Geek Speak

Small and Medium businesses have been hit hard over the past couple years.  From the pandemic, to retaining and recruiting top talent, to most recently dealing with supply chain challenges, inflation, and more.   These changes have left  businesses to rapidly change their business models to keep up with the ever fluctuating landscape.

The Russia-Ukraine war is driving elevated concerns for cyber security risks worldwide.   While the current climate is unpredictable, cybersecurity experts are warning organizations to prepare for a potential in increased cyber- attacks by updating software, making sure patches are up to date, use multifactor authentication, and strengthen your passwords.    

Zebra recognizes the challenges SMB companies face in today’s economy,  and have built the SMB Specialization Program to help provide resellers the tools and support  they need to build a strong pipeline and close deals in a highly competitive market.   

Marketing is hard, time consuming, and typically the last thing you work on (if it leaves the to do list).  Although, marketing is typically pushed to the wayside, it is your avenue to improve your businesses profit, recurring revenue, work life balance, and driving more customers to ultimately help you grow your MSP.   

Small and Medium businesses are already balancing the cost of doing business and the margins continue to get thinner.  Between the unpredictable supply chain raising costs, labor cost on the rise, and finding talent,  small and medium businesses are having to make hard decisions when it comes to pricing. 

You may have already heard the general release of Microsoft’s New Commerce Experience (NCE) which expanded to include M365, Dynamics 365, Windows 365, and Power Platform, took place earlier this year.  This is the third phase of a multi-stage transformation to offer a unified experience to both partners and customers. 

Cyber hygiene is the cybersecurity concept of personal hygiene. It refers to the fundamental best practices an organization takes to maintain their health.  Just like personal hygiene there are three basic principles a company should use to protect their health, using products and tools that fit your  needs, performing these hygienic tasks correctly, and establishing a routine. 

Windows 11 is the newest major release of the Microsoft Windows NT Operating system which was released in 2021.  Windows 11 follows Windows 10 which was released almost 6 years ago, and as you know a lot has changed in technology in the last 6 years.   In the new version Microsoft updated a handful of features, including improvements to the Taskbar, support for android apps, and updates to the Notepad and Medial

Longtime community member and MVP  Susan Bradley joins us to share information on the technology community AskWoody.  AskWoody is a combination of a website with an active community of people who answer questions, as well as a weekly newsletter. 

Examining data in your business can provide much insight into how your business is running, customer behaviors, financials, and so much more.    Through examining large amounts of data you can uncover hidden patterns, correlations, and other insights. 

In today’s workforce challenges are never ending.  As technology advances, teams work from various locations, and methods and strategies improve there is never a lack for knowledge, skills, leadership, and values.  One of the best ways to enhance these skills is through training and development programs.  These programs provide individuals with the opportunity to expand their knowledge, brush up on skills, and explore new horizons.

The way we work has changed drastically over the past 2 years, and we have entered  the era of tela-everything.  With Covid currently in full swing again, meaning people are restricted to their homes.  Many businesses are looking to their MSP’s to keep their business running.