Outsourcing in Fort Lauderdale: The Advantages!

a man in a business suit is reading a newspaper

Monetary profit is generally the highest priority in any business — it makes sense that business owners and managers would prefer to focus on that rather than “chasing tails” and spending hours managing a computer, or network of them, to achieve unforeseeable and potentially damaging results. Those who run small businesses and are at the same time computer-savvy have an advantage in that they can save some money on hiring professionals to manage their computer equipment — but sometimes professionals have better solutions than tech-savvy folks can provide — and even if a business manager is indeed tech-savvy, most likely she doesn’t want to spend time dealing with the maintenance and repair of business computers. This is when outsourcing comes in. 

Here are some points to consider for deciding whether outsourcing in Fort Lauderdale is the right path:

  • Exceptional ROI — Return On Investment
  • Better Security

Money is spent on expensive equipment. Additionally, many times, to save money, business managers will attempt to install and configure computers on their own. However, time is being taken away from focusing on how to bring in monetary profit by doing this. Also, there’s the high potential of improperly configuring the equipment which could have disastrous results, generally speaking. Outsourcing the installation, set up, and ongoing maintenance of computers will increase the ROI — return on investment — due to the equipment running at its optimal ability. In this case, managers and business owners pay no mind or worry.

Business owners and managers taking computer security into their own hands is a gamble. There are two basic vectors to be concerned about when attempting this. First — computer hackers who seek to illegally obtain and use private information using sophisticated abilities are out there, and they are waiting for just the right time to attack. Computer systems that are not secured by experienced professionals are at a high risk of being compromised by criminals. Second — computer security also encompasses the preservation of computer data. Human error or hardware malfunctions can render a business dead in its tracks with nowhere to go. Efforts have been made by the computing industry to mitigate the risks of data loss. Thus, they should be taken advantage of correctly — allowing professionals to handle the job.

Outsourcing in Fort Lauderdale will achieve optimal return-on-investment and security for small businesses. Allowing owners and managers to focus on what’s most important to them — monetary profit!  Please contact us for a consultation. 

IT Support: Protect your Small Business

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Often times, the largest holes in a business are created by employees. There is no surefire prevention method for employee errors. This is why one small or big human error can cause a breach of security. In order to reduce any risks in your workplace, Bluewater Technologies wants to suggest some policies. You should consider implementing these if you want to protect your small business.

Protect your Small Business Data

Do you allow your employees to complete work-related assignments on their own devices? Whether you do so or not, it is still important that your workplace has a policy regarding BYOD. If you have some employees who are not fully aware of where the company stands on bringing their own devices, you may have some who are using their own devices. Establishing a policy for BYOD and adding it to an updated handbook will leave no doubt about where you stand on BYOD. You should also make sure your employees understand that data on any workplace system belongs to the business. Employees will not be able to remove any data from the business properly without being authorized to do so. 

Passwords

We know there have been many discussions about passwords and the importance of creating one that is complex. Unfortunately, many employees still create passwords that are easy for someone to hack. If your business does get hacked due to an employee using a simple password, the entire business will be at stake. A password policy can explain the importance of complex passwords. Additionally, encourage your employees to avoid using passwords that are easy to crack.

World Wide Web

Employees spend quite some time on the Internet on a daily basis. In order for you to ensure none of your employees are putting your business at risk, we encourage you to create an internet policy. Your policy prohibits any downloads that have not been authorized or it can restrict various websites during work hours. You may also want to include policies related to using business laptops, mobile devices, etc. on networks outside of the workplace. Especially if those networks are public.

We understand how complex it can be to create internet policies, password policies, and more. However, taking the steps to ensure your business is safe is important to keep hackers away. If you think your business needs to make changes in regards to security practices or if you need proper IT support to protect your business, do not hesitate to contact us today.

Economic Use of Funds

a person holding a tablet with a map on it

Deciding which types of computers and software to purchase for a business environment is a painstaking task. However, it does not have to be tedious. Understanding what is available is probably half the battle of figuring out what is best suited for economic and business needs. For example, there is fancy (relatively expensive) computer hardware that can be purchased for a business and there is less-than-fancy (less expensive) hardware that can be purchased for a business that can do just as good of a job as the fancy.

Apple products and various other manufacturers are commonly compared with much hype being placed on Apple products. While some may argue that the more expensive equipment is “better”, that does not necessarily mean that it does a better job. Furthermore, the specific task that the computer is being used for must be considered. There’s no need to buy an expensive computer if all one needs it for is simple printing jobs.

Microsoft

Computer software is very much like computer hardware in that there are relatively expensive software products that accomplish a specific goal needed by the user. However, less expensive and less hyped software can accomplish the same goal. Microsoft Word is a good example of this. Microsoft Word is a type of “word processor” software that allows typing and editing of documents. Although Microsoft Word is a good product, there is free word processor software that can be downloaded from the internet. It can also be installed without much hassle. It accomplishes the same goal as the more expensive and hyped counterpart. Examples of free word processor software that can be downloaded from the internet are Open Office and Kingsoft Office.  

As one can see, a little knowledge of what’s available can light the way to help maintain a company’s budget.

Please contact us for assistance in determining an economic plan for obtaining computer hardware and software.

Benefits of IT Support for SMBs

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The probability of thriving in an environment with huge corporations and established companies is minimal if you are a small business operator without the necessary support you need. Several strategies can help small businesses surmount competition in their respective industries, including the adoption of the right marketing strategy and investment in technology. Unfortunately, small enterprises do not have adequate resources to invest in IT services, which is a prerequisite for achieving success. Outsourcing your IT services from reliable vendors can help your small establishment achieve set objectives as it grows. Here are the benefits of seeking the help of external IT support for SMBs.

It Reduces Downtime

Experiencing lengthy downtimes is a severe setback for small businesses that rely heavily on technology. Since systems are prone to failure on various occasions due to diverse reasons, you cannot afford to remain without a backup plan as a small business operator. Engaging a credible third-party IT service provider in offering support services for the systems within your small firm will eliminate the frustrations of unnecessary downtime.

IT support service vendors can provide several services including data backups, regular maintenance, and system updates, in addition to ensuring quick response in case the unexpected happens thus taming system downtime.

Ability to Leverage the Latest Technology

Needless to say, in the world of technology what is relevant today will become irrelevant tomorrow. The demands of customers are also changing every day, and you need to remain informed to stay ahead of the curve. As a small business operator, you may have difficulties researching the latest innovations to incorporate into your operations to promote productivity.

A professional IT support services provider will help your small business leverage the latest advancements in technology so that you can compete favorably with others in your industry.

It Promotes the Achievement of Core Objectives

Most small business operators lose focus on what they should pursue as the primary objective of their enterprises when they shift attention to their IT requirements. Divided attention will undoubtedly lower the productivity of your business, and that is why you need to hire third-party IT support service providers.

Releasing the responsibility of IT support to a qualified vendor of these services allows you to commit more time and resources to projects requiring your attention for your company to achieve set objectives. If you need more information on the benefits of IT support for SMBs, contact us today!

Computer Tip of the Day – 4 Tricks for Using Gmail for Business

Gmail is the preferred email service provider for many people. People use it for business and personal purposes alike. Here are four useful tips to help you use Gmail more effectively.

Forward Mail From Another Client

If you have a business email address that is associated with your website, it can often be a pain to constantly have to go to your cPanel dashboard and log in. As an alternative, you can have your mail forwarded to your Gmail account. Just go to settings and click on Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Follow the instructions or ask your website hosting provider if you run into any hiccups.

Undo Send

What if you send an email and then suddenly realize that perhaps it wasn’t worded right or that sending it was a mistake? Click the Undo Send option that pops up in the yellow bar at the top of the screen if 30 seconds haven’t yet passed. First, though, you have to enable this option in the settings.

Preview Your Gmail Messages

If you have a large screen, you can enable a preview tab so that you get a pane to preview the beginning parts of your emails without even opening them. First, though, you have to enable Gmail Labs in the settings. You can then toggle between a preview pane, a vertical preview pane, and a horizontal preview pane. Gmail Labs is where you can get many features that haven’t yet been released to everyone yet.

Forward Entire Gmail Threads

If you want to forward an entire thread of emails to a contact right away, you can do that by enabling Conversation View in your settings first. When you click on the forward button, click on More and select Forward All.

For more computer tips and IT help, contact us today.