All posts by SystemsNet

Protecting Your Business through Digital Estate Planning

digital estate planning
Cybersecurity, Data Backup, Security, Technology, , , ,

Keeping your business protected is very important. But you should ask yourself if you have all areas covered. Security cameras and restricted entry areas are vital for protecting the physical location. To protect employees, implement all their necessary rights and privileges, and so on. All this is important, but one thing to prioritize as a business owner is protecting your digital assets through digital estate planning.

What Are Digital Assets?

Digital assets comprise everything in your business that is, well, digital. These include data, software, applications, and intellectual property. If you are like most businesses today, your daily operations rely heavily on these digital assets. It makes sense that you safeguard them to the best of your ability with digital estate planning.

Effective Strategies for Protecting Digital Assets Using Digital Estate Planning

Cybercriminals are now very creative in launching their attacks, so business owners must be extra vigilant and meticulous in protecting digital assets. Here are some of the most effective strategies for digital estate planning that you can use.

Strong Passwords

It is surprising how many businesses today still use passwords that are so easy to crack. Hackers might have advanced strategies for infiltrating your system, but you can make their job much more difficult by using unique, complex, and strong passwords. Also, be sure to change passwords periodically to minimize the risk of a data breach. This is common practice for digital estate planning.

Access Controls

One of the easiest but most effective ways to protect your digital assets is to restrict access to them. This step will drastically reduce the risk of data falling into the wrong hands, and should there be a leak, it will be easier to trace where it originated.

Digital Estate Planning – Data Encryption

No matter how confident you are in your data security measures, you should never underestimate the capabilities of cybercriminals. In case they steal your data, high-level encryption will protect it from being exposed or used for illicit purposes. That is why a part of digital estate planning is always encrypting your data.

Biometrics

Biometrics is now a popular alternative to conventional sign-in methods. Not only is this more convenient for the users, but it also offers more security. Using fingerprints or facial recognition ensures that no one other than the allowed individual can log in. Also, people would no longer need to remember passwords or write them down, which only adds to the vulnerability of the old method.

Backup and Recovery

If anything happens, you should have a reliable data backup and recovery plan, which is essential for protecting digital assets. You must save and store backups regularly in multiple secure and protected locations.

Employee Training

Your employees can be valuable in protecting digital assets, but ironically, they are also usually the weakest link. With regular employee training, however, you can turn them into a robust first line of defense and circumvent most security threats.

Security Software

There is a wide range of software created for protecting digital assets, firewalls, threat detection applications, antivirus software, and so on. If you are unsure of which software to get, you can always enlist the help of an MSP who will recommend the best security solutions to match your needs.

Importance of Digital Estate Planning

An element of protecting digital assets is that many companies do not even think of digital estate planning. It is simply preparing your digital assets. This is so that an authorized person gains access to everything in the event of your death.

This might sound morbid, but it does not differ from other forms of estate planning. It also makes it easier for your business partners, beneficiaries, or heirs to continue the business when you are gone. As this could still be a new concept for some business owners, we have prepared a Digital Estate Planning Checklist and Password Cheat Sheet, both of which you can download for free.

In this, we delve into the advantages of having a digital estate plan, how to go about it, and why password management is a very important part of it. Our team is also ready to help you create a comprehensive digital estate plan, which is crucial for protecting your digital assets, even long after you are gone.

Why Are Business Owners Afraid to Move to the Cloud?

move to the cloud
Cybersecurity, Technology, , ,

It has been years since cloud technology was released. While thousands of businesses all over the world have eagerly upgraded their operations with cloud solutions. Thousands more still remain wary of this new technology to move to the cloud. Many people are still reluctant, despite the many proven benefits of the cloud for business. Why is this so? That is what we are going to talk about today.

Reasons for Holding Back to Move to the Cloud

We’ve asked around and come across some common concerns from hesitant business owners about why they are still holding back, even though there is now insurmountable evidence that the cloud presents many viable opportunities for business growth. Here are the reasons for holding back to move to the cloud.

Security

With the continued rise in cyberattacks and data breaches, it makes sense to be highly concerned about security. These attacks are rampant, even on in-house servers and data storage. How much more would there be if you stored the data in a cloud, outside of your company’s security controls? Won’t the data and the entire company be more at risk of being infiltrated by hackers? If any information gets into the wrong hands, there’s no telling what kind of damage your company will face.

Privacy If You Move to the Cloud

In the same way, companies fear the loss of data privacy. This fear is a specific concern for businesses in industries that collect and store confidential information. Health and medical records of patients, financial transactions that contain bank accounts and statements, and even personal data of clients and employees are examples of sensitive data that are frequent targets of online attackers. Putting these in cloud storage might seem risky in the minds of many.

Reliability

Another fear owners have about when they move to the cloud is that it might not always be reliable. What if the internet connection is too slow or erratic? What if the cloud provider experiences a period of downtime on their side? Surely, these events could be highly detrimental to business operations.

Cost If You Move to the Cloud

Cloud technology these days is very high-tech and diverse, which causes many business owners to think these services are expensive. Because of this assumption, they choose to stick to conventional systems rather than take a chance on modern cloud solutions, which can ironically pave the way for massive financial savings.

Complexity

There has always been a historical fear of new things, especially related to technology. When computers first became popular, many people were afraid to even touch them because they seemed too complex. It happened again a few years later when email and online messaging became popular. Now, the same fear of complexity applies to the cloud. Companies are worried they might not see the benefit to their operations.

The 5 Benefits of the Cloud

These fears make sense and are all perfectly valid. But the good news is that the cloud technology we have today has these issues covered. So if your hesitation to move to the cloud is based on any of these reasons, we can ease your mind.

We invite you to download our Free Infographic on the Cloud. You’ll discover a wealth of information, including the vast benefits of moving to the cloud and how the migration can be made simpler with the help of a reliable MSP.

A whole new world is waiting in the cloud for businesses, and we are very excited for you to take control of it. Call us anytime! We will guide you in transitioning so you can finally enjoy all the benefits and opportunities this new technology has in store for your company.

The Role of Current Technology in Business Growth and Expansion

business growth and expansion
Contact Relationship Management, Cybersecurity, Data Backup, Security, Technology, , , , ,

Business growth and expansion entail a lot of work in all the different areas—logistics, finance, research, and technology. Technology plays a key role because practically all aspects of business rely on it.

In our last few blogs, we have been talking about some benefits that small business owners can get out of integrating the right technology into their business, especially during expansion, downsizing, or switching from a remote work setup to a hybrid work environment.

Attracting and Retaining Talent for Business Growth and Expansion

how to attract large enterprise talent

For any SMB, attracting and keeping enterprise talent is quite an achievement. But, of course, it is rarely easy to do because most competent professionals prefer to work with global companies that offer better perks and higher pay.

Using technology, you can not only pique the interest of top candidates for your open positions, but you can also convince them to stay for your business growth and expansion.

These strategies, as described in our blog on Week 1 called “How Small Businesses Attract Large Enterprise Talent”, can range from simply making the hiring process pleasant or partnering with local community groups to something more proactive like offering a hybrid work environment that is much more attractive to potential new employees.

Installing Self-Help Kiosks

Self-Help Kiosks

In week 2, we covered one of the most popular technology trends for business growth and expansion. Our blog post entitled, “Self-Help Kiosk vs. Human—What Are the Pros and Cons?” he self-help kiosk has been appearing in a growing range of industries. We can find them in fast-food restaurants, bus terminals, banks, and more.

We also covered how these kiosks can help business growth and expansion. especially as remote workers switch to working in person or in a hybrid way. Some benefits we covered were contactless transactions, higher profits, faster service, and better connections. We also discussed the special significance of self-help kiosks in a hybrid workplace, where companies make do with a much lower employee population in the office.

Better Customer Service

How Your IT Company Affects Customers

Technology and customer service are two things people would not automatically relate to each other. But as you will quickly realize after reading our week 3 blog, “For Better or For Worse: How Your IT Company Affects Your Customers”, IT and customer service are closely connected.

Ensuring that the quality of your customer service is up to par is vital regardless of the work setup you have in the office. Whether your employees work from home, in the office, or a combination of both, be sure they always give great customer service. This can help improve your business growth and expansion.

With the help of a reliable IT provider, this should not be a problem. For example, we offer IT services that give your clients a better experience. Some services that we would be happy to provide for you are multichannel communications, live chats or chatbots, exemplary CRM software, personalized offer recommendations, self-service portals, advanced POS systems, and a trusty remote-to-hybrid system.

Choosing the Right MSP for Business Growth and Expansion

As you can see, technology is vital in many aspects of business growth and expansion. This step means one thing: you need to choose the right IT provider because they can make or break your business!

Fortunately, you don’t have to look too hard. We have the experience, expertise, and passion to provide you with the best IT service you require. We are very good at what we do but don’t take our word for it. Call us today, and we will show you what we can do to help take your business growth and expansion to the next level of success!

Self-Help Kiosks vs. Human—The Pros and Cons

Self-Help Kiosks
Cybersecurity, Technology, , , , , ,

Self-help kiosks are becoming more commonplace by the day. There used to be a time when a business would consider it extremely high-tech if they had touchscreen monitors installed. But today, you can find these kiosks in many establishments.

A self-help kiosk is an interactive screen that gives information or provides a service with a simple touch. They are extremely versatile and used in a wide range of applications. They are popular in fast-food chains, bus stations, and banks.

What Are the Pros of Self-help Kiosks?

There are plenty of benefits to self-help kiosks, which is why companies are all eager to get them for their store or office. Here are the top three that come to mind.

Contactless Transactions

This benefit is the biggest reason for the rise in popularity of the self-help kiosk. During the COVID pandemic, direct contact between people was avoided as much as possible. Kiosks allowed businesses to continue despite the restrictions.

Increased Profits

Kiosks can give you huge savings on a lot of resources, especially on manual labor. Much of the work is easily automated, which reduces operation costs for our business. You can also give your employees’ new jobs, which is a great way to make them more efficient and productive.

Faster Service

Your business will serve more customers because of the faster transactions and the shorter line. This would also ultimately translate to a much more pleasant customer experience.

Adaptability and Connectivity

You can adapt kiosks to perform multiple functions. For example, you can add a way to pay to your self-ordering kiosk so your customers can buy right away. You can also connect your kiosk to a cloud-based CMS that lets you display any content on your kiosk screens.

What Are the Cons of Self-Help Kiosks?

Just like any piece of technology, there are also some concerns you can encounter with a self-help kiosk.

Customer Frustration

Even in this digital age, many customers will not be comfortable using kiosks. Some might find it difficult to navigate the channels, while some will be hesitant to touch the screen altogether for fear of making a mistake.

Maintenance Downtime

When your system shuts down for whatever reason, maybe a power failure or an error, the kiosk will shut down with it. Also, there will be the need for repairs and maintenance. During these times, your kiosk will be temporarily out of commission, and business will be at a standstill.

Significance of Self-Help Kiosks in the Hybrid Workplace

A hybrid workplace is a convenient blend of remote work and in-house operations. The exact setup depends on the company. There might be days when employees work remotely, and days when they must physically be in the office.

No matter what the specific schedule, a hybrid work environment means fewer employees working in the office or the commercial establishment compared to a 100% in-house setup. This brings up the significance of the self-help kiosk. These machines can provide information or perform transactions for employees, clients, or visitors without human interaction. A business can go on as usual despite the reduced staff.

Setting Up Self-Help Kiosks for Your Business

It is possible to install your own kiosks, but the process can be complex. In most cases, it is advisable to seek the help of a managed service provider with relevant expertise. Here at our company, we can set up your kiosks and integrate them seamlessly into your system. We have already helped dozens of clients set up kiosks as part of the transition to a hybrid workplace.

To learn more about kiosks and how they can benefit your company, just call us. We can schedule a consultation where we can discuss the best kiosk solutions for your business.