Blog News

In 2020, large numbers of workers, restricted from going to the office, began to take a hard look at their lives.  From commute times, to cost of living in big cities, and more,  many people flocked to “gateway communities” (small communities located close to national parks, ski resorts, and outdoor recreation).  Although many people are continuing to work from home,  many analyst are wondering if these Zoom towns will continue to succeed. 

In times when people are still working remotely, the need to stay connected has become more important than ever.  With in person meetings limited, video conferencing systems have become the lifeline to organizations everywhere.  Microsoft Teams is one of the leading video conferencing platforms on the market today.  With its robust, reliable remote meeting solutions for team collaboration and communication, Microsoft has made it easy to communicate and collaborate with others. 

Customers are the core of your business, so it is vital you keep generating new customers, as well as continue to retain your existing customers.  Whether you are a startup or an established business it is essential to identify your customer base, recognize these customers and build a strong relationship with them.  After all these are the people who keep your business going. 

Conferences and events are back and in full swing.  With new education, new vendors, and many networking opportunities, Harry Brelsford of SMB Nation sits down with Joshua Liberman of Net Sciences, Inc. to discuss the hot shows and what they have to offer. 

There are so many places for entrepreneurs to gain inspiration from biographies and  podcast, to movies and documentaries.   Streaming services like Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and more are starting to offer a huge amount of on- demand shows that are tailored to entrepreneurs and start up businesses.

Harry Brelsford of SMB Nation sits down with Tim Taylor author of How to Start and Run a Successful I.T. Company Without Losing Your Shirt to discuss the fundamentals of how to actually start your own IT company.  Tim started out from scratch and built a successful business, listen and let Tim help you create a successful business by learning from his mistakes.

A big part of driving marketing is connecting and creating engagements with your target audience.  As MSPs you have a tremendous opportunity to be come more effective at marketing your business to drive growth through building effective connections with your customers.  Harry Brelsford of SMB Nation sits down with Dan Albaum of Market Impact to discuss the importance of connections and positive impacts. 

By Harry Brelsford

Like many small business owners, the U.S. tax season came faster than I had anticipated. And having recently moved from Seattle, WA to Austin, TX, a lot of my records were in moving boxes and disorganized. Add to that I recently changed bookkeepers and use a new accounting firm in Tampa, FL. I was going to need to rapidly orchestrate my tax filing process to meet the April 18, 2022 deadline!

Global Cyber Security has been threatening the world for the last 20 years, however, in the last couple of years we have seen businesses working overtime to gain an edge on these cyber threats.  According to a recent report by Check Point Research the number of attacks on corporate networks increased by 50 percent in 2021 compared to 2020. 

Network Monitoring is the practice of identifying components within the network that are in need of help or problem solving.  These components can include but are not limited to components, availability, latency and reachability in the network.  By monitoring your network using a monitoring software it can provide real time information to the network administrator to help the network run optimally, proactively determine needs, and optimize efficiencies. 

Although cyberattacks have been around for years, in the last year we have seen a new era of cyberattacks.  These attacks are more sophisticated and have cost companies billions in recovery expenses, fines and lost revenue.  As companies look to protect themselves with technology, employee training, and cyber insurance, they might not be as protected as they think.   

Maintaining, being efficient with resources, improving security, compliance, and having an insight into your businesses evolving IT asset needs are vital in maintaining your business. Proper practices of IT asset lifecycle management encompasses these key practices, while allowing your company to extend asset lifespans, reduce the cost of maintenance, and make the asset more reliable.