• 13
  Jan

Office Resolutions

The New Year is here! This is your time to bring your office into 2015. Let’s make changes to modernize and streamline our offices to make sure we have the most productive year yet. Are you ready for a fresh start? Now is the time to implement a few minor changes in your office a set the tone for a great and more efficient new year.

1. Go Green

Clean up the clutter in your office this year! Start your 2015 with a clean slate and go paperless. Need help instituting a digital filing system and or setting up cloud storage? Let our Green Team help you out!

2. Update Your Network Security

Already have a paperless office? Make sure your files, records, and documents are more secure. Each new year can mean new threats to your network security. Our Document Management and Network Solutions teams are ready to get you compliant and up-to-date for 2015!

3. Update Your Technology

Out with the old, in with the new. Why not update your tech for the new year! If you are still living in the last decade, maybe it is time to update your hard and software to make your office more efficient. Don’t let slow tech and outdated systems hamper your new year business plans. Let our IT Solutions team help you out!

What are you doing to make your 2015 more productive and efficient? Let us know in the comments below!

• 16
  Dec

Get Organized Before the Holidays!

The holidays are fast approaching. Are all your documents in order before you step out on your much deserved holiday break? Don’t add extra stress to your holiday by leaving behind a disorganized work environment.  Give yourself the vacation you deserve.  Here is a check list of things to do before heading home for the holidays.

1. Make sure your clients know who to contact while you are away.  If you have too many clients to contact personally, make sure at the very least your email away message has the contact information of the person or persons they can go to if there is an emergency.
2. Designate someone to monitor your clients.  If you can’t be contacted during the holidays, make sure there is someone for your clients to fall back on.  When designating someone to cover you, give this person the tools to located and access your files if there is an emergency.  This means ensuring that your files are organized and easily found.
3.  Don’t leave a mess. The holidays are a great time to finally get organized.  This way you can start the year fresh and in charge of your workload come the New Year.

If you need help creating a more organized and accessible system for your documents, don’t hesitate to contact our Document Management Solutions team!   Give yourself the gift of an organized office this year!  Happy Holidays!

• 18
  Nov

Is It Safe To Work from Home?

Working from home can be a great way to refresh your mind. A change of scene can make you more creative and spare you from the interruptions you might encounter at the office. But if you are working remotely, and away from your network secure office, you may be putting your files and data at risk. Here are some ways to keep your work secure while working offsite.

1. Be wary of public wi-fi. Working in a coffee shop does have a certain mystique. And it is nice to have caffeinated beverages and pastries available at the drop of a hat. But even if you have great network security at the office, your personal files and passwords may be at risk if you are using a public wi-fi network. And if you must use a public network, be sure to join a VPN service and install other security tools first!
2. Use your own wi-fi. If you have a secure network at home, you are well on your way to keeping your and your clients files safe. But if you are on the go, consider investing in a portable hot spot that is protected by your own password. You’ll have more mobility and more security at the same time.
3. Work offline. If you are working on a document or creating a presentation, you may not need to be connected to the internet. If a secure network isn’t available to you, consider working on a project that doesn’t require you to be online. Just be sure to back up your file on a USB or other storage device if you are offline and cannot connect to your cloud storage service.

If you are a jet-setter, or work away from the office more often than not, you may need some more advanced security solutions. Be sure to contact out security solutions team for custom advice. We’d be happy to help!

• 4
  Nov

Has this ever happened to you?

You are on the phone with a client and you need to find a document fast. Maybe you search frantically through your hard copy files. Maybe you scroll through various files in among your word docs, or enter endless search terms into Google docs only to come up empty. Meanwhile, precious minutes are ticking away, and your client is becoming more frustrated and annoyed.

If this scenario sounds familiar, it may be time to find new Document Management Solutions. A good document management system should have three elements:

1. All documents should have a digital backup on a secure server. If you are not creating digital backups of your hard copy files, you are risking a document being lost or destroyed forever. Creating a secure backup saves you the hassle of losing important information as well as giving your clients peace of mind.
2. Documents should be easily organized in an intuitive hierarchical system. Just like your filing cabinets, your digital files should be more than simply alphabetical. If you are just sorting your digital files by title, not only are you risking forgetting where you put your own file, you make it more difficult for your coworkers and employees to find a file if you cannot be reached.
3. Documents should be able to be accessed from any location at any time. You never know when there might be a work emergency!

Still don’t know where to start? Let us help. Contact our Document Management Solutions team for more information on how we can help customize and streamline your office.

• 21
  Oct

Tips for a Paper-Free Workspace

Is your desk cluttered? If you are swimming in papers and post-it notes, perhaps it is time to embrace a green workspace.  Adopting a green office strategy is not just about conservation or saving money, but can also save you time and improve your organization.  If the papers are piling up around you, some green solutions can cut down on your anxiety and streamline your work day.

Here’s why:

1. Did you know that desk clutter can cost a business up to 10K each year?  Between searching for lost files, or creating new documents when old ones are misplaced, we lose about six weeks of productivity.  That’s a lot of lost time and money… not to mention misplaced files.
   By getting into the habit of creating digital files, or digitizing hard copies, we can recoup this time.  It is far easier to enter in a search term in Google docs than to remember where you last saw that important manila folder!
2. A clean-looking desk may make you more productive! A clean desk creates less anxiety.  Less clutter creates the perception that your work day is under control and you are less likely to feel overwhelmed.  If you feel panicked by the amount of work you have to do every day, using this psychological trick may help!
3.  Taking time off becomes easier!  Worried you can’t take a vacation because no one else would be able to take over your workload?  Creating a paperless office allows your temporary replacement to easily find your important documents and locate client information without having to contact you while you are away.

Help us help you create a stress-free work space.  Ask us about our Green Solutions today!

• 23
  Sep

Real-Time Ways To Upgrade Your Office Security

You don’t have to be an IT guru to keep your office safe from information theft. Upgrading passwords and updating your network security are great steps to keeping your data safe from the inside out. But even if you aren’t tech savvy, there are several ways that you can keep both your office hardware and files safe and sound.

1. Lock Your Office at Night. If a thief steals your computer, you may be losing more than just office equipment. You may be compromising your data as well!
2. Take Your Laptop Home. A thief cannot steal what’s not there.
3. Confiscate Keys Should an Employee Leave Your Company. Even if your employee is leaving on good terms, keeping track of your keys and pass cards can only enhance your reputation for security.
4. Check References of New Hires. Make sure you can trust your employees from the start by making sure they have acted with integrity throughout their careers.
5. Dispose of Your Hard Drives Properly! Throwing your hard drives out in the trash makes your data fair game to anyone who walks by.

Looking for more high tech ways to protect your and your clients’ information? Let our Security Solutions Team help you out!

• 25
  Aug

4 Ways to Save Energy at Work Right Now

Your energy bills add to your business’ overhead. By making a few simple changes around your office you can reduce your costs and free revenue to build and strengthen your business. Going green never felt so good! Here are a few simple tips:

1. Update Your Tech. This not only includes energy saving computers and printers, but your whole office. Do you have a microwave or a refrigerator in your break room? It might be time to upgrade to an Energy Star model!

2. Sayonara Screen Savers. Screen Savers may prevent damage to your screen but often use as much energy as a computer fully in use! Try setting your computer to sleep mode when you are away from your desk. And if you are leaving your computer overnight, shut it off completely.

3. Work From Home. Can your employees adequately do their jobs from offsite? If so, it may be a great cost-saving initiative to be flexible about work-from-home days! Think about this: if your employees work from home just one day a week, you could reduce your energy costs by as much as 20%! Your employees may appreciate the flex time as well, creating a better working environment overall.

4. Call It A Day. Staying late at the office and burning the midnight oil might seem like a good idea… until you get the oil bill! Sometimes the best business decision you can make is to call it a day.

Looking for more ways to build a greener office environment and save money along the way? Allow our green solutions experts help you out! Why not give us a call?

• 29
  Jul

Top 5 Reasons Your Electronic Files Need to Be Backed Up

Are you regularly backing up your files? You should be! You owe it not only to yourself, but to you clients to make sure your files and information are secure and accessible. Here are a few reasons why just saving your files on your desktop may not be enough.

1. Hard Drive Failure and Computer Crashes. Raise your hand if you have ever seen the dreaded Blue Screen of Death!

2. Viruses. It just takes one wrong click to compromise your data! Make sure you aren’t keeping all your hard work in just one place.

3. Fire, Flood and Other Acts of God. Everybody thinks it can’t happen to them. If you spend the money to insure your business and property, you can spend the time to back up your files.

4. Forgotten Passwords. We’ve all done it! Don’t get locked out of your files; back them up in more than one place so that you always have access.

5. Accidental Deletion. Ever delete a file folder without considering first what was in it? Don’t let this happen again! Back up early and often.

We offer several great methods for protecting your files. Ask us about cloud storage, disaster recovery, network security and more! We’ll be happy to help.

Do you have a story about losing a file? Share your lessons with us on social media or in the comments below!

• 15
  Jul

How To Track Printing Costs

Each business’ printing need is different. Which is why keeping track of printing costs is so important. Don’t settle for a one-size-fits all printing solution: keep track of your printing costs so that you can best evaluate your specific needs and find a printing solution that works best for you. Here are some of the expenses you should think about when keeping track of your printing output:

1. Ink – How often are you replacing your ink cartridges? Do you depend mostly on black and white printing or are your presentations, advertisements and projects more colorful?
2. Paper – How much paper do you use? What weights and sizes do you go through most often?
3. Repairs – a printer is as cheap as its maintenance costs! How often are your printers breaking down? Is it worth it?
4. Replacement – Has your old printer had it? Is it time for an upgrade? Compare your need to the more efficient models on the market.

If your printing load is too large to keep track of manually, you may want to look into a software solution that will allow you to digitally monitor your output. Still need help determining your costs? Or are you ready to find a printing solution that matches your specific business? Contact our Printing Solutions team and let us help you streamline your company!

• 1
  Jul

Five Reasons to Go Green That Have Nothing To Do With The Environment

Fourth of July weekend is almost upon us! Many of us are getting outside with our families and enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. But even if you don’t appreciate the great outdoors, there are still some great reasons to “Go Green” in your office.

Here are a few savvy, self-interested reasons to go green at your place of business:

1. Reduce Clutter. Forget all the files and file boxes clogging up your space. Once you go paperless,  you’ll be surprised how much extra space you have!
2. Save Money. Save a stapler and go green! Green offices not only save on paper, but paper clips, staples, binders and everything to go with it!
3. Better Organization. Hard copies can be lost, misplaced or damaged. Once you go paperless, all your files are at your fingertips. A back your files up on a cloud service for extra security!
4. Ease Transition. You may know where everything is in your office, but will your replacement? If you have to leave a job, or take some time off, make it easier for someone to take over your duties and files!
5. No More Paper Cuts! Save your poor hands some grief.

What’s your favorite reason to go green? Share your ideas with us on Facebook and Twitter!