Tag: small business technology

  • 10 Common Tech Questions & Our No-Nonsense Answers

    10 Common Tech Questions & Our No-Nonsense Answers

    We write about a lot of different topics in this blog but today we wanted to take the time as a technology provider to answer the questions that are really at the forefront of our clients’ minds, both from a business standpoint and just from an everyday standpoint.Tech News Number 7

    We’ll be covering our top 5 general technology questions and our top 5 business technology questions as of posting this blog. If you have a question that you’re struggling to get answered – and we all know the rabbit hole Google can send us down trying to search for an answer – don’t hesitate to reach out. Chances are we might have the answer!

    Now onto the general questions first.

    1. How do I keep my Laptop battery in tip-top shape? A good rule of thumb is to keep your laptops lithium-ion battery running longer you’ll want to keep them from overheating, not let them discharge fully to 0% before charging, and not leave them plugged in while they’re at 100% constantly. Batteries have a finite life span but taking care of them will make them last longer, this advice applies to devices like cellphones as well.
    2. Do I actually have to eject a thumb drive or USB device? The short answer is yes, the long answer is because when you go to eject your device your PC finishes up tasks related to that device to improve overall performance. Removing it without ejecting it first may lead to corrupt or unusable data. It’s an easy step so don’t skip it.
    3. What happens when I see a warning on a site I use that it’s been hacked or compromised? If your browser is warning you about a site you’re trying to visit we recommend proceeding with caution, it could be that their security certificates are just expired but it also might be that the site has actually been compromised and visiting it or entering data into it might lead to your own system being compromised as well.
    4. Why does resetting my router sometimes magically fix my internet? Your router is a technology device the same as all your other ones, and sometimes a reboot is all that’s needed to get it back to working as intended. You want to wait at least 10 seconds to plug it back in to allow the capacitors inside it to discharge completely and ensure your reset works as intended.
    5. Do hackers really care about my information? All information has the potential to be valuable on the dark web or other nefarious sections of the internet. It may not seem like a big deal if your name, phone number or email are leaked online but they can use this information to get to the accounts they really want (like your financial accounts). It’s always a good idea to safeguard your information and employ good password practices.

    That covers the general questions we see a lot, what about ones specifically for businesses? Technology and business go hand-in-hand and these are the questions that come up the most.

    1. Do my vendors have to work with my other vendors when it comes to the technology I use? If they care about your business many vendors will try to assist clients as they navigate all the various systems you use to conduct your everyday business, but many will charge a fee to do so and some may refuse.
    2. How do I know if I’m spending too much on technology? New gadgets and software solutions come out every day, it would be impossible for anyone to buy or subscribe to them all. At the same time, it’s unreasonable to believe any piece of hardware will last forever or your business won’t outgrow a software that previously performed adequately. It’s a good idea to try and set a reasonable budget and have your IT team work with you to stay within that budget.
    3. Are backups really necessary? Yes, you may not know how necessary a file is until you go to look for it and it’s gone. Important contracts and records are just a couple of things your business can’t afford to leave to chance, we recommend complete system backups so you never have to worry about losing anything important.
    4. Will my team actually use it? If you’re thinking about giving a specific software or tech solution a try a good question to ask if whether your team has the training required to use it, and why it would be beneficial to your business. One example is two-factor authentication. We know businesses can receive a lot of pushback from their employees when they go to implement this, but the benefits drastically outweigh the hassle it may seemingly pose. Proper training is key when implementing any new technology measures within your business.
    5. How does it benefit the business? It can be hard if you’re not someone who works in the IT field or has a pretty good level of familiarity with it to know how implementing new solutions will benefit your business. That’s why it’s always our recommendation to reach out to someone who does, whether that be your in-house team or a technology provider you’re comfortable with.

    If your business needs help answering these or any other technology related questions, Valley Techlogic is here to help. You can schedule a no-obligation consultation here. If we missed any questions feel free to reach out to our live chat and let us know, we would love to add them to our next article.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • Does doing your own IT as a business owner really make sense? We did the math.

    Does doing your own IT as a business owner really make sense? We did the math.

    Business owners have a lot on their shoulders, especially in 2020. Delegating is no easy thing, painstakingly raising a business from the ground up lends itself to naturally being very protective over it.

    There can even be a sense of pride in doing things yourself for as long as you can. Each time you must hire out for a job you previously did yourself there can be a sting to it, as well as a feeling that you’re giving up control (which you are, but it’s a good thing!). We know nothing can feel more worrisome about losing control over than the IT systems that power your business.

    The thought of hiring someone else to do your IT for you can feel like handing over the keys to your kingdom. When it comes to your data and the systems you and your employees work on, keeping these things afloat is often synonymous with keeping your business running.

    While there might be something nice about not spending a weekend on a downed system or having to phone your internet provider yourself when your networks down, is it really worth the concerns that might arise from it not being in your sole control?

    The statistics say yes. Just take a look at this graphic.

    Doing Your Own IT Chart

    As you can see, business owners are working hard but aren’t spending their time where they would ideally want to. When you get bogged down with the everyday minutia you can lose sight of what made your business the success it is, the effort poured into actually building it.

    Also, while we don’t want to question anyone’s IT prowess if that isn’t your day job there could be things that are overlooked. Cyber security is something we write about a lot here and for good reason, thinking your business won’t be a target for any given reason is just wrong.

    Hackers are opportunists and if there is an opportunity for them to get into your business, they’re going to take it. IT professionals have all the tools necessary to thwart them at their disposal, but they can only do implement them when they’re part of your team.

    As with all things that are recommended to you, it’s good to have an open mind and a critical. These are important decisions you are making for your business after all.

    If you’re located in the Central Valley and would like to have a consultation to find out what your options are, we’d be more than happy to go over them with you.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on X at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

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