Jennifer Lonoff Schiff
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Jennifer Lonoff Schiff
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14 things you need to know about data storage management
When it comes to storing data, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution, so before you decide where or how to store your data, first understand the amount and type you have and why you need to store it.How to make sure data that should be backed up gets backed up So how do you formulate a sound data-storage management strategy? IDG asked dozens of storage and data management experts, which resulted in these top 14 suggestions regarding what steps you need to take to choose the right data storage solution(s) for your organization—and how you can better ensure your data is properly protected and retrievable.To read this article in full, please click here
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14 things you need to know about data storage management
When it comes to storing data, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution, so before you decide where or how to store your data, first understand the amount and type you have and why you need to store it.How to make sure data that should be backed up gets backed up So how do you formulate a sound data-storage management strategy? IDG asked dozens of storage and data management experts, which resulted in these top 14 suggestions regarding what steps you need to take to choose the right data storage solution(s) for your organization—and how you can better ensure your data is properly protected and retrievable.To read this article in full, please click here
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8 ways to manage an internet or security crisis
Your business is hit with a ransomware attack. Or your ecommerce site crashes. Your legacy system stops working. Or maybe your latest software release has a major bug. These are just some of the problems that ecommerce, technology and other companies experience at one time or another.The issue is not if a problem – or crisis – occurs, but how your company handles it when it does. Manage the problem poorly, you risk losing customers, or worse. Handle a crisis promptly and professionally, you can fend off a public relations disaster and might even gain new customers.So what steps can businesses take to mitigate and effectively manage an IT-related crisis? Here are eight suggestions.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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8 ways to manage an internet or security crisis
Your business is hit with a ransomware attack. Or your ecommerce site crashes. Your legacy system stops working. Or maybe your latest software release has a major bug. These are just some of the problems that ecommerce, technology and other companies experience at one time or another.The issue is not if a problem – or crisis – occurs, but how your company handles it when it does. Manage the problem poorly, you risk losing customers, or worse. Handle a crisis promptly and professionally, you can fend off a public relations disaster and might even gain new customers.So what steps can businesses take to mitigate and effectively manage an IT-related crisis? Here are eight suggestions.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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8 ways to manage an internet or security crisis
Your business is hit with a ransomware attack. Or your ecommerce site crashes. Your legacy system stops working. Or maybe your latest software release has a major bug. These are just some of the problems that ecommerce, technology and other companies experience at one time or another.The issue is not if a problem – or crisis – occurs, but how your company handles it when it does. Manage the problem poorly, you risk losing customers, or worse. Handle a crisis promptly and professionally, you can fend off a public relations disaster and might even gain new customers.So what steps can businesses take to mitigate and effectively manage an IT-related crisis? Here are eight suggestions.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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15 ways to make meetings more productive
Let’s be honest, almost no one likes meetings. They can be disruptive, tend to go on for too long and often feel like a waste of time.But meetings don’t have to be boring, drawn out affairs. Meetings, when done right, can produce new ideas, solve problems and help move projects forward.Here are 15 ways you can make your organization’s meetings must-attend gatherings that make attendees feeling like they accomplished something.[ Related: How to make meetings more productive ]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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8 great small business productivity and collaboration apps
Small business owners, whether working in a busy office, on the road or from home, can easily get distracted – and overwhelmed. From email (and text) messages bombarding their inboxes and smart phones, to having to stop what they are doing to attend meetings or put out fires, to the temptation to check social media, it can be hard – make that nearly impossible – to stay focused and complete tasks on time.And while many entrepreneurs claim to be excellent multitaskers, research has shown most are not.So what, if anything, can small business owners do to stay focused and on top of things? Following is a list of free or inexpensive tools (listed alphabetically) that can help.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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How to fend off cyberattacks and data breaches
According to research conducted by Symantec, the number of cyberattacks against small businesses (companies with fewer than 250 employees) has been steadily growing over the last six years, with hackers specifically targeting employees (phishing). And while distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attacks are still a leading form of cyber warfare, ransomware and malware attacks, targeting users of smartphones and internet of things (IoT) devices, as well as PCs and systems running on Macs and Linux, are also a big threat to small businesses.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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How to fend off cyberattacks and data breaches
According to research conducted by Symantec, the number of cyberattacks against small businesses (companies with fewer than 250 employees) has been steadily growing over the last six years, with hackers specifically targeting employees (phishing). And while distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attacks are still a leading form of cyber warfare, ransomware and malware attacks, targeting users of smartphones and internet of things (IoT) devices, as well as PCs and systems running on Macs and Linux, are also a big threat to small businesses.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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8 tech support best practices
No product or service – or end user – is perfect. This is especially true when it comes to hardware and software. That is why companies, if they want to stay in and grow their business, need to provide help to customers when things go wrong. And while no two products or problems are exactly alike, the best tech support departments share the following eight traits.[ Related: 11 tips for improving your company's customer support ]1. Offer multi-channel tech support, including live chat. “The ubiquity of instant communication channels has meant that people want to get the support they want, whenever they want and through whatever method is most convenient,” says Amir Farhi, vice president, strategic alliances & business development, WalkMe. “Rather than relying [just] on email and phone communications, businesses should provide [tech support via] social media channels, [live chat] and messaging apps such as WhatsApp.” They should also “make sure [tech support representatives] are readily available and trained to use all channels.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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9 simple ways to raise capital for your ecommerce startup
It is easier than ever, or so it seems, to open a new business, especially an ecommerce or tech business. But getting money to fund your startup, especially with so many new businesses competing for the same pool of seed money, can be tough. So which methods, or sources, are the most likely to get or give you the money you need to grow your business? Following are nine of the best, according to entrepreneurs and investors.“In the first six months of building my startup, Humblee, we participated and won the Make It in Brooklyn pitch competition,” says Zuley Clarke, cofounder, Humblee. “In addition to the prize money, we received valuable feedback from influential judges, made connections with investors and generated a buzz surrounding our business. Winning the pitch competition was incredible, but the benefits of simply entering [a pitch competition] are great too.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
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8 data storage and recovery tips
Today, small businesses have as many (or nearly as many) options for data storage as much larger businesses. But with so many data storage options, how do you choose the right one for your business? Here’s how can you ensure your critical data will be available in the event of a disaster.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
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9 big small business social media no-nos
These days, just about every business, regardless of size, has a presence on social media. It might be just a Facebook or a Pinterest page, but chances are if you are a small business owner, especially a retailer, you have an account on one of the major social media platforms. And while having a Facebook and Pinterest (as well Twitter and Instagram) page can be beneficial, it can negatively impact your business if you make one (or more) of these nine small business social media mistakes.[ Related: Facebook, Snapchat and the future of live video ]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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How to protect your ecommerce site from fraud, hacking and copycats
Setting up an ecommerce site is easy these days. Keeping your site safe from hacking, fraud and copycats, not so much. And as small business owners know all too well, one major breach – or too many charge backs or someone stealing your business name or copying your products – could mean the end of your business.[ Related: 8 keys to ecommerce success ]Here are seven ways small ecommerce business owners can protect their online stores from hacking, fraud and/or copycats.1. Trademark your company name and logo “The most important tip for business owners to protect their site and brand is to ensure [their] name is clear for use as a trademark,” says Sonia Lakhany, trademark attorney, Lakhany Law. “Too many entrepreneurs mistakenly think that because a domain name is available or that they were able to form an LLC or corporation with their local Secretary of State that their business name or brand is available as a trademark.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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8 strategies for achieving IT goals
Identifying a goal is easy. Achieving it is another thing—especially if you are in IT and have to deal with other departments and vendors. Indeed, figuring out what is a realistic goal and then determining how it will be met is one of the biggest challenges IT executives and project managers face. And while project management software can help, it is up to the project leader to lay out the goal, or goals, and create a road map. Here are eight tips to help IT managers do that.[ Related: 7 nontechnical skills every project manager needs ]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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What small business look for when considering SaaS
More and more, small and midsized businesses (SMBs) are turning to cloud-based software to help run their business. Yet many are hesitant to make the move, worrying about safety and cost. So what can Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers do to woo SMBs and allay their concerns? Here are eight suggestions on how to make your cloud offering attractive to a smaller business.1. Make sure your software is easy to use – and easy to understand. “Business owners and their employees expect [cloud-based] business apps and services to be as easy to use as their personal consumer apps,” says Ken Oestreich, director, product marketing, Cloud Services, Citrix. “Cloud services and apps need to be intuitive, so people can begin using them without training. The easier your apps and services are to use, the more people will use them, and since service revenues are based on usage, you want customers to use those services frequently and for extended periods of time.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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12 tips to help SMBs select and manage vendors
Picking good suppliers and partners is critical to your company’s success, especially a smaller, growing business. Pick a vendor that is difficult to work with, doesn’t provide a service as promised, isn’t there when you need help and/or hits you with hidden fees, and your company could be in serious trouble. So what steps can you take to help ensure you don’t wind up in a bad business relationship? Here are 12 strategies for selecting the right business partners and suppliers. 1. Make a list of your requirements and expectations. “One of the most important parts of creating and maintaining vendor/partner relationships is to have very clearly spelled out expectations at the onset,” says Diane Helbig of Seize This Day. “Establish an understanding of what each party will bring to the relationship, when and how. That gives you something to measure the relationship against and let’s your partner/vendor know not only what you want from them, but what you will be bringing to the relationship.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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8 ingredients of an effective disaster recovery plan
Earlier this month, a monkey caused a nationwide power outage in Kenya. Millions of homes and businesses were without electricity. Which just goes to show that “not all disasters come in the form of major storms with names and categories,” says Bob Davis, CMO, Atlantis Computing.“Electrical fires, broken water pipes, failed air conditioning units [and rogue monkeys] can cause just as much damage,” he says. And while “business executives might think they’re safe based on their geographic location,” it’s important to remember that “day-to-day threats can destroy data [and] ruin a business,” too, he says. That’s why it is critical for all businesses to have a disaster recovery (DR) plan.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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8 ingredients of an effective disaster recovery plan
Earlier this month, a monkey caused a nationwide power outage in Kenya. Millions of homes and businesses were without electricity. Which just goes to show that “not all disasters come in the form of major storms with names and categories,” says Bob Davis, CMO, Atlantis Computing.“Electrical fires, broken water pipes, failed air conditioning units [and rogue monkeys] can cause just as much damage,” he says. And while “business executives might think they’re safe based on their geographic location,” it’s important to remember that “day-to-day threats can destroy data [and] ruin a business,” too, he says. That’s why it is critical for all businesses to have a disaster recovery (DR) plan.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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6 ways video can boost your business
According to a recent Aberdeen report, marketers who use video see much faster revenue growth (49 percent) than those who do not. However, video has become more than just a marketing tool. With their capability to visually explain and demonstrate things and concepts, videos can help businesses not only showcase their products and services, attracting new customers, but they can help companies attract new employees and even make workers more productive.Here are six cases where video can be beneficial.1. Explaining your value proposition/what you do Why tell people what you do when you can show them?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here