In nearly every office, the printer hums along, a familiar backdrop to the workday. Have you ever paused to consider how much all that printing really adds up? If the average office worker might use around 10,000 sheets of paper annually, as some studies suggest, that is far too high with the modern technology available to us. That’s a significant impact on budgets and the environment.
Many (and hopefully most) businesses have a concrete view of the role that their IT plays in operations: cost center, money pit, necessary evil.
Something we’ve realized, however, is that these impressions are simply warning signs that a business’ technology strategy and approach need some attention. Listed below are three warning signs that might be all too familiar to you, and what can be done to change course and help turn your IT into a contributing part of your overall productivity.
It's common that people need to access the same websites repeatedly for their work purposes, including calendars, applications, and portals. Bookmarking these resources offers a simple way to quickly and easily access them on demand.
Listed below are practices that can help you take these handy utilities to the next level of usefulness.
Technology is meant to be the wind in your company's sails, propelling you forward, simplifying tasks, and making operations smoother, right? Sometimes, it is! Other times, it feels more like a mischievous gremlin has been let loose in the engine room, and certain seemingly small habits can escalate into full-blown operational nightmares.
Here at Macro Systems, we've seen a pattern or two. Listed below is a look at three common technology mistakes that might be silently sabotaging your productivity or even worse, leaving your digital doors wide open.
Do you ever wonder why some businesses seem to have endless technology issues? It’s not by accident. It's usually a matter of not having the smart, simple habits in place to combat problems that present themselves. Listed below are three ways that your business can avoid large technology headaches.
For small and medium-sized businesses, a data backup plan may seem difficult or even impossible to implement without the right in-house IT expertise. That’s no excuse to neglect data backup. Listed below is an explanation of the 3-2-1 backup rule, which is an ideal standard to aim for.
You see it everywhere, again and again: how much return an investment into proper business technology will bring, with little to no context behind these claims. We want to fix that.
Listed below is a look at why so much information about today's IT options can be less than helpful, and see if we can’t clarify what it means. Simplifying technology for the businesses we work with is one of our primary goals, after all.
Do you know what goes into a successful data backup strategy? If not, understand that your business relies on these contingencies to confidently face the challenges of the modern business world. Listed below is a break down of the essentials of a sound backup strategy, which is more complicated than you think.
Growing your business means making smart choices, which definitely includes getting the right technology. Finding the right tech can often feel like a balancing act: you need powerful tools to compete and grow, but you also need to be mindful of your budget.
At Macro Systems, serving businesses right here in the Metro Washington, DC area, we help you find that sweet spot where your tech investments truly support your goals without unnecessary costs.
Deals are great; offering some money and getting more than you’d expect in return… It’s the next best thing to free. It’s also really nice to get something fast.
Not so fast, though. As nice as they can make things seem, “cheap” and “quick” aren’t often synonymous with “effective” or “valuable.” In fact, selecting the presumably easy route regarding your business technology can ultimately lead to bigger problems in the form of something called tech debt.
Technology is a big deal for any business, but for small businesses, keeping pace isn't just a good idea; it's becoming necessary to the survival and success of the whole endeavor. Every instant gratification and falling behind can have a real effect on an organization’s ability to support their offerings.
Third-party vendors are essential for today's businesses; they deliver mission-critical resources and tools to the organizations that utilize them, including raw materials, software, and other services. Alas, these vendors can also serve as direct lines into your business for a cyberattack to take advantage of for their own purposes.
Listed below: how you can still lean on your vendors without sacrificing your critically important security.
The constant talk about cybersecurity can really be overwhelming. While some Internet tales may be exaggerated, the reality is that these cybersecurity risks are a serious concern for every organization. Is your business truly prepared to confront the sophisticated digital adversaries of our time? Listed below is a look at three prevalent cyberthreats that could inflict significant damage on a business, and what you can do to keep them from negatively impacting yours.
For all the effort and investment a modern business needs to put into its cybersecurity, it is equally critical to acknowledge each team member's role in an organization’s security protections. Many of your employees, through no inherent fault of their own, are themselves a vulnerability as they allow many cyberthreats into your infrastructure via scams and simple mistakes. That being said, this doesn’t have to be the case.
Listed below: why it is imperative that you train your team to be a cybersecurity asset and how to do so.
We're all busy. Whether you're steering the ship or making sure the daily operations run smoothly, cybersecurity might feel like another drain on your time. Imagine a day when everything grinds to a halt, trust evaporates, or significant money vanishes into thin air. These aren't abstract fears, they are all-too-real consequences of cybersecurity oversights, creating moments that everyone in a business, from top to bottom, desperately wants to avoid… and can.
The difference between embracing current business technology and sticking with antiquated technology that has served you well in the past can be stark. It's not just about avoiding disaster; it's about harnessing power, speed, and agility to reach new destinations.
There are many ways that a modern small or medium-sized business can experience an issue that puts their IT out of commission in one way or another. Each one can hit one of these businesses especially hard in the wallet.
Let’s review some today and discuss how they can be resolved.
Technology is woven into almost everything we do, from collaborating on projects to connecting with clients. Making sure we handle this technology correctly is critical for the efficiency and security of your entire business. In this month’s newsletter, we just wanted to go through a couple of actions that can help any professional enhance their technology.
How often do you find yourself feeling the weight of your agenda stressing you out, and, counterproductively, distracting you from the task you’re currently working on? One of the best ways to power through and stay on track is to step away and take a minute to get your stress back under control.
If you feel like you never have enough time to work through your to-do list, you’re far from the only one. If you make small adjustments to the way you tackle everyday tasks and responsibilities, you may be able to change your productivity habits for the better. Listed below are tips on how you can make the most of your workday with simple, easy tricks.
