21
Jan, 2022
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Planning for the Worst is Key to Achieving the Best Outcome

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Look, nobody likes picturing the worst-case scenario that could befall their business—even doing so might feel a bit like memorizing a divorce attorney’s number as you write your wedding vows. However, failing to have some strategy in place could very well lead to your business’ downfall. What does it take to properly plan and prepare for the possibility of a disaster, and the associated recovery you’ll have to undergo?

Begin By Establishing the Worst-Case Scenario

To begin, it is important to have an idea of what a disaster—any disaster—might look like for your business. Put some thought to it: what is the absolute worst thing that could realistically happen to your business? Might the office be flooded? Maybe some poor workmanship in the electricals sparks a fire, or the old, neglected building next door finally collapses and takes out part of your office, where you just so happened to keep your business’ servers?

Let’s amp up the trouble a bit and assume that whatever disaster struck (flood, fire, or falling building) left your office a total loss and, to make matters worse, took a key manager or other high-level employee with it. In addition to the personal loss, this would likely create some challenges for your business moving forward.

Whatever the Scale, You Need to Be Prepared to Deal with Disasters

Whether the loss is of a single spreadsheet or a key member of your business or your business’ physical location, you need to have the means to bounce back. For this, we always recommend that a business prepare a business continuity plan.

What is a Business Continuity Plan?

You should consider a business continuity plan to be your business’ saving grace in any disaster scenario. Its entire goal is to help ensure your company has a future, that you can resume operations if and when the chips are down.

To do so, your business continuity plan will need to cover a few different aspects of your company. There are your operational aspects, of course, including your technology and your other resources, as well as your human resources to consider.

All things considered, the baseline business continuity plan will cover:

  • Data required to facilitate operations
  • Technology needed to access that data
  • An office location or contingency plan for hosting operations
  • A chain of command in the event of a disaster
  • A strategy that is accessible to all employees involved in the restoration process

We Can Help You Get Started!

We’ll help you put together a strategy that will ensure that you can make it, regardless of the disaster your business faces, assisting you with the planning process and implementing the technology required to enact it. To get started, give us a call at 810.230.9455.

12
Jan, 2022
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Here are Some of the Most Popular Technology Resolutions for 2022

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With every new year comes new resolutions designed to help you defeat bad habits and bring better ones into your organization. Here are a couple of resolutions you can adopt for your business, particularly in terms of technology management and IT.

“I Resolve to Put Security First.”

Cybersecurity is one of the most important parts of running a business, especially as more and more operations shift to an online environment. Today’s threats range from minor inconveniences to major security breaches that threaten a business’ continuity. That being said, you need to take it seriously now by implementing cybersecurity awareness and preventative measures long before you suffer from a breach.

There are several simple ways you can improve your business’ security. First, you must implement and maintain basic cybersecurity protections like a firewall and antivirus. Second, your team must also understand how to respond to threats directed at them and what needs to be done to mitigate them. Phishing attacks are still quite common, so they must be prepared. Finally, your team needs to know which behaviors they exhibit make your business vulnerable. Proper training on best practices can go a long way toward mitigating these challenges.

“I Resolve to Make the Most of My Technology.”

In simple terms, your team relies on two sets of technology: the one you currently use and the one you will implement in the future. You can adopt a mindset that allows your business to prioritize both of these. Your current solutions, for example, require your team to have knowledge of how to maximize the value they get out of them—a process which will likely require extensive training. If you can identify the core software and applications your business uses and commit time to training each of your users on them, you can more effectively utilize them in the present and the future.

As for looking forward, it’s always helpful to keep an eye out for new innovations and up-and-coming technologies that you could implement later on. If you can embrace new technologies and approaches that mesh well with your business model, you’ll get the most out of your solutions and the resources using them.

“I Resolve to Encourage My Team’s Collaboration.”

Collaboration is a priority for many organizations, but bringing a team together to make sure that it is done appropriately and efficiently is an excellent resolution to consider in the new year. Many modern applications have built-in collaboration tools which make it easier than ever to provide effective means of collaboration for your team. You just have to make sure that the people on the team are aware of the features and actively use them.

Wherever your priorities lie this year, we are confident that we can help you achieve them. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

10
Jan, 2022
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Knowledge Workers and How they Fit Into the Remote Workplace

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You might think that remote work for specific positions is taking off, and while this is true for some, it’s not necessarily the case for all. Knowledge workers, for example, are seeing fewer and fewer new job postings, as evidenced by a report from Braintrust. This report analyzed 150,000 new job postings and had some surprising results on the remote work front.

Defining Remote First Positions

By “remote first” we mean that remote first companies make it a priority to hire remote workers for most, if not all of their open or available positions. As such, they have a limited in-house workforce, choosing the flexibility that remote work allows for rather than limiting operations to a centralized office location. Some companies that consider themselves remote first include Intuit, Facebook, and Amazon.

But how does this policy of remote first employment translate to knowledge workers? Not in the way that you might expect.

Defining Knowledge Workers

Knowledge workers are those that provide value in the workplace through their knowledge, i.e. knowledge they have obtained or developed over time. Some examples of knowledge workers include programmers, pharmacists, lawyers, engineers, and scientists. In a sense, you can consider knowledge workers to be “problem solving” workers.

Why Does This Resistance Exist?

As reported by TechRepublic, the resistance to remote first work policies seems to be in areas that have traditionally not had strong policies surrounding remote work. This compounds in regions that have historically not had strong turnout for knowledge-based workers. These companies are stuck in a difficult position. They cannot find local talent, but they have also lagged behind in the shift to hybrid and remote work.

Additionally, there appears to be a disconnect between offices that are trying to stick to the old way of doing things and their employees. Consider the past few years and the number of offices that were forced to transition to remote work due to circumstances surrounding the pandemic. Employees got a taste of what it felt like to work remotely, and they do not want to give it up. They are ready to embrace a more flexible way of doing things, but can workplaces keep up with this?

While there might be some resistance to remote-first work for knowledge workers, we don’t think that your business should be one of them. Thanks to remote technology solutions that allow employees to work from anywhere with relative ease, you too can jump on the remote work bandwagon and reap the incredible benefits that come from employing remote workers… assuming that you have a solid strategy in place for adding them to your workforce. That’s where we come in.

One of the key challenges facing companies employing remote workers is the technology involved in maintaining access to important resources and establishing communication between the office and the workforce. NuTech Services can help your organization make this transition seamlessly. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

7
Jan, 2022
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Checking In on Windows 11 Adoption

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Has your business implemented the next iteration of the Windows operating system yet, Windows 11? If not, you’re not alone; adoption has been progressing at a snail’s pace, and according to industry professionals, it’s not going to ramp up for quite some time. Still, recent surveys and polls indicate that Windows 11 adoption is far lower than expected, and there is even some discrepancy between reports.

For example, take a look at the number reported by AdDuplex, which represents an adoption rate of 8.9 percent. Compare this to the number reported by Lansweeper, 0.21 percent, and you’ll see why we say things are slow-going. These types of discrepancies in data reporting are not uncommon, as it largely depends on the sample size and the type of users assessed, but it’s safe to say that Windows 11 adoption will be a trickle rather than an open floodgate.

The main culprit for this lack of adoption seems to be the lack of urgency associated with the update, as well as the rather stringent upgrade requirements for Windows 11. It’s also worth mentioning that Windows 11 is far from the comprehensive update that its predecessor, Windows 10, was.

When the time comes to bring Windows 11 to your office, you’ll have to make sure that you meet the minimum system requirements. As a reminder, the requirements for Windows 11 include the following:

  • 64-bit processors
  • 4 GB of memory
  • 64 GB of storage
  • UEFI Secure Boot
  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM) v2.0

We know that your business might not necessarily be ready to adopt Windows 11 at this very second, and for now, that is totally fine. However, please keep in mind that 2025 will sneak up on us. Before we know it, people will be talking about the Windows 10 end-of-support date and how it will impact the user base. When that time comes, we hope you will keep NuTech Services in mind for all your patch management needs.

Our trusted technicians can help you implement any of the hardware or software upgrades your business needs to stay safe and thrive while implementing a new operating system for your infrastructure. To learn more about what we can do for your business, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

5
Jan, 2022
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Businesses Need to Focus on Security with Remote Workers

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There are plenty of companies that have implemented remote work policies to combat the isolation forced upon us by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some businesses even had to resort to downsizing or shutting their doors completely because they could not adapt to these circumstances. Today, as we enter 2022, we thought we would take a look at the role security plays in an effective remote work policy.

The Pandemic Has Shown Businesses How Well Remote Work Can Work

Even though there has been somewhat of a resistance to remote work, the companies that chose to embrace it have fared pretty well. Even now, two years after the beginning of the pandemic, people are still seeing the value of remote work. It has afforded organizations the flexibility to adjust operations as needed to accommodate changes in infection rates. Some employees have completely changed their opinions on remote work as a result of the pandemic.  A PwC survey conducted in August revealed that nearly a fifth of these workers would like to be fully remote, even without COVID in the picture.

Despite the benefits, however, security is still a sticking point for many companies. There are many cybersecurity challenges that come with remote work, especially where working from home is concerned.

Unfortunately, Remote Work Can Provide Cybercriminals with Opportunity

One of the most difficult parts of remote work is maintaining a minimum acceptable level of cybersecurity. The unfortunate reality is that your employees who work from home will not have the same protections on their home networks as they do while at the office. This means you will have to invest a little effort into making sure these workers are as protected as possible.

Security Issues Can Come from All Angles

When it comes to cybersecurity, there are many challenges for remote work, chief among them the lack of control you have over your team members’ personal devices and their home network. They will not be as secure as they might be on your in-house network. Furthermore, they will not be as focused on security as a result of being isolated in their homes, increasing their risk of exposure to threats.

So, While Remote Work Can Be Valuable, You Need to Keep It From Making You Vulnerable

It’s clear that you need to do something to protect your remote employees while they are working out of the office, but what can be done? We have a list of practices and solutions for businesses that want to be more proactive about these remote work vulnerabilities. Here are some of them:

  • If an employee has no choice but to use a public Wi-Fi connection, make sure they are utilizing a reputable VPN (virtual private network) to secure data while it is being transmitted
  • To help prevent employees from transferring data from work devices to private ones, putting together a Bring Your Own Device policy to help establish some control over the device and allowing them remote access to your infrastructure or using the cloud helps to secure your data.
  • Password practices need to be upheld just as vigorously as they would be in the office. Not only do they need to be complex enough, they all need to be unique. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) should also be implemented to double-down on the security that accounts are protected by.
  • Physical security also needs to be remembered when working remotely. Devices should never be left unattended in a public place, and it is not a bad idea to secure them in the home as an added safety precaution.
  • All devices used for work, including the modem and router supplying wireless Internet, need to be kept up-to-date so that they remain secure.
  • All remote users should be reminded of the threat that scams and phishing attacks pose, with ongoing training and other awareness-enhancing activities being conducted on a regular basis.

This might seem like a lot to handle, but that’s why you don’t have to do it alone! To learn more about how we can help your business keep itself secure, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

31
Dec, 2021
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Procuring the Right Hardware Can Be a Difficult Process

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A time may come when your business needs new hardware, so you will have to make the best and most educated decisions when it’s time to do so. This process can be difficult without the help of your resident tech professional, though. Maybe we can give you a hand!

Here are some of the common challenges that your business might come across when adding new hardware solutions to your infrastructure.

First, however, it’s important to know what not to do when you replace your technology. Some businesses might use a break-fix approach for their technology maintenance, but at that point, the technology is already broken and often must be replaced. This kind of downtime is extremely detrimental to the future of your business.

To showcase just how severe a problem this is, consider what might happen if your server unit were to fail. What happens when your staff no longer have access to the data found on this server? If a desktop solution were to fail, that’s one thing, but when the server fails, that’s not just one person without access; that’s multiple people—perhaps your entire workplace—who now must wait for you to address the problem before getting back to work. Oh, and by the way, you are probably paying your employees for the time they spend waiting for you to fix the issue. Preventative maintenance could have solved this issue before it even became a problem.

First, you need to ask if the hardware should be replaced in the first place. Sometimes you might get the urge to upgrade, but there’s really no reason to do so at this time—at least not a good one. If your current systems work just fine and they are not disrupting your productivity, then there is generally no reason to upgrade. If your systems are, however, causing a disruption to your productivity, then that is a good reason to upgrade your hardware. Even if you can foresee a circumstance in the near future when your hardware will impact your ability to get things done, you can start thinking about upgrading.

Second, you should ask yourself what the purpose of the hardware is. For example, your average office worker and a video editor will have two completely different needs. If you give your video editor a bare-bones thin unit instead of something with enough power to perform their day-to-day tasks, then they will not be successful in their role at your company. You want to make sure you implement technology while knowing what your staff are using it for.

Finally, consider the timeline for the hardware replacement. How long will it take to replace your technology, and what does the roadmap for replacement look like down the road? Regular hardware refreshes can lessen the impact that hardware failure has on your business, as it makes it far less likely to occur. While it might look like you are replacing technology too soon, what you are doing is the exact opposite, as you have planned for these occurrences rather than responding to unexpected circumstances.

The best way to add hardware to your infrastructure is to work with a professional like those at NuTech Services. We can help you with each stage of the process. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

8
Dec, 2021
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Avoiding Network Bottlenecks Can Help Your Business Be More Productive

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As time passes and your business accomplishes great things, you might find yourself in positions where your network cannot handle its normal everyday workload. When there is so much network traffic and data transference, it can be difficult to identify where and why this slowdown occurs. What is a network bottleneck, and how can you resolve this issue?

Look at the design of a bottle with its rounded top and the neck of the bottle growing more narrow as you approach the top. The design is meant to help limit the amount of fluid passing through it, allowing you to drink the contents without the rest of it spilling out. Too quickly.

Here’s another analogy using a two-lane highway on a busy day. Both lanes are filled with cars heading toward the same destination, but only one of the lanes is functioning correctly. Maybe there is a pothole in one lane or there is construction going on. If the traffic is restricted to one lane, then the same amount of traffic designed for two lanes will reach their destinations much more slowly.

A network bottleneck works in the same way; the flow of network traffic is restricted by the design or limitations of the container, in this case the network itself. The flow of data throughout your network is governed by the bandwidth and capabilities of your hardware. If the network is trying to transfer more data than it is designed to, a bottleneck can occur and slow everything down. Here are some of the hardware reasons why a network bottleneck might surface.

  • CPUs
  • Graphical processing units
  • RAM shortages

Bottlenecks can create significant problems for network efficiency, especially for productivity. Without the right amount of resources to transport data, the network might experience significant slowdown that keeps it from performing its tasks. Everyday tasks might take much longer to pull off, preventing your organization from sticking to a budget or keeping it from getting things done in general. In fact, sometimes tasks might get skipped over simply because it is too inconvenient to get them done.

Depending on the design of your network, your bottlenecks might have existed from your network’s conception, and they have only surfaced recently due to increases in traffic or unforeseen circumstances. You need to actively look for network bottlenecks so that they don’t take you by surprise or linger longer than they have to. With our help, you can identify these issues and address them accordingly.

NuTech Services can help to monitor network traffic for bottlenecks and other problems. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

24
Nov, 2021
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What are the Pros and Cons of a “Workation?”

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Remote work has become more legitimate than ever before to the point that people can now work effectively anywhere and not just their homes. This brings up an interesting question, however, as this trend means that one could effectively work while they’re on a vacation. 

Let’s examine this trend of the “workation.” 

What is a Workation?

While a working vacation is by no means a new concept, the surge in remote work’s popularity has resulted in a similar surge in the concept of simply working remotely from a vacation destination. For instance, someone who works remotely could do so while at a beachside resort rather than in their home. As its name suggests, it’s a hybrid of the concepts of working and vacationing: a person can still accomplish their work-related tasks while also gaining many of the benefits that a vacation brings.

To be frank, a workation is a break from your typical workspace, not from work itself. It’s also not a replacement for actual time off, but it can be pretty nice to change the scenery every so often.

The benefits of a workation are pretty straightforward:

  • By allowing the employee to engage in recreational activities when they aren’t working, they are able to be more relaxed when they are. Even the change in environment can have a positive impact on overall productivity.
  • Offering the capability to partake in a workation can be a significant draw for new employees.
  • A workation can also expand on the perspective that an employee has, not only refreshing them and their productivity but giving them new ideas to implement.

Having said that, there are a few drawbacks to the concept. For instance, there can often be delays in communication when people are working remotely—especially when they are on a vacation. Plus, the workation itself can create more challenges in terms of lining up schedules and effectively collaborating.

While the choice of whether or not to enact workations into your policies is your decision, we wanted to give you a few tips to help make these workations (or any remote work, for that matter) as effective as possible.

How to Ensure That Your Workation is Secure

Regardless of where this workation is taking place, your business’ security needs to be held in the utmost importance. That’s why we recommend a few basics you should implement for your benefit:

  • Use a VPN – You want to ensure that your business’ communications remain secure, regardless of where your team members are working from. A virtual private network can help you accomplish as much.
  • Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication – Multi-Factor Authentication (or MFA) is a great way to double-down on the protections that are afforded to you by your typical username-password authentication.
  • Educate Your Team – Your team members will be your biggest vulnerability against cyberthreats, unless you train them to be an asset. Making sure they know how to spot threats, and how they should react when they do, will be crucial to preventing issues from arising… particularly while working remotely.

So, what’s your take on the workation? As a business owner, have you ever tried switching up the scenery while still getting work done? We can help you do so. To learn more, give us a call at 810.230.9455 today.

12
Nov, 2021
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You Shouldn’t Let Opportunity Cost Dictate Your Path Forward

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Have you ever felt the anxiety of missing out on something for no real logical reason? This fear, also known as the “fear of missing out,” (or FOMO) is applicable not just in social situations, but in the business and professional world as well. The concept might seem rather juvenile in nature, but it is a very real thing that can influence your actions… and not always in a positive way.

To help reframe this juvenile outlook on the acronym, perhaps a better way of looking at this concept is to call it the “fear of missing opportunities.” In this sense, FOMO could mean losing out on a potential business venture because you were simply too late to jump on board. Maybe your dream client signed on with one of your competitors, or you missed out on investing in a local organization only to find that the organization becomes wildly successful and, much to your chagrin, they remember you turning them down all those years ago.

Now, how does this influence your behavior as a business professional? Maybe you take on any and all opportunities, despite not having nearly enough time or energy to keep up with these obligations. This inevitably leads to burnout, and when you later have to cancel obligations, it disappoints the parties involved. It’s not a good look for you or your company.

There is also the direct opposite of FOMO called the “fear of better options,” which is when you let the possibility of better options get in the way of making important decisions. Maybe you don’t want to commit to something in particular because there is always something bigger and better around the corner.

This “fear of better options” can also influence your decisions when it comes time to purchase technology for your business. What if you purchase technology now, only to find that a better model is going to be released next year? What if you implement the wrong solution? These questions can nag at you in the back of your mind and paralyze you into inaction.

The best way to handle the “fear of missing opportunities” and “fear of better options” is to take a close look at the opportunity cost of said interactions or options. For example, let’s say that you want to do business with a particular client. However, the workload that you pull for that client is not necessarily in line with the compensation that you receive. The client has been loyal for years, so you are afraid that you might be missing out on opportunities. In this case, the numbers don’t lie; if you can make the same amount of money off of other clients by doing less work overall, then you should do it. The opportunity cost of working with one client is simply too great to justify clinging to them.

Applying this once again to technology, maybe you are in the market for a new software solution, and it’s one that promises immense boosts to your productivity. However, there is no real reason or need for you to upgrade–at least, that’s what the logical part of your brain is telling you. But there’s that nagging “what if?” in the back of your mind that makes it hard to resist. You again perform the opportunity cost analysis; is purchasing this now going to have real, long-term effects on your business’ growth? Or could you wait a little while longer and get it when you are in a better position to do so?

NuTech Services wants to help you make these difficult technology-related decisions. There should be no FOMO or FOBO with technology when you work with a managed service provider. We do our market research and help you get the best options that fall within your company’s means. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

22
Oct, 2021
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Employers and Employees are Split on Returning to the Office

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Let me ask you a question: if you haven’t already gone back to the office full-time, are you looking forward to the opportunity? Research has shown that your answer probably depends quite strongly on whether you are the boss or the employee. Let’s explore this phenomenon.

Executives Want Back to the Office About Three Times as Much as Their Employees Do

This statement—based on research conducted by surveying 10,000 knowledge workers across Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States—is just the tip of the iceberg. Looking into the numbers, 76 percent of employees indicated that they didn’t want to return to full-time office hours. The executives included in the survey held the opposite opinion, as 68 percent want in-office work to once again become the norm. 59 percent of bosses indicated that they plan to pull employees in for at least the majority of the workweek.

For context, another survey reported that 62 percent of US employees will be returning to the office at least some of the time… 34 percent being displeased with this fact. What’s more, a not insignificant 17 percent of workers are at least likely to seek out alternative employment should they be forced to come back into the office.

What Employees Really Want

According to the first set of research we’ve cited, workers want to see some increased flexibility in where (and when) they work… at rates of 76 percent and 93 percent, respectively.

This is for a variety of reasons. In addition to understandable health considerations, there are other life concerns that working from home can help alleviate. Child care costs are more or less eliminated, in terms of supervision, and the hassle and expenses associated with the daily commute are gone as well. There are a lot of ways that working from home helps the worker save money.

Plus, there are the obvious personal benefits to consider as well. Less time spent either at the office or commuting to and from work means that there is more time left to be spent with family or on personal endeavors. Not many people are expected to happily give these things up.

What Can an Employer Do?

One option: give all employees raises for returning to the office, as this will help offset the costs that working from home helped alleviate. Of course, not every company is in the position to do that, so there are alternative options that an employer can adopt.

For instance, instead of making the black-and-white choice of in-house or remote operations, modern businesses can adopt a hybrid strategy. By enabling employees to work from home so many days out of each week, you can confirm your employees are engaged while also allowing them to choose the work pattern that works best for them. This is the approach that many major companies are taking, and it is one that the right technology can make very accessible. We can help you put the needed infrastructure and solutions in place to take this more hybridized approach as well. Give us a call at 810.230.9455 today to learn more about what goes into such a strategy.

18
Oct, 2021
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Managed IT Makes Technology Maintenance a Priority

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You should never settle for less than the best, especially with your business’ technology solutions. Unfortunately, this part of any company’s operations can be so stressful to manage that people often push IT maintenance to the wayside. So, if your company is not performing maintenance on its technology, how can it remain functional? It’s all about finding someone with the right skill set to manage your technology, something that is easier said than done.

For IT management, you have two choices: hire someone in-house to manage your technology or outsource the responsibilities to a third party. How can you know which one is the best for you?

If you hire an in-house department of IT technicians to work on your technology, you can bet that it will be a lengthy and time-consuming process. You have to put together job descriptions, duties and responsibilities, preferred requirements, and so much more, including advertisement, putting together a search committee, collecting hiring documents like resumes and applications, and interviewing successful candidates. By the time you get to the onboarding process, you better hope that all the time you have invested in this process was worth it, because it’s time wasted if not.

For businesses that need help now and want to outsource their entire IT department, there are many resources available and benefits to doing so. Most IT maintenance and management can be done remotely without the need for an on-site visit, meaning that there are no limits in terms of physical or geographical barriers. If it suits your needs, you could work with someone on the other side of the country, and you should never have to settle for anything less than the best for your business.

The biggest difference between the two is that an in-house IT department is dependent on other peoples’ qualifications rather than what your business needs. This is unacceptable, as any resources you implement for your business should improve its operations, not hold it back from reaching its full potential. You should always search for the solution that best fits your company.

An IT audit is the perfect way to start your journey toward solution implementation. It gives you a bird’s eye view of your business’ technology so you can better see where your IT infrastructure is versus where it needs to be. We can provide you with an audit, then provide recommendations based on our findings, as well as implement them according to your specific needs.

The other option you have is to hire an in-house group of technicians, which is perfectly fine if that’s what you need, but we can also help in this situation! You hire your technicians to handle tough technology problems specific to your business, so why not let us tackle some of the everyday inconveniences, like help desk support and day-to-day maintenance? You might find that it is easier to focus on improving your business when you have someone handling these smaller tasks behind the scenes.

If your company wants to prioritize technology maintenance and management, reach out to NuTech Services at 810.230.9455.

11
Oct, 2021
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How a Virtual CIO Can Change Your Business for the Better

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We often talk about how some businesses do not have the budget to hire technicians to perform regular maintenance on their IT infrastructures, but what about the one behind the scenes calling all the shots? If companies cannot hire technicians, then it stands to reason that they also cannot afford someone at the executive level who manages their workload. The concept of the virtual chief information officer, or virtual CIO, challenges this notion by providing access to technology leadership for small businesses.

What is a Virtual CIO?

A virtual CIO is, in essence, the same as your traditional CIO, just in a virtual capacity. By this we mean that the virtual CIO is an outsourced IT resource, usually a contact at a managed service provider or company, who handles duties related to your organization’s IT strategy.

The biggest difference, but also one of the largest benefits, is that a virtual CIO takes a more holistic look at your organization’s IT strategy and how to align it with your business goals. This ensures that each and every decision made in regards to your technology also works toward your specific business needs.

To emphasize the difference between the virtual CIO and your average technician, consider this; technicians are generally responsible for addressing technology issues that interfere with day-to-day operations, and while the CIO might be involved in this in some capacity, their general duties consist of taking the big-picture view of your IT rather than the smaller moments. The virtual CIO might put together a technology roadmap or focus their efforts on new technology implementation to ensure that your company stays on the path toward its business goals.

What are the Benefits of a Virtual CIO?

The first and most notable benefit is the price associated with a virtual CIO. By virtue of the position, the traditional CIO is a C-suite executive, so by virtue of the position will require more compensation. Small businesses cannot always afford such an investment. A virtual CIO makes these skill sets more accessible to small businesses through the use of more affordable monthly payments. Similarly, the cost of searching for an in-house CIO is eliminated, further increasing the value of outsourcing these responsibilities.

There is also a level of objectivity that you get when you outsource your virtual CIO needs. Just think if you gave the role to someone within your organization; they would naturally have a subjective view of your company that is influenced by their own perceptions and biases associated with it. Someone from outside the organization will be more likely not to let their own opinions influence what is best for your company. It’s the big reason why many companies will hire external auditors and consultants–so they are not influenced by their own personal attachments within the company.

If your organization does not have someone helming its IT strategy, then NuTech Services would be happy to step into this role. We can help you make intentional decisions with how you implement technology solutions, utilize data, and handle infrastructure growth. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

22
Sep, 2021
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Read This to Learn How Technology Can Help You Build a Better Business

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With so much competition in business today, it’s no surprise that companies are always looking for the next big thing to get ahead. One way these companies can improve operations and kick their businesses up a notch is through the use of the right technology. With the right IT on your side, you can make a significant difference between yourself and others in your chosen industry.

Improved Potential for Productivity

When you implement a new solution or upgrade to a new technology, there needs to be some sort of benefit to doing so. Otherwise, there is no point in implementing it. The technology implemented to improve productivity might vary by industry or business type, but the productivity benefits are universal. To start taking advantage of these benefits, consider your company’s weak points and think about products that you can implement to solve them.

Enhanced Communication Options

If you can improve communications, then you can effectively improve your business. Whether it is the internal communications you use between departments or the external ones used to contact customers and vendors, the right communication tools are incredibly valuable. If you can make these processes easier, the experience on both the employee and consumer sides can be improved dramatically.

Better Opportunities to Satisfy Customers

Customer service is another major part of running your business that technology can aid with. Fulfillment can be made much smoother and more efficient, and with the right tools, organizations can provide customers with even greater support options. For example, chatbots, service portals, ticketing systems, automated phone systems, and so on can all improve the customer experience.

Decreased Capital Expenses

Technology provides businesses with the opportunity to convert capital expenses, which are generally unpredictable in nature, into predictable and stable operational expenses. This means that you won’t be dropping huge amounts of cash at a time and instead are taking advantage of smaller, more manageable payments, freeing up money in the budget for other opportunities.

If you can effectively leverage the right technology tools, your business will surely see improvements in its operations. NuTech Services can help you with every stage of the technology implementation process, from conception to procurement to management. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

8
Sep, 2021
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3 Ways to Keep Your Business Secure When Employees Leave

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Turnover happens in the business world. It’s just a matter of when and how often it happens, as well as how your organization responds to it. If your company fails to address certain parts of the turnover process, it could have negative consequences that must be addressed. We’ve put together three ways that you can be sure former employees do not cause you trouble when they leave, particularly in regards to staffing and cybersecurity.

Understand Why They Are Leaving

The first step toward taking appropriate steps to secure your business is to understand why the employee is leaving. Are they feeling frustrated for some reason? Did they get a better offer that you can’t compete with? Were they potentially hired by one of your competitors? Knowing these things will help you gauge whether or not the employee will pose a threat upon departure, as well as revisit particular aspects of your business that might prevent turnover in the future.

Are There Hard Feelings?

While it’s not particularly likely to happen, it goes without saying that an employee with a sour attitude toward your business might use what they know to negatively influence you after departure. This is why it’s incredibly important to clear the air before employees leave, especially if they are a known agitant within your ranks. Take the time to sit down with the employee and learn more about them, why they are leaving, and resolve any unaddressed issues that might be lurking just below the surface. Employees who know that their frustrations are valid and validated will be less likely to act in the way addressed above.

Remove Access to Important Data and Accounts

A recent article by TechRepublic reported that one in four employees still have access to accounts and data after leaving their positions with a company or organization. This is obviously not okay, as employees who are simply not okay with leaving your organization, such as those who are terminated, might be tempted to log into their accounts and cause a little trouble before letting the door hit them on the way out. To this end, it is incredibly important that you document all of the accounts that your employees set up and which data they can access. You can then revoke those privileges after they are officially gone.

Keep in mind that you don’t want to delete these accounts right off the bat; you might still need data hosted on their desktops or in their cloud storage. It should suffice to just deactivate the account and hand over privileges to access said data to someone else within your organization who will need it.

Even if you do not suspect that any employees who leave your office might have ill intentions, it is still best to monitor those accounts and ensure that they are not being accessed in ways that seem suspicious. After all, threats can come from the most unlikely places. If you are looking to secure your network and ensure your organization is protected, reach out to NuTech Services at 810.230.9455.

6
Sep, 2021
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A Simple 3-Step Process for Implementing New Business Technology

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Technology has always been ingrained in the operations of businesses to an extent, but it was only recently (in the grand scheme of things) that standard business technology such as desktops, server units, and other computing hardware really started to take off. That said, it’s now a staple, so your organization should be making informed decisions regarding any new hardware that you implement.

It all starts with having a solid IT implementation strategy. Here are some ideas to consider for your own business technology strategy.

Identify Pain Points

Technology must be integrated into your business with intention. Otherwise, there is a good possibility that you are making your network more complex unnecessarily. As a best practice, the less complex your organization’s infrastructure, the easier it will be to maintain, monitor, and secure it. Businesses all face different challenges, so the first step toward identifying the intention for your new business technology is to identify which pain points your organization hopes to solve as a result of implementing this new technology.

Ask yourself, “What challenges does my business face today?” Your answer will determine which problems you want to solve.

Moving Forward with Intention

The next stage of this implementation process is determining how your chosen solution will solve the pain points addressed in the first step. With so many technology solutions available to modern businesses, how can you know which one is the best solution to your dilemma? As always in business, nothing is clear-cut. There could be multiple solutions to the same problem, all of which address it to varying degrees.

Ask yourself, “How does my chosen solution solve the specified problem?” If you can answer this question, then you know that the solution is one that you should seriously entertain.

Implementing the Right Solution

Once you have ironed out the details for the solution you want to implement, the final step is to determine what it takes to actually implement said solution. This might include a business needs analysis or a breakdown of the costs, as well as who will be responsible for working on the solution. In other words, you’ll need to work out how you are affording the solution, who is implementing it, and the timeline for said implementation.

Ask yourself, “Do I have the means to implement this technology?” If the answer is yes, then you can move forward with confidence.

Get Started Today!

At NuTech Services, we understand that technology can make or break your business’ operations in a profound way. On one hand, great technology solutions give your staff access to tools that make their jobs easier and more efficient. On the other, know that it takes considerable knowledge and technical expertise to implement solutions in a way that aligns with your organization’s strategic plan. Let us help make the process easier so you can focus on what matters most: running your business. To get started today, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

27
Aug, 2021
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4 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Point of Sale System

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For many small businesses, the Point of Sale (POS) system is the main workstation. As a result, many of your business’ core processes run through it. If you aren’t taking advantage of some of the built-in features that most POS systems can provide, you may be leaving dollars on the table. 

The point of sale system is not just a cash register. It is a wholly integrated digital hub for the management of your business, but many businesses don’t take advantage of some of the most advanced options. Let’s take a look at the best practices of utilizing your business’ POS system.

#1 – Choose the Right Terminal Structure

The POS system needs terminals in order to function and there are several different iterations that the front end of your POS system can look like. Since the main benefit of installing a POS system is to build efficiency, choosing the right one for your business has to be a major consideration. Let’s take a look at the four ways POS systems can be deployed.

  • In-store – On-premise POS systems are the norm. This means that you host your server at the place of business and run your POS system through that local hardware. In-store POS systems are great for smaller businesses that don’t need a lot of back-end computing hardware to do what needs to be done. Many retail and hospitality businesses use this method. They come with some increased costs (mainly because of the need for hardware and consistent maintenance), but are known to be easy to use and secure. 
  • Cloud-hosted – Pushing your POS system to the cloud has major advantages as your capital costs will be significantly reduced. You also don’t have to worry about maintaining your solution as the provider will likely take on that role. Most cloud-hosted POS systems are affordable and available, just as long as you have an Internet connection. The problem, just as with any other cloud computing platform, is that security can be a point of contention and if your Internet goes down, so does your ability to use your POS system.
  • Mobile – Mobile POS systems (mPOS) is a POS system that is used through a tablet or phone. This method can save your business a lot of money and it allows you to take your POS system on the go if need be. The main drawback is that the hardware associated with this type of system will likely need to be repaired and replaced as smartphones and tablets can be damaged pretty easily. 
  • Kiosks – Finally, one of the POS systems that is gaining the most popularity is the self-service kiosk. This cuts down on the need for customer interaction, so if your business is looking to cut costs, having kiosks set up that allows customers to check themselves out is a good way to do that. Unfortunately, many customers just aren’t technologically savvy enough to make use of these systems and you run the risk of complaints from customers having difficulties with the system. 

To choose the best type of POS system for your business, you will need to understand your customers. For retail businesses, you will want a barcode scanner integrated into the system as well as a reliable printer. For a restaurant, you will want a scheduling program that can keep guests from being backed up or having to be turned away. For a salon, you will want one that integrates with online booking systems and membership points programs. Understanding your business and your customers can go a long way toward getting the POS systems that can really make your business more efficient.

#2 – Understand POS features

There are admittedly a lot of different POS systems to choose from, but most of them will come with more than just the hardware and transactional software that you directly interact with. Other features your POS system might have include:

  • Inventory control
  • Payment processing
  • Return pricing
  • Labor management
  • Integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) capabilities including supply chain management
  • Reports and analysis

These features can make up a lot of the gained efficiency your business would see by using the POS system. POS systems can keep inventory pretty simple, a major benefit for any type of business, but with the integrated ERP capabilities, users can now control their entire supply chain from their POS system. Of all of the features, this one will be most useful to build added efficiency. 

For example, say you run a restaurant and want to utilize this feature of your POS. With a label maker, you can manage your inventory by slapping a barcode on every product that you take in. Instead of having staff spend hours trying to come up with a list of produce, meat, etc., you can simply look at your inventory on your POS system to easily make orders when you need them. You can set up alerts to ensure that you have everything in stock when you need it, a must for most businesses. 

POS systems can handle any time management problem your business can have: Scheduling, reservations, and employee time can be tracked simply through a POS system. With cloud-hosted systems, scheduling and other employee information can be shared online to ensure that your business has its shift staffed and covered competently. 

By using all the features of the POS system, your whole business is tracked inside the system. This gives users the ability to customize reports that will allow them to analyze operational information and make adjustments as needed.

The POS system can be one of the most frustrating tools, or it can be a complete benefit for your business. Choosing the right tools will help make it work. At NuTech Services, our knowledgeable consultants can help you choose the right tools for your situation, deploy those tools, and support them as they support your business. Give us a call today at 810.230.9455 to learn more.

18
Aug, 2021
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4 IT Errors Every Small Business Needs to Avoid

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Technology is often a source of struggle for small businesses, usually for one of two reasons. Either the strong IT leadership needed isn’t there, or there aren’t enough resources to support the level of IT management and maintenance that businesses need. Of course, there are other mistakes that can easily be made when it comes to a business’ technology management.

Let’s go over four of these mistakes.

Failing to Focus on Your Overall Goals

You don’t have to tell us that “the next big thing” in technology is always an intriguing idea. The real problem is “the next big thing” isn’t always “the thing you need.” However, adding new pieces of technology without a cohesive strategy often results in an overcomplicated network. This then can start a cascade of potential problems, ranging from hardware failure to full-blown security breach. What’s worse is that your business may not be ready to handle the new technology.

No, it is far better to first identify how a technology can help you toward your organization’s goals, and only then implement it.

Not Planning for Long-Term Success

It is critically important that you look to the future of your business and make plans to ensure its growth. This means that you need to not only choose solutions that fulfill your needs now, but that could scale to meet whatever those needs might look like in the future. Relatedly, your longevity also relies on how well you’re prepared to handle a crisis. Having business continuity preparations—data backup and disaster recovery, specifically—will help ensure that you can recover quickly, should you ever need to do so.

Falling Short in Security

Have you ever thought that, since you run a small or medium-sized business, cybercriminals simply wouldn’t waste the time to attack you when there are much larger, potentially more lucrative businesses to target? While some cybercriminals may prefer to target the big guys, others are more than happy to try and take the sensitive data that you’ve collected and generated over time. It’s guaranteed that you also have something that a hacker will want, whether that’s sensitive data, access credentials, or financial information. Unless you’re willing to risk your entire business on the incredibly unlikely chance that you’ll never be targeted (disclaimer: don’t), you need to properly invest in your business’ security.

Waiting Until Something Goes Wrong to Act

Proactivity is a good practice in many disciplines, but when it comes to proper IT maintenance, it’s now practically essential. While many businesses still rely on the traditional break-fix approach of yesteryear, this approach is no longer practical, or for that matter, practicable. Adding up the costs of the hardware that would need replacing and the downtime incurred, the price of this approach adds up faster than you might imagine. Proactive maintenance helps avoid these additional costs.

Of course, chances are that you wouldn’t call yourself a technology expert. That’s our job, which we do by providing businesses with the technology they need and the support to keep it running. That way, you and your team can focus more on what you do.

Find out more about what we have to offer by calling us at 810.230.9455 today.

6
Aug, 2021
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Shocking Study on the Work Week Suggests Shorter is Better

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Many critics of a shorter work week believe that cutting the number of hours worked throughout the workday or work week could potentially lead to a decrease in productivity, but a new study from Iceland suggests that this simply is not reality. This study suggests that productivity should no longer be a cause for concern when it comes to a shorter work week, as its astounding results show what really happens when you reduce the number of hours worked without reducing pay.

Introduction to the Study

The study, published by Autonomy and Alda, as well as the Association for Democracy and Sustainability in June of 2021, took place over five years and examined workers from several different industries in Iceland. There were two parts to the study: one conducted by the city of Reykjavík and another performed by the Icelandic government. In both parts, employees worked shorter hours during the work week.

Of particular note here is that the employees participating in these trials did not suffer a reduced salary or wage while working fewer hours. They worked an average of 35 or 36 hours per work week while the control group worked the standard 40 hours expected of most positions. By the end of the study, it involved around 2,500 employees from over 100 workplaces.

Both trials hoped that shorter work hours could address poor work-life balance and improve productivity; the results might surprise you!

The Results

The results of this study showcases that the shorter work week presented several benefits to employees. The study found that these trials showed reductions in working hours “maintained or increased productivity and service provision” and also “improved workers’ wellbeing and work-life balance.”

The report examines the following:

  • How effectively work time was reduced
  • How service provision and productivity were affected
  • Whether improvements in workers’ wellbeing and work-life balance took place

One of the reasons why employers are so worried about shorter working hours is that it can unintentionally lead to overwork as a result of having fewer hours in the workday to get things done, but the anecdotal evidence suggests that this is simply not true. Employees found that it was easier to organize themselves and their work processes with the shorter workday. This goes for managers, too.

Service provision was also unaffected—at least, in a negative way. As evidenced by the study, “On the whole, indicators of service provision and productivity either stayed within expected levels of variation, or rose during the period of the trial.”

In perhaps the most interesting part of this study, we get to the wellbeing and work-life balance aspects of shorter work days and weeks. The indicators for this part of the study were examined close to the end of the study, where stress levels and energy levels were measured. For work-life balance, employees in the shorter work day group discovered that they had much more free time to spend time with their families and were less likely to say no to overtime when it was needed. They were also less likely to take on a part-time job.  Other benefits included easier-to-do errands, more balance in participation in home duties, more time for oneself, less stress at home, more exercise, and so many others. It is evident that work-life balance saw many improvements for these employees.

What do you think about shortening your workdays? Do you think that maybe everyone could make use of a couple extra hours to enjoy life on a Friday afternoon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

9
Jul, 2021
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A Knowledge Base System Is a Great Tool to Streamline Operations

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If your business wants to improve operations, one way it can do so is with an in-depth knowledge base that encompasses its policies and procedures for anyone who might work for you or take advantage of your services. Businesses that are well-documented have a much easier time when it comes to onboarding new talent, and with a thorough enough knowledge base, customers and vendors will have an easier time working with you, too. Today we are discussing the different types of knowledge base systems and why they might be a good fit for your business model.

What Knowledge is Needed?

First, you need to determine what information you plan to include in your knowledge base. If you have no clue what to include, you might include too much information from too many topics, leading to far too much to dig through. On the other hand, failing to include enough information is just not going to be enough to help anyone. Consider who your audience is and what information would benefit their day-to-day duties.

If you can determine the information you want to share with your customers and staff, you can more effectively implement your knowledge base. What are their needs and concerns? What questions do they have for you? What part of your business receives the most requests for support? If you can answer these questions, you should be set to move on.

What Type of Knowledge Base Are You Focused On?

There are six types of knowledge bases, each with their own benefits and issues. Here are these types of knowledge bases, as well as what you must consider for each of them.

  • Internal: Internal knowledge bases are used by your employees, and they typically hold information about your policies and procedures with the main goal of making their jobs easier or more efficient.
  • Hosted: Hosted knowledge bases are hosted in the cloud and aim to make things easier for employees, customers, and vendors.
  • Self-Hosted: Similar to a hosted system, the self-hosted knowledge base works in the same way, but it is hosted on-site on company servers, allowing for more enhanced security.
  • Customer: Used to provide information for customers exclusively. Some businesses opt to just use a FAQ system, but this is still a good opportunity to provide support.
  • External: External knowledge bases are publicly accessible and available, and they are particularly helpful for marketing or sales teams for establishing a customer base.
  • Open-Source: Open-source knowledge bases, like wikis, are those that anyone can edit. These aren’t always great options for small businesses, but they can be valuable assets for those who want to gather like-minded individuals who are passionate about specific topics, and could be either used internally, or externally.

Businesses tend to lean toward the hosted or self-hosted options, as they are ideal for supporting both employees and customers.

What Kind of Content are You Creating?

Based on the results of your research in step one, you will want to connect with experts to build content for your knowledge base system. This will not be a short process, but once it is complete, you could potentially see a great return on that investment in enhanced productivity. You should always keep things simple when possible. If you use a question and answer system that is clear and easy to search, your knowledge base system should be able to provide answers that are clear, readable, engaging, and flexible.

Are You Reinforcing Your Content?

After building your knowledge base, you should update it periodically to make sure that it stays up-to-date and relevant. After all, workflows that applied six months ago but are no longer used are not going to help a new employee who was just brought on. Ask yourself every so often what information is needed and what information is not needed or no longer relevant.

NuTech Services can help you implement a knowledge base system that will reinforce your staff and streamline operations. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

21
Jun, 2021
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How Can a Business Be Impacted by Unpatched Software?

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It’s no secret that software often does not work as intended. Developers frequently discover bugs and patch them out. The same can be said for security vulnerabilities. Despite the importance of these updates, small businesses often fail to implement these patches and updates in a timely manner, a practice which can lead to more problems down the road.

Software bugs can range from very problematic to minor inconveniences. Some can cause a software to behave in an unpredictable manner. Others might expose critical data or leave backdoors in the code that could lead to security breaches. Let’s explore some of the issues that software bugs can bring about from both a customer and worker perspective.

Customer Satisfaction Takes a Dip

A positive reputation is key to any successful business endeavor, and something as simple as a software glitch can create major problems in this regard. For example, if a customer service portal simply does not work, it can create major issues for your customers when they seek to get help with other areas of your business. With most businesses having at least some online presence, this is a very real possibility, and customers are more likely to share their experiences when that experience is negative.

Small Issues Suggest Larger Problems

If a company is issuing software to paying customers, then there is an expectation that it works as intended. Things like a lack of attention to detail, grammatical errors, or UI issues can all contribute to the larger quality of the program. Small issues can often provide clues to larger underlying problems that could surface after a long enough use.

Security Becomes a Concern

If software is not regularly updated, be it a website, application, or operational software, vulnerabilities are likely to be discovered by hackers. This is why you see updates happen so frequently, especially by big name developers. People don’t want to use tools that put their financial information or personal data at risk (or at least, they shouldn’t). Patching these issues and testing them periodically is something that all developers should do; failing to do so could lead to disasters just waiting to happen.

The Issue Expands Over Time

It is extremely important that you have a patch management strategy in place to guarantee the operational effectiveness of your business technology. Neglected software can become riddled with problems in the long term, and if a customer or vendor finds these issues, you can bet that they can cost businesses a considerable amount of time and resources to rectify, if they get resolved at all. If you fail to do anything about problematic software for your business, you are just throwing money onto a bonfire, hoping desperately to snuff out the ever-growing flame.

Since software is such a major part of your business, you have to be extremely careful about how you implement it and update it with the latest patches and security updates. NuTech Services can help you make this happen. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.