ATECH MSP Blog

Today (as of when this was posted) is Friday, so ideally, the feeling in the office would be one of happy anticipation for the weekend… but what if a server crashes, and work gets put on pause, but all the deadlines still stand? This would undoubtedly put a damper on the weekend, and that’s the least of your worries. Who’s going to fix the server?

This kind of situation is precisely why modern businesses can’t afford to wait for things to go wrong, and need to have a resource on their side to proactively address these kinds of issues and catastrophes.

Business owners have a lot going on in their workday, and with so many duties and responsibilities, adding technology troubles to the mix only makes it all the more frustrating when your IT doesn’t work the way it should. That said, you cannot let the laissez-faire attitude prevail. In fact, lazy IT practices can make real problems significantly worse.

Think about those frustrating workdays when a server goes down, or the daily drag of slow computers and glitchy software. These aren't just minor annoyances; they are significant productivity drains. Research shows employees can lose an average of 10.5 workdays per year due to IT downtime alone. Multiply that across your team, and the financial impact becomes clear. This month, we go through the numbers to see how you can build a more productive business through a well-thought-out technology strategy.

Being overwhelmed can happen to everyone, even the hardest workers you know. If you’re not careful, the weight of your agenda could drag you down and create more problems than it solves. While you could power through, this is usually counterproductive, and you’d be better served by taking a moment to step back, breathe, and perform a micro-reset.

Your desk can either help you get stuff done or totally drain your motivation. If your desk is messy, uncomfortable, or just boring, you might find yourself checking your phone every five minutes or suddenly deciding it’s time to reorganize your sock drawer. With a few simple changes, however, your desk can become your productivity power zone. Let’s break down how to set it up right.

Every day, cybercriminals wake up and choose violence. 

Whether it’s a nasty strain of ransomware demanding a king’s ransom or a sneaky little virus that just wants to watch your business burn, the threats never stop coming. That’s why locking down your business is as essential as putting cream in your morning coffee.

Businesses rely on a ton of technology for their operations and, as such, rely on support to help keep these tools working effectively. We would know! We proudly provide our neighbors with the technical assistance they need to succeed. As we’ve done so, we’ve noticed that there are some support needs we frequently attend to. 

Let’s review some of them and why they are so vital for you to have assistance in managing, preferably, from us!

We all have old friends; not the ones that you went to high school with, but oldish technology that we simply can’t bring ourselves to upgrade away from. At some point, however, old technology stops being a trusty sidekick and starts feeling like an anchor. If your devices are making life harder instead of easier, it might be time to say goodbye. Here’s how to know when it's time to let go and upgrade.

Video calls have become the norm, whether you’re working remotely, catching up with friends, or trying to explain to your grandma how to unmute herself. To be honest, some video meetings feel like an endurance test. Bad lighting, poor audio, and distracting backgrounds can make them unbearable. Do you want to level up your video conferencing game? Here are five tips to help you look and sound like the professional you are.

A lot of businesses feel the pressure to jump on the latest and greatest tech out there. On the surface, that sounds like a smart move, who wouldn’t want cutting-edge tools? Just because something is new and shiny doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for your business, however. So, let’s take a step back and talk about how you can make smart tech decisions that actually give you a return on your investment.

You’ve probably been told that multitasking is the ultimate skill. Employers love it, schools encourage it, and everyone seems to brag about how they can juggle ten things at once. But here’s the truth: multitasking doesn’t actually work. In fact, it makes you slower, more stressed, and less productive.

Artificial Intelligence is totally shaking things up—it's one of the coolest, most game-changing technologies we've seen in years. It can do in minutes what used to take people hours or even days, and it's only going to get smarter. That said, if you're a business owner, using AI can sometimes throw a wrench in the works.

Being able to navigate around the Internet browser is a must. Not only is it the front face of most of your Internet-based efforts, there are more security and privacy threats that people need to sidestep today than ever before. This month we thought we’d give you two of the top tips on how to be able to navigate your browser.

Imagine this: a factory floor is silent, machines are turned off, and workers stand around with nothing to do. Or think of an office where employees sit idle because the computer system is down. This is downtime—a period when a business’ operations drag to a halt. While it might not seem like a big deal initially, downtime is one of the most significant drains on a company’s resources. In this month’s newsletter, let’s take a look at why this is.

Productivity is what fuels your personal or professional goals, and it’s easy to tie it into your self-worth if you’re not careful. It’s hard to be productive all the time, though. Today, we want to give you some actionable tips on how you can keep your productivity levels reasonably high.

Sometimes, one of the most effective ways to be productive is to step back for a moment. Consider how long a chess grandmaster will sit and stare at the board, planning the moves and maneuvers for the next seven turns.

So, to boost your productivity, approach your tasks like a chess grandmaster. Let’s discuss how to go about doing so.

Your business’ productivity software is one of the more important decisions you’ll make, and while there are many options, they won’t all be the best solution. Small business owners have to carefully consider price, scope, and integration, among other factors. Today, we’re looking at six aspects of productivity software your business should think about before committing to a solution.

With the many issues that arise day by day, it’s no small feat to stay productive. Still, a team must be able to manage its various tasks and projects in an efficient way, and it can make all the difference in efficiently completing these tasks. Today, we want to examine why productivity is important and how you can keep it high for your team.

Businesses face numerous challenges, many of which arise internally. Whether your business is dealing with cybersecurity threats, unhappy customers, or unreliable suppliers, leaders must navigate every threat. Among these, internal issues can often be the most disruptive. In this blog, we'll focus on two critical employee-related challenges that can significantly hinder business operations.

When you run a small business, there is a tendency to dream big. You think of expanding rapidly and finding success instantly. Unfortunately, this is probably not the reality. By keeping your expectations realistic, you can find that you will find consistency. In today’s blog, let’s take a look at how any manager or entrepreneur can keep their expectations realistic.