SMART Blog

There are, plainly and simply, too many ways that a modern small or medium-sized business can experience an issue that puts their IT out of commission in one way or another. Each one can hit one of these businesses particularly hard in the wallet.

Let’s review some today and discuss how they can be resolved.

How often do you find yourself feeling the weight of your agenda putting pressure on you, stressing you out, and—counterproductively—distracting you from the task you’re currently working on? Believe it or not, one of the best ways to power through and stay on track is to step away and take a minute to get your stress back under control. 

If you feel like you never have enough time to work through your to-do list, you’re far from the only one. If you make small adjustments to the way you tackle everyday tasks and responsibilities, you might be able to change your productivity habits for the better. Today, we want to explore just that: how you can make the most of your workday with simple, easy tricks.

Robust IT tools and services are no longer a luxury, but the very lifeblood for organizations of every size. They provide the essential direction, unwavering stability, and seamless connectivity required not just to survive, but truly thrive in an increasingly digital world.

That said, the questions remain: what exactly constitutes these pivotal "IT tools and services," and more importantly, why should they take a top spot on your business priorities?

While it’s the longest-running joke in the world of IT, the question “Have you tried turning it on and off again?” is still an important one to consider when things are going awry. There’s a good reason why it’s such well-known advice, too: turning your device off can help solve a significant amount of technical issues. Why is this the case, and what can you learn from it?

There are a few occasions that we get a very apparent example of how important basic cybersecurity is, regardless of where you are, and this year’s National Football League draft is one such example.

For those who don’t follow the NFL or the draft proceedings, multiple draftees received prank calls during the process, although one in particular is applicable to businesses of all kinds. Let’s examine this situation to reinforce a few critical cybersecurity best practices.

Over time, you might add new technology solutions to your infrastructure to solve specific problems. Before you know it, you might have an overwhelming amount of technology that keeps your business operational. This issue—tech sprawl—can hold your business back from efficient operations, but don’t worry… we have a solution for you.

We’ve all heard it, perhaps even rolled our eyes at it: “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” This seemingly simplistic question has become a running gag in the world of IT support. But beneath the humor lies a fundamental truth: rebooting a device is often the most effective first step in resolving a surprising number of technical glitches.

We understand that, although it might sound elementary, this advice is based on solid technical principles.

If your business technology setup is driving you nuts, you’re not alone. Many business owners and managers have endless gripes about the technology they use for their business. It could be that your Wi-Fi is crawling along and not allowing for productive Internet speeds, your software feels like it was developed for Windows Vista, or you’re constantly wondering how you are going to keep your data safe. Whatever the case, it can be fixed. In today's blog, we’ll go into how to rebuild your IT plan from scratch.

When your business’ data is so crucial to your successful operations, there are certain precautions that you simply need to take for the sake of your business’ longevity. One such precaution: data backup.

Your data is the gas that powers your business’ engine, whether you’re referring to project files and intellectual property or financial info and customer records. As such, imagine what it would mean if your business ran out of gas… or, more accurately, it was siphoned out.

Remember buying software on disks and installing it, computer by computer? Thankfully, those days are long behind us. Today, Software as a Service (SaaS) offers powerful advantages, especially for small and medium-sized businesses.

Let’s explore how you can benefit from these subscription-based tools. 

The world of cybersecurity is in constant flux, demanding that organizations continually reassess their defensive strategies. A traditional focus solely on preventing breaches, while important, is proving insufficient in the face of sophisticated and persistent threats. As highlighted in a recent Illumio podcast episode, "Trust & Resilience: The New Frontlines of Cybersecurity," the very foundation of digital interaction—trust—has ironically become a primary vulnerability exploited by attackers. This necessitates a fundamental shift in perspective. 

If you're like many small and medium-sized business owners, you're juggling countless online passwords… for email, banking, software, supplier portals, and more. It's overwhelming! This often leads to using simple or repeated passwords, which unfortunately opens the door to cyber threats like data breaches, a serious risk for any business. Thankfully, there's a straightforward solution: a password manager.

The Snipping Tool is a handy little utility application integrated into Windows that provides users with significant screen-capturing capabilities.

Let’s review how to use it and how it can prove valuable to your business.

Running a small or medium-sized business means juggling countless priorities. You're focused on your customers, team, and bottom line… but what about the technology that powers it all? 

Often overlooked, your IT infrastructure is far more than just the computers on desks. It's the complex web of network equipment, essential software subscriptions, cloud services, and even the personal smartphones and tablets your employees use for work. Keeping this entire ecosystem running smoothly and securely is a significant challenge for many SMBs.

Small businesses today generate a lot of data. From customer details and sales records to inventory tracking and employee schedules, you need to be able to structure this data so that you can use it effectively. Keeping that data organized and accessible is important, but managing it effectively can often be a hassle. This is where smart database management comes in. When done right, it helps businesses run smoother and often save money.

It is great to have pride and confidence in your business, especially in the team you’ve assembled… including your in-house technical support team. That said, even the most capable IT team may not fully meet a business’ needs.

Let’s explore why this is and what can be done to correct any deficits your team may encounter.  

Data storage can be difficult for SMBs to manage, but the cloud can make it significantly easier (and cheaper). There are real, tangible benefits of using the cloud for your data storage needs. Today, we’ll look at three major reasons why your organization should have cloud storage on its list of tech infrastructure priorities in the coming months.

Does your business have an internal IT department or dedicated IT resource? We know it’s hard sometimes to find the talent you’re looking for, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Here are some of the issues you’ll want to keep in mind if you want to get an IT technician on your staff.

Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, is a common approach for businesses that want to take advantage of mobile technology to kickstart productivity. Instead of supplying each individual employee with company-owned devices, businesses allow employees to use their own devices for work-related purposes. While this is great on the budget, it’s only really effective (and safe) if the employee prioritizes security on their devices; otherwise, it’s a liability.