There are many ways to manage your time for IT, the most common one being 70% of your time on maintenance and 30% on innovation and development. If you want your organization to grow, you need to invert those numbers and do the exact opposite. There’s one simple way you can change up your approach, and it’s not nearly as complicated as you might think.
Do you know what one of the most irritating budgetary issues you have to deal with is? One we've heard about quite a bit is the rush to spend every allocated cent in the IT budget before these funds are redistributed to other departments.
While the instinct is understandable, we want to reinforce that you should never make IT purchases solely to meet a spending benchmark. Instead, all invested funds should be directed so that you see returns.
The holiday season can be a busy and lucrative time for businesses, but that’s only if your network can handle the increased traffic. A network that stumbles under the weight of more traffic than usual can cost you in sales. How do you address this issue so you don’t miss opportunities to make money?
You can start with these five strategies listed below.
Did you know that, in physics, regardless of how much time, sweat, and energy you put into pushing a boulder, if it doesn’t move, the “work done” is seen as zero? The same is true in business… at the end of the day, your investment in your organization and its people is only worthwhile if you see results.
Thus, you need to ask yourself: how much work are your team members actually getting done? Are they moving the boulder, or are they just trying a lot but not actually making any progress? Below we examine what often leads to this kind of stagnant struggle and how you can fix it.
Business technology is the foundation of modern enterprises, imperative for growth and competitive advantage. That being said, many businesses fall into a critical trap: becoming too attached to their initial technology investments, even when they've become a liability.
One of the most popular criticisms of generative AI tools is that they often “hallucinate,” or make up information, making them a bit unreliable for certain high-stakes tasks. To help you combat hallucinations, we recommend you try out the following tips in your own use of generative AI. You might find that you get better, more reliable outputs as a result.
We’ve seen firsthand how the shift to remote work has revolutionized business operations. That being said, one area that still causes friction for many business owners is virtual meetings. A poorly executed remote meeting isn't just a time-waster, it can also drain productivity and disengage your team, damaging your company culture. Listed below are a few tips that show that with the right strategy and tools, your remote meetings can be even more effective and engaging than their in-person counterparts.
With AI entering the mainstream, more businesses are implementing these tools into their daily operations. Tasks like drafting emails, brainstorming for a new project, or debugging code have all been made easier. Here’s the secret to making the most out of AI: you get out what you put in. What do we mean by this? Let’s find out.
The cut, copy, and paste commands are some of the most frequently utilized keyboard shortcuts in the modern office, but do you actually understand how they work? They make use of the clipboard, but not many people know what the clipboard is or how it functions. Listed below: the demystification of the clipboard and how you can make better use of it on your Windows device.
Business leaders and decision makers have a lot to deal with… and that’s before factoring in all the problems and obstacles that arise over the course of their normal operations, especially when it comes to the technology their businesses rely on.
Of course, a smart business owner would want their technology to be as reliable as possible, available without requiring conscious effort. As it happens, one of the modern options for IT support enables circumstances to be as close to this ideal as possible… but the other predominant option ultimately gives you more to worry about.
Running a business can feel like a constant battle against inefficiency. There are innumerable reasons an organization doesn’t meet productivity standards. Fortunately, however, technology offers powerful tools to identify and eliminate these issues. Listed below: how you can utilize technology to find and fix inefficiencies in your business.
Business owners have a lot of responsibilities, and while you can hire a lot of people to cover some of the more stressful ones, it might feel strange to outsource your company’s technology management. You know IT is imperative, so that’s why you feel like you have to do it yourself, or at least in-house, but in reality, you’re the last person who should be working with your technology—and we’ll explain why.
You should want your team to be ready and able to accomplish as much as possible. So, when a team member approaches you with a request for a better laptop or a dual-monitor setup and the wish to do more with their time, you should agree. That being said, there may be that little voice in the back of your head, whispering, “Was that a wise investment?”
It can be hard to balance the need for employee satisfaction with your budgetary restrictions, but it must be done. Listed below are the considerations you need to make… as well as the pitfalls that must be avoided.
A disorganized workspace can lead to a disorganized mind. Whether you're working from home or in an office, keeping your workspace clean and organized can significantly boost your productivity, reduce stress, and even spark creativity. It's not just about aesthetics; it's about creating an environment where you can thrive.
Here are five tips to help you maintain a pristine and productive workspace:
The grind of daily business operations can feel relentless. From overflowing inboxes to endless task lists and scattered information, it's easy to get bogged down in the minutiae. That’s why it's imperative to know and utilize the right technology to transform tedious tasks into strategically streamlined workflows, providing you and your team with more time and clarity. Listed below is a look at some of the technology you can use to take a little stress off your grind.
Has this ever happened to you?
It’s late, after a long day of work, but you’re finally home and able to relax. Just as you get comfortable, your phone dings. You glance at your phone. It’s a work email… and if you’re like most, you’ll be itching just to check it and get it over with. The problem is, each time you do so, you whittle away the line between work and the rest of your life. This “always on” impression our technology offers has contributed to a few significant problems.
Let’s see if we can address these problems.
You’ve probably heard the saying "work smarter, not harder". It usually describes the use of technology to bring time-and-money-saving advantages to the table that human workers can’t produce on their own. As good as technology is at enhancing productivity and efficiency, it only works if you are able to get your employees engaged.
While the allure of shiny new gadgets and cutting-edge software is undeniable, the real magic happens when these investments directly translate into tangible productivity gains, transforming how we work and propelling businesses forward.
Time isn't just money; it's the entire vault. The correct tools and strategies can transform not just your IT infrastructure, but your entire workflow. Below we're going to talk about a surprisingly simple, yet profoundly effective, time management method: the Pomodoro Technique. This useful strategy that can keep you focused and on task.
If you’re reading this on the day it's posted, it's Wednesday. How often have you had to rewrite the same messages, over and over, in your internal reporting and client interactions so far this week? Probably quite a bit, and certainly more than you’d prefer.
This is wasteful: not only does replicating this message over and over cost valuable time, but it also uses up mental energy… plus, simply copy-pasting can easily lead to errors and oversights. Luckily, modern email platforms provide templates that can be utilized to generate consistent and quality messages.
Productivity is one of the most common modern business goals, with many doing everything they can to optimize it. In fact, today is officially World Productivity Day, highlighting the significant importance placed on this specific metric.
Despite this, productivity can often feel unreachable… regardless of how busy one is throughout the day. Listed below are three habits that will significantly support your work and help make the most of your time.
