Information technology has advanced tremendously in the last couple of decades. This growth has led to countless innovations in different areas, particularly in our businesses. Technology makes our daily office routines easier and more efficient. But how exactly can technology help businesses to grow? Here are some of the most useful and versatile tools commonly used by business owners today.
Although some business owners are still hesitant to use cloud storage. There is no doubt that cloud computing has become the choice of most business owners because of its numerous benefits. Better resource management, higher efficiency, business portability, cost-effectiveness. These are just a few reasons why businesses have made the switch from on-site to cloud services. And the cloud eliminates the need to purchase physical hardware. Just about all the applications and services that you need to operate your business are available on cloud platforms.
Running a business involves many time-consuming tasks that are tedious to do manually. Some of the tasks include client data collection, billing, process monitoring, and payroll. Through technology, most of these tasks can now become automated, freeing up a lot of time and reducing overall expenses for the business.
One of the risks with the digital age is the constant threat of online attacks. Hackers are always lurking, waiting for a breach in the system so they can steal your data or wreak havoc on your network. Secure storage and the highest level of network protection are some of the options you can use to protect your business against these attacks.
Working remote has significant benefits, which many people have only come to realize in the last couple of years. By utilizing technology, many people can accomplish their work without commuting to the office every day. This change saves time and money and ultimately increases productivity. Also, it enables you to improve your business by working with experts from around the world simply by connecting with them digitally.
The bigger your business gets, the harder it is to manage company resources properly. Whether it is finance, equipment, or travel expenses. These resources need to be managed well to ensure the continued success of your business. Fortunately, technology offers several ways of handling these kinds of company resources. An IT services provider can help you automate many of the processes through integrated programs that can run on their own. Freeing up time for your employees to do more important tasks for the business.
Business operations have improved considerably, thanks to mobile technology in the workplace. Faster and more efficient communication among employees is just one of the benefits that your organization stands to gain. Mobile technology also allows for more interactive touchpoints for a better customer experience. It simplifies vendor management, enhances network security, and gives you easier access to experts for consultation, among many others.
Open-source software is arguably one of the best tools these days to help any business grow. A wide variety of open-source software solutions are available that can help grow any business, regardless of size or industry. You do have to identify the areas in your business that will benefit the most from this technological innovation. Depending on your needs, you can use open-source software for improving your business in the areas of e-commerce, multimedia, security, workflow management, server software, and so on.
As you can see, there are so many ways that you can utilize technology to grow your business. With the right tools and proper implementation, you can enjoy multiple advantages and stay ahead of your competition in several aspects. So, you should make sure that you are working with a reliable MSP that can help you experience all these benefits. If the results that you are getting from your current IT service provider are just a fraction of what we have mentioned. Then maybe it’s time for a quick check. Answer these 7 questions, and if your provider fails the test, don’t worry! Just let us know, and we will come to the rescue. We will come over to fix what needs to be fixed and get your business on the path to continuous growth and long-term success!
Technology plays a crucial role in the smooth operation of your business, regardless of the industry you are in. Even the most old-fashioned business owners have accepted that they need to utilize technological innovations to keep up with the competition and deliver the best service to their clients.
Indeed, technology contributes to almost all aspects of operating a business. However, to this day, many companies are still not maximizing the benefits that automation can give, particularly in the onboarding and offboarding process.
It is common for employees to come and go in any job position. A smooth offboarding process makes it possible to part ways amicably. In addition, you must have a quick onboarding process for new hires. This process ensures continued productivity and minimizes disruption of the overall workflow. Technology can do wonders to expedite both of these processes and make the adjustments easier.
Before starting their new job, new hires typically spend a lot of time filling out HR documents, getting to know their coworkers, and training for their new role. These are all essential parts of the onboarding process. Technology makes these processes much more efficient.
Many companies today still require new hires to come in before their official first day of work to fill out piles of HR forms, many of which are highly repetitive. This antiquated step is quite surprising when you think of how easy it can be to put these forms online and have the new hires fill them out at their convenience. They can do it on their computers or mobile devices, and the auto-fill feature will also let them finish much faster.
In between starting a new job and adjusting to a new work environment, a new employee already has more than enough to handle for the first day at work. Introductions are part of the process, but you can’t expect a new hire to remember all the names and faces of their co-workers in just one go. Most companies now prefer digital introductions.
Instead of everyone accosting a new employee by saying hi and introducing themselves personally, they can record a short video introduction instead. The new employee can watch these videos before their first day to get an idea of who they will be working with.
Online training has many advantages over traditional classroom training for new employees and employers. Each trainee has a unique learning curve, so putting them all together in one group won’t give them the most out of the training. While some may want to move more quickly, others may choose to review the previous topics before moving on.
Online training allows everyone to learn at their own pace and style. This choice is why it is recommended that employers use technology to their advantage. To give new hires the best experience of this part of the onboarding process.
In order to prevent any disruptions to the business or workflow, it is necessary to adhere strictly to established protocols. When an employee leaves their position due to death, resignation, or other cause.
Many companies handle offboarding manually, like by sending emails and making phone calls. But in some cases, this can be risky if the organization is not very strict in implementing policies. Many people who feel they were unfairly terminated might still have access to company accounts or confidential information for criminal purposes.
The only way to circumvent all these problems is by being extremely thorough in your procedure. There is a long list of things to take care of when an employee leaves, and you must check your list carefully. All of the company’s property, such as laptops and cell phones must be returned. The former employee should no longer receive wages after their last day at work!
Manual offboarding jobs can be overlooked. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about that if you opt for a fully automated offboarding process. Automating the process will ensure accuracy and consistency. It will also help with compliance and all the legal requirements you must meet.
Enjoy Fully Automated Onboarding and Offboarding with the Right IT Service Provider also known as Managed Service Providers.
For those who want to reap the benefits of an automated onboarding and offboarding process. Your Managed Service Provider can take care of it.
On the other hand, if you already have an IT team handling the process. But you are not sure if they are doing a good enough job, you can recommend these 7 questions for audit. Find out once and for all if you are getting what you are paying for. Or if you are getting nickel and dimed. If you need to change your IT Provider, let us know! We will efficiently handle your onboarding and offboarding, as well as any other business process you need!
Cybersecurity is one of the foremost concerns of many companies today. Especially for small and medium businesses that utilize online sales. To face these unforeseeable attacks, you can prepare ahead of time by taking out a dependable cybersecurity insurance plan. This coverage gives you a chance to recoup what you might potentially lose in the face of a cyber-attack.
The risk of cyberattacks gets higher each year as online criminals continue to improve in their craft. They work around the clock, devising new and innovative methods to supersede whatever security software IT companies create. As a business owner, you must always be on your toes and ensure your network and data are secure. Ask yourself, is your business currently protected with the latest cybersecurity technology? If you’re like most business owners, you probably don’t have the time to worry about such things, but you should.
It is wise to consider investing in a comprehensive cybersecurity insurance plan. Despite having seemingly ironclad protection, there is no 100% guarantee that hackers will not be able to penetrate your virtual walls. These crooks are extremely good at what they do. Just in case the unthinkable happens, and you fall victim to a nasty cyber incident, a cybersecurity insurance plan can at least help you recover some, if not all, of the losses and damages.
As the need for cybersecurity insurance becomes more pressing, you must also become more discriminating in choosing a managed services provider to handle your cybersecurity insurance needs. However, as the business owner, you must fill out the form yourself instead of passing on this task to your MSP. However, your MSP can help you with much of the information you’ll need to fill out the form.
If you are working with a Managed Service Provider, it makes sense to ask them if they have the resources to connect you with a reliable cybersecurity insurance agent. They will undoubtedly have plenty of contacts, and it would be in their best interest to recommend the best agent for you. Of course, you can also find an agent on your own if you wish, but you do have to be wary of unscrupulous entities such as fly-by-night companies who will suddenly be unreachable when you want to make a claim.
Cyber insurance is recommended for all businesses these days. However, by no means will it make your business invincible against cybercrimes. Even after taking out a trustworthy policy, the MSP should continue providing first-class security solutions to your business. The more levels of top-quality protection you employ, the safer your business will be.
Taking out an insurance policy for cybersecurity is not as simple as some business owners think. More than just adding such a plan, there is the matter of making sure you get paid back any losses.
Cybersecurity insurance can protect your business against financial loss caused by cyber-attacks. The plan may include coverage for financial losses. Such as data breaches, data theft, ransomware extortion payments, system or network takeover, and company losses. This coverage is even more important if you store your sensitive data on a local server in your office. These systems can be easily breached by hackers looking for an easy target. If this is the case and you do not wish to look into cyber insurance, you should consider storing your data in the cloud for enhanced security.
An experienced MSP can help you handle these procedures, and we recommend that you investigate them. Experts say that in 2022 the rate of cybercrime is expected to escalate even further. If you want to protect your assets, let us know! Let’s talk about how security, protection, and cyber insurance can help with the growth and success of your business in the coming year!
Most businesses have now gone digital, taking their processes online and storing data in the cloud and whatnot. While speedier transactions and greater portability make this technique very convenient, it also poses some risks. One of these is the risk of digital disasters and possible security breaches from all directions. In other words, if you aren’t vigilant, all of your company’s data can be stolen or encrypted. Do you have a disaster data recovery plan in place that meets all of your requirements?
In recent years, there have been numerous disasters that have affected global companies in different industries. Most of the attacks in 2021 came in the form of ransomware that took advantage of human gullibility.
The electronics company Acer took a hard blow in cyber-attacks in 2021. Overall, they ended up dealing with a $50 million ransom demand that a notorious hacking entity called ReEvil supposedly asked for in exchange for the return of a massive amount of stolen digital data.
In April of this year, Facebook suffered a security breach that exposed the personal information of over 530 million users. Screen scraping is a technique used by hackers to get information from websites. It’s how they were able to access the data files of almost 92% of LinkedIn members and obtain personal details like emails or phone numbers!
Because of the lockdowns and work-from-home setups, previously protected information became exposed in the digital world. Luckily, most companies had reliable security policies that protected data coming in and out of their office networks. However, with most individuals working remotely and using devices, it is difficult for a corporation to keep control over their security network, necessitating an upgrade.
Business owners often make the mistake of believing that something like this will never happen to their company. They like to believe that because they are a tiny firm, no hacker would be interested in attempting to compromise them. As a result, many don’t even bother to take precautionary measures to protect their small or medium-sized businesses from potential threats.
Unfortunately, small and medium-sized businesses are easy to crack and are typical targets of these hackers. Many companies lack the appropriate infrastructure and security tools to protect themselves from cyberattacks. To keep from being a victim, you must partner with a managed services provider that can provide you with an ironclad disaster data recovery plan.
Disaster data recovery is a serious matter that should not be taken lightly. The process of developing this plan entails a great deal of deliberation and decision-making.
Begin by defining a sensible recovery time objective (RTO). This process is the amount of time you expect to be fully back on track after disaster strikes. The shorter the RTO, the more expensive the disaster data recovery will be, so you need to consider this.
Also, make sure to clearly outline the duties and responsibilities of each individual employee in your organization. In addition, establish a clear communication plan as well as security protocols.
Of course, the most crucial parts of disaster data recovery are having offsite data backup and installing dependable and updated anti-spyware tools on all the devices used for business procedures. You should also test your disaster recovery plan with your staff. That is the only way to find out if it works.
As you can imagine, disaster recovery is a complex matter. If you want to know that your plan can protect you, the best option is to have a fully managed disaster data recovery solution from a reliable MSP. 2021 slammed us with a plethora of serious security threats for SMBs, and it’s scary to think of what 2022 might bring.
Ensure the safety of your company now before it is too late! Contact us today, and we will show you how.
Artificial intelligence for most people today began with some very fantastical notions of computers taking over the world, largely due to the depiction of AI in motion pictures of decades past. Yet many of us have not realized that this innovative technology is already in use. Many are, in fact, already part of many aspects of our day-to-day lives. For small and medium business owners, there are now several AI SMB automated business processes that are used to expedite and ensure the growth and success of the business, which we will discuss further in this article.
It’s not clear when or where the concept of artificial intelligence first began. Research started in 1956 in Dartmouth College, where millions of dollars funded what would turn out to be costly dead ends due to the unforeseen complexities of the project. AI research and development went on a rollercoaster ride after that, with investors alternately getting excited and then losing interest because of the lack of progress.
It was after the turn of the century that AI began to see real-world usage. Not just in academics, but also in practical applications. New technology has enabled the integration of AI in research, education, as well as industry. Areas such as e-commerce, gaming, automobiles, healthcare, even agriculture.
As of today, artificial intelligence has already permeated several of the crucial processes that are part of the regular management of any kind of business in the form of AI SMB automated business processes, procedures, and functions. It has made possible countless forms of advancement in the areas of online selling, inventory, and cybersecurity. All of these are vital to the successful operation of any business.
Many AI SMB automated business processes are generic and apply to many businesses across different industries. Some examples of these are order processing, purchasing, quality assurance, and billing. Some are more industry-specific, like medical assessment or drug approval for the healthcare industry or trip booking and agent billing for the travel industry.
Let’s look at some simple and useful automation processes that can increase productivity and improve revenue for your small or medium business.
When a customer reaches out to your business and receives no reply for months, it can be very frustrating and could give them an unpleasant impression of your business. An auto-responder feature with a personal touch prevents this. The automation process can also direct the email to your sales team, letting them take over as soon as possible.
Many Customer Relationship Management or CRM systems include a marketing automation feature that allows you to execute an email campaign to all relevant contacts and turn them into actionable sales leads for your business.
This type of business automation eliminates a lot of wasted time when booking appointments. The system will automatically schedule your meetings and let everyone involved know by updating the calendar.
A chatbot is a perfect tool for providing your clients with answers when customers have questions for you. Setting up a chatbot might require some time and effort. But once completed, AI will take over, and the process will be fully automated.
We are continuing to move towards a future where AI SM automated business processes are a part of daily life. Incorporate the latest Artificial Intelligence features that will help you grow your business. Contact us now and upgrade your system before the New Year begins!
