Recent Blog Posts
A Manager?s Job is to, Well, Manage I know, I know? obvious. However, this doesn?t mean that it is any less important to acknowledge that managerial styles don?t always line up perfectly to each team member?s work style. For instance, if a manager is accustomed to self-driven work processes, it may be difficult for the team members they manage to work if they need structure in the workplace. Therefore, managers need to anticipate these differences in work styles and communicate with each appropriately. For this, there are plenty of business software solutions available to help managers keep their team members on task, allowing you to keep track of who is to do what, and when, while outlining the goals they are to strive for. Communication is Key, as They Say You also want to ensure that management is able to facilitate the clear and open sharing of information?as appropriate, of course?by not only setting the example, but by doing so using the appropriate tools. Businesses should have a variety of communication technologies in place to promote collaboration and to give their external contacts plenty of options to embrace as they reach out. It is on management to take the lead on establishing these tools as the standard. Show your team how your communication solutions are to be used, and encourage them to use them the same way. Hold?and Lead?Effective Meetings There is definitely such a thing as ?too many meetings,? and it tends to be the side effect of ineffective meetings overall. There are a few ways to counteract this, like planning an itinerary to shape your meetings around. Of course, you also need the technology that will allow you to hold meetings with both in-house and remote employees, which a collaboration suite provides. Video conferencing helps to reduce the space between distant coworkers, in a manner of speaking, allowing you to lead them more effectively through a version of face-to-face conversation. Turn to Us to Equip Your Team with the Tools Your Managers Need At White Mountain IT Services, we?re experienced in identifying and implementing the solutions that businesses need for success, supporting every member of their team?including management. Reach out to us at (603) 889-0800 to learn more.
Let?s go over why not. Repair-via-Violence is Sometimes Referred to as Percussive Maintenance Seriously, that?s the high-falutin? term for just smacking your technology around to make it work. According to Techopedia, the definition is as follows: ?In IT, percussive maintenance is the art of shaking, banging or pounding on something, in order to make it work. Experts generally define percussive maintenance as the use of rough impact on physical hardware to solve some type of malfunction.? I?m confident that you?ve observed some evidence of this working in your own life, even if it was as simple as slapping the television remote against your palm a few times. So, if it works, why not do it in the office? Because It Can Break Your Business? Technology, That?s Why Here?s the thing about percussive maintenance?the reason it sometimes works is that an issue can be the result of a loose connection, and the impact could manage to reposition the internal components. However, it could just as easily (and frankly, it?s more likely to) damage your device further. It really should come as no surprise that we?d take this stance?and we aren?t alone in the IT world in this. It sincerely is just a matter of statistics. Comparatively, what?s the chance of fixing a problem versus the chance of making it worse, making no difference, or messing something else up, too? Too high. It?s part of the reason that your heart stops whenever you fumble your phone: you know that it?s far more likely that it breaks it than makes it better. So, despite the (unfortunately) indisputable fact that percussive maintenance sometimes works, it is not something that we recommend. If anything, leave the computer-smacking to the professionals! Also, for the record, blowing on old video game cartridges or computer disks isn?t a remedy either (the moisture in your breath can corrode the copper connectors and cause long term damage). But we digress. With Managed Services, You?ll Have a Better Option than Just Hitting Your Device We can help you troubleshoot your technology and resolve the issues present, whether they?re the result of a software issue, computer virus, or yes, a hardware issue. Reach out to us and ask about our remote monitoring and management services by calling (603) 889-0800.
Let?s take a look at the concept of a four-day workweek and why it might be beneficial for not just your employees, but your business as well. The Four-Day Work Week, in a Nutshell Compared to the traditional five-day workweek, employees might only visit the office or log on to their work computer four days out of the week. The important thing to take away from this concept is that there is no pay cut associated with this decrease in workload; your team would still take home the same salary as they would if they worked five days out of the week. This might sound like an extreme detriment to your business, but think of it this way. The 40-hour workweek came about as a result of a significant limit placed on working hours. In 1890, for example, full-time employees in the manufacturing industry would routinely pull 100-hour workweeks. What Benefits Could a Four-Day Week Bring? Some of the benefits of a four-day workweek include the following: Boosted Productivity Overworking is a major problem for employees, and it can negatively influence productivity over time. It has been proven time and again that scaling back working hours can increase productivity, with some of the more notable examples including Norway, Denmark, and Germany, all of whom have demonstrated this benefit. Engaged Employees Employee productivity is linked to employee satisfaction, something which can have significant benefits for your workforce. If you can make the work week shorter, you provide more opportunity for employees to take time off for healthcare-related reasons or to improve mental health wellness. No Matter Your Working Hours, We?ll Be There to Support You Even if your business doesn?t like the idea of the four-day workweek, you will still need the appropriate technology resources available to make sure that your staff can be as productive as possible. To learn more about how managed IT services can help your business, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.
Chromebooks are laptops that run Google?s Chrome OS, which is a very lightweight operating system that depends heavily on Internet-connectivity to bring value. This is largely because they typically come with a small amount of storage and aren?t really compatible with outside software. Typically, anything that you can do in your Chrome browser (or with Android apps {more on this later}), you can do on a Chromebook. Let?s look at how Chromebooks could be just what you are looking for for your employee workstation needs. Chromebooks are Affordable The number one thing you should know about Chromebooks is that they can be had for significantly less than other Windows or macOS-fueled laptops. Since they are designed for a particular purpose, you can get a productivity machine for low cost. While some Chromebooks are available at a higher price point, options from HP, Acer, and Asus can be friendlier on the budget than other similarly-specced laptops. All About Productivity Since the Chrome OS operating system isn?t conducive to running all types of stand alone applications, it can be thought to be limiting to what you can do with them. If you are looking for a productivity machine, however, the Chromebook is surprisingly great. Once connected to an Internet connection they can do about anything you need them to productivity wise. This is especially true if your business utilizes the Google Workspace or Microsoft Office productivity suites as both are available and capable in Chrome OS. Android Integration Another cool feature about Chromebooks is that they are capable of running many of the Android apps found on the Google Play Store. Chrome OS is integrated with mobile app compatibility so you can go on the Play Store, download your favorite productivity or communications apps and be up and running as fast as if you were using a smartphone. Security One of the main benefits of the Chromebook is the lack of dedicated exploits for the operating system. Google uses its ?Defense in Depth? approach that provides many layers of security so if one layer is compromised, there are additional layers of security that are at work simultaneously to mitigate threats. Windows and macOS are much more utilized interfaces and hackers develop their attacks around these often-used platforms. Since Chrome OS is less utilized, but developed by one of the top software companies in the world, hacks and malware are much less of an issue. Furthermore, the operating system can be reinforced with two-step verification and other built-in features that are easy to configure and use. If you are looking for an affordable computing option for your new small business, you should consider the Chromebook as a good tool that is affordable and can give you everything you need out of a budget laptop. If you would like to talk to one of our IT professionals about Chromebooks, cloud-based software, and other computing options that run alternatives to more traditional methods, give White Mountain IT Services a call today at (603) 889-0800.
How to Identify What Technology Can Help Your Business We discuss how technology can be a huge benefit for your business all the time, and as a result, we know that throwing money at technology to see what sticks is not an advisable strategy. Sure, you may see some added efficiency, but if it is being deployed in a part of your business that already functions well, the return on investment (ROI) will be small. On the other hand, if you are able to put a piece of functioning technology inside a process where your business struggles, you may see a rapid ROI and enjoy better operational efficiency and productivity as a result. This means you will have to first identify where your business struggles and what type of technology is available to remedy them. If you are like many other business owners and don?t know exactly where to start, or if you have a lot of pain points, but limited financial resources in which to invest into new technology, then it can be tricky trying to ascertain what technology can give you the most bang for your buck. Let?s go through some business areas where technology offers the best ROI if you are just starting out or if you are looking to build on what you already have. Invest in Technology that Helps Your Employees Be More Productive Your employees are the thing that makes your business a success or a failure, so it stands to reason that you would want to invest in technology that makes them more efficient and productive. You may be surprised that some of these investments won?t put you back as much as you may think. Let?s take a look at three technology investments you can make today to get your business moving in the right direction: Reliable Wi-Fi Productive employees typically have a work environment conducive to working consistently. No other tool is quite as important as access to the Internet. By investing in creating a reliable and robust wireless network, your employees won?t be searching for a signal as they collaborate around your office. Collaboration Tools Another technology that will get a workout by your employees is an intranet-type collaboration tool. Whether you need dynamic project management or simply an interface for your team to sort out their daily tasks, a collaboration tool can present them with the resources they need to keep productive. Today?s collaboration tool/project management tool can provide your staff with the communication capabilities they need as well as the dynamic integrations to allow them to simply share and collaborate. Communication Tools While the collaboration tools can provide a lot of the communications interfaces your team may need in the way of video conferencing integration and instant messaging/forums, a business will function best when it has strong communications tools. Solutions like VoIP and hosted email will give them the options they need to communicate within your business while also giving them the tools they need to improve customer satisfaction. Investing in technologies that will help your employees take your business to the next level has to be a priority. If you would like to talk to an IT professional about integrating today?s most robust technology into your business, give White Mountain IT Services a call today at (603) 889-0800.