asked something they don’t have an answer to. It happens all the time.
It turns out that this is a tendency that artificial intelligence has inherited from us.
If your company has at least a couple of employees who spend part of their workday in a different location, are you doing all you can to help them be as productive as possible? While remote work is beneficial in so many circumstances, there are a lot of caveats to it that must be considered. Listed below is how you can mitigate risk and keep remote work from becoming a liability for your organization.
Every year, new malware, ransomware, and cyber threats emerge from the depths of the internet, evolving like a villain in a sci-fi movie. One moment, you’re minding your own business, and the next, your company’s data is held hostage and a hacker is demanding you pay them in Bitcoin.
