Meet the Team Name: Jeff Tims Position: Outside Sales What I Do: Develop relationships with people and organizations; look for ways to provide value with Information Technology solutions. About Me: After graduating from Fanshawe College’s Computer Systems Technician program, and possessing a friendly and outgoing demeanor my career led me to a junior IT sales role. Nearly 14 years later I still enjoy meeting new people, discussing problems, and creating plans to that allow business owners to focus on the future.
With two young children free time is hard to come by, but when I do get it you can often find me at a hockey game, on a golf course or camping with my family.
January 2020
3 Places You Should NEVER Cut Corners With IT We all know how easy it is to cut corners in business; we’ve all done it somewhere. But we also know we shouldn’t. You’ll eventually have to face the consequences, whether they’re small or large. The same applies to IT. When you cut corners, the consequences to your business can be major. Here are three places where you never want to cut costs.
This monthly publication provided courtesy EQUIPMENT of Stronghold Services You want to set up a wireless network Corporation. at the office, but you don’t want to spend more than $50. So, you spend that Our Mission: $50 and call it good. While this new To create and build professional, router may deliver a wireless signal that valuable and exceptional reaches every employee, you could be making a huge mistake that may cost relationships with our clients; to you dearly. develop and implement the most appropriate and effective Routers are a good example of technology solutions and
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technology you want to put extra thought and money into. You want equipment that not only makes sense for your business’s network needs but will also perform reliably and securely. Cheap routers aren’t known for their security features. You want something that will complement the firewalls or security software you have in place (and you should have them). This same idea applies to all other equipment, as well as software. When you cut corners, there’s a good chance you’ll be opening your wallet again to fix the problem in the near future. On top of that, it puts your data at risk if you’re buying cheap, potentially faulty equipment. Do research, ask questions and work with an experienced IT company to make sure your equipment is up to snuff. Continued on pg.2
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Technology Times
January 2020
Continued from pg.1
GROWTH OF YOUR BUSINESS Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been in the business for a while now, you always want to invest in hardware and software that will scale with your business. It’s safe to say that most businesses want to grow, which means adding more customers and more employees. When that’s the plan, scalability becomes a big deal. Part of it comes back to the first point: cheap equipment isn’t typically designed with scalability in mind. It’s a quick-fix investment. It’s not made for the long haul. Where do you plan on being in five years? What are your growth goals? You have to ask these kinds of questions to determine what kind of investment you need to make, whether it’s in billing software, customer service software, workstations or your network infrastructure. If you don’t think about scalability, as soon as you start really growing, you’ll be hit by growing pains. You’ll have to reinvest in technology, and you’ll be spending far more
“Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been in the business for a while now, you always want to invest in hardware and software that will scale with your business.”
than you needed to, once for the first investment (on nonscalable tech) and once for the second investment (to catch up with your growth). But because your business has grown since that initial investment, you’ll be left with a hefty bill – for much more than you paid the first time. Don’t make this mistake! DATA SECURITY Just because your data is locked away in the backroom doesn’t mean it’s safe. For one, small businesses are the biggest targets for cybercriminals because most small businesses skimp on data security, making it easy for cybercriminals to steal data and cause a lot of problems. To make matters worse, if you get hit with a cyber-attack or data breach, it can be incredibly difficult to recover, and many small businesses don’t ever recover. They struggle for a few months before finally closing their doors. You need to invest in firewalls, malware protection, data encryption, data backups, password managers and, as mentioned above, good equipment that is designed with reliability and security in mind. And no, you don’t have to figure it out by yourself. It can be a lot, and as you dive into the topic of data security, you’ll have questions.
This is exactly why you want to pair up with an experienced IT company that specializes in security. It is very hard to run a business and try to be a data security expert at the same time. Thankfully, you don’t have to do that. You can get the most out of your equipment, you can be prepared for future growth and you can be ready for the threats to your data! You just have to make that first investment.
Cloud Solutions Every Business Should Consider! It’s almost impossible to run a business today without using some type of cloud technology. But despite it’s pervasiveness, many business owners are unsure about which solutions will benefit their organization most. Categories to focus on first are Email, File Storage, Document Creation and Collaboration, Server Hosting, and Backup Disaster Recovery. Contact your dedicated Account Manager with any questions or visit our blog at
https://www.strongholdservices.ca/blog/
Visit Us At Our Web Site: https://www.strongholdservices.ca (519) 471-9999
Technology Times
January 2020
5 Keys For Building Effective Multilocation Teams
Technology Resolutions for 2020 Invest in Cyber Security Measures Criminals are becoming ever more sophisticated, and it seems that on a weekly basis, another company is announcing that their data systems have been breached. More and more organizations are realizing the significance of upgrading their security environment. Create a Technology Roadmap Take the time to plan the direction of technology within your organization. It can be an all encompassing plan or a targeted plan for a single pain point. Do not be afraid to enlist the help of an outside consultant, technology is always changing and an expert can help you navigate the landscape. Enhance Your Customer Experience Examine if technology can help you automate or enhance your customer experience. Digital transformation can help create new streams and strengthen current ones, it can increase accessibility and create a more personalized experience.
Examine Your Data There is no shortage of data collected by every business today, however, harnessing that data to uncover the potential is the real challenge. Examine what you have, identify any gaps and create a strategy to fill those gaps. Use your data with a proven CRM to improve and strengthen your customer relationships. Create more leads and better close rates moving forward into the new decade.
Technology has made it easier than ever to set up multiple offices around the country, but it also presents new challenges for business leaders: how to build and sustain a positive and productive company culture while managing geographically dispersed teams. When managing offices in multiple locations, the difference between success and failure often can be traced to the commitment that leaders have in fostering a company culture that embraces open, honest communication, accountability and alignment. Here’s how you do it.
1. HIRE RIGHT. When hiring (or promoting from within) to manage remote office locations, make sure candidates have what it takes to work independently and in a less traditionally structured environment. The nature of working remotely requires team members to be selfstarters. They also need to have the knowledge and confidence to solve challenges on their own because they won’t be able to walk into your office for guidance. 2.LOOSEN THE REINS. As a leader, you’re ultimately responsible for the success of your team. But once you’ve hired your team, you have to release control and let team members do their jobs. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to set goals, and identify steps required to accomplish those goals, but resist the temptation to micromanage. Warren Buffett said it best: “Hire well. Manage little.” This will afford you time to focus on other projects. Not only that, the trust you show will breed loyalty in your team. 3.CONDUCT DAILY TEAM MEETINGS. Daily huddles provide team members with the opportunity to quickly share their meeting schedules and news that the whole team should hear. Each person can also report on progress toward individual and company quarterly goals and note the top priority for the day. Just because you have an office in another province doesn’t
mean those team members shouldn’t participate. Morning meetings, even via videoconference, can build team spirit, share information, foster accountability and provide quick solutions. 4. DON’T NEGLECT ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS. No matter the size of your organization or the number of remote locations, it’s essential for each team member to have one-on-one time with a manager or leader. Absence does not make the heart grow fonder, so hold these meetings at least monthly and preferably biweekly. Implement a system that allows supervisors to track the progress of team members’ work, provide a listening ear for any concerns and help them set goals. 5. PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE ACHIEVEMENTS. As leaders, it’s up to us to encourage team members to be the best they can be and to recognize excellent work. Research has shown a direct correlation between workplace appreciation and productivity and engagement. A Salesforce study found that team members who feel their voices are heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work. Create an online kudos board with an app like TINYpulse where you and fellow team members recognize peers for their accomplishments.
Andy Bailey is the founder, CEO and lead business coach at Petra, an organization dedicated to helping business owners across the world achieve levels of success they never thought possible. With personal experience founding an Inc. 500 multimillion-dollar company that he then sold and exited, Bailey founded Petra to pass on the principles and practices he learned along the way. As his clients can attest, he can cut through organizational BS faster than a hot knife through butter.
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Technology Times
January 2020
Don’t Let This Destroy Your Business Malware can be a confusing word. It covers a lot of different things, including viruses, worms, spyware, ransomware, Trojan horses and more. Malware in any form can destroy data, take control of your computer and cause major headaches.
employees about the dangers of malware and prepare your business for an attack. Small Business Trends, 10/12/2019
3. Management is purely reactive. When an employee makes a mistake, punishment isn’t the answer. Ideally, it should be a learning opportunity. When managers swiftly react, and 3 Telltale Signs Your suddenly there’s a bunch of closed Company Culture Is Toxic -door meetings, this equals stress 1. There’s a high turnover. If your for everyone else. If it gets to the business is a revolving door of point where employees don’t employees, you’ve got a big (and bring up problems with the very costly) problem. A high Most small businesses aren’t management team, this means churn rate is a clear sign your equipped to handle a devastating there is a complete lack of trust company culture is broken. It’s malware attack. Even a simple and employees fear the backlash. almost always a top-down issue: virus corrupting your hard drive Inc., 10/20/2019 management needs to ask can set you back a few days, and themselves what they are doing 4 Tips To Successfully Lead that’s only if you act quickly to Your Team To New Heights wrong. If it’s not fixed, it can contain and eliminate it. Some 1. Keep communication open forms of malware, including those destroy a company. (and honest). Whether you talk that scan and steal data from your face-to-face, hold regular meetings 2. Everyone’s confused. systems, can end up destroying Communication is key, and when or rely on chat software, always your business entirely. have a communication option management can’t clearly open between everyone at the communicate strategy or they Websites and networks are company in some capacity. manage behind closed doors, attacked every single day. By employees suffer. It can lead to some estimates, there is a cyber2. Be willing to delegate. You serious mistrust between attack every 25 minutes – a employees and management, and can’t do it all yourself. You hire number that increases in projects are prone to falling apart. people with experience to help frequency every year. The best your business succeed, so let them thing you can do is educate your shine! 3. Anticipate conflict. Conflict can’t be avoided, but it can be addressed before it becomes an issue. Train your team on ways to deal with conflict among themselves, with customers and beyond. 4. Embrace mentoring. The best leaders are also mentors to people around them. If someone leans on you for guidance, embrace it! Business Insider, 10/18/2019 Visit Us At Our Web Site: https://www.strongholdservices.ca (519) 471-9999