As a business professional, you have probably heard that AI is changing the game. That’s why I wanted to share our ChatGPT cheatsheet with you.

With real-world examples, our cheatsheet shows how ChatGPT can help your business. From hiring to sales and marketing, AI can optimize your operations and help give you a competitive edge.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to harness the power of AI for your business. Download our ChatGPT Cheatsheet now and unlock the potential of AI in your operations.

Download the cheat sheet here – no email required!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. We’re here to help! 941-447-8582

All the best,

Doug MacDonald, The Document Warrior

When your IT provider isn’t providing the quality support you can experience:

• Lost employee productivity
• Security breaches
• Lost business revenue
• Low return on IT investment
• Employee turnover
• Business downtime
• Drop in reputation with customers

None of these are good. Learn eight indicators that you’re suffering with subpar IT support. These include poor communication, suffering outages again and again, or seeing your business lag behind the competition.

Don’t settle. Sure, change is difficult, but you don’t want to be held back by these IT provider issues. For Instant Access and no email required, Download 8 Signs You Need a New IT Support Provider to make sure you’re making the best choice for your business.

You may trust that you’re protected against cyber security flaws. Yet you need to take proactive steps to find and close any security gaps that put you at risk. Our infographic shares 10 top strategies to identify weaknesses and take action. 

The advice includes:  

• Monitor infrastructure 
• Audit cybersecurity policies
• Train employees 
• Develop a disaster recovery plan
• Consider third party/vendor risk
• Partner with a managed service provider

The systems you build and networks you maintain are inevitably vulnerable. Cut your risks today. Call Douglas MacDonald, SWFL Regional Account Manager at 941-447-8582.

There are many types of IT support available for a business, and the two most common are “managed services” and “block hours support.” In this article, we’ll look at what these are, the advantages and disadvantages of each, and which one might be right for you.

What Is Block Hours Support?

With block hours support, you pre-pay a single provider for a certain amount and type of service. It’s usually a “block” or fixed number of hours, but it can also be a fixed dollar amount or an amount for a specific project.

What Are the Advantages of Block Hours Support?

Block hours support is usually cheaper than hiring your own staff. The provider has skilled staff with up-to-date training, so they can quickly and efficiently handle your needs. Your provider can also give you a bulk discount when you purchase more hours at a time.

And with a block hours agreement, you pay only for what you need. For example, you can save money by maintaining only the infrastructure and staff you need when you need it. That allows you to avoid a closet full of expensive hardware that you thought you were going to need or staff that don’t have enough to do.

What Are the Disadvantages of Block Hours Support?

Block hours support is what’s called a “break/fix” type of service. In other words, your provider isn’t usually involved until you have a problem. You wait until something goes wrong, and then call your provider to fix it.

That doesn’t give you the advantage of constant monitoring and management that can prevent problems before they start. That’s especially important for things such as cybersecurity, where it’s best to detect an attack and prevent damage instead of trying to fix it.

In addition, everyone’s IT operations are unique, so it helps to have someone who’s familiar with your setup when you need help. But a block hours support provider usually can’t guarantee that you’ll always get the same technician or even the best technician for your job. That means your service might be slower or less effective than a more comprehensive approach.

Reacting to a problem after it occurs also means you could experience more downtime. It could be hours before your provider can respond to your call and fix the problem. If you can’t afford to wait, you probably need a more proactive solution.

What Are the Advantages of a Managed Services Agreement?

With a managed services agreement, you typically have the option of more comprehensive services. For instance, instead of just reactive troubleshooting, your provider can continuously monitor and manage your processes such as cybersecurity.

They can also provide more “premium” services, such as more comprehensive management and even strategic planning.

What Are the Disadvantages of a Managed Services Agreement?

Compared to “block hours support,” the main disadvantage of a managed services agreement is cost. Your contract will usually be a fixed monthly fee, which you pay regardless of whether you use any services. Typically, larger organizations use more services, so this isn’t an issue for them, but for smaller businesses, it could be that contracting for managed services is overkill that could cost you money.

Which Solution is Right for You?

Block hours support works well if you don’t have a very large or complex operation, and you can afford the downtime you might experience when a problem arises.

Larger organizations can take advantage of premium services to help them save more on their operations.

Want help assessing your outsourced IT needs? Give us a call at 941-447-8582.

A new year is an opportunity to start afresh. This is also true for your technology initiatives. Your business can begin 2023 on the right foot by considering these important IT trends.

#1 Cloud migration

The pandemic pushed businesses to work remotely. Even those that said they’d never work from home saw benefits. Now, with cloud computing battle-tested, many offices are choosing to remain remote or at least hybrid, even though they could now go back.

So, expect the move to the cloud to continue for businesses looking to enjoy:

• increased productivity and output;
• ability to scale up and down as needed;
• capital and space savings;
• consistent user experience across devices;
• easier upgrades and security patching, as IT teams can manage this all in the cloud.

Migrating to the cloud also brings sustainability benefits. Cloud data centers are more energy efficient than on-premises IT infrastructure.

#2 Automation

Any opportunity to streamline processes can support competitive advantage. That’s why many digitally savvy businesses are embracing automation.

Improve human capital use by automating workflows that take abundant employee time. You can free up employees to work on higher-value initiatives. Plus, you can reduce the risk of human data entry or data processing errors. You’ll also cut the security risk from human involvement with sensitive data.

Platforms such as Power Automate and IFTTT (IF This Then That) make it simple.

#3 Multi-factor authentication

The days of securing business technology in a single, contained setting are gone. With digital transformation, businesses are growing more diffuse. People want to access business systems from any device, whether in the office or off-site.

Yet the old approach of trusting that the user, device, or application is who or what it claims to be no longer works. Frequent data breaches prove the importance of avoiding repeating passwords across sites. Hackers can use leaked credentials to get access and take action in a business network.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) makes that compromised access more difficult. The bad actor needs to have the username and password to a separate device for verification.

As MFA gains momentum, expect to see more use of password managers and authenticator apps. Managers keep and secure all the unique, strong passwords people need to make. Authenticators help verify users are who they say they are.

#4 Optimizing IT budget

This is not a new trend, of course. Still, with the uncertain global economic outlook for 2023, it is a higher priority. As inflation and rising costs hit businesses, optimize IT budgets to align with your goals. This can improve user and customer experience, and help you corral costs.

Many businesses reach out to managed service providers (MSPs) for help reducing spend. Our IT experts can also help you to migrate to the cloud, automate, and secure your systems. Contact us today at 941-447-8582

Cybersecurity is a constantly changing field. A new technology is developed to keep criminals at bay, but soon after, bad actors find a way around it. As a business leader, you have a lot to manage, but don’t overlook the importance of managing cybersecurity risks, too. Asking these five questions prioritizes keeping data and systems protected.

You already know the importance of protecting data. Leaked or stolen personal information can be devastating for your business reputation, but there’s so much more involved with cybersecurity. Your employees may be working from home more, which means you have remote equipment to manage. You could have Internet of Things endpoints, and automatic ordering and fulfillment adds more points of entry to secure.

Execs need to know what is being done to identify, protect, and detect. Plus, they should have a good idea of how the business is set up to respond and recover. These five questions can help you manage cybersecurity efforts.

#1 What assets and entry points do we have that need protection?

You need to have a full inventory of what you have to protect; otherwise, you can’t expect your cybersecurity to be effective. Determine what needs monitoring and management, as well as your priorities.

Asset inventory management helps ensure all licensing and manufacturer upgrades are current. This keeps your tech patched against the latest known threats.

#2 How are we securing our technology?

Taking a multi-layered approach is best. Besides antivirus software, your business also needs firewalls (even many firewalls). Still, it doesn’t stop there. You can also take advantage of:

• identity and access management tools;
• encryption;
• vulnerability scans;
• penetration testing;
• employee training in defending against cyberthreats.

#3 How do we detect problems?

Be proactive about detecting incidents. Many breaches are not immediately detected, which makes the damage worse. Build capabilities to identify any vulnerabilities before the bad guys do.

Most antivirus software detects malware, spyware, ransomware, and more. You’ll get an alert of a risk and be able to cut the risk. You can also collect and analyze security logs to help identify potential threats.

#4 What is our plan in the event of an incident?

Few of us think at our best in crisis situations. It’s much better to anticipate the worst and think ahead. Leadership can make a plan to respond to ransomware, establish a disaster plan, and consider business continuity. You can also determine everyone’s roles and responsibilities. Learn who needs to be alerted, and decide who will do so. It all helps you get back to business as usual more effectively.

Once you have business recovery plans in place, test them. For instance, you don’t want to wait until a cyber incident to learn that your data backup wasn’t working.

#5 What are we doing to create a cybersecurity culture?

You may think about company culture as mission and values. That influences hiring, employee engagement, and business success. Yet you can also encourage an environment that motivates cybersecurity behaviors. Help your team members understand they have a role to play in championing security.

You might establish a cybersecurity culture by:

• asking these five questions;
• encouraging regular backups;
• discouraging people from downloading software without prior approval;
• establishing a bring-your-own-device policy;
• educating employees about threats;
• communicating who employees can contact if they suspect malware or phishing.

The more you know

Learning more about cybersecurity can only help your business. A managed service provider is a great resource for answers to these questions. Partner with us today. Call 941-447-8582.

Many of us look forward to January 1 as a fresh start. But before we get to hit that refresh button, it’s a good idea to look back too. No, we’re not saying you need to go sit by a waterfall and meditate on your IT infrastructure, but there are benefits to doing a year-end tech review.

What is a tech review?

In a tech review, you can accomplish several key things. First, you can gain a clear picture of what the IT infrastructure looks like. After all, technology is always evolving. You can determine what assets you have and how employees are using them. You’ll also revisit your tech spending and whether it’s achieving business outcomes.

A tech review also gives IT staff a chance to clarify roles and responsibilities, as well as mission.

Doing this at year’s end is common because many businesses slow down around the holidays. This means your team can focus more on the tasks of a thorough and effective tech review.

You may have a budget you’re looking to use by the end of the fourth quarter. With a tech review in hand, you can make sure you spend money on technology that will make a real impact.

A tech review, done at any time of year, also offers you the ability to:

• improve productivity;
• mitigate risk;
• streamline workflow;
• update and upgrade;
• enhance employee engagement.

Steps for your tech review

There are many steps to take in an effective annual review of your technology. Read the main ones here.

Perform an IT inventory

Make sure you know all your tech assets and where they are in their lifecycle. This is a good time to identify current hardware and software in need of upgrade or replacement. Then, you can plan ahead and avoid security risks or unplanned downtime.

Review your IT outcomes

You should be spending on IT to achieve certain business goals. Now’s the time to consider whether your technology is doing what you wanted it to do. A Harvard Business Review study found that 77% of respondents see an IT strategy–implementation gap. So, at least you’re not alone in needing to ensure your tech initiative aligns with business outcomes.

Update tech guidelines

You probably have policies in place governing how your IT is used. Revisit these annually to ensure you are keeping up with the way your tech is evolving. For example, if your people are remote more often, make sure your guidelines match those tech deployments.

Survey employees

Ask the people who are using your technology not only about what they are using but also how they are using it. This can help you identify areas to improve, upgrade, or automate. Or you might find out people are using software that IT didn’t vet first!

Good questions to ask include:

• What applications do you use most often?
• What applications do you resist using?
• Which technology tools can’t you do without?
• Which technology do you wish our company had, and why?
• Do you do any manual, repetitive processes?

Explore cybersecurity

You can ask employees whether they have experienced a cybersecurity threat this year. But you’ll also want to review your data to see if there are any indications of cyberattacks. Also, examine and revise your firewall settings to make sure they are as current as can be.

It’s also useful to have a third-party IT professional perform a vulnerability scan. A penetration test is a more involved way to identify weaknesses you might consider.

Review your findings and prioritize new technology

Drawing on the input you’ve received and the data you’ve gathered, decide what actions to take. You might want to replace redundant software or some with poor user experience. Or you may need to invest in hardware such as computers or servers. You could also find opportunities to automate manual tasks to boost your productivity.

Even if you have the budget for it, avoid making all your changes at once; it can be too overwhelming. Don’t expect your team to automate a process while also transitioning to new hardware. Bring your decision-makers together to decide on priorities and plan purchases and rollouts.

We review for you

Don’t have the resources or know-how to do a year-end technology evaluation? Our experts can investigate your IT infrastructure for you. Contact us today at 941-447-8582

As the year comes to a close, you have to write the IT budget and spending benchmarks. You must understand the current IT infrastructure and forecast technology needs. This article shares three key areas to improve forecasting and maybe save budget too.

#1 Unexpected IT expenses

First, it helps to identify where you are blowing your IT budget. Often IT budget inaccuracies can be traced back to unexpected tech expenses. Repairs, replacements, and unanticipated upgrades can all throw your budget out of whack. Unfortunately, emergency repairs and last-minute technology improvements are the most costly.

But without a crystal ball, you can’t predict what’s going to happen, right? Still, you can make a plan that allows you to avoid wasting money on the break-fix model. Partnering with a managed service provider (MSP), you will typically pay a set monthly fee. Then, if something does go wrong, you have IT experts at the ready to address the issue.

Plus, a good MSP will work to determine the expected life cycles of your tech assets. That way, you can anticipate hardware or software upgrades and budget accordingly. Further, your MSP should work proactively to prevent unexpected downtime. They can help protect you from cyberattacks and keep software and hardware updated and patched.

#2 Bloated IT infrastructure

Overlapping and wasted resources are another big IT budget drain. You could be paying for many devices that do the same thing, or you may be continuing to license software that your team no longer uses. Or it may be software that everyone uses, and you could be getting a much better deal. You might also be paying for tech you haven’t upgraded, so you aren’t getting the full return on your investment.

An MSP can help identify these kinds of issues. Bringing in an IT expert provides an objective view of your infrastructure. They can suggest performance improvements and streamline processes. They may also suggest subscriptions or other packages that can help you save funds.

#3 IT and business misalignment

The plan is always to build a budget for an IT strategy that helps achieve business goals. Yep, doing so depends on your tech know-how and good communication.

Further, tech-business alignment has grown more difficult as infrastructure has changed, plus, the workforce is now more distributed. The business could have on-premises technology as well as cloud-based software. Employees could be bringing in their own devices and/or working remotely. As a result, business tech needs to be doing more. Plus, it needs to keep up with rapid evolutions and cybersecurity threats.

Yet investing in IT-business alignment improves budgets, and benefits workers and customers. Potential advantages include:

• reduced digital friction;
• improved user experience;
• greater customer engagement;
• cutting costs;
• improving productivity;
• gaining visibility of business processes;
• faster delivery times and speed to market;
• growing your competitive advantage;
• driving innovation.

Work with an MSP to bridge business acumen and IT expertise. Then, you can better calculate the financial impacts (costs and ROIs) of your IT plan.

Need help understanding IT budget pitfalls and spending benchmarks? We can help plan for tech spending supporting your business objectives going forward. Contact us at 239-239-9050

Thinking of changing your managed service provider? It can seem daunting. But, transitioning is easier when you know what to expect.

Our latest guide shares eight steps in switching managed service providers (MSPs):

• Shopping for a new MSP
• Reviewing your current contract
• Auditing your existing IT
• Signing a new contract
• Giving your old MSP notice
• Scheduling off-boarding
• Starting onboarding
• Transitioning your employees

Find out more about each of these steps. Download our guide Switching Managed Service Providers Made Simple. We detail what happens throughout the process and identify the steps the MSP can do for you.

Click Here for Instant Access!

In many areas of our lives there are myths that we accept as fact. Some of these are actually quite dangerous: believing that lightning never strikes in the same place twice could be fatal. Similarly, there are cybersecurity myths that demand debunking to keep your business safe.

#1 “I’m too small to attack.”

Any size of business, in any industry, can be the target of a cyberattack. In fact, hackers often hit smaller businesses because they lack the necessary protection. Also, a small business is more likely to pay a ransom, because it can’t recover otherwise.

Plus, small businesses can be a first stepping stone in a supply-chain attack. After getting into your systems, they might send a faked invoice from you to the larger target. The enterprise client, trusting your credibility, opens the attacker’s malware. Or hackers can use your vendor credentials to gain access to the enterprise network.

#2 “Antivirus software is all I need.”

If only it were that easy. You need antivirus software, but you can’t protect all your IT infrastructure with one tool. To detect and defend, you’ll need a comprehensive cybersecurity plan. Combine employee security awareness training with physical security measures, and put in place many layers of network and device defense, too.

Then, keep everything patched and updated. That makes sure you’re leveraging what experts know about the evolving threat environment.

#3 “Cybersecurity is IT’s job, not mine.”

You may have an internal IT department you count on to handle cybersecurity. Many businesses also contract with a managed service provider (MSP) to keep them safe. These IT teams will work to secure your infrastructure and protect your data. They will put systems in place to detect threats and identify vulnerabilities. They can ensure appropriate data backup and do disaster recovery planning.

Still, IT experts (whether internal or external) are only one player in the battle. Your employees remain a weak link. They are the ones that may inadvertently download malware, fall for social engineering scams, or use easily guessed access credentials.

Your business needs to educate all employees about online safety and cybersecurity threats. Then, it’s everyone’s job to be aware and work to reduce risks to your business.

#4 “Too much cybersecurity will hurt our productivity”

This won’t be true if you set up effective security policies and protocols. Add regular monitoring and authentication tools that provide security without adding friction for employees.

In fact, enhanced cybersecurity can actually help your productivity. It frees people up to work on other important business with less worry.

Avoid a false sense of security

Trusting any of these myths can leave your business vulnerable to attack. A data breach or IT downtime can be devastating. Don’t risk the worst. Instead, work with IT experts to handle your cybersecurity, backups, compliance, and more. Contact us today at 941-447-8582.