Tag Archives: business

Blackberry, Telephones

Review of Blackberry Z10

If you haven’t heard already, Blackberry (formally known as RIM) has released their latest product, the Blackberry Z10 running on the new Blackberry 10 operating system (OS).  As many of you know, I love my toys and was at the store the first day to get my hands on this new phone.

I am impressed with what the Z10 has to offer.  This is one of the biggest changes and improvement to come to Blackberry’s since entering the smartphone race.  They took a lot of what they had learned from the Torch and what they’ve seen trending in the industry to come out with a truly solid product.

So what’s new in the Blackberry Z10 and Blackberry 10 OS?

HUB

The Blackberry 10 introduces this concept of the “HUB”.  Basically it’s a central gathering place for critical information that sits quietly on the left side.   Whenever you need to take a look at what’s going on, you can simply swipe across and see without having to leave your current application.  In my HUB, I have my emails, BBMs, text messages, Facebook, LinkedIN, and Twitter accounts.  Thus in a second I can tell exactly which has activity, how many and can click into the application from the HUB.

Intuitive Typing that works!

One thing that smartphones are notorious for is poor intuitive typing.  Anyone who has ever tried to use iPhones or Android devices find themselves either turning off or constantly correcting the auto-correct phrases.  Just Google “bad iPhone text messages” and you’ll find countless examples.

Blackberry did an intelligent change to the whole intuitive typing.  It still tries to guess what you’re typing but it does not automatically place the word into the text for you.  Instead, you have the option to swipe a letter on the screen to select which word you would like.  This takes a bit of getting used to but a definite improvement.  And if you don’t like the swipe method, just keep typing.  When Blackberry is fairly certain it knows your selection, the word will appear in place of the spacebar.  So just hit spacebar and it will complete the word for you.

Easy navigation

Navigation is far smoother than in previous versions of Blackberry.  The screen models much of what they introduced already with the Torch but goes the next step to make it even easier.  In many ways, they model it after a normal computer screen with the ability to see the open applications one a single screen.

Massively improved camera

One of the biggest sore points of many older Blackberry users is the lack of a decent camera.  Even at its best version, pictures came out noisy and hard to use in any situation.  Comparatively, I’ve used my Galaxy to capture videos that rival the best HD cameras out there.  Blackberry’s excuse has always been that its focus is more about business than taking pictures.  But carrying around more than one phone at a time is cumbersome and frustrating, especially when the ONLY reason you have the other phone is to take pictures.

With this release, Blackberry really listened.  They not only improved the quality of the camera, they added a new “time-lapse” picture feature.  This has to be one of the BEST features for cameras and I highly expect to see iPhones and Android’s following suit shortly.

The “time-lapse” picture allows you to take a series of 10 pictures rather than just one.  Now, you no longer have to struggle with the painful delay of waiting for the phone to “click” and take the picture.  No more blurry pictures of kids as you try to capture them at the right moment.  Just use the time-lapse picture feature and pick which image you like best.

Voice activation/integration

Out of the box, Blackberry features some very slick voice integration.  You can command the phone to, say, BBM a person on your contact and record what you say into a text message.  While not perfect, especially if you’re in a noisy situation or have a thick accent, it definitely expands the functionality of the phone as a hands-free device.

Better microphone

One of the major issues of the touch-screen versions of earlier Blackberry versions is that you had to press your face against the screen to ever hope to hear or speak to the person you’re calling.  And for some odd reason, when that happens everyone ends up hitting the MUTE button.  The new phone has a much better microphone that doesn’t require you hold the device as close to your face in order to pick up what you’re saying.  In addition, they redesigned the phone interface to prevent accidental MUTE or key presses.

No more BES Plan needed

Before Blackberry 10, you had to purchase a special Blackberry Enterprise Service (BES) plan in order to add full wireless synchronization and activation.  With Blackberry 10, however, you will be using Microsoft Active Sync, thus requiring only a standard data plan.

Other slick Out-of-the-Box Features That Make Business Possible

True to its roots, Blackberry hasn’t forgotten that first and foremost their most loyal customers are business people.  Out of the box, you have connections to Docs to Go for access to your Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files.  You’re given a connection to Dropbox, which allows you to easily transfer large files.  The video BBM is also a very handy tool for one to one video conferencing. You can also share the desktop of the phone to another person over BBM.

With Blackberry Balance, you have the ability to setup your screen that allows you to separate your personal and business data.  Blackberry is also the ONLY mobile solution to have received FIPS 140-2 security certification.  So you have a level of security with your critical business information.

What’s lacking?

Not much.

No keyboard… yet

The first release of the new Blackberry line is their fully touch-screen model.  As such, there is no keyboard for those diehard keyboard users.  I must admit, I’m one of those that would have preferred a keyboard.  I can type way faster with my old Blackberry.  It’s a small sacrifice for now and they are set to bring about a keyboard version of the phone in April.

Poor low-light video

Supposedly some reports have stated that under low-light conditions, the Z10 camera could use a lot of improvements.  As I haven’t had a fireworks show yet since the Z10 release, I can’t say for certain if this is true.  But you can guarantee I will be testing it out very shortly and comparing the results to my Galaxy.  So far in daylight or lighted room situations, the camera captures perfectly and looks crisp and clear.

 

So overall, am I happy with my newest toy?

You bet!  This is a great phone and a great OS upgrade.  If you’d like to see the phone in action, just ask me next time I’m in your office and I’d be happy to show it off.

backup, Data Protection, IT Security, mobility

Picking the Right Backup Strategy

As part of our backup series, we will be continuing our discussion on backing up your most valuable business asset, your data.

Having a great backup application, like the StaySafe Protection Program, isn’t enough if you don’t have a good backup plan.

A good backup plan includes three components:

  • schedule and frequency
  • retention
  • recovery

Schedule and frequency

When considering your backup strategy, you need to know how often and what time you want your backup to be performed.

Most businesses simply default their programs to nightly because that is what they were told. There was a time when that was the prevalent strategy because of technology limitations. Backups would take all night, clog bandwidth and cause any day time work to come to a screeching halt.

However, times have changed. Newer “smart” programs like StaySafe Protection Program can send data incrementally, thus reducing the network load. They can also detect what has changed and only update those files that have been altered.

Good backup strategy goes beyond technology. Businesses need to consider how they are using their data to properly devise a schedule and frequency.

For instance, let’s say you have an accounting program that is only run once a month after payroll. It would be a wasted effort then to perform daily checks and backup of the data since it only changes every month. Alternatively, there might be a program that collects critical information every second, such as a highly regulated environment. This data may require more frequent backup but only during office hours.

All data shouldn’t be treated the same. Some of your information is more critical for your operation than others. Correctly identifying this information and isolating it will help ensure your backup plan protects your business at the right levels.

Retention

Now that you’ve backed up your data, how long do you keep it?

In a hypothetical world, we’d love to keep the data forever and never risk losing anything. In the real world however, storing data takes up valuable space. Be it a local storage device or remote cloud service, that space is finite and costs your business to increase thus you can’t consider your retained copies as an infinite storage.

So what is the right retention policy?

In many ways it comes down to:

  • schedule and frequency of backup
  • size and type of data
  • BUDGET

If your backup schedule is only monthly and you only retain a month of data, then you will only be as good as the last copy of events. This is hardly any protection from loss or corruption. If you store large files, such as graphic images or videos, the space you require per file increases drastically. The biggest consideration is – how much are you willing to spend on something you may never look at again?

As you can imagine, there is much to consider in this space before you start any backup plan

Recovery

Most business owners are knowledgeable when thinking in terms of backup but many never really spend any time to think about recovery. They assume that as long as the data is “backed up” it must be recoverable.

Unfortunately, that is not always the case. In some situations, the process of backing up changes the data format, making it unreadable by the original application.

Alternatively, the process of recovery could take hours if not days to become operational once more.  Having the appropriate Business Continuity Device, such as the devices by Cornerstone Backup, a Solve-IT.ca partner, can ensure your operation is back in a short period of time.

In still other situations, such as email, newer information may be lost if the backup were to be restored. A decision and procedure needs to be in place to ensure important new information isn’t erased by the recovery procedure.

In still other situations, the business has not set up the right schedule/frequency and retention for backup and the necessary copy of the information is not available for recovery.

The worst situation is when there is an emergency occurs and the necessary people can’t be contacted to get the recovery started.

In all situations, it is advised that after the business has devised a backup plan, including recovery procedures, they include the plan as part of their Business Continuity Plan. At scheduled times this plan is reviewed and tested to ensure it works. Consider it as a “fire drill” for all components including your backup recovery.

Without considering all 3 aspects of recovery, the best backup program in the world cannot properly safeguard your data.

If you need help coming up with a properly developed plan or would like a demo of our StaySafe Protection Program, call us at 905-388-2597 or send Solve-IT.ca an email or contact us directly and we will be happy to work through a plan with you.

 

backup, business computing, cloud computing, Data Protection, IT Security, mobility, remote access

Safeguarding Your Laptop

In today’s fast paced world, business is always on the move. If you are like many businesses today, this means more than just some glossy metaphor. With lighter, more powerful laptops, your office can travel with you. You don’t have to be out of touch with your critical information simply because you’re “on the road”. With cloud computing and virtual desktops, every aspect of your business can be available to you at the tips of your fingers.

But what happens when you lose the ability to use that laptop? What happens when you have information stored on your laptop that you just can’t afford to lose? Perhaps it’s that latest details of your next major project or the start of a presentation you’re planning on delivering. Perhaps it’s a copy of an agreement or revision notes you’ve taken while you were speaking with a client. Can you afford to lose that work?

As we’ve discussed before, information is one of the most valuable assets of your business. Losing it can cost you and your business a lot.

There are many ways you could lose your laptop, including but not limited to:

  • theft
  • hardware failure
  • damage or dropping your device
  • hard drive corruption

Is the information on your laptop safe from these situations?

According to FBI’s Computer Crime Survey, the estimated cost of computer security incidents is $67.2 billion annually. And based on a recent study by Ponemon Institute, organizations lose up to $7.2 million each data breach and an average of $49,246 of data per lost laptop.

If you are concerned at all, consider the StaySafe Protection program. The Protection program is the newest member of our StaySafe suite of services all designed to help keep your most valuable asset, your data, safe. What makes StaySafe Protection unique is that is has a laptop specific component, Mobile Vault, designed for the “on-the-go” business person.  Mobile Vault provides your laptop will receive industry leading business-class backup service, fully encrypted data transfers, IP tracing and remote data removal. Compare this with traditional backup strategies.

Traditional Backup Plans StaySafe Protection Mobile Vault
Business-class backup of data ✓ ✓
AES 256-bit encryption of data ? ✓
Load balance/silent data transfer ? ✓
IP Tracing of devices ✓
Remote data destruction ✓

Business-class backup of data

Let’s face it, not all backups are created equal. Business-class backup comes with a level of integrity that you can’t get from at home versions of backup. Business-class backup includes:

  • redundant systems to ensure optimal uptimes
  • professional level software enabling greater level of control over data
  • ability to apply policies and create procedures the increase compliance of data

AES 256-bit encryption of data

One of the greatest dangers of working with data over the Internet these days is the fear the information can be stolen. Without proper encryption, your business intelligence and competitive advantage is just floating out there for someone to pick up and steal. AES 256-bit encryption is the latest and greatest in industry techniques.

Load balancing and silent transfer of data

Most traditional backup plans will require you set a time to “run” the backup. It utilizes all of your system’s resources to upload the computer’s information into a remote location. This process can take hours to complete and tie up critical systems, slowing down the internet and any other operations on that system. As such, most businesses schedule traditional backup plans to run late at night, when they expect low traffic on their network.

But with remote systems, you can’t always predict when you’ll be hooked up to the internet and available to do this backup. Under the traditional backup plans, that could mean your computer will miss these critical backups. Or worse, your already slow remote connection will move even slower because you’re trying to share the bandwidth with your backup process. Many times, you’re not connected to these remote internet services long enough to truly perform a full backup, thus potentially corrupting your backups and losing your critical data.

Under Mobile Vault, the service is intelligent enough to perform data transfer in increments, transferring small packets so it not only using less bandwidth but can optimize on your limited remote access. If you lose connection to the internet, it will simply resume where it left off and thus prevent data corruption.

IP Tracing and Remote data destruction

One of the scariest things that can happen to any business person is losing their laptop. Not only is it a physical asset loss, it could also mean the loss of critical information and compromise of the business. With Mobile Vault, businesses are now able to track and remove critical information even if the computer is physically lost.

Using the administrative interface, Mobile Vault can put a listener out on the Internet. As soon as the computer tries to connect to the internet again (which is a standard process triggered when most computers turn on), the system will retrieve the location of the computer via IP address. From here, the lost device can be located and any critical information removed remotely from the system.

Interested to learn more about what StaySafe Protection or any services under the StaySafe line can offer your computer? Just give us a call or email today. We’d be happy to assist you further and help evaluate if this service is right for your business.

cloud computing

Do you fear the Cloud?

Whenever I speak to people about the Cloud, I get mixed reactions that border anywhere from fear to skepticism.  If you’re one of those people, rest assured that:  a) you’re not alone  and b) it’s not as scary as it seems.

First, let’s get through the basics.

What is the Cloud?

Simply put:  it’s the marketer’s way of explaining virtualization.

There are a few more bells and whistles but essentially it is making whatever component “virtual”.  It means you don’t have to have physical devices located around your office to hold information.  In most cases, it means you won’t have to maintain licensing or worry about upgrades as the “Cloud” will take care of that.

Is there just one Cloud?

Like its namesake, there are many clouds that exist out there and, likewise, they can overlap and integrate with one another.

The term “Cloud” is like calling a car ” an automatic”.    Is there just one type of automatic car out there?  No.    Look at all the dealerships who have various brands, makes and models.    They’re different but they all operate under the same generic principles.

So too with the Cloud.  There are many out there from a variety of sources.  Some are big, some are small.  Some offer certain features that others may not have.  What you use is dependent upon what you need.

Is the Cloud dangerous?

It can be.  Whenever you expose your data or information outside there are risks involved.  Equally, there are risks to keeping your data within your walls too.  Fire, theft, or any number of hardware failures can cost you valuable information on your business.

The best way to proceed is to review the systems you have and provide a proactive plan which ensures critical information and processes, like email and financial data, are properly secured.

What can go into the Cloud?

These days just about anything.  You can set up Cloud for:

  • Email
  • archiving and backup
  • collaboration tools (like Sharepoint)
  • communication devices (like Windows Communicator or WebEX)
  • Microsoft Office programs
  • accounting systems

…just to name a few…

The only things that generally can’t go on the Cloud are physical products like machines or things your business creates.   The trick behind getting on the Cloud is knowing the technology and understanding your business.  Some items make more sense to place on the Cloud than others.  Depending on a number of factors such as the size of the organization, usage, performance, etc., certain Cloud solutions may work better for you than others.   The only way to really find out what you need to place on the Cloud is to speak with your IT professional who understands both your business and the technology out there.

If you need assistance, please contact our Cloud specialist  at Solve-IT.ca.  We service businesses in Southeastern Ontario for all their computer and technology needs.

business computing, IT Security

The Nasty 5-letter Word

In the business world, the term “audit” is a nasty 5-letter word.  It often refers to financial auditing and is wrought with anxiety and countless lost hours of production.

Did you know that when it comes to technology, auditing can actually save you money and, in some cases, help you propel your business to the next level?

Not many people think about auditing their IT systems.  Computers tend to be a “put it in place and forget about it until it breaks” component of business.  The reality is you could be wasting a great deal of money by not regularly performing audits on your IT environment.

We equate this leakage to the same as a bad sealant on a window.  Sure, the window is in place and is functioning (for the most part).  On the surface, unless there’s a major crack, you don’t really see any issues but over time, you will notice your heating or cooling bills rise.  You may find water seeping in during bad storms and causing damage to the building structure.  Eventually it will cost you more to keep your current windows than to have them properly switched out and replaced.

So too is the slow leakage that comes with a business IT infrastructure that doesn’t have a proper monitoring and auditing system behind it.

The slow leak of your hard-earned profit…

As mentioned previously, it isn’t immediately apparent how you can lose money from an improperly maintained IT system but here are some common issues we run into that can easily be caught by a proper audit.

  • Outdated software that requires patches or upgrades
  • Equipment on the verge of failing and degrading in performance
  • Holes in your security that have allowed malicious software to enter
  • Loss of productivity from employees spending time on unauthorized websites
  • Missing or incorrect license keys which put your company at legal risk

Ignoring the issue…

Over time, the infrastructure can break down around you and suddenly you find yourself in an emergency situation.  Your hardware or software is failing.  You don’t know how or what to replace the equipment with.  You scramble to stop the incoming “seepage of water” that can cause permanent damage to the infrastructure of your business.

Audits to the rescue

Luckily, you can avoid a lot of this pain by having an IT audit performed.  Unlike its financial counterpart, IT audits can be relatively painless and cost you minimal time.

A well run audit

Obviously, there are many programs and people out there who claim they can perform IT audits.  If the audit is to be of value, it must contain some key points:

  • Inventory of all hardware and software connected to your IT system
  • Detailed listing of licenses for each critical application and serial numbers for hardware
  • Information around warranty status on each piece of hardware
  • Listing of firewall or security measures and ports open
  • Information on users and mail accounts (if hosted internally)
  • Information on server utilization and storage device space

How long does an audit take?

Normally, an initial audit should take no more than a couple of hours.  There is minimal involvement from your staff.  Rather, the IT technician should be able to perform the investigation with just access to your system.

How often should it be done?

The frequency of audits depends upon if you have another monitoring system in place to watch day-to-day activity.  With a monitoring system, you should only have to perform or update your audit when major system changes like across-the-board upgrades or new servers go into place.  Without a monitoring system to watch day-to-day traffic, you may want to consider a minimum of a yearly review of your systems to ensure all is still operating as expected.

Need help?

If you need more help or have further questions about IT audits, please don’t hesitate to give us a call here at Solve-IT.ca.  We’d be happy to answer your questions and work with you to provide you the best solutions to maximize your IT budget. 

cloud computing

Should you virtualize your business

Virtualization seems to be the latest trend for business (and personal) these days. Everywhere you turn, people are talking about the “cloud” and utilizing their “online services”. But how realistic is this move for businesses? And is this just a passing fad?

First off, let’s be clear the concept of virtualization for computers isn’t as new as Microsoft or other big contenders would have you believe. In fact, the original computing world was completely “virtual”. Back then, we called them mainframes. All data and applications were in a central location; the only thing the user had was a terminal in which to log into the main servers.

Mainframes were powerful but the architecture had quite a few drawbacks. Limitations, such as capacity of simultaneous users and distance from the mainframe servers, directed companies more towards personal computers and stand-alone devices.

The idea of virtualization has risen again because of many advancements which makes the concept and technology far more accessible. In today’s world, virtualization refers to a diverse array of solutions and possibilities. Understanding the differences and possibilities are key to gaining the benefit of the technology.

Small companies (< 50 desktops)

Smaller companies can see real cost benefits from virtualizing their support or auxiliary systems. When we speak about virtualization for smaller businesses, we are talking primarily about utilizing the services of another company to eliminate the need of locally maintaining hardware and software.

Example: A mid-sized manufacturing company with roughly 15 employees was getting bombarded with spam in their email box. The spam was causing important emails from clients to be delayed and even rejected.

The cost for purchasing a local spam filtering software was a flat server rate plus individual cost per user. Divided across 15 boxes, it worked out to over $200/year/user.
Solve-IT.ca recommended they move to a virtualized spam filter, where they were able to reduce the cost of spam filtering to just a few dollars a month per user, or < $100/year/user. There was no compromise in service and in fact they gained message queuing, mail archiving and the ability to reply to emails in the queue in the event of a server outage.

Larger companies (> 50 desktops)

In larger companies, they can benefit from the same shared services as small businesses. But there are other opportunities available, such as Hyper-V, a Microsoft technology which allows for a single server to act like multiple.

Example: A large pharmaceutical company had at one time maintained close to 27 servers to store all their critical clinical trials data. This large number of servers was starting to impede the space allotted for computers and thus the ability for the company to continue to grow.

Rather than simply place more servers into the room, Solve-IT.ca worked out a new architecture for the environment that reduced the 27 servers down to 7 and allowed for additional growth within the existing environment. In addition to saving floor space, this allowed the company to retire the other 20 servers and save on maintenance time, reduce their carbon footprint and experience a utilities cost saving.

So what’s the right virtualization solution?

Virtualizing a company’s IT has to be done with a lot of care and forethought. Without the proper planning, critical systems can go down and data can be lost.

It is also not a “one-size-fits-all” environment. The solution has to fit with the company’s needs. For instance, a lawyer firm Solve-IT.ca recently worked with had legal requirements to maintain all data within Canada. Thus, it was critical for us to work with them and find the right solution to meet their needs and not compromise their data.

Are you interested in virtualizing your environment? Curious what options may be available to you?

Give us a call and book some Discovery time with Solve-IT.ca. We’ll be able to review your existing setup and provide our assessment on what architecture would make the most sense for your business.

business computing

4 Considerations in Selecting Business Computer Systems

From time to time I get asked by people who don’t work regularly with me as to why I choose to deploy brands such as IBM and Lenovo. The price tags on these devices are often higher than some of their off-the-shelf counterparts. (Let’s not mention the bad 4-letter word please!)

I’m often surprised by this question because I don’t understand why anyone would want to go with something different for their business. Sure, in your personal life, you can get away with using just about anything. In fact, in my lifetime, I’ve built several thousand clone computers personally.

But as a business owner, I have to ask some critical questions that make my business decisions clear:

  • Do you care if your computers work every day?
  • Do you care about standardized platforms and reduced service costs?
  • Do you care how customer service treats you if something goes wrong?

As wonderful as computers are, the reality is there will always be situations where something can (and as Murphy states often does) go wrong. That’s where having a tried and true brand makes the difference.

Here are some of my real life examples of how these two particular brands made a real difference to my customers:

In-person and onsite support even on holidays

Anyone who knows me knows about the Christmas from hell. If you don’t, just ask me some time. Short story, even at Christmas Eve there was someone we could talk to from IBM who could assist us in bringing the system back. On top of that, they were willing to bring someone either that night or the next morning down from the main Toronto office to be onsite to resolve the issue.

Technical support that knows they don’t know everything

Another company, who I was not supporting at the time but had worked on the architecture of their environment, had a critical application go down because their current support decided to mess with the delicate setup in a vain attempt to optimize their environment. The end result is that the company called in IBM to get them back up and running. The IBM technician was told by this other support to basically wipe the whole server clean and rebuild the system from scratch. Having enough common sense, this technician was wise enough to stop and actually ask more questions. End result was the actual solution was a completely different problem and by not blindly following what he was told to do, he saved the company countless hours and service dollars to get the server data back.

Simple support at the convenience of the customer

A client of mine recently had a Lenovo laptop which had a video screen that started displaying a weird black band. With no fuss, I simply called technical support and reported the issue. Because the computer was a Lenovo T-series, it had a 3 year warranty upgraded to next business day onsite. The client was about to go on an extended business trip and Lenovo was willing to have the computer picked up and dropped off wherever was necessary for him. Fortunately, the issue wasn’t so critical that he had to have such an immediate response. But after he returned (nearly a month later) with the laptop, Lenovo still honored the claim and handled the laptop with ease.

Easy recovery and factory restore

Seems lately I’ve had the luck of dealing with several computer virus attacks. Many of them were on systems without a proper recovery media. A recovery media is important in ensuring the operating system (normally Windows), all drivers, and all default programs are restored properly onto the computer. In comparison, Lenovo offers the friendliest recover mechanism to ensure a clean restore to factory. This means less cost and less time until the computer is fully functioning again.

The above are extreme cases. It’s the hope that you never run into any of these problems. But do you really want to chance something as critical as your business computer systems? Isn’t your business important enough to you to go for the best?

At the end of the day, if you can’t afford a branded platform, can you afford to loss your critical business data instead?

If you’re interested in moving to a more standardized platform and want to know how your business can benefit from using branded products, please drop us an email here at Solve-IT.ca, a leading IT support for Southern Ontario.

business tips

Cash Flow: The Lifeblood of Every Niagara Small Business

Guest Blogger:  Connie Certusi, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Sage Small Business Accounting Solutions

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any small business and how it’s managed can mean the difference between your company’s success or failure. Having ample cash on hand will ensure that your suppliers, employees and other vendors can be paid on time. It also allows companies to invest cash back into the business in order to generate additional revenue and profit and, most importantly, improve their bottom line.

Let’s take a closer look at how cash flow management can affect small businesses and review how your business can take control of and better manage its cash flow immediately.

Setting up for Proper Cash Flow Management

Preparing accurate cash flow projections on a regular basis is one of the most important things a small business owner can do, as it can raise red flags to potential problems before they arise. Small business owners can start their cash flow projection by adding cash on hand at the beginning of the period with other cash to be received from various sources. However, it is crucial that other factors are also accounted for, including upcoming cash outlays like rent, inventory, salaries, benefits, taxes, office supplies, advertising, etc.

Better Manage Your Small Business Cash Flow

There are two key areas to analyze for better management of cash flow: receivables and payables.

Improving Receivables

If small business owners got paid immediately following a sale, cash flow would never be a problem. Unfortunately, this rarely happens, but small business owners can still improve their cash flow by better managing their receivables.

Because cash is such a vital asset to all businesses, there are a number of things that small business owners can do to help facilitate getting customers to pay in a more timely fashion:

  • issue invoices promptly and follow up immediately if payments are slow in materializing
  • offer discounts to customers who pay their bills quickly
  • offer several different ways for your customers to pay you
  • track accounts receivable to identify and avoid slow-paying customers

Managing Payables

Expenses must be carefully watched when managing a growing company, as strong sales growth can conceal underlying problems. If expenses are growing faster than sales – or even if they are not –payables should be examined carefully and methods to better control them should be identified:

  • make payments on the last day they are due to retain the use of funds as long as possible
  • keep an eye on sales and expenditure patterns and selling and billing cycles
  • maintain good knowledge of suppliers and understand who offers the best terms and pricing
  • manage and track inventory levels

What is the Best Way to Take Control of Your Cash Flow Management?

Accounting software solutions, such as Sage Simply Accounting or Sage Peachtree, for managing all financial records and cash flow on a daily basis can be beneficial to small business owners.

Even if the business is profitable, a company can close down because of a cash shortage. With the right accounting system, small businesses can:

  • quickly issue professional invoices with detailed and accurate information
  • reduce delinquent payments by offering ways to electronically send and receive money
  • accept credit card payments online for easy, on-time payment
  • access cash projection and customer aged summary reports to understand what monies are owed to you and what your cash position looks like at any one time
  • easily track inventory to reduce waste and keep tabs on your inventory levels
  • establish a preferred suppliers list that identifies previous pricing for materials or goods purchased
  • forecast sales so you can plan ahead and be aware of customer buying patterns
  • pull information directly from most banks and quickly cross-reference every transaction

However you track it, cash flow is the key to your business’ success, and having the right system in place will help improve your cash flow and boost your bottom line!

Connie Certusi is the general manager of Sage’s Small Business AccountinSolutions (SBAS) business unit, which includes the Sage Peachtree and Sage Simply Accounting businesses, as well as the Sage Accountants Network.
Ms. Certusi’s efforts are focused heavily on ensuring that all aspects of the accounting solutions business unit deliver a premium customer experience to small businesses as well as to key recommenders, such as accountants.

Prior to joining Sage, Ms. Certusi gained comprehensive experience in the financial software industry at MSA/Dun & Bradstreet Software, SQL Financials and Ross Systems. She spent 10 years with MSA/Dun & Bradstreet Software in various areas of product development, marketing and management.

Ms. Certusi holds a B.B.A. degree in management science from the University of Georgia.

IT Security

What Is Wardriving and Why Should Your Hamilton Business Be Concerned?

If you happen to run a small business, beware! At one time, making sure our computers were locked to our desks and we had the right passwords were just enough to secure confidential corporate data. Maybe having your server locked in a secure room gave you the peace of mind that everything was secure. Times have changed especially since the invention of wireless networks. Today, crooks simply need a WI-FI connection to break into your office.

These Wardrivers drive around cruising neighbourhoods, shopping centers and office buildings looking for open or WI-FI networks that can be easily hacked into. All businesses are at risk! Small Business right through to large corporations can fall victim to a compromise of their WI-FI network. There are almost daily stories of corporations having their WI-FI networks hacked into and customer data compromised. A few years ago it was TJ Maxx; tomorrow it could be your business.

Right now, these wardrivers might make you a target. Here is how they will typically do it…

Wardrivers cruise around in vehicles, usually the ones with tinted windows to make sure no one outside sees what is happening inside the vehicle. Inside the vehicle will be laptops connected with long-range antennas that collect the list and locations of wireless networks. When they come across a vulnerable wireless network, they tap into it and steal credit card numbers and even personal information.

And if you are using an unsecure Wi-Fi standard called Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), you may be at risk. Consumer-grade WI-Fi routers (normally sold at your local office supply store) are often the targets of these wardriving attempts to hack into your business network. Your business might be using one of them. But the point here is that WEP’s encryption can be easily cracked with a little help from sophisticated tools by unsophisticated hackers, so it is time you reviewed your network security and our team of Hamilton IT security specialists can help you.

Just over a year ago, a hacker named Albert Gonzalez was convicted of stealing more than 130 million credit card numbers, most of which were robbed using wardriving.

What does your business need to be secure?

It starts with having a review of your overall business security systems, physical and virtual. It is great to have alarms on your building, controlled access to your business but what about your employees who connect from home via remote access or your WI-FI connection that is broadcasting to the world that your business is “open for business”. Having a trusted Hamilton IT support team like ours will ensure your network is completely secure, all possible gaps are filled and you can rest assured knowing that the right team is on the job.

Wireless networks are great and they are convenient. But what are the risks? Contact Solve-IT today to learn more about how to secure your business network.

Microsoft

Microsoft Big Easy 6.0 Offer

If you are thinking of purchasing or renewing software, why not do it via eligible Open License programs, especially at a time when Big Easy 6.0 is providing an incredible offer with the latest Microsoft products? As your local Hamilton Microsoft Partner, there are many programs your business can leverage to help make sure the right solutions are in place for your business and that you are getting them for the right price plus maybe taking advantage of many Microsoft incentives.

The Big Easy 6.0 offer provides you up to 30% in partner subsidy dollars on qualifying Microsoft purchases, and the offer applies to new and renewal software purchases. You will also be able to apply these partner subsidy dollars towards future purchases of Microsoft solutions or services. With the offer, you will be able to receive a reimbursement on the purchase of a Windows Phone device through Open Business or Open Value, as well.

While making new purchases, you will be able to get 5% in partner subsidy dollars under the Open License plus Software Assurance, and the percentage is 15 for Open Value. Those who opt for an Open Value Subscription will be provided 30% partner subsidy dollars. Confused about Microsoft’s licensing programs; don’t be. We are here to make sure your business gets the right licenses.

Likewise, if you are looking for renewing an existing license agreement, you will be able to get 30% partner subsidy dollars under the Open Value agreement where renewals are given when other new products are purchased.

You must have already taken your pick by now. If not, we recommend you make new software purchases through the Open Value Subscription (OVS) agreement and renew existing license agreements through the Open Value (OV) agreement (because they are the most beneficial agreements!). The offer lets you choose from the latest softwares like Lync, Office 2010, Windows Server, and Exchange 2010 to name a few; but the offer lasts only until June 30, 2011.

So what are you waiting for? Grab the offer today!