Fuse Networks Blog

Small business owners are always looking for a way to shave some of that overhead off of their budgets. While this is probably true for most business owners, the more capital a small business can save, the more it can do. Outsourcing its IT management is one way to either cut down the company’s technology maintenance costs--or, if your company doesn’t currently have a dedicated technician--can keep you from paying way too much to keep your business running smoothly. 

Imagine having a data backup and disaster recovery solution, thinking you’re prepared to handle anything that comes your way. Then disaster strikes and recovery is impossible. If you had tested your solution beforehand, it may have been possible to prevent this misstep entirely. What kind of disasters need to be prepared for, and how can you make sure your testing takes them into account?

The small business owner wears a lot of different hats. The smaller the business, the more hats he/she has to wear. One hat many small business owners wear is that of CIO or CTO. Short for Chief Information Officer or Chief Technology Officer, respectively, these positions typically make technology decisions for the company they work for. 

The use of automation is making waves in several industries for the boost in productivity it presents and overall cost reduction. With these systems being integrated very rapidly, the fear is that human workers are going to be replaced by machines. The honest truth is that many jobs will be displaced and result in jobs being created elsewhere. Today, we are going to look at what exactly automation is and how it is beneficial to a business and human advancement.

Technology is something that experiences rapid change, and while it’s usually beneficial to businesses, change can often bring with it a set of growing pains. You might be able to get more done and reach more customers, but it might stretch your resources, frustrate employees, and force new processes upon your organization. When this change comes, will you lament the good old days, or will you seize the opportunity to improve your business as a whole? When it comes to technology, the answer might make or break the future of your organization.

Can you place a value on your organization’s IT solutions? Sure, but the true value of them is really how much money they save you in the grand scheme of things. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the amount of capital your technology solutions cost could completely sink any profits your business pulls in. How can you optimize efficiency? After all, you can make as many sales out there as you want, but if you have no way of keeping track of things, you’re asking for a failed business venture. The answer is simple: managed IT services.

As technology has advanced, we’ve reached the point where work can easily be accomplished outside of the office environment. In fact, just over half of all employees around the world work from home at least one day each week. This only makes sense, as there are a few very appealing benefits to remote work… including for the employer.

The first big job of a person’s career is one of those special moments in life that can’t be beat, but if there is one thing that can do so, it’s a bigger and better opportunity elsewhere. The cold, hard realization that your employees won’t be sticking around forever might be hard to accept, but it’s one that you must consider. In order to keep your current workforce satisfied, you will need to manage your expectations, as well as managing theirs.

The millennial generation has been much maligned in the business world. Whether they are being blamed for neglecting long-standing industries or being labeled as selfish and distracted, there aren’t too many superlatives that have been bandied about when describing millennial workers. The reality, however, is that millennial workers have the ability to be some of your best employees if your business is able to adjust accordingly. Today, we’ll get into how to get the most from your younger workers.

We thought we would do something a little bit different for this week’s tip. Instead of giving you some software tips or some kind of thing you can use to make your business more productive, we thought that we’d help you with the thing that you already know, but may not realize:

How many devices and technology solutions does your organization have to manage on a day-to-day basis? More often than not, small businesses have a limited quantity to work with for IT services, whether it’s a budget that’s too small or a workforce that’s too stretched. The problem is that IT troubles wait for no one, so you have to do everything you can to prevent them--even if it means asking for help from others.

Automation has helped many businesses improve operations, but at what cost to the people that work for these organizations? Many systems rely on the autonomy of artificial intelligence systems to keep certain tasks and workflows on point. Automation could replace up to a quarter of the current workforce in the next ten years, so people are naturally skeptical and worried about their jobs in the near future.

In business, making good decisions is a must. You have to manage risk well. Today’s business is using analytics to drive decision making, and therefore needs to design and implement platforms that make this possible. If a business doesn’t properly set up their analytics or intelligence systems, their decisions may not be made with a useful perspective. Let’s take a look at these systems to see if you may be being fooled by your own numbers.

Productivity is something that either happens or it doesn’t, but it’s important to keep in mind that nobody can work at optimal efficiency at all times. This doesn’t mean you can’t leverage some best practices to make better use of your time, though. Today we’ll examine three general ways to improve your productivity, including examples of how to make them happen.

Your business’ finances are something that weighs heavily on your mind at all times, whether it’s paying your employees or ensuring healthy acquisition of new hardware or software. Cash flow for businesses doesn’t have to be hard, though you wouldn’t know it, according to a recent report from Intuit.

When a business uses its technology the right way, it typically has positive effects on the business. That’s not to say that technology is a major priority for EVERY business. There are some business owners that don’t prioritize having the newest, shiniest technology on the market; and, that’s fine, if the business functions efficiently.

Unlike the office environment, the technology used in retail has been relatively stagnant. The times are changing, though. It’s been a long time coming, but the technology used in the retail environment is finally evolving to meet the growing needs of organizations. Unfortunately, this has been met with the challenges of implementing said technology in the industry.

There are moments when a technology solution presents itself and is simply too valuable to pass up, but they are generally few and far between. One particular solution you can use to great effect is augmented reality, and we believe that with the right implementation and support, you can overcome challenges that the future might hold.

All businesses need to be as efficient with their resources as possible. You might be surprised by the difference you can make simply by using your data more effectively. Stronger data management platforms, or DMPs, can put you in a better position to understand your organization’s needs, including its market and its customers. It’s time to look at how a DMP can make your business more effective and resource-efficient.

Collaboration is an important part of nearly every business. If there were no collaborative strategy, every task within the business would be delegated to a single person with a limited scope and mindset, placing a cap on both the task’s potential and the business’ potential.