Coleman Technologies Blog

Operational problems can not only stymie growth, they can trigger a lot of other issues that can be detrimental to the long term success and sustainability of a business. Unfortunately, it’s often a little difficult to see while you are in the heat of battle. Let’s take a look at some of the solutions that can solve some of the common operational problems that small businesses run into.

Communication and Collaboration

With businesses using remote work more often, it requires efficient communication and collaboration tools. Technologies like video conferencing, project management software, and cloud-based document sharing enhance teamwork and communication.

Inventory Management

Inventory management software and systems can help organizations optimize a lot of different things such as managing stock levels, reducing carrying costs, and preventing overstock through real-time tracking and demand forecasting.

Data Management

Data overload and disorganized information can be overwhelming for users to deal with. Technology, including databases, data analytics, and data visualization tools, can help manage and make sense of large volumes of data for better decision-making.

Supply Chain Management

Technology can improve supply chain visibility, traceability, and coordination. IoT sensors, blockchain, and supply chain management software can help reduce delays and improve overall efficiency.

Customer Service

Chatbots, AI-driven virtual assistants, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems enable businesses to provide better and more efficient customer service, including self-service options for customers.

Risk Management

Risk assessment and management tools, including predictive analytics and cybersecurity solutions, help organizations identify and mitigate risks more effectively.

Asset Management

Tracking and maintaining physical assets and equipment can be challenging. IoT-based asset tracking and maintenance systems provide real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance.

Project Management

Project management software and collaboration tools help plan, execute, and monitor projects more efficiently, keeping teams organized and on track.

Running a business can be difficult, but with technology, you can accomplish more and do it more efficiently. If you are searching for help in your efforts to improve efficiency, give the IT professionals at Coleman Technologies a call today at (604) 513-9428.

Technology allows businesses to leverage high-impact practices, but only if that technology works the way it’s supposed to. Even simple issues with network connectivity problems, outdated technology, and cybersecurity can impact operations. The key to a successful technology deployment is understanding where potential disruptions could occur and taking measures to proactively address them ahead of time.

Utilize Preventive Measures

To make the most of your technology, you must prevent minor issues from developing into bigger problems.

The trick is using proactive strategies to monitor your systems, analyze and follow security guidelines, and replace your older hardware before it fails. Consider what happens when your team can’t use the technology it needs to be productive. You eat all of those costs in one form or another.

Ultimately, downtime costs more than proactive maintenance, so prevent it at all costs.

Recruit Professional Support

There’s never any shame in calling in the professionals.

SMBs are lucky to have internal IT workers, but outsourced IT support is always available for those who don't. For example, you can call Coleman Technologies, and we’ll be happy to assist with any of your technology needs. It’s important that you know all the options available to you, and we can help you make better informed decisions.

It might feel like an unnecessary expense, but you need professionals working with your IT.

Build a Technology Troubleshooting Plan

If something is wrong with your technology, have a plan to find out what it is.

Your troubleshooting plan should consist of how to identify problems and what strategies you’ll use to escalate them to your professional IT support. One easy way to do this is by looking at similar issues you’ve faced in the past and how they were resolved. When you document these things, you can expect better outcomes.

Trust us when we say that having historical evidence of problems and their resolutions can dramatically reduce support time and disruption to important services.

Learn More Today

IT support doesn’t have to be complicated.

Getting the help you need should be as simple as submitting a service ticket or making a phone call. It shouldn’t involve dealing with a problem for weeks, months, or even years. You should be able to get the support you need when you need it.

To get started with proactive, predictive IT support, call Coleman Technologies at (604) 513-9428.

Customer Service
Your customers are one of your most valuable assets, so it’s natural that you want to build a powerful bond with them. If you can’t support the products you sell to them, you’ll have a difficult time keeping your business in good standing with both current and prospective clients. Technology can help you maintain this positive relationship through the use of a ticketing system to handle customer complaints and concerns, and it also makes it easy to handle support for various services you might offer.

Social media and social networking in general provides businesses with more direct ways of interacting with consumers. Sites like Facebook and Twitter essentially offer a platform to promote a brand and knowledge base. Of course, this advantage can quickly become a detriment if it’s not managed properly, as you’re (again) dealing directly with customers--if they aren’t satisfied by your interaction, they’re more likely to share it and complicate public relations.

Productivity
To be successful as a business, you have to accrue money somehow. This is where productivity comes in--technology helps by enabling workers to get more done throughout the workday, building more value for your organization in the long run. For example, time-tracking software can help with task scheduling, giving employees the opportunity to accomplish more during the time they spend in the office. Moreover, you’ll be able to assign a monetary value to the time your employees spend on various tasks and streamline their work processes.

Many of today’s most helpful technology solutions come with built-in productivity solutions that allow for collaboration through the cloud. These cloud-hosted applications provide flexibility to workers so they can communicate in the way most efficient for them. Since these solutions are flexible and scalable, your business can adjust them as needed.

Finance
Money is a big part of why you’re in business, but you can’t do anything without funding of your own. You have a bottom line to keep in mind, after all. Technology can help businesses better manage their finances through online invoicing services to collect payments and reduce paper expenses. If you use software to manage payroll and other accounts, you’ll be able to handle them easily and more efficiently. If you can streamline these processes at all, your business can run much better and you’ll be better off in the long run.

Security
Security plays a critical role in the sustainability of your business, both on your network and in your physical office. You can’t let workers or other entities waltz around your network and your office uninhibited, as the opportunity to cause major damage is practically omnipresent in today’s business world. You need to implement not only network security solutions such as antivirus, firewall, content filtering, and spam blocking technology, but physical security solutions like security cameras, biometric security locks, and other measures as well. Doing so ensures the protection of all your business’ assets, whether it’s from a hacker or a careless employee.

A lot goes into making a business successful, and technology plays a large role in doing so. How does your business use technology? Coleman Technologies can help you get started thinking about the future for your organization. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

Tip One: Cover Everything that Your Business Requires

As you’re putting together your handbook, you need to figure out precisely what you want every member of your team to know. This will give your team the advantage of knowing what is expected of them, along with the other information that they will need to know, like:

• FMLA information
• Non-discrimination policies
• Sexual harassment policies
• Worker’s compensation policies

 You should also include some of your other policies, including:

• Paid-time off policy
• Payment times and promotion/review policy
• Employee behavior expectations
• Employee dress code
• Benefit structure
• Remote work policy
• Social media and employee device policy

Of course, this should also include your company’s mission, history, and other information pertaining to your company culture to help keep your team all on the same page.

Tip Two: Prioritize Your Layout

To make your handbook as useful to your employees as possible, you need to organize it to have the most applicable and commonly needed information in the beginning. Of course, you also need to ensure that every policy included is explained in detail. Focus on providing a complete summary of your processes with a thorough step-by-step guide.

Tip Three: Keep It Updated

While your company policies need to be firmly established, there also needs to be flexibility to allow these policies to evolve over time. For instance, if a policy were to prove itself insufficient in the face of technological changes, that policy needs to be adjusted. As a result, you need to keep a digital version of your handbook—which will allow your handbook to be kept succinct and clear.

While this may seem to be making a mountain out of a molehill, a quality handbook is an essential resource for your administrative purposes. For assistance in designing your IT policies, reach out to Coleman Technologies at (604) 513-9428.

Your business needs IT expertise, regardless of how much it is integrated into your operations. You need someone on staff who not only understands your technology, but someone who can help you make the most of it to get the leg up on competition. Today, we want to explore how you can hire the right IT professionals for your organization’s specific needs, including both hard and soft skills.

How to Find the Ideal IT Specialist

You want your business’ IT help to have the right combination of skills and expertise. Here are some of the types of knowledge you should expect from them:

Security

Your IT team will undoubtedly have to deal with security challenges, all of which require a certain amount of knowledge and expertise that any ideal candidate should have. It also helps if your candidate has the industry compliance knowledge so as to help you implement the appropriate solutions for compliance with best practices.

You need a security professional on your side to take the fight to the new and emerging threats developed every day. Make sure that you are only hiring the best candidates possible—the ones who have a proven track record of securing networks from threats.

Cloud Computing

The cloud is a vital part of most modern businesses today, and to be quite honest with you, if you’re not considering how it can improve your business, you’re leaving money on the table. The right IT professional can help you leverage the cloud for all kinds of tasks, like application deployment and data backup. Your IT people should have the skills necessary to help you manage your own in-house cloud, work with a provider, or a little bit of both as needed. There are also cloud certifications for IT professionals, so if you find a candidate who has these, keep them in mind for sure.

Network Maintenance and Design

Your network is the thing that keeps your business running, so it makes sense that any potential tech professional you bring on should have some experience working with them. Not only must it remain operational, but it must also remain secure. Your team needs professionals who have experience maintaining and building network infrastructures so that any adjustments you need to make over time can be accommodated.

Further Skills for IT Specialists

There are other soft skills that an IT specialist will need as well. Here are some of them:

Customer Service

Your IT team will be working with more than just your technology; they’ll also be helping your staff. This requires patience and empathy, both of which are crucial when working with seasoned professionals or newbie hires. Most important, however, is that they handle working with others in a professional and courteous manner.

Curiosity

With so many changes occurring on a daily basis, business IT professionals need a sense of curiosity to look into new solutions, explore potential problems, and discover innovative solutions to them. This type of curiosity and creative thought goes a long way, and you might be surprised to see how valuable an asset it can be for IT workers.

Flexibility

Furthermore, you want your IT staff to have the flexibility to take on new challenges and switch out priorities as needed to keep your organization at optimal efficiency. For example, they might have to switch from monitoring your infrastructure to reacting swiftly to resolve an issue. You never know what IT has in store for your business, so the professionals who work with it must be able to respond to the evolving demands of the job.

Managed Services Will Help Your Talent Woes

If you can’t find the best technician for the job, have no fear. This is exactly why managed services companies like Coleman Technologies exist. We make IT help accessible and efficient for small businesses. Learn more by calling us today at (604) 513-9428.

For business managers, it can sometimes be difficult to create policies and procedures that allow for the efficiency that they’d like to see from their business. Business growth leads to more complex situations which in turn demand more complex procedures. This enhanced complexity can not only get constant in that you need to alter the way things are done, you also could fall into the trap of mistakenly putting productivity roadblocks up that can alter the way your business operates.

In this blog, we will discuss why creating a bureaucracy in business can often be inevitable, yet counterproductive nevertheless.

Bureaucracy is Meant to Provide Structure, But Can Often Detract from Essential Flexibility

The idea behind forming any kind of organizational hierarchy is generally one of efficiency. The thought is that the purpose of bureaucracy is to generate operational efficiency by keeping processes unambiguous and consistent. That being said, bureaucracy can often lead to rigid processes and inflexibility, which creates more inefficiencies through all the hoops that people need to navigate and jump through. It’s all a question of how much oversight a given bureaucracy relies on, and how that oversight is practiced.

Efficiency Produces More

In order to properly paint a picture of why too much oversight is a bad thing for your business all you have to do is look at how governments work. The more bureaucracy any government has, the less efficient it will be. The same goes for businesses. If you have too much in the way of middle management, progress can grind to a halt as workers will need several people in supposed authority to sign off on any of them. This only becomes a more prevalent problem as a business grows in size and operational scope. So, what can be done to focus on your efficiency without taking on these negative ramifications?

There are a few things:

Establish (and Continuously Evaluate) Consistent Systems

We’ve already mentioned that the entire bureaucratic system is intended—at least partially—to establish some level of consistency in an organization’s processes, which helps to ensure an acceptable quality of service is maintained. Issues arise, however, when these systems are followed so fanatically that no adjustments can be made…even when these adjustments would offer significant benefits over the existing process.

To avoid this outcome, it is important that your systems are designed to be adjusted as the need arises, or even altered as larger circumstances change.

Encourage New Ideas and Methods

On a related note, the kind of rigidity that we’ve been discussing often comes from an aversion to stepping up and taking risks, particularly if there has already been a pattern of new ideas being smothered or even punished. Let me ask you this: if you were berated each time you identified a problem for not doing so sooner, how long would it be before you simply gave up on identifying them? Encouraging your team members to try and come up with new solutions and giving them the freedom to make mistakes as they do so will empower them to more effectively improve upon the business.

Implement Training and Policy that Reflects Your Commitment to Improvement

Sure, it’s all well and good to list off these platitudes as though they mean something. It will do you no good, however, if your actions don’t line up to what you claim you want for your organization. Don’t be afraid to start teaching your team members to question existing processes and keep an eye out for opportunities to improve them from the very beginning. If the opportunity arises, keep these behaviors in mind when a role opens up that needs someone to be promoted to fill it. Rewarding the mindset you want to encourage is a very effective way to signal what it is you hope to see from your team.

This May Help with Your Organizational Efficiency…We Can Directly Help You with Your Technological Efficiency, Too

In order for your team to make the most of its time, it is also important for them to have reliable access to the right tools for the job. That’s our specialty. Give us a call at (604) 513-9428 to learn how our managed services can directly benefit your operations.

Have you ever felt like there was simply too much to do and unless you light a fire under your butt, you have no chance to get it all done? What if this state is standard operating procedure? For many small business owners and employees, this is the reality of going to work every day. In this week’s blog we thought we would discuss three strategies that work to lighten the load when it seems like the to-do list is just too big.

Work When You Are Most Productive

When there is a lot to do, it is easy to get distracted trying to get everything done. One of the best ways to gain the focus needed to get this work done is to work when you work best. Different people are more productive at different times of the day. Scientifically this is called biorhythm.

A person’s biorhythm is separated into three parts. There is the physical cycle that measures energy levels, endurance, strength, and dexterity. The emotional cycle covers your emotions, stress levels and moods. The intellectual cycle measures things like decision making, problem solving, and your ability to concentrate. These three biorhythm cycles work on different timelines, but if you can pinpoint the maximum highs and lows, you can plan to work on tasks that take a certain skill at the time you can maximize your ability to complete them. 

Prioritize Importance of Tasks

One of the best things to do before you get down to business is to ensure that you do the most important tasks first. The simple reason for this is that when you set out, you don’t have the hours and hours of work under your belt that could kill your concentration. If you come at the most important parts of your day with the vigor you have when you first start it will certainly benefit your overall productivity. 

One very simple and effective way to prioritize tasks is through what is called the Eisenhower decision matrix. Named for former U.S. President and Commanding General of the Allied forces in World War II, the basic gist is that you prioritize tasks based on this criteria:

• Important
• Urgent
• Important and Urgent
• None of the Above

By focusing on the important and urgent tasks first, you will be able to get a good start whittling down the task list and do so while your brain is fresh. 

Stop Reacting to Everything

Distractions can hinder progress like nothing else; and, today, there are more distractions than ever. If you are facing a mountain of work and need to get things done, you will want to limit the amount you change what you are doing as to give your best attention to the thing you are working on at the time. Business may not allow you to simply ignore things while you are working, but it doesn’t have to keep you from being productive. 

The best way to accomplish this is to set aside time in the day to respond to situations. You can’t possibly do your best work if you are stopping mid-task just to answer questions and handle other situations. Your best bet is to set time out of your day where you turn your notifications off and utilize the do not disturb functions that you have available to you. The more you set your sights on accomplishing the planned tasks, the better you will perform. 

At Coleman Technologies, we help businesses by helping reduce downtime and proactively keep an organization’s technology working effectively. Give our professional technicians a call today to get the technology your business needs to be its most productive.

Many business owners considered allowing their employees to work from home like opening Pandora’s box; once opened, there was no going back. Unfortunately, for these administrators, they were faced with the very real prospect of losing their business if they didn’t allow it. Millions of people started working from home in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but now that public fear has diminished, how have companies reacted? Let’s discuss some remote work statistics to get an answer.

Employees’ Side

Before we get into the business side of this issue, let’s briefly take a look from the remote workers’ side. As you would expect, remote workers like being remote workers; even if it's only for part of the time. Some insights include:

• 98 percent of remote workers would work remotely for the rest of their careers.
• 98 percent of remote workers would recommend remote working to others.
• 90 percent of remote workers think they are more productive than they were in an office.
• 66 percent of remote workers think remote work should be an employee’s legal right.
• 29 percent of remote workers believe they should receive a raise if they were asked to return to a traditional work model.

So it’s safe to say that people who work remotely like working remotely. This isn’t a big surprise, but as many people who currently work remotely have done it for a few years now, the percentage of remote workers who consider it essential for a positive work experience is staggering. 

The Business’ Side

Not surprisingly, the fact that many businesses started supporting remote work out of necessity leaves a sour taste in managers’ mouths. After all, we’ve all worked for a manager or two who only rubber stamps things they think are their idea. Being forced into supporting a work strategy that they would have never supported in normalcy will skew their judgment. That’s not to say whether or not it is a fit for their business. Still, with the overwhelming support from employees, it’s hard for business owners to roll back their employees' flexibility and freedom while working from home. 

Let’s take a look at some statistics on how remote working affects businesses:

• 47 percent of businesses still have remote teams working today.
• 78 percent of CEOs see remote collaboration as central to their long-term success.
• 30 percent of business owners see maintaining corporate culture as the biggest concern in using remote teams.
• 71 percent of businesses have taken steps to track employee productivity remotely.
• 61 percent of businesses have increased the amount of online meetings with remote employees.

This shows that, while skeptical of remote work, business owners now understand that a lot of today’s prospective (and current) employees view remote work, whether completely work-from-home, or in a hybrid setup where they come to the office at scheduled times, as the new normal. 

Largest Challenges of Remote Work

Make no mistake about it, there are challenges in business regardless of where your employees work. To finish off this look at remote work statistics, let’s look at some of the biggest challenges that supporting remote work brings to a business and what they can do to overcome them. 

1. Maintaining collaboration and communication - It stands to reason that there would be a gap in communication in a situation where someone is two towns away instead of two desks away. Businesses have begun to really lean on technology to make it possible for remote teams to complete tasks and keep projects on the rails. Collaboration software has packaged everything you need into one platform: Instant messaging, group chats, one-touch communication, file sharing, and application integration to speed collaboration up and to keep work efficient.
2. Maintaining productivity - The main point of contention of many business owners and managers about remote workers is the distractions that workers need to overcome to get their work done efficiently. The best way a business can confront this is to shift the thinking away from the traditional model of hour-based metrics to a more task-based tracking system where productivity is measured through results rather than time.
3. Work/Life balance - Employees have always been frustrated with their ability to balance their work with their home life. Remote work gives them a little more freedom as it eliminates the daily commute and allows them to handle issues they would otherwise have to deal with before or after work. Remote work does more than any other strategy to promote a palatable work/life balance for employees.

Overall, remote work seems to be here to stay, so if your business is looking to maximize its potential with the help of remote workers, you need the technology in place to make it work. To learn how the IT professionals at Coleman Technologies can help you streamline your process and make it work with distributed teams of employees, give us a call today at (604) 513-9428.

With so many devices connecting to the Internet, it’s natural that a term would emerge for devices that don’t typically have Internet connection, but nowadays do anyway: the Internet of Things. Businesses can leverage the IoT to take advantage of incredible benefits, but these devices come with an inherent security risk. Why does the IoT matter for businesses, and what can you do to keep your organization secure?

The IoT Cannot Be Ignored

Chances are the IoT already impacts your business in some capacity.

For example, the connected devices your employees own would fall under this umbrella. Devices like smartphones, fitness trackers, smart speakers, and so on are all IoT devices. They are potential entry points for hackers that your business must be aware of.

The key to using IoT devices effectively is to stay on top of them and continuously monitor for potential risks, like security breaches.

Make Security a Priority

If your business uses the IoT, then you’ll have to ensure it remains secure.

Smartphones have security measures in place, but other IoT devices don’t have this luxury. You might not see some of your more bizarre IoT devices as threats, but if they are connected to your network, they could easily become weak points that hackers can use against you. We recommend you manage these devices with a Mobile Device Management solution.

After all, technology that is not secured or monitored is just increasing the threat surface area for your business, which doesn’t bode well for you.

Weigh the Benefits

At first glance, the IoT might look like it’s more trouble than it’s worth, and we understand why.

Monitoring these devices might seem like an unnecessary frustration, but they can be used strategically to your advantage. For example, even something as simple as a connected thermostat or light switch can dramatically reduce utility costs. Connected devices can also provide your business with data that you can use to make better decisions.

We’ll give you an example of how the IoT makes it easier to make operations more efficient while cutting costs.

Here’s a Real-World Example: Fleet Management

Businesses often use fleet management systems powered by the IoT.

Companies that use vehicles for deliveries or services can use the IoT to track these vehicles and optimize operations. Here are some of the ways the IoT supports fleet management:

• Find the most efficient routes.
• Monitor fuel use and emissions.
• Track vehicle maintenance needs.
• Gather data about driver performance.

All of this is powered and refined by real-time data collection, so you can make the most out of your fleet, saving money in the process.

How Your Business Can Use the IoT

The IoT is so much more than just fun gadgets; it’s a way to make your business better.

Through the IoT, you can automate processes, collect insights, and improve operations. We recommend that you at least consider the IoT, and if you’re still on the fence, we welcome you to contact us at (604) 513-9428 to have a discussion about what’s holding you back.

Your business only has so many resources, from its budget to its time to its employees’ capabilities. This is what makes it so crucial to properly manage all of them.

Let’s run through some basic practices that can help you make the most of what your business has at its disposal.

Resource Management Practices for Business Success

Focus More on High-Demand Resources, and Prioritize Appropriately

As we’ve established, you’re only going to have so much of any given business resource at your disposal. Your circumstances will dictate where you have feast and where there is famine.

As such, it is important that you are aware of where your resources are needed the most for your operations, and where they will be able to contribute the most to your success. The 80/20 principle is helpful to keep in mind.

Think about it this way: 80% or so of your resource shortages are going to refer to just 20% of your resources—the people, materials, time, or what have you that are in highest demand. Carefully planning how these resources should be allocated, based on which processes and outcomes are most important, will ultimately help your business accomplish more.

Apply Strategic Planning

Different tasks will need different levels of investment, in terms of your resources, and organizing them based on the aforementioned priorities we discussed earlier will help you to adjust your processes accordingly.

It’s important that this process takes the different levels of your tasks into consideration, with more resources spent where they are needed. 

Track Time

Tracking your time greatly helps define how resources are being used, giving you the data that you need to better plan for the future. 

Evaluate and Adjust

Finally, it’s important that you take the time periodically to take account of your progress and make improvements. Where did conflicts appear in workflows, specifically where your priorities and goals are impacted? Take note of these conflicts and address them in future repetitions of your given process.

We Can Help Equip Your Business with the Tools for Success

From the IT support to keep you in operation to the strategic investments to improve your technology as a means to further grow, you can turn to Coleman Technologies. Give us a call at (604) 513-9428 to learn more.

New technology is always a bit intriguing. It can also be scary for some. Business owners typically only see the cost, even if it presents solutions to their organizational problems and can err on the side of caution as to not too much strain on their budget. There are a couple of really cutting-edge technologies businesses can use today that can help them confront problems they have. Let’s take a look at them in today’s blog. 

Let the Robots Handle It

Imagine an employee who never sleeps, never takes coffee breaks, and doesn’t start drama in the office Slack channel. That’s AI-powered automation. From chatbots that can handle customer service (without continuously rolling their eyes) to AI-driven analytics that predict your next best move, AI is like having a super-efficient assistant who doesn’t need vacation days. It streamlines operations, saves money, and reduces human error.

Sure, AI won’t steal your lunch from the office fridge, but it can take care of repetitive tasks so your team can focus on the big-picture items of your business.

Blockchain Is Not Just for Bitcoin Bros

If you think blockchain is only useful for cryptocurrency fanatics, think again. Blockchain technology can make business transactions more secure, transparent, and efficient.

Instead of losing sleep over whether your supplier really shipped those products, blockchain creates an unchangeable digital ledger that tracks every step of the process. No more "oops, the system lost your payment" excuses—just verified, tamper-proof records that keep everyone honest. It’s like having a truth serum for your transactions.

The Cloud Is So Last Year

You’ve heard of cloud computing, but have you met its cooler, faster cousin, edge computing? Instead of relying on a distant server farm in who-knows-where, edge computing processes data closer to where it's actually being used.

For businesses, this means faster response times, better security, and reduced reliance on an overloaded Internet connection. If your company depends on real-time data—like productivity analytics, manufacturing systems, or even smart cameras—edge computing is the difference between instant results and a significant delay.

At Coleman Technologies, we work with all types of companies and organizations to get them the technology and support they need to succeed in whatever they set out to do. Give our team of experts a call to discuss your organization’s technology today at (604) 513-9428.

Be Prepared to Lose Power
Electricity is perhaps the most important part of using technology in the workplace, as without it, the devices that empower your business’ operations just won’t function. In some cases, you might suddenly lose power, leading to data loss and other disaster scenarios that could strike your business down if you’re not prepared for them. With progress grinding to a halt, downtime will ensue, creating a considerable loss for your business.

Even if you’re not losing power, an excessive amount of it can create a surge, damaging the infrastructure itself and harming the individual components that make it up. It’s ultimately in your best interest to take measures against these events, as you made an investment that needs a substantial return. Surge protectors can be helpful to prevent excessive power from crippling these important machines, but in some cases, you’ll want a more powerful solution. An uninterruptible power supply, or UPS device, can help your servers, workstations, and other important technology shut down properly in the event of a power outage or surge, giving you the ability to minimize damage done.

Maintain a Steady Internet Connection
The Internet is an invaluable tool that can help your business succeed, and the Internet plays a larger role in its functionality than it ever has before. A lack of Internet ultimately becomes downtime for many organizations, as they depend on the Internet for various services and communications. More often than not, there’s nothing you can do about a lack of Internet if it comes from your service provider. To keep this kind of downtime from sinking operations, many businesses have implemented backup Internet connections, just in case they ever have to use it. This comes with a downside--you’ll have to maintain that connection--but it will likely be worth the investment if you ever need it.

Place Boundaries on Your Staff
Even the best employees are known to make mistakes from time-to-time. While you can trust them for the most part, nobody is perfect, nor should you expect them to be. Some might even try to implement their own solutions with the intention of making their jobs easier and more efficient. This is called shadow IT, and it can be dangerous. You have no way of knowing whether it’s putting your business at risk. You can implement measures to ensure that your employees aren’t downloading unauthorized applications through the use of administrator and user privileges. If you limit what your users can do with their machines, then you have less to worry about.

Coleman Technologies can help your business ensure managing IT doesn’t become a hassle. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, largely because there’s a lot that can pop up and cause problems that need to be addressed. Let’s discuss how successful business owners rally through tough times to help attain this kind of success.

Starting a business is a huge risk, which pretty much always means that there’s a lot of hope involved. Entrepreneurs move forward under the assumption that they can take something in the world and make it better or reinvent it entirely. As a result, there is the impression that a business owner will need to push their boundaries, or fail.

Of course, there’s taking risks, and then there’s being foolhardy. It’s all about balancing between playing it safe, and putting a little bit out on the line. Let’s discuss a few ways that you can make it easier to step out of your comfort zone a little.

Acquire Information

If you’re going to accomplish any of the goals you set for yourself and your business, you're going to need data. How does your business work? How is payroll handled? How are your business’ taxes paid? What are your acquisition and inventorying processes? Are you in a good relationship with the vendors you rely on? Are you in compliance with any and all applicable regulations?

The list of things you need to know to successfully open and operate a business, as they say, goes on and on.

Plus, this all gets more complicated as your business grows. Knowledge is indeed power, so make sure you are as knowledgeable about your business as possible.

Accept the Responsibilities of Your Role

While it would certainly be nice to just wake up one morning to find yourself the CEO of the most successful, expansive, and profitable business in history, that’s simply not how it works. If you are going to grow your business to any degree, you need to have the right goals in place, as well as the processes to allow you to strive towards these goals. Figure out how to work more efficiently, either by cutting through red tape or by adopting modern equipment that enables automation. Seek out new hires who have proven their worth in their previous positions. Will it take time and effort (and a bit of financial investment)? Sure, but everything that’s worth it tends to do so.

Furthermore, you need to be able to hold yourself accountable when things don’t go as planned. It can be too tempting to cast blame on anyone or anything else—an approach many less-than-admirable managers follow—so you need to commit to honest self-evaluation, regardless of whether your business’ efforts are trending up or down.

Maintain Forward Momentum

So, you’ve managed to expand your business’ comfort zone and embraced more opportunities as a result…time for a break, right?

Wrong.

Complacency is a dangerous thing, especially when you take into account how quickly things can change for a business. Millions of businesses suddenly had to make some very drastic changes a few years ago, and those that didn’t shut their doors after a while. While this wasn’t their fault, per se, their lack of preparedness and adaptability led to their failure.

As a business owner, you’re likely pretty used to pushing your own boundaries. Starting a business, or even taking up the mantle, is a real challenge. It takes grit, and that same grit is required if you plan to advance the company you are in charge of—and, as you’re the one in charge, it is your responsibility to make things better for your customers, employees, and vendors.

Yeah, building a business is hard, but we can at least make any IT concerns a lot easier. Reach out at (604) 513-9428 to talk to us about what we can do for you.

Every business is trying to do what they do with fewer interruptions and reduced costs. The more you can do with less, the more profitable your business can become. Building efficient processes is essential for the growing business, so this week will explore various strategies and practical tips to help you build more efficient processes.

Identify Bottlenecks

The first step towards building efficient processes is to identify bottlenecks. These are areas inside your business where there is a slowdown or obstruction that hinders productivity. By analyzing your processes and identifying bottlenecks, you can focus on improving those specific areas to enhance overall efficiency.

Streamline Workflow

Building a highly efficient workflow is crucial for building efficient processes. Start by mapping out your current workflow and identifying any unnecessary steps or redundancies. Look for ways to automate or eliminate these inefficiencies to streamline your processes. Utilizing technology and digital tools can significantly contribute to streamlining your workflow.

Communication is Key

Efficient processes rely on effective communication across all levels of an organization. Establish clear channels of communication and encourage transparency. Regular team meetings, status updates, and feedback sessions are essential to keep everyone informed and aligned. Effective communication reduces misunderstandings, minimizes delays, and enhances overall efficiency.

Invest in Employee Training and Development

Investing in the training and development of your employees can greatly contribute to building more efficient processes. Offer training programs that enhance their skills and knowledge, enabling them to perform tasks more effectively. Providing opportunities for personal and professional growth not only boosts employee morale but also empowers them to contribute to the organization's efficiency.

Keep Improving with Help from Coleman Technologies

Our consultants work with all types of companies that are looking to use technology to create a more efficient business. If you have a good idea about how our experts can help you improve your workflow, or if you would like to have a conversation about how you can improve your business, give us a call today at (604) 513-9428.

Your company’s culture is its identity - the impression that your company leaves when someone makes contact. As such, there are assorted reasons that it pays to create an engaging and inclusive company culture.

Draws in Talent

Let me ask you this: would you rather work someplace that had a reputation of nurturing incoming talent and ensuring that this talent had the resources and access that they needed to succeed in their position, or someplace notorious for leaving new employees to fend for themselves, providing minimal direction when direction is necessary to successfully complete a task? My money is on the first option.

One of the biggest benefits to creating a positive culture in the workplace is that more people will want to make it their place of work. This gives you a wider pool of talent from which to select the best candidates, creating a stronger business.

Of course, attracting this talent is one thing, having it stick around is quite another.

Retains Talent and Reduces Turnover

As long as your company culture matches its reputation, the individuals who accept your offer of employment are less likely to leave, barring any personal circumstances that force them to. This is important, as the sudden loss of an employee can have assorted impacts on your business. These impacts can include dropped processes, missed opportunities, and the costs associated with finding, hiring, and onboarding someone to replace the lost employee.

Of course, you don’t have to worry so much about these impacts if your employees aren’t motivated to leave. This is where having a positive company culture is so valuable - you can better avoid the significant costs of losing an employee, continuing to benefit from their skills in the workplace. Research conducted by Gallup indicated that only 37 percent of employees engaged with their work were actively seeking new employment opportunities, compared to a staggering (albeit understandable) 73 percent of those who had disengaged from their work.

Columbia University conducted research as well, and their results followed in the same vein. According to their results, organizations with strong company cultures saw turnover rates of 13.9 percent. 13.9 percent, compared to the 48.4 percent turnover rates at companies with poor company culture.

Boosts Productivity

A happy employee is a productive employee, which translates to direct benefits for your business if your employees remain satisfied. The right company culture can motivate your employees significantly.  The same Gallup research referenced above demonstrated that engaged employees saw productivity boosts of 21 percent. Another study, by IBM-owned Kenexa, suggested that organizations with an engaged workforce were able to bring in twice the income as an organization without these levels of engagement.

Reduces Employee Burnout

There are many reasons that an employee can experience some level of burnout, whether their schedules are overpacked or their hours are simply too long to be sustainable. However, a negative company culture is often overlooked as the root cause of an employee becoming disengaged with their work.

While employee burnout may seem like more of the employee’s problem at first consideration, there are some very real consequences that a business will need to deal with. For instance, employee burnout has been linked to an estimated 49 percent increase in workplace accidents, and a 60 percent increase in errors.

Stressed out employees are a liability to your company, but helping them to reduce that stress with a better company culture can turn these liabilities into true assets.

Better Attendance

Speaking of assets, your employees aren’t going to be very good ones if they are never in the office. A Harvard Business Review study reported an increase in employee absenteeism of 37 percent among disengaged employees. Naturally, if your employees aren’t completing their responsibilities due to this absenteeism, it is going to have an impact on both your business’ success and internal morale.

However, a more positive company culture encourages your employees to report to work, and as discussed above, leads to improved productivity while they’re there.

Is Company Culture Really So Important?

Based on the outcomes discussed above, it is pretty clear that the better your company culture is, the more effectively your business will be able to operate. So, how can you improve yours?

One way is to give your team the tools they need to complete their tasks more easily than they could with outdated and insufficient IT solutions - and the efficiency boost that new IT solutions will bring can free up some time to develop your company culture even more. Coleman Technologies can help to make sure that you are using the tools that are best suited for your company’s (and by extension, your employees’) needs. Give us a call at (604) 513-9428 to learn more.

SMBs tend to rely on their longstanding clients to bring in the majority of their revenue, so what happens when clients suddenly cannot trust your business’ reputation? Look no further than if you were to suffer from a cyberattack for an answer. It turns out that being careless with your clients’ data is one of the best ways to sink your reputation.

January 2023 Saw 53% of Surveyed Firms Experience a Cyberattack

This is up from the previous year’s 48%. This number comes from a global readiness survey administered by Hiscox, a specialty insurance company with offices in the United States, the European Union, and Asia.

The Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2023 offers other interesting information that businesses can learn from, including what businesses in Belgium have done and what can be learned from them. It’s well worth the time to read through the report, let alone the executive summary.

Of course, we want to make this information as accessible as possible, so if you take nothing else away from the report, at least consider this: the above 53%, and that businesses with less than ten employees were hit more often… accounting for 36% of all attacks.

Clearly, there is a problem here that you need to be concerned about.

Your Clients and Customers Wouldn’t Appreciate Your Business Suffering a Hack

Really, it’s all about broken trust; you shouldn’t expect your customers to take kindly to such an affront to their data security.

There are a few exceptions to this rule. If you leave your customers’ data susceptible to an attack, chances are you will experience a significant challenge recovering from it, in more ways than one. According to information compiled by Varonis in 2022:

• 65% of victims lost trust in the organization that was breached
• 80% of consumers reported that a business would lose them as a customer if their data were compromised
• 85% would tell others about the experience they had, 33.5% taking to social media to do so
• 52% of consumers claimed that security was among, if not the, most important consideration when making a buying decision

The Solution is Simple: Protect Your Business

Ultimately, the best way to protect your business and its reputation is to protect its data. If you want to ensure you keep your business’ data safe, be sure to contact Coleman Technologies at (604) 513-9428.

Do you want superhuman productivity? Thankfully, it doesn’t take much to be more productive than the majority of workers out there, and a couple of small tweaks to your day can make a world of difference. Today, we’ll cover some strategies you can use for prioritization, time management, and focus, allowing you to get more work done.

Select Your Priorities

If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority.

Take the time at the beginning of the day to determine your top three priorities. Which tasks will have the greatest impact? These are generally tasks that you’ll want to complete as soon as possible, while others can wait or aren’t nearly as time-sensitive.

If you need help nailing down your priorities, you can use the Eisenhower Matrix to determine urgent work versus important work, allowing you to identify and tackle tasks that will move the needle in the right direction.

Master Time Blocking

An effective way to better manage your time is to use time blocking to minimize distractions and improve focus.

Time blocking is when you dedicate specific chunks of time to accomplishing specific tasks. You might block out a couple of hours a day for deep work activities, like writing or problem solving. Similarly, you might leave another block of time for low-effort administrative tasks, such as answering emails or attending meetings.

Stick to your schedule, and ensure that each block of time is treated as a non-negotiable appointment with yourself.

Focus on Single Tasks

Multitasking might look like it accomplishes more on the surface, but switching tasks repeatedly can have a significant impact on your mental load and productivity.

Consider switching to a single-task approach so you can dedicate your focus to one task at a time. Studies have shown that multitasking eats into productivity and can lead to a reduction of up to 40 percent, which is significant and unnecessary. If you approach tasks as if they’re the only thing on your plate, you’ll see an increase in the efficiency and the quality of your work.

If you find this approach is challenging, take care to minimize distractions so you can attack one singular task with surgical precision.

There are a lot of ways to approach productivity, and we’ve barely scratched the surface. Ultimately, the best productivity tip we can give you is to find what works best for you, and do it consistently. Only then will you see the results you’re looking for.

For more productivity and technology tips, be sure to keep an eye on our blog.

When it comes to your business’ continuity, you should know that even small issues pose a great threat—especially when they involve your business’ data. Let’s examine two situations where even small mistakes could lead to a cascade of problems that could leave your organization strapped for cash and struggling to stay alive.

Situation 1: Security Breaches

As far as security goes, it’s easy for something as simple as a phishing email to escalate into a serious problem. Imagine that someone clicks on a link in a phishing email and provides the website with their access credentials. The hacker then uses that information to log into your network and install something nefarious on your infrastructure, like ransomware. All of a sudden, you’re in a bind that asks you to either spend a ridiculous amount of money on the decryption key, or else your data will be leaked online.

Let’s say you do pay the ransom, but the hacker doesn’t provide the decryption key. Worse yet, they decide to sell the data anyway, offering other criminals access to it on the black market. And since your data is now effectively leaked online, you’re subject to compliance-related fines that are costing your business thousands of dollars.

Of course, this is all without getting into your business’ operations. During this entire process, your team cannot do their jobs, either because the data is locked down or unavailable. Worse yet, your clients find out about this, and you’re facing lawsuits and lost clientele. Good luck getting back into the game following a disaster like this when nobody trusts you with their sensitive data.

Situation 2: Disasters of Any Kind

Another example of a minor inconvenience turning into a massive problem is just about any disaster that involves your physical infrastructure. Imagine that one of the pipes in your office bathroom starts to leak. You don’t think anything of it and just place a bucket of water under the sink until you can get someone to take a look at it. Days, then weeks, then months go by. Eventually that leak develops into a serious problem, maybe during the winter when the pipes freeze.

Now imagine that your server room is directly underneath your now-broken pipes. How much water do you think a server unit can withstand?

A small problem turns into many larger (and preventable) ones. You have to fix up your physical infrastructure and potentially close your office during repairs. You have to replace technology that would otherwise be perfectly fine. You have to pay people for the time they spend waiting around for you to address the problem. And that’s not even mentioning the data lost as a result of the incident. Data backup and disaster recovery that can handle disasters both natural and manmade is vital to the continued success of any business.

Don’t Take Any Chances with Your Business’ Data

It doesn’t take a massive problem like a data breach or a natural disaster to threaten your organization’s continuity; if anything, small issues could escalate into large-scale problems when left unchecked. Make sure you’re taking precautionary measures with a managed service provider like Coleman Technologies. We can ensure your network is protected and backed up, safe and ready to go for whenever life throws a wrench into your plans. Learn more by calling us today at (604) 513-9428.

Businesses are prioritizing cybersecurity more than ever. Many insurers now require companies to meet specific cybersecurity standards before offering coverage, with one key requirement being the implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Here’s what you need to know and how we can help.

What is MFA?

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a cybersecurity measure that adds additional layers of security beyond the traditional username and password system.

While the classic username and password combination has been a standard since the advent of networking, it is relatively easy for cybercriminals to compromise using methods like phishing, keylogging, and network snooping.

MFA mitigates these risks by requiring additional authentication steps that are much harder to replicate or steal.

How Does Multi-Factor Authentication Work?

MFA enhances security by requiring users to provide extra proof of identity.

Initially, a user presents their identity with a username, requesting access. Traditionally, this identity was authenticated with a password. However, MFA requires more proof before granting access, such as an additional authentication factor.

What Can Be Used as Authentication in Modern MFA Systems?

Modern MFA systems require additional proof of identity, which can be categorized into three types:

• Something you know: A password or passcode.
• Something you have: An access token, account, or application.
• Something you are: Biometric data.

While some options are more secure than others, any MFA implementation significantly enhances security, which is crucial for insuring your business.

Emailed Codes

This method involves sending a code to the user’s email during an access attempt. The user must then provide this code to gain access. It’s simple but effective for businesses willing to check their email before logging into a secured resource.

SMS Codes

Some platforms send a code via text to the user’s phone, which must be entered to gain access. Despite its simplicity, SMS-based MFA has some downsides, such as issues if the phone is lost, upgraded, or if the phone number changes.

Authentication Applications

Dedicated MFA applications like Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and Duo offer a secure way to generate and access MFA codes. When choosing an app, ensure it supports device transfers and backups.

We’re Here to Help

Business insurance is essential, and if it helps make businesses more secure, it's a win-win. If you want to learn more about implementing MFA or have any other IT or cybersecurity questions, we’re here to help. Call us at (604) 513-9428 to learn more.