Tag: business it support

4 Things For Small Businesses To Remember in Times of Crisis

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Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

As businesses of all shapes and sizes dust themselves down and take stock of how they’ve been affected by the pandemic, it’s fair to say that for most the struggle is not yet over. The notion of putting their entire operation on hold, or making drastic changes to the way they operate probably didn’t strike them as even possible, much less likely. Indeed, for those who were thinking about going into themselves prior to the crisis, the whole thing probably looks like a huge cautionary tale. Why would any right-minded person choose the path of entrepreneurship when it seems beset on all sides with hurdles, pitfalls and the occasional bear trap.

Still, while this will (hopefully) be the last pandemic of its kind in living memory, crises go with the territory when running a business. A crisis certainly shouldn’t put anyone off starting a business, but it should certainly remind them of the importance of preparation.

Here are 4 things that all small businesses would do well to remember in times of crisis…

It’s okay to ask for help

When starting out in business, it’s common to be very particular when it comes to doing everything your way. After all, one thing that business mentors preach consistently is the importance of having a USP and filling a gap in the market that your competitors have left open. As such, you may not consider the value in Small Business IT Support Services or outsourcing your marketing to a Digital Agency. However, these measures can not only save you money in air weather but provide help, guidance and support when things go awry within your business, your industry or the global economy at large. 

Look after your team and they’ll look after you

Navigating your way through a crisis alone can feel damn near impossible. But when you run a small business, you’re never alone. You have intelligent, talented, passionate and dedicated people all around you. Look after them, and they’ll look after you.

Make sure that their working environment is safe, clean and conducive to restfulness, mindfulness and productivity. Invest in their training and development. Invest in employee recognition platforms that make them feel valued and give them confidence and motivation. 

Never underestimate the power of customer relationships

In times of economic crisis, consumers are undoubtedly wary. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t retain their loyalty. Invest time and effort into your relationship with them, respond to them promptly and professionally on social media. Show them that you value their custom and that you’re committed to delivering excellence. They’ll stick with you through thick and thin. 

Keep an eye on your metrics, but don’t lose sight of the one metric to rule them all!

Finally, in the age of big data, it’s easy to struggle to see the woods for the trees, especially when in panic mode. While there are lots of important metrics which should be tracked through the good times and bad, don’t neglect the one metric to rule them all… your margin. If you aren’t profitable, your business simply can’t function. Use this online tool to calculate your profit margin and adapt your strategy accordingly.

How To Choose The Right Tech Support Company For You

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Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

If you’re looking for an IT or tech support company to assist you in your business, it’s important you’re making the right decision for you. There are so many different things you need to consider when choosing who to work with, that ensuring you have all the information you need before making a final decision is vital. Although it will take time, it will be worth it in the end. With that in mind, here is a guide to choosing the right tech support company for you:

– Make Sure You’re Doing Your Research

The first thing you need to do is ensure you’re doing your research. With so many different companies to choose from you need to ensure you’re making the right decision, starting by analyzing the websites of your choice. When looking at a site you need to look for the legitimacy, the quality and the professionalism of the site – all of which will indicate whether or not they are a viable choice to work with. For tips and tricks when it comes to analyzing a company through their website, you can visit this site here.

– Look For Agencies That Have Worked With People In Your Industry

Once you have looked at a number of websites and started to narrow it down, you need to look for agencies that have worked with people in your industry. Whilst it shouldn’t be important for an IT support company, it will definitely help if they have experience in the industry you work in. Not only will it means they have an understanding of what your company does, but it also means they’ll understand the importance of certain aspects of your business.

– Narrow It Down To Your Favorites

Looking at the experience your choices have will allow you to start narrowing your choices down further. Whilst this may still bring up quite a few choices, you need to narrow it down to as little as 4 support companies in total. Think about which sites you liked best, which agencies had the most experience and the ones that were the most local to you. Whilst they’re not deciding factors, it will certainly make the choice a lot easier.

– Meet With Them In Person

Not that you have a shortlist, it’s time to meet them in person. The best thing to do is let them know what you’re looking for, then let them come to you with a complete pitch. Whether you’re looking for a full ongoing support team or you want assistance with a one-off project, they should be able to pitch their services and experience to you in person. Not only will it allow you to see what they’re offering, but it will also give you a chance to see which support teams you will work best with based on their personalities and characteristics. For more information, you can visit www.ittotalcare.com.

– Find Reviews And Testimonials Online

Once you have met with your shortlist you need to find case studies, reviews and testimonials online. These will not only help you solidify your final decision, but it will allow you to see what other people have thought of the support teams you’re considering. If you can’t find any examples, you should be able to ask for them to send some over. For more information when it comes to finding case studies and testimonials, you can visit this site here.

– Consider Their Costs Vs The Quality Of Their Service

Finally, you need to look at the costs of the services they’re providing in comparison to the service they’re offering. Whilst this shouldn’t be the deciding factor, you need to be sure you’re getting the best possible deal.

Are you looking to work with a tech support company? What are you looking for from them? Let me know in the comments section below.

5 Ways To Make Sure Your Remote Workers Are Being Safe

Scott Asai2 Comments

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Working remotely is fast becoming the best way that people choose to work. With businesses everywhere around the globe catching up with technology, more and more employers are seeing the benefits – both cost and time – in allowing their employees to work outside the office. Working from home is a massive perk for most people, but there is often a question of security.

When you have multiple staff accessing the server at work from home computers or public Wi-Fi, you are risking being hacked. As an employer, you need to ensure that your remote staff are acting in a safe manner to prevent your business being on the receiving end of a security breach that you didn’t anticipate. The challenge is very real for employers and other than contacting companies like https://jumio.com/trusted-identity/netverify to implement the highest security measures, employers need to ensure that their staff are being safe. There are a lot of ways out there that your staff can be save while working away from the office, and here are five of those ways:

Public Wi-Fi. When you decide to take your work day to Starbucks or another public area, you get the chance to log into Wi-Fi hotspots. They’re tempting and available and you should be teaching your staff that they aren’t always safe. These hot spots aren’t always completely secure when logging into the workplace network. Avoiding public Wi-Fi spots when working and instead using a mobile secure connection is a better idea.

Home Network. When your employees are working from home, they should have the most secure network. You should have your staff enable encryption and password protect their home connection to the internet.

VPN. Mobile networks can be insecure when logging in outside the home. It can be worth your staff installing a VPN to the mobile. It’s a good way to ensure that your workplace systems stay safe.

Passwords. Passwords are often the best way that you can protect your remote staff and ensuring that they are case sensitive and changed regularly is important. It’s vital that people don’t use default passwords, and instead have the IT team scramble codes together that will change on a regular basis.

Work Tech. It can be a security risk for your staff to log into work systems from their private devices. Corporate data, where possible, shouldn’t be transferred onto personal equipment and vice versa. The last thing that your staff need is to mix up their business and personal data on their personal technology. Instead, you can invest in the best phones and tablets for your staff, with the highest security measures installed.

Your security is vital for your business to continue to run while your staff is outside the office. You need to continue to train your remote staff in the best security measures, while still allowing people to work outside the office. Get your IT team involved and ensure that every employee in and out of the office is working securely.

A Web Presence Which Runs Like Clockwork

Scott Asai1 Comment

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You’re probably sick of hearing about the importance of a web presence. It’s all anyone seems to talk about, right? Well, unlucky for you, that’s what we’re going to talk about here, too. But, before you click away in exasperation, consider why there are so many articles out there about this. Because it MATTERS, of course. Without tackling this, you won’t see any success. There’s no escaping that fact. So, suck it up, and prepare to learn even more about the online aspect of your business.

The chances are that you’ve heard a thing or two about SEO by now. It is the not-so-secret key to a successful web presence. Using backlinks, and URLs for other informative sites, you and those pesky search engines can become best of friends.

But, there is another secret to SEO which you may not have heard as much about. For the most part, that’s because the workings of this aspect are a mystery. But, uploading schedules and relevance also seem to play a role in how high your site ranks. Those who upload intermittently fail to impress the likes of Google. With that in mind, then, you should update and upload often. And, we’re going to look at how you can do it.

Hand over the reins

If you’re groaning about having enough to do already, fear not. By turning to the IT Support offered by companies like Capstone IT, you won’t have to worry about this at all. For a monthly fee, they’ll ensure everything on your website is taken care of. And, that includes updating on a regular basis if you need them to. Of course, when it comes to actual content, this will need to be a collaboration. But, once you’ve come up with the ideas, they’ll do all the hard stuff for you. If you have the cash to spare, this may be a step worth taking.

Develop a regular routine

If you are taking the task yourself, it’s crucial you develop regular uploading days. For one, uploading at the same time each week seems to please the big guys. Plus, it allows you to keep on top of the issue. Go through your planner, and highlight the days on which you need to upload something online. This could be on your website or social media page. It doesn’t matter. You merely need to let people know that you’re out there, and you’re active.

Schedule posts

Of course, you won’t always be able to make time on those particular days. But, whenever you have a free moment, you should use it wisely by creating content of some kind. You can schedule posts on social media, and on your website. So, whenever you have an hour or so free, get something written. Having a decent backlog will save you having to worry. It’ll also ensure you always get something up when you’re supposed to. In no time, you should see your views skyrocket as you win favor with those in charge.