MSPNetworks Blog

If you want your organization to be efficient, you must increase productivity. However, this is often easier said than done, as plenty of obstacles, communication challenges, and resource allocation issues can stymie even the most well-thought-out plans. Let’s look at how you can improve productivity for your business by considering these common issues.

Today’s businesses have more technology involved in their processes than ever, making it essential to have access to the support that will keep them in operation. Nowadays, that kind of support is best obtained through a relationship with a managed service provider.Now, I feel it is appropriate to acknowledge that all this is coming from a managed service provider… but that’s just because we feel strongly enough about the benefits of managed services to offer them over the traditional approach to business IT support and services.

In mobile operating systems, each fresh iteration tends to bring forth marginal improvements and refinements to enhance the user experience. Apple's newest mobile operating system, iOS 17, follows suit in this tradition. Let's take a brief look at some of its noteworthy additions.

Streamlining Verification Code Messages

Basic multi-factor authentication is commonly employed for secure account access, with codes sent via email and text messages. Dealing with a barrage of these codes piling up in your inboxes is a familiar scenario. iOS 17 introduces a feature allowing automatic deletion of these messages once codes are entered through AutoFill. Navigate to Settings, then Passwords > Password Options, and you'll find the option to Clean Up Automatically under Verification Codes. This ensures that codes inserted via AutoFill are promptly removed from the Messages or Mail applications after use.

Elevated AirPod Capabilities

We've all witnessed or experienced the awkward fumbling with AirPods as a conversation kicks off. Thankfully, users with the second-generation AirPods Pro and iOS 17 can enjoy new features, such as Conversation Awareness. This feature enables AirPods to sense when the wearer speaks, reducing media and background noise volume while enhancing voices in front of you. Combined with Adaptive Audio and Personalized Volume, iOS 17 significantly enhances the capabilities of AirPods.

Siri Receives a Boost

"Hey, Siri." Repeat it three times, right? Not anymore. iOS 17 eliminates the need to say "hey" before Siri's wake word. Moreover, users can seamlessly string together a series of queries without repeating "Hey, Siri" or even "Siri" before each one.

Effortless Message Retrieval

If you're like most people, your Messages application likely harbors hundreds, if not thousands, of accumulated messages. Locating a specific message amid this digital haystack was a daunting task—until iOS 17. The updated system introduces a Search function in Messages, allowing users to pinpoint messages based on the sender's contact, the presence of a link, the inclusion of a photo, and more.

This is just a glimpse into the array of offerings in the latest iOS version. While we advocate for regular software updates for security, the added features are a delightful bonus. May your device find renewed utility with these enhancements.

Running a business may never be totally smooth sailing, but it doesn’t have to be a complete grind all the time either. Managing complexities with your business’ technology is a good way to ensure that things move ahead with some efficiency. Today, we look at four ways to effectively handle complexities in the realm of business technology.

Strategic Planning and Alignment

The first thing that has to happen is that you need to assess your business’ goals then work to align technology initiatives with these goals to ensure that any IT investments contribute directly to the success of the business. You’ll want to create a comprehensive technology roadmap that outlines how different systems and technologies will evolve over time. This roadmap should account for strategic changes inside of a business and allow for the integration of emerging technologies that can bring better efficiency.

Integration and Interoperability

If possible, you’ll want to select technology that is scalable and can grow with the business. Scalable systems are better equipped to handle increased complexity and the quickly growing data volumes that businesses have today. Another thing that has to be considered is how to improve data flow. One of the best ways to do this is through integration, as it ensures that data flows efficiently across the organization, reducing the complexity of structuring data. 

Cybersecurity and Risk Management

Cybersecurity is one of the most pressing issues any organization has. One of the best ways to thwart risk is to monitor your systems. By implementing a robust cybersecurity framework and regularly monitoring endpoints for potential vulnerabilities, you can better detect and respond to security threats in real-time, minimizing the risk of data breaches and other cyberattacks.

You’ll also want to educate employees on cybersecurity best practices. Establish clear policies and procedures for data protection and ensure that employees are well-informed and trained to follow them.

Agile Project Management

The last point is about building business agility. You’ll need to embrace agile project management methodologies to increase flexibility and be able to respond to your changing needs. Additionally, your business can become more agile with a comprehensive cross-platform training program. The more people that know how to do a job, the more apt that you’ll be able to complete a project efficiently and effectively. 

By adopting these strategies, organizations can navigate the complexities of technology and position themselves inside their market. It’s best to regularly reassess and refine your business’ approach to stay ahead of emerging challenges and opportunities. If you need help getting started, give IT experts at MSPNetworks a call today at (516) 403-9001.

As much as we try to structure our productivity throughout the day, there are always those moments that seem to slip by—both at work and in our personal lives. It can be tough to find time to commit to projects whether your goal is personal or professional.

So, let’s go over some tips that help make this time easier to find. 

The Truth is, the Time is There… You Just Need to Be Ready for It

Most people underestimate the amount of time they actually have available to them—although, to be fair, this time is often hiding in plain sight. Do you find yourself sitting through a long bus trip to get to work, or relegated to the back seat in an uncomfortably silent carpool arrangement? When working from home, how much time do you spend in the morning waiting for your coffee maker of choice to produce your preferred cup (or pot, no judgment from me) of joe? 

The fact of the matter is that in these little moments we chalk up to time wasted, there’s the opportunity for productivity. Small as these moments may seem, nobody said that productive work has to be of a certain duration. By taking advantage of the spare moments before a meeting starts, or when your usual breakfast is cooking, or any other time that would otherwise be lost to the ether, you can accomplish that much more.

How often do you find yourself having some of your best ideas during these moments?

You Just Need to Be Ready for When These Moments Arise

By having the right tools and strategies prepared, you’ll be in a good position to take advantage of every spare moment. Chances are good that you regularly have access to a mobile device with some form of a note-taking app. Get in the habit of quickly typing up your ideas.

If you’d rather rely on a low-tech option, make sure you’re always carrying a pen with you. Everything from a receipt to a napkin can be used to quickly store a thought until you have the opportunity to more permanently record it.

Furthermore, it is important that you manage your expectations. It’s very unlikely that your quick notes will be an earth-shaking idea. Much more likely, it’ll just be the first draft of many ideas that eventually become a real strategy or initiative.

While We Can’t Give You the Inspiration You Need, We Can Give You the Tools You’ll Need to Act Upon It

Reach out to us to learn more about our IT services and support options, and how we can help you and your team accomplish more. Give us a call at (516) 403-9001 to get started.

Your business only has so many resources, from its budget to its time to its employees’ capabilities. This is what makes it so crucial to properly manage all of them.

Let’s run through some basic practices that can help you make the most of what your business has at its disposal.

Resource Management Practices for Business Success

Focus More on High-Demand Resources, and Prioritize Appropriately

As we’ve established, you’re only going to have so much of any given business resource at your disposal. Your circumstances will dictate where you have feast and where there is famine.

As such, it is important that you are aware of where your resources are needed the most for your operations, and where they will be able to contribute the most to your success. The 80/20 principle is helpful to keep in mind.

Think about it this way: 80% or so of your resource shortages are going to refer to just 20% of your resources—the people, materials, time, or what have you that are in highest demand. Carefully planning how these resources should be allocated, based on which processes and outcomes are most important, will ultimately help your business accomplish more.

Apply Strategic Planning

Different tasks will need different levels of investment, in terms of your resources, and organizing them based on the aforementioned priorities we discussed earlier will help you to adjust your processes accordingly.

It’s important that this process takes the different levels of your tasks into consideration, with more resources spent where they are needed. 

Track Time

Tracking your time greatly helps define how resources are being used, giving you the data that you need to better plan for the future. 

Evaluate and Adjust

Finally, it’s important that you take the time periodically to take account of your progress and make improvements. Where did conflicts appear in workflows, specifically where your priorities and goals are impacted? Take note of these conflicts and address them in future repetitions of your given process.

We Can Help Equip Your Business with the Tools for Success

From the IT support to keep you in operation to the strategic investments to improve your technology as a means to further grow, you can turn to MSPNetworks. Give us a call at (516) 403-9001 to learn more.

When it comes to your business’ continuity, you should know that even small issues pose a great threat—especially when they involve your business’ data. Let’s examine two situations where even small mistakes could lead to a cascade of problems that could leave your organization strapped for cash and struggling to stay alive.

Situation 1: Security Breaches

As far as security goes, it’s easy for something as simple as a phishing email to escalate into a serious problem. Imagine that someone clicks on a link in a phishing email and provides the website with their access credentials. The hacker then uses that information to log into your network and install something nefarious on your infrastructure, like ransomware. All of a sudden, you’re in a bind that asks you to either spend a ridiculous amount of money on the decryption key, or else your data will be leaked online.

Let’s say you do pay the ransom, but the hacker doesn’t provide the decryption key. Worse yet, they decide to sell the data anyway, offering other criminals access to it on the black market. And since your data is now effectively leaked online, you’re subject to compliance-related fines that are costing your business thousands of dollars.

Of course, this is all without getting into your business’ operations. During this entire process, your team cannot do their jobs, either because the data is locked down or unavailable. Worse yet, your clients find out about this, and you’re facing lawsuits and lost clientele. Good luck getting back into the game following a disaster like this when nobody trusts you with their sensitive data.

Situation 2: Disasters of Any Kind

Another example of a minor inconvenience turning into a massive problem is just about any disaster that involves your physical infrastructure. Imagine that one of the pipes in your office bathroom starts to leak. You don’t think anything of it and just place a bucket of water under the sink until you can get someone to take a look at it. Days, then weeks, then months go by. Eventually that leak develops into a serious problem, maybe during the winter when the pipes freeze.

Now imagine that your server room is directly underneath your now-broken pipes. How much water do you think a server unit can withstand?

A small problem turns into many larger (and preventable) ones. You have to fix up your physical infrastructure and potentially close your office during repairs. You have to replace technology that would otherwise be perfectly fine. You have to pay people for the time they spend waiting around for you to address the problem. And that’s not even mentioning the data lost as a result of the incident. Data backup and disaster recovery that can handle disasters both natural and manmade is vital to the continued success of any business.

Don’t Take Any Chances with Your Business’ Data

It doesn’t take a massive problem like a data breach or a natural disaster to threaten your organization’s continuity; if anything, small issues could escalate into large-scale problems when left unchecked. Make sure you’re taking precautionary measures with a managed service provider like MSPNetworks. We can ensure your network is protected and backed up, safe and ready to go for whenever life throws a wrench into your plans. Learn more by calling us today at (516) 403-9001.

Operational problems can not only stymie growth, they can trigger a lot of other issues that can be detrimental to the long term success and sustainability of a business. Unfortunately, it’s often a little difficult to see while you are in the heat of battle. Let’s take a look at some of the solutions that can solve some of the common operational problems that small businesses run into.

Communication and Collaboration

With businesses using remote work more often, it requires efficient communication and collaboration tools. Technologies like video conferencing, project management software, and cloud-based document sharing enhance teamwork and communication.

Inventory Management

Inventory management software and systems can help organizations optimize a lot of different things such as managing stock levels, reducing carrying costs, and preventing overstock through real-time tracking and demand forecasting.

Data Management

Data overload and disorganized information can be overwhelming for users to deal with. Technology, including databases, data analytics, and data visualization tools, can help manage and make sense of large volumes of data for better decision-making.

Supply Chain Management

Technology can improve supply chain visibility, traceability, and coordination. IoT sensors, blockchain, and supply chain management software can help reduce delays and improve overall efficiency.

Customer Service

Chatbots, AI-driven virtual assistants, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems enable businesses to provide better and more efficient customer service, including self-service options for customers.

Risk Management

Risk assessment and management tools, including predictive analytics and cybersecurity solutions, help organizations identify and mitigate risks more effectively.

Asset Management

Tracking and maintaining physical assets and equipment can be challenging. IoT-based asset tracking and maintenance systems provide real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance.

Project Management

Project management software and collaboration tools help plan, execute, and monitor projects more efficiently, keeping teams organized and on track.

Running a business can be difficult, but with technology, you can accomplish more and do it more efficiently. If you are searching for help in your efforts to improve efficiency, give the IT professionals at MSPNetworks a call today at (516) 403-9001.

Businesses struggle with a lot of different issues, but when a problem hits you hard in the pocketbook, it can be disastrous for the whole organization. Let’s take a look at some technology that can help you make the most out of your time and effort.

Streamlined Operations

Efficiency is the cornerstone of a successful business. Implementing technology can help streamline various operational processes, reducing manual errors, saving time, and lowering operational costs. Here are a couple examples:

• Automation - Businesses can automate repetitive tasks such as data entry, invoicing, and inventory management. This not only reduces the risk of errors but also allows employees to focus on more value-added tasks.
• Data Analytics - Advanced analytics tools can provide valuable insights into customer behavior, market trends, and operational inefficiencies. This data-driven approach enables businesses to make informed decisions and optimize their strategies.

Improved Customer Engagement

Technology enables businesses to connect with customers more effectively, resulting in increased revenue opportunities. Here\'s how:

• Personalization - With the help of AI and machine learning algorithms, businesses can analyze customer data to deliver personalized experiences. This can boost customer satisfaction and lead to higher conversion rates.
• Chatbots and AI-driven Customer Support - Implementing chatbots and AI-driven customer support systems can improve response times and provide 24/7 assistance, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction.

Enhanced Decision-Making

Informed decisions are pivotal to revenue generation. Technology empowers businesses with access to real-time data and analytics that can guide strategic choices.

• Predictive Analytics - Predictive models can forecast future trends and customer behavior, allowing businesses to proactively adapt to changing market conditions.
• Risk Management - Technology aids in identifying and mitigating risks, ensuring that businesses can protect their revenue and assets effectively.

Are you Ready to Get More Done Through the Use of Modern Technology?

MSPNetworks is here to help. Give us a call today at (516) 403-9001.

Every business is trying to do what they do with fewer interruptions and reduced costs. The more you can do with less, the more profitable your business can become. Building efficient processes is essential for the growing business, so this week will explore various strategies and practical tips to help you build more efficient processes.

Identify Bottlenecks

The first step towards building efficient processes is to identify bottlenecks. These are areas inside your business where there is a slowdown or obstruction that hinders productivity. By analyzing your processes and identifying bottlenecks, you can focus on improving those specific areas to enhance overall efficiency.

Streamline Workflow

Building a highly efficient workflow is crucial for building efficient processes. Start by mapping out your current workflow and identifying any unnecessary steps or redundancies. Look for ways to automate or eliminate these inefficiencies to streamline your processes. Utilizing technology and digital tools can significantly contribute to streamlining your workflow.

Communication is Key

Efficient processes rely on effective communication across all levels of an organization. Establish clear channels of communication and encourage transparency. Regular team meetings, status updates, and feedback sessions are essential to keep everyone informed and aligned. Effective communication reduces misunderstandings, minimizes delays, and enhances overall efficiency.

Invest in Employee Training and Development

Investing in the training and development of your employees can greatly contribute to building more efficient processes. Offer training programs that enhance their skills and knowledge, enabling them to perform tasks more effectively. Providing opportunities for personal and professional growth not only boosts employee morale but also empowers them to contribute to the organization's efficiency.

Keep Improving with Help from MSPNetworks

Our consultants work with all types of companies that are looking to use technology to create a more efficient business. If you have a good idea about how our experts can help you improve your workflow, or if you would like to have a conversation about how you can improve your business, give us a call today at (516) 403-9001.

One of the biggest arguments for remote work is that it poses environmental benefits, but how much truth is there to this statement? Today, we want to dive into the details and see if there is actually a solid benefit to working remotely—for the environment, at least. The answer might surprise you.

Remote Work Doesn’t Completely Eliminate Carbon Emissions

Remote work does remove the commute, and you’d think that this is enough to move the needle toward a more environmentally friendly working solution, but the answer isn’t that clear. There are other factors which also play into carbon emissions, more than gas mileage. There are numbers that could sway your opinion in either direction. On one hand, a look at April 2020’s emissions showed that they were reduced by about 17% worldwide compared to the prior year, but as you might imagine, those numbers have come up once again, even with people still working remotely.

Here are some other challenges which can complicate whether or not remote work is a more environmentally friendly approach.

Electricity

Even when your employees are working remotely, they are consuming electricity—just not from your office. In fact, their combined homes will likely use more electricity compared to your office. And how exactly is this energy being generated, anyway? Is it an environmentally friendly and sustainable way, or are the providers relying on fossil fuels? You can see how the answer gets a little murkier.

HVAC

The same thing can be said about heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. How much energy is being used to keep homes warm, cool, and ventilated, and how are these solutions being delivered? It’s easier for your business to control the office’s thermostat and impact the environment from one location compared to your workforce doing so from several different places.

Greater Hardware Needs

Laptops and mobile-friendly solutions are great for making your business more mobile, but if you haven’t already equipped your team with this technology, then you will have to procure it for them before the big shift to remote work. This means that there will be more waste created as a result of more technology being introduced to the world through the manufacturing process. And, of course, you can’t forget about e-waste, which is a big problem in its own right.

We don’t want to say that remote work is bad by any means, but whether it’s bad for the environment is actually up for debate, and the issue is not as clear-cut as you might think at first glance.

It’s Not All Doom and Gloom for Remote Work

There are plenty of great reasons to implement a remote work policy, but just understand that your primary one is probably not going to be to save the environment. A remote or hybrid work strategy can actually be remarkably effective, provided you have thought the whole thing through. MSPNetworks can help you with this step. To learn more, reach out to us at (516) 403-9001.

For business managers, it can sometimes be difficult to create policies and procedures that allow for the efficiency that they’d like to see from their business. Business growth leads to more complex situations which in turn demand more complex procedures. This enhanced complexity can not only get constant in that you need to alter the way things are done, you also could fall into the trap of mistakenly putting productivity roadblocks up that can alter the way your business operates.

In this blog, we will discuss why creating a bureaucracy in business can often be inevitable, yet counterproductive nevertheless.

Bureaucracy is Meant to Provide Structure, But Can Often Detract from Essential Flexibility

The idea behind forming any kind of organizational hierarchy is generally one of efficiency. The thought is that the purpose of bureaucracy is to generate operational efficiency by keeping processes unambiguous and consistent. That being said, bureaucracy can often lead to rigid processes and inflexibility, which creates more inefficiencies through all the hoops that people need to navigate and jump through. It’s all a question of how much oversight a given bureaucracy relies on, and how that oversight is practiced.

Efficiency Produces More

In order to properly paint a picture of why too much oversight is a bad thing for your business all you have to do is look at how governments work. The more bureaucracy any government has, the less efficient it will be. The same goes for businesses. If you have too much in the way of middle management, progress can grind to a halt as workers will need several people in supposed authority to sign off on any of them. This only becomes a more prevalent problem as a business grows in size and operational scope. So, what can be done to focus on your efficiency without taking on these negative ramifications?

There are a few things:

Establish (and Continuously Evaluate) Consistent Systems

We’ve already mentioned that the entire bureaucratic system is intended—at least partially—to establish some level of consistency in an organization’s processes, which helps to ensure an acceptable quality of service is maintained. Issues arise, however, when these systems are followed so fanatically that no adjustments can be made…even when these adjustments would offer significant benefits over the existing process.

To avoid this outcome, it is important that your systems are designed to be adjusted as the need arises, or even altered as larger circumstances change.

Encourage New Ideas and Methods

On a related note, the kind of rigidity that we’ve been discussing often comes from an aversion to stepping up and taking risks, particularly if there has already been a pattern of new ideas being smothered or even punished. Let me ask you this: if you were berated each time you identified a problem for not doing so sooner, how long would it be before you simply gave up on identifying them? Encouraging your team members to try and come up with new solutions and giving them the freedom to make mistakes as they do so will empower them to more effectively improve upon the business.

Implement Training and Policy that Reflects Your Commitment to Improvement

Sure, it’s all well and good to list off these platitudes as though they mean something. It will do you no good, however, if your actions don’t line up to what you claim you want for your organization. Don’t be afraid to start teaching your team members to question existing processes and keep an eye out for opportunities to improve them from the very beginning. If the opportunity arises, keep these behaviors in mind when a role opens up that needs someone to be promoted to fill it. Rewarding the mindset you want to encourage is a very effective way to signal what it is you hope to see from your team.

This May Help with Your Organizational Efficiency…We Can Directly Help You with Your Technological Efficiency, Too

In order for your team to make the most of its time, it is also important for them to have reliable access to the right tools for the job. That’s our specialty. Give us a call at (516) 403-9001 to learn how our managed services can directly benefit your operations.

When we talk about projects, we typically mean new technology deployment. Our technicians spend a lot of time trying to outfit our clients with the right technologies for their business. What becomes evident pretty quickly is that most businesses don’t just need help with the IT projects, they need to get the tools in place for their own project management needs. In this week’s blog, we will briefly discuss what businesses should be looking for in project management and how today’s tools can help your organization be more productive and get more done. 

Project Management and Your Business

Today’s business is much different than businesses of the past. First, all businesses rely more heavily on technology now than ever before, and many businesses are utilizing distributed workforces to get things done. Having the coordination necessary to get demand fulfilled is not always easy. This is where project managers fit in.

The truth is that a happy customer is a repeat customer. This is true in nearly every situation in every vertical market. Generally speaking, if an order is completed on time and on budget there is very little that can go wrong with the relationship. This is where project management comes in. Let’s look at what having superior project management can do and how technology fits in. 

Great Project Management Helps Your Business

Let’s take a look at three ways that project management helps your business:

Customer Satisfaction

If a project is managed properly, it can go a long way toward repeat business. As stated above, if a project comes in successfully, on time, and within the budget that was agreed upon, they will likely look to your business to do more work for them. Better yet, you may get some referrals out of a successful job. 

More Organized Business

One of the great things about strong project management is that it helps the whole project team be more organized. Therefore, the business becomes more organized. Project managers can help teams with time management, delegation of specific tasks, and the execution schedule of the entire project. 

Cost Management

Obviously, keeping costs down is a huge goal of any organization. With solid project management, projects will be more efficient, more structured, and therefore be more cost effective. 

Technology Can Drive Project Management

Technology can be a big part of getting your organization's project management to a place you need it to be. Here are three tools that can help:

Collaboration Tools

Today there are several tools that can be used to manage projects, store resources, and communicate with a team online. These apps generally have a collaborative structure to them using a forum or instant messaging. They also come with integrations that can really help a project manager drive a project forward. 

Video Conferencing

With a lot of workers working remotely or even away from a project manager within the same office, video conferencing can be an indispensable tool. Not only can it give you an easy way to meet face-to-face with individuals or the whole team, today’s video conferencing solutions tend to have plenty of collaboration options built in. 

Workflow Automation

Developing a workflow is a big part of keeping a project efficient. Team members need task lists to go by and the business/project itself is measured largely by the time and resources put into completing these tasks. By automating workflows, you can allow the project team member to focus less on the business aspects of a project and focus more on the project completion itself. 

At MSPNetworks, we can help you procure and support the technology needed to run efficient projects. For more information, give us a call at (516) 403-9001.

It’s no secret that automation is one of the major trends that most businesses have tried to incorporate into their business plans, most with some middling success. The problem becomes that many businesses don’t really have a strategy for building out automated tools for their business, so they may not be able to take advantage of the benefits automation can bring. 

What Do Businesses Automate?

Most businesses operate in a fashion where they assign people to do tasks and expect that they accomplish them for the betterment of the company. For businesses that embrace automation, however, many tasks that would have to be scheduled and carried out by humans, can now be done in a fraction of the time by a computer. The more a business can automate those tasks, the more they can spend their time and money on focusing their workforce on revenue generating tasks and providing clients with better experiences. 

These days, there are more options to automate business processes than ever before. Let’s go through the functions your business can address through automation:

Marketing

Today’s business has to have a plan to get their brand out in front of prospective customers. Here are three ways you can automate some of your marketing tasks:

• Social media posts - Social media has become a major benefit for businesses looking to enhance their reach. There are several platforms available that allow you to automate your posting to social media. One of the best ways is to have a plan on your message and use a content management platform to push out social media posts (to several social media platforms) over time. This way you can plan your message and then let the software handle the release of these messages. 
• Website traffic analysis - If you use Google Analytics, it’s relatively easy to set up reports with specific metrics that are delivered to people that need to know weekly. This tool keeps people from wasting time trying to pore over all the data. 
• E-commerce or event registration - One of the best automated tools a business can use is the tool that sends registered users materials they find useful. If you sell products or have events, customers and attendees can get all the information they need to consider new offerings and get event information without having to take the time to send individual messages to every recipient. 

Finance

Obviously, the financial aspect of any business is crucial to its health. Here are two ways you can set up automations to help with your organization’s finances:

• Payroll - Payroll is one of the costliest and more crucial parts of your business. There are automated tools that take payroll off your HR department’s plate and ensure that everyone that needs to get paid does. 
• Accounts Receivable - Your hope when you run a business is that everyone pays when they are supposed to, this doesn’t always happen, unfortunately. Today, there are tools that handle invoicing automatically to ensure that clients know where they stand, what they owe, and get messages in regular intervals to make it easier to collect revenue. 

Administration

Finally, automation makes it simpler and more efficient to run a business by doing the things that need to be done regularly to effectively run a business. These include:

• Data backup - We often talk about how important it is to have backups of your data available to restore from should something go wrong. Today, tools, like our BDR service, allow for automated backups at predefined intervals to protect your business from data loss. 
• Cut down on email fatigue - Chances are if you are using email as a communication tool for your business, that your staff thinks they get too many emails. Maybe they do. Today’s enterprise email solutions often separate emails into folders that can help people get the information they need without the massive time sink that is involved managing their emails.
• Task management - There are platforms today that help keep everything organized and moving efficiently by sorting tasks by priority and time. This makes scheduling much, much easier. 

Automation is helping small businesses grow. If you would like to talk about how to get the automated tools you should be using to make your business more effective, give the IT professionals at MSPNetworks a call today at (516) 403-9001.

Have you ever felt like there was simply too much to do and unless you light a fire under your butt, you have no chance to get it all done? What if this state is standard operating procedure? For many small business owners and employees, this is the reality of going to work every day. In this week’s blog we thought we would discuss three strategies that work to lighten the load when it seems like the to-do list is just too big.

Work When You Are Most Productive

When there is a lot to do, it is easy to get distracted trying to get everything done. One of the best ways to gain the focus needed to get this work done is to work when you work best. Different people are more productive at different times of the day. Scientifically this is called biorhythm.

A person’s biorhythm is separated into three parts. There is the physical cycle that measures energy levels, endurance, strength, and dexterity. The emotional cycle covers your emotions, stress levels and moods. The intellectual cycle measures things like decision making, problem solving, and your ability to concentrate. These three biorhythm cycles work on different timelines, but if you can pinpoint the maximum highs and lows, you can plan to work on tasks that take a certain skill at the time you can maximize your ability to complete them. 

Prioritize Importance of Tasks

One of the best things to do before you get down to business is to ensure that you do the most important tasks first. The simple reason for this is that when you set out, you don’t have the hours and hours of work under your belt that could kill your concentration. If you come at the most important parts of your day with the vigor you have when you first start it will certainly benefit your overall productivity. 

One very simple and effective way to prioritize tasks is through what is called the Eisenhower decision matrix. Named for former U.S. President and Commanding General of the Allied forces in World War II, the basic gist is that you prioritize tasks based on this criteria:

• Important
• Urgent
• Important and Urgent
• None of the Above

By focusing on the important and urgent tasks first, you will be able to get a good start whittling down the task list and do so while your brain is fresh. 

Stop Reacting to Everything

Distractions can hinder progress like nothing else; and, today, there are more distractions than ever. If you are facing a mountain of work and need to get things done, you will want to limit the amount you change what you are doing as to give your best attention to the thing you are working on at the time. Business may not allow you to simply ignore things while you are working, but it doesn’t have to keep you from being productive. 

The best way to accomplish this is to set aside time in the day to respond to situations. You can’t possibly do your best work if you are stopping mid-task just to answer questions and handle other situations. Your best bet is to set time out of your day where you turn your notifications off and utilize the do not disturb functions that you have available to you. The more you set your sights on accomplishing the planned tasks, the better you will perform. 

At MSPNetworks, we help businesses by helping reduce downtime and proactively keep an organization’s technology working effectively. Give our professional technicians a call today to get the technology your business needs to be its most productive.

We hate to be the bad guy, but we’re certain that you cannot multitask nearly as well as you think you can. Multitasking is just not how the human brain works, and whether or not you believe in the psychology of it, we think you stand to benefit by outsourcing some of the tasks on your plate to a managed service provider.

Managed services are effective to help you spend less time on your IT and more time on your actual job duties and responsibilities.

The Proof is in the Proverbial Pudding

To put things in perspective, only about 2.5% of people can effectively multitask, so it’s highly unlikely that you are in the minority who can do so without compromising the quality of your work.

What you think is multitasking is really just your brain switching gears over and over, and the more complicated these tasks are, the less effective it is at switching between them. Your performance is sure to suffer if you can’t keep up.

How This Shows Up in the Workplace

It’s difficult at best to do multiple tasks at the same time, so let’s take a look at some of the tasks that might be pulling you away from your important work:

• Managing employees to ensure they are reaching your organizational and operational goals.
• Managing the public face of the company, including how you appear to the community, clients, and vendors.
• Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations.
• Managing the sales and marketing efforts of your organization.

Notice how we haven’t even mentioned IT on that list yet; it’s a whole other beast to tackle.

Managed IT Removes Some of the Burden on Your Business

Really, you shouldn’t be managing your technology anyway—you should be relying on a professional like MSPNetworks. Give us a call today and we can discuss how it’s beneficial for you to work with us.

For a business, technology solves a lot of problems. Covering operational pain points is what it does best, after all. Unfortunately, they come with their own pain points that have to be dealt with. In today’s blog, we’ll give you a list of common technology pain points a small business can have and how managed IT services go above and beyond to mitigate those problems. 

A Lack of IT Competency from the Top

One of the most familiar problems that businesses have with their technology is a complete lack of acumen when it comes to the decision makers of the business. It’s understandable that most business owners don’t have a strong IT background; that’s what they pay their IT staff for. The problem becomes when they don’t fully understand IT risks and how their IT strategy, systems, and support need to evolve as those risks evolve. 

To get management and IT on the same page there needs to be an open line of communication and an IT team staffed with people that can competently (and proactively) bring potential problems to light so that they can be confronted. The worst-case scenario is an IT team that acts independently without proper communication as it can lose the confidence of decision-makers and make an already difficult situation untenable. 

Setting Up Lines of Communication 

In today’s business environment, it isn’t always easy to get people on the same page. Sure, there are now a lot of options in which to do so, and that is half the problem. For a business to be successful there needs to be clear paths of communication from management to every level of the business, from the staff and the customers, and from the customers back to the business. This can be a challenge to set up and maintain, especially with app fatigue becoming a real issue. 

One of the best ways to circumvent bottlenecks in communication is to start with a strong management software with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) capabilities. Many industries have their own type of management software that not only gives clear lines of communication to all levels of a business, but can also work to automate a lot of the things that could hinder those lines of communication.

On top of that, every business needs to roll out a series of reliable communication tools, such as video conferencing with integrated Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), some type of direct messaging platform, and for businesses that rely on collaboration to churn out work, a dedicated collaboration platform that provides useful communication strategies designed to move business forward faster. 

Too Much to Do

Since IT is such a big deal in modern business, it may just be that there is simply too much on your IT team’s plate and they simply cannot possibly get everything they want to get done (or that you want them to get done) in the timelines needed. Since every department in the business relies on the IT team to keep their technology working optimally, it can be a major challenge for IT technicians and administrators to handle every request in the time demanded by your staff. 

There are a couple of solutions to this problem. One is to have a platform in place so that people can see exactly what tasks the IT team is scheduled with. This is an option in most central management programs and can go a long way toward helping decision makers and other staff understand just how much is being asked of their IT team.

Another great solution is to hire an outsourced IT team to handle projects or standard management and have your IT team focus on the other. This co-managed approach to IT support can really be beneficial as it provides your business with the expertise it needs to get all your technology demands covered, while also costing substantially less than hiring more IT technicians. 

Security is a Constant Issue

If you are a consistent reader of this blog, you know just how important cybersecurity is to the sustainability of your business. There are more, and ever-evolving threats out there that need your attention. All it takes is one IT security vulnerability to put your business in a precarious position, so ensuring that your systems are patched and updated, and that your crew are trained and properly using strategies and tools that give them the best chance to protect your business’ computing systems, is extremely important. 

Most businesses operate under some type of compliance mandates and typically do what they can to keep them from being a pain in their side, but we can’t stress enough the role your staff plays in the protection of your IT systems (and ultimately your business). Having policies in place and available training is something that wasn’t too commonplace for years, but today it is essential to keep your employees and your businesses' computing systems and data secure. 

At MSPNetworks, we can help your organization get the technology, comprehensive support, and the policymaking acumen you need to keep your business safe and your IT pain points from rearing their head too often. Give us a call today at (516) 403-9001 to learn just how useful our team of IT professionals can be for your business.

If you suspect that your organization has trouble managing its technology, you are far from the only one. Small businesses tend to have more difficulties with technology management and maintenance compared to their enterprise-level counterparts, mostly due to limitations placed on resources and time. You can make things much easier for your business by working with a managed service provider.

How Managed Services Free Up Resources

First, we should establish what a managed service provider actually does for your business. Basically, for a business that doesn’t have an IT department, a managed service provider can offer services in accordance with what the business needs, no matter how complex or how simple. MSPs are an outsourced service, so you get services rendered in accordance with a service level agreement. You can control just how much you need or how little you need.

This frees up resources by giving your small business more reliable access to labor for technology maintenance, and it’s something that absolutely cannot be understated in its value. If you are currently relying on your employees—those who are not trained to maintain technology, mind you—to take care of your IT infrastructure, you are putting your organization on the line. It’s better to work with a managed service provider like MSPNetworks to ensure that you get access to the professional maintenance and services you need to be successful long-term. Even if you do have an in-house IT department, we can take some of the burden off of them by way of taking on the more menial tasks associated with IT maintenance, like patching and updating systems.

Managed Service Providers Save Time (and Money)

The biggest benefit of working with an MSP is that you can save time and money, either in the short-term or the long-term, depending on your level of commitment. Businesses using the break-fix IT model are known to address technology issues as they occur rather than prevent them outright, a prospect which can be both wasteful and time-consuming. You can save so much in terms of time and resources simply by taking proactive steps to maintain technology rather than respond to issues as they occur.

This is no small task, so we recommend that you work with an MSP to detect and resolve problems by way of preventative maintenance and monitoring services. This is the best way to eliminate downtime for your business. Imagine what you can do with all of the time you’ve taken back from the clutches of downtime! How will you use that additional revenue and time? We’ll let you answer that question for yourself.

MSPNetworks can be your go-to IT resource and managed service provider. All you have to do is pick up the phone and call us at (516) 403-9001.

Laptops are pretty great, I think we can all agree, simply due to their portability. Having said that, the one-screen situation that laptops bring with them can certainly get in the way of productivity—particularly for those who are used to using more than one. Let’s discuss why an additional display is so helpful, and what your options may be for hooking one up to your laptop.

Why an Additional Screen is Worth It

First off, if you haven’t used a second monitor to work yet, it’s time to get on board. The average business workstation really should have two displays, simply because it has shown to provide a significant boost to productivity. Instead of rearranging tabs and windows each time you need something else in focus, double the working area gives you considerably more options. Need to check your email pretty consistently throughout the day? Have it up on one of your monitors, while your current task is up on the other. Need to check data? Have a historical record on one side, with the new version on the other.

Honestly, once you start using multiple monitors, just having access to one feels restrictive.

Plus, adding an additional monitor doesn’t have to be a bank-breaking investment—provided the monitor you’re choosing isn’t too expensive (which, for business purposes, it usually doesn’t need to be). The other hardware you have has probably already been configured to add an additional monitor by adding at least one additional port.

How to Check That Your Laptop Supports Multiple Monitors

In terms of hardware, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself:

• Does my device’s graphics card support multiple monitors? Nowadays, this is simple enough to determine. All you need to do is visit the manufacturer of the graphics card’s website, find your particular model of graphics card, and check the specifications to see if multiple monitors are supported. Of course, IT can help you with this.
• Does your laptop have the right port available? Naturally, you’ll need a way to plug your additional display(s) into your device. We’ll cover this in deeper detail in a moment.

Once you’ve confirmed that your laptop can support more than one monitor input, all you really need to do is plug in your additional display and—once Windows either prompts you to set it as an additional screen or just does it itself—you’re off to the races.

Otherwise, you can access your Settings, and from there, navigate through System, Display, and scrolling down to Multiple displays, adjust the provided drop-down menu so that Extend these displays is selected.

Which of These Ports Can Be Used?

When it comes to attaching an additional monitor, there are a few different ports to choose from.

VGA Ports

While this is an older option, some devices still have a VGA port (the blue trapezoid with all the little pinholes in it, with two attachments on either side for connecting the cable). Not all monitors will have this option anymore, but VGA to HDMI adapters are also an option. Speaking of which…

HDMI/microHDMI Ports

HDMI (short for High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is more or less the standard, and so can be found on most devices. Similar in size to a USB port, these connections have a unique shape that most modern monitors and even televisions support. What’s more, these cables are quite easy to come by—there’s a good chance your display came with one—and are commonly used by various professional and consumer devices.

Some devices, like the smaller laptops that have become common for business use, might have a microHDMI port available for your use. While cables with a micro HDMI end may be a little harder to come by, this still should not be too challenging. If you can’t find a micro HDMI cable, adapters to standard HDMI are plentiful.

DVI

DVI—or Digital Visual Interface—connectors are very versatile, enabling many different screens to still work with modern devices. This allows a level of backwards compatibility that could potentially save your company a bit of money if you happen to have some older displays in working order. DVI cables come with one of a variety of connector types, so make sure you check with IT to ensure you have a cable that will work with your laptop and chosen display.

DisplayPort Ports

Similar in appearance to the familiar HDMI, DisplayPort ports are the ones with only one beveled corner. These ports will require you to use a DisplayPort cable.

Adding a Dock Could Contribute More Options

Some of the more modern ports that are found on different laptops—namely USB-C and Thunderbolt—also allow you to connect a type of additional hardware to your computer to further expand how many monitors you can use. Plus, a dock makes it far easier to extricate your laptop from all the connections it has when you need to take advantage of the laptop’s inherent mobility.

Of course, this will require you to procure the right dock that has compatible ports with your particular model of laptop. That, along with all the other considerations we referenced in this blog, is how MSPNetworks can help.

Part of our many responsibilities is to ensure that your team has the tools they need to be as productive as possible—and yes, using multiple monitors has been shown to have legitimate benefits to productivity due to the uses we covered at the very beginning of this blog. Of course, there are a lot of ways that we can help you make the most of your technology beyond helping you set up multiple monitors.

For more information about the scope of our managed services, check out the rest of our website, or give us a call at (516) 403-9001.

Maintaining a standard of consistent productivity can be difficult. This is doubly true if there is constant distraction. For many workers, handling these distractions is work in itself. When trying to maximize productivity it is important to undertake actions that support that goal, and when there are a lot of consistent distractions, it is useful to have a baseline of knowledge on how to do just that. Let’s take a look at five solid tips to help you maintain productivity.

Plan Your Route

The first tip is one that many people don’t do because they would rather leave work at work. The truth is that you can still do that and be ready for what’s coming the next day. You can take some time at the end of your workday—or, if you don’t mind spending a little mental real estate when you get home—to plan out how you’d like the next day to go. Of course, in business it is often difficult to know exactly what you are going to have to deal with on any given day, but by preparing yourself for what you have to get done the day before, you can be ready to tackle any task before distractions can even become an issue. 

Put Your Phone Away

The truth is that notifications are some of the most distracting things; and, they seemingly never stop, unless you stop them. If you want to maximize your productivity, one of the best actions you can take is to turn off or silence notifications if you are able. In scheduling certain times to catch up on your correspondence, you don’t immediately react to every notification, most of which have nothing to do with your job anyhow. That push notification alerting you to what Aaron Judge said after the Yankees beat the Orioles the night before can certainly wait until after you have dug your teeth into work for a while. You’ll feel better getting things done and spend less time being sidetracked by things that aren’t going to help you to.

Don’t Overpromise

Many people work better on tighter deadlines, that is a proven fact, but what doesn’t help people is when they have too much to do that they can’t possibly get it done. Not only does the work that does get accomplished suffer, you may run into a situation where nothing gets done at all. People have a tendency to panic when there is simply too much to do, so if you can help it, don’t promise finished tasks that you know will be a stretch to get done that day.

Set Smaller Goals

To the same end, nothing is quite as satisfying for a worker than when something is produced that they can be proud of. In fact, it is roundly considered one of the main variables for a happy workplace culture. By setting smaller goals, with the larger tasks scheduled for peak productivity areas (such as first thing in the morning), workers will enjoy their time at work more and feel more accomplished.

Reward Yourself

In most modern workplaces, there have been big pushes toward employee satisfaction. This typically means that there are more fringe benefits to working for a company today. Take advantage of them. If you get to work and are productive early, take a break, get something to eat or drink, have a conversation with people that are in the same boat. If you are going to get the gratification of being a productive member of a team, you are going to have to stand back from your work a little bit and realize just how awesome you are doing. 

Productivity is the name of the game for every business, and the more you can do to be productive, avoid distractions, and keep a positive mindset at work, the better your professional life will be. What are your thoughts? Are there any other suggestions you can make to help you avoid distractions and get more out of your professional life? Leave them in the comments section below and check back soon for other tips on how to be your most productive.