We tend to be creatures of habit. We like to follow patterns that have worked for us in the past. Updating systems can be a big hassle and feel like more trouble than its worth. When considering a change, it can often prove to be very complicated. Daunting tasks tend to be put on the back burner or turned into the ultimate test of procrastination. Today we want to discuss why using Tax Section 179 Read more…
Have you ever planned an exciting vacation? It wasn’t very simple, was it? You have to know when you will go, what you will do, and sometimes even what the weather will be like! And that’s not even getting into the nitty gritty of food costs and hotel availability that inevitably follow! Just like you have to plan ahead to take a nice vacation, you need to plan ahead to use Section 179 for a Read more…
Managing a business is a lot like managing your weight — if you take in more than you put out, then you’ll have major gains at the end of the year. And with both business and personal weight, those gains can have consequences. As a business owner, the goal is to make as much profit as possible, but remember that those profits come with a nasty little caveat: taxes! The higher the profit, the higher Read more…
Last week we talked about the technological threats present in our every day lives. This week we will discuss how to protect yourself from those threats. There are some remarkable software that have been created to keep you safe. Welcome to Cybersecurity 101, where we will help you know everything you have available to help protect you! Employee Education As we discussed earlier this month, your employees are one of hackers favorite avenues of attack. Read more…
October is well known among the vernacular of the younger generation as Spooky Season. Most people are more concerned with ghosts, ghouls, and goblins than they are with the dangers lurking in the dark corners of the Internet. After all, it’s more fun to think about fake monsters than the real ones who could change your life in an instant. Today we will discuss some of today’s technological threats. These are cyber-monsters you should be Read more…
October is National Cybersecurity Month and it can be overwhelming how many things there are to focus on improving! Last week we talked about the risks our own human error bring to the forefront. Today we want to discuss one of the most basic steps you can take to improving your security: Password Security! Passwords are a feature that we all use (and abuse) every single day. How insecure can this security feature be and Read more…
If you have watched any sci-fi movie, you probably understand the perceived dangers of the digital world. Most of us are familiar with the concept of a helpful AI gone rogue. While digital dangers are real, it’s important to note that the people using the Internet pose a much bigger threat than a hostile AI takeover. And I’m not just talking about cybercriminals. Regular, everyday human error is what poses the most dangerous threat to Read more…
Clarinets have a beautiful sound and range, but when you listen to a clarinet play by itself for three hours, you realize that there’s a reason why they’re usually just one part of an entire orchestra. Your business may find itself in a similar situation with your IT provider. Unless you have the most basic of IT needs, using a one-person operation won’t give you the harmony your company needs. Today, we’ll discuss what to Read more…
When you were a kid, did you have a bicycle? If you did I’m sure you can recall the thrill of zooming away from home, feeling the wind in your face as well as the freedom of personal mobility. But all that freedom ended when you got a flat tire. If you were like me, you had to find an adult who knew how to fix it. There was always an unknown factor on when Read more…
As a business owner, you need to decide what level of IT support is right for you. Small businesses frequently operate under the “break-fix” model. Break-fix is exactly what it sounds like: you run your business normally until something breaks, then you pay an IT support company to fix it. Large corporations usually have an in-house IT department to take care of their computers, servers, networks and phones. Then there’s the middle ground. Managed Services Read more…
Technology can be a great resource, but it can also be expensive! This is especially true if you do not have a budget or proactive plan in place for utilizing your hardware and tracking how much you are spending on IT. In this series, we have discussed the costs you should know, the work an IT professional does, and why break-fix doesn’t work. The purpose of this article is to help you identify where you Read more…
You may be wondering why the break-fix model doesn’t work. Grandpa always said, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. While we love Grandpa, that truism isn’t always true. Have you taken a moment to think about what is involved when something breaks, and the impact fixing it can have on your business? There are a lot of factors that go into play when using a break-fix model, and most of them are not good. Read more…
So, you’re working on drafting an IT professional job description, but do you know what an IT Professional really does? This series covers the most important factors to consider before you hire an in-house IT tech or team. Our last article reviewed the hidden costs of hiring an IT Professional. Now, we’re talking about what an IT professional’s job entails besides asking if you turned your computer off and back on again. Depending on the Read more…
If your business is at the point where you’re thinking about hiring an IT tech full-time, congratulations! Having enough consistent needs to fill this role means you’ve worked hard and made good decisions that drove business growth. Our best advice? Don’t stop now! There can be some major consequences from hiring an IT tech full time. One of the biggest decisions you should make before you move forward is whether you’ll hire someone directly or Read more…
If you aren’t thinking about virtual office scalability right now, you should be. Thanks to a microscopic virus, everything changed in an instant, including the business world. While we know that things generally fluctuate over time, markets rarely change so drastically without some leading indicator. So, what does this mean for you? No doubt, you’ve already found your employee needs changing quickly. While some businesses are seeing consistent falls, others are picking up speed quickly Read more…
In our last article, we discussed the security benefits of using a virtual office. In this blog, we’ll cover how a virtual office can help to make your job easier and more enjoyable. Being able to work from anywhere can be more beneficial than you may realize. Let’s face it, you can have a beautiful corner office — but it’s still an office. Very few normal human beings enjoy being stuck in an office let Read more…
The Covid-19 pandemic caused many companies to work from home. Some companies’ work forces are entirely remote. Others are using a more hybrid approach. Some of their employees are working from home and some are working from the office. In both cases, we are learning how to navigate a new work environment. This building trend in remote work has been on the rise for a long time, but in the last 6 months has had Read more…
1. What will happen? Despite being nearly nine years old, Windows 7 is still one of the most widely used desktop operating systems in the world, with just under 40% of Windows computers running it. That means, if people don’t start switching to Windows 8 or higher(preferably Windows 10), there will be a lot more extremely vulnerable computers out there come 2020. Without regular security updates being issued by Microsoft,hackers will be able to have Read more…
You’re prepared, at least mentally, to begin your migration to Windows 10. Is your hardware ready, though? How you handle your IT (on your own, with as-needed support, or with a fully managed agreement) will change how you will have to deal with your transition.
Technically, regular Windows 7 support has been dead since 2015, however, the extended support period is over January 2020, which means no more updates or security patches. What should you be aware of for EOL? Get ready, you may have some work to do.