The P in “PC” stands for personal, as your device contains a whole load of personal and sensitive information about you as its user. This simple enough reason is why lots of people can become quite obsessed with protecting their PC system.
Constantly testing if your system is secured enough from hacking and other kinds of cybercrime attacks is a wise, responsible move no matter what your job is or what you use your PC for. If you’re ready to test the security of your PC, here’s how:
1. Check your OS
Check your OS and figure out if it’s up to date. Your operating system is never a perfect operating system, as those with malicious intent are always trying to find their way into your PC through your OS. This is why OS developers are always hard at work at finding these bugs and flaws, and even perform ethical hacking on their own systems to make sure an OS helps keep your information safe and secure.
Your responsibility as a user then is to make sure that your OS is always updated to the latest patch. Many of these patches are optional, and OS manufacturers will still allow you to use your system without these security patches. However, it is always recommended that you install these upgrades and updates as soon as they come out, because not doing so can compromise your system’s security.
2. Check your settings
There’s a software application known as the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer, and it’s supposed to help a user check how their Microsoft OS and Office programs are doing in terms of security settings. For starters, it checks your account passwords and makes sure that they’re strong and difficult to guess, it checks if your system gets automatic OS updates, and it even checks if your user accounts are given more privileges than they’re supposed to have.
You can also choose to check your settings manually, or opt for other analyzer tools that may be more robust and inclusive. If you’re going to check out MBSA alternatives, you only need to make sure that the tool you’re using has a good reputation and doesn’t open you up to vulnerabilities.
3. Check your internet browser
Keeping websites safe and secure is a priority for many reputable companies nowadays. In fact, they even perform all kinds of website testing or outsource these services to third-party software testers. These tests ensure that not only is a company’s website safe and secure, but that it’s also optimized for compatibility, usability, and performance across many devices.
However, you can’t just leave it up to the websites you’re visiting to protect you and your data. You need to protect yourself from your end too.
Make sure that your internet browser is updated to the latest version, and any and all plugins that you’re using are updated and safe to use. If they’re not up to date, they may leave you vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. If you rarely use a plugin, it’s best to just uninstall it rather than leave it running and outdated.
4. Check your firewall
For many, firewall security settings on devices run on Microsoft and MacOS are enough to ensure that you and your system are virtually hidden from hackers when you’re online. Wrong port settings, on the other hand, reveal you to hackers and give them an entry point into your system. Viruses and other malicious programs may have changed your port settings without you knowing. Testing your firewall and checking your port settings is a great idea. While you’re at it, you might also want to install an anti-virus software too.
5. Check your social media accounts
Your social media accounts are jam-packed with information, and you might want to double check which and how much of these data is available to the public. Oversharing information on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many other social media platforms is so commonplace nowadays that it’s so easy to overlook information that you might have rather not shared.
Make use of your social media accounts’ privacy settings. Check your profiles from an outsider’s POV, and remember to keep private and sensitive information away from feeds and timelines.
5 Steps to Test the Security of Your PC was last modified: September 24th, 2020 by Aleksandra Bondrenko
Find the best Project Management Software Android Apps which can be helpful and effective for your projects and to meet with your specific objectives to achieve progress. There are numerous ideas and interesting plans which can be helpful and effective to make progress and to install it to get instant benefits due to the user-friendly interface and delivering the right achievements form the great plans. Project management software Android apps are of different types and in each app, the functions, features, and working criteria are different depending upon the specific sort of business plans and having the best remarkable features.
There are numerous Project Management Apps for Android which can be easily accessed by implementing through effective useful resources. Find numerous and attractive ideas to choose the best plan and achieve your progress through step by step guideline. In product development, analysis, requirements, knowledge, and skills have great value. The efficient use of the knowledge and skills makes the people perfect and prepare them to get the instant benefits too from smart feature plans to achieve the progress from step by step integrations and using the perfect tools to become expert and proficient in specific project planning.
In most of your design needs revision and clarification and then to handle it to use the specific tools and tricks. Choose the right collaboration and productivity tool to execute your project apps and then to make progress by following step by step guidelines. There is a massive range of ideas and plans which can be effective and interests printed to make the perfect and the ideal solution according to the specific business requirements. Reaching your crucial project milestones can be achieved with successful integration and following all the parameters to use intellectual skills and explorations of business ideas with a user-friendly project management app.
Wunderlist, Trello, ClickUp, Notion, ProofHub, Wunderlist, and Nifty are some of the best examples of the best project management tools that can be download to achieve the progress and to make effective business plans by successful planning. Detailed features and prescription of each Android app can be found on the website.
There are numerous Android Apps that are built-in only to execute the best project management and to achieve instant results. Some of the apps are freely available and some are paid. App store reviews and user recommendations can help the interested communities to get benefits and to make sure about unique features and explorations of the apps on behalf of the authentic and versatile feature plans.
There are numerous plans and strategies which can be full and effective to make progress in a specific time frame and to get help from the efficient use of the apps from the specific time frame. Almost everything belongs with practical field knowledge and facing the real challenges to which the competent people can solve on behalf of the perfect analysis and finding the perfect possible solutions. In the free version, the features are limited and in paid versions, the features are according to the business requirements and to use the full-fledged benefits from the efficient use of the apps.
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Best Apps for Project Management was last modified: May 10th, 2023 by Ahsan Raza
3D printing is an excellent technology that can be used by both hobbyists and industrial-scale companies. But it all starts with an idea, of course. You’re likely aware that 3D printing is very commonly used for creating action figurines, board game pieces, and miniature house models, but did you know it’s also used in the aerospace, automotive, and robotics industries?
You’re probably not trying to 3D print parts for a DIY rocket ship, and you should probably be aware there’s a ton of FAA licensing required to even attempt launching a rocket, but we all need to start somewhere. So whatever your idea is, whether it’s printing your own Batman figurines or more practical and cool 3D prints, we’re going to go over some of the basics of 3D printing and where to start.
How and why beginners should outsource 3D printing work
Before you fully commit to the world of 3D printing, it’s a good idea to outsource your early ideas first. This will give you a better idea of what 3D printers are capable of, and what they aren’t, as well as save you a significant chunk of money on the upfront investment of purchasing a 3D printer and the necessary materials.
This is because beginners will typically fall into two camps. The first camp will buy a budget 3D printer that is not capable of professional quality, and have bad results with their initial ideas. The second camp may spend too much on a high quality, 3D printer, then decide it’s not for them after all, and have wasted a lot of money.
By outsourcing your early 3D printing work, you’ll save a lot of money and can request work done on different types of AM systems, and then ask questions to the company about their process and get help deciding on which 3D printing technology is best for you.
Using a professional service such as 3D Hubs, which offers 3D printing in Nashville and Austin, you just need to upload a CAD model, get a free quote, and then you can receive your parts in as little as 2 days.
This also gives you the opportunity to speak with professionals on the different processes and materials used in 3D printing, depending on the job being done, which can help you ultimately decide what type of AM system you’ll buy down the road.
What are the different types of 3D printing processes?
There are many different types of 3D printing processes, but some are more commonly used than others depending on the type of job being done.
Hobbyist 3D printing such as model figurines and game board pieces would typically use SLS or DLP because of the high level of detail available, whereas large industrial parts would more commonly use FDM process.
Is this making your head hurt? Let’s briefly examine what each of the common 3D printing processes means.
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
SLS is used for both prototyping and small-batch production of functional plastic parts with good mechanical properties.
In SLS, a laser selectively sinters polymer powder particles, fusing them together and building a part layer-by-layer.
MultiJet Fusion (MJF)
HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) can be used for both prototyping and small-batch-production of functional plastic parts.
In MJF, parts are built by jetting a binding agent onto thin layers of polymer powder particles (typically nylon) and then sintering them using an IR heat source.
Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS)
DMLS produces high performance, end-use metal 3D printed parts for industrial applications in the aerospace, automotive and medical industries.
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
FDM is the most widely available 3D printing process, mainly used for low-cost prototyping and design verification with very fast turnaround times.
Stereolithography (SLA)
SLA is most suitable for visual applications where an injection mold-like, smooth surface finish, and a high level of feature detail are required.
Similar to SLS process, SLA uses a laser to trace out and build individual layers, but SLA uses a liquid resin instead of the powder used in SLS.
Conclusion
There’s truly a lot to understand about 3D printing, and that’s why we mainly recommend outsourcing your initial ideas first, and talking with the company about their recommended process for what you have in mind.
Making Your Ideas Come to Life: An Intro to 3D Printing was last modified: April 11th, 2022 by Claire Ward
Whether your business has been using remote workers for years or has just started doing so; there are some unique challenges you need to overcome to get the most out of the setup.
To help you benefit from employing remote workers, here are five tips to help you perfect the process.
Get the Right Setup
Before you start hiring lots of new remote workers, it’s important to make sure you’ve got the right setup. If you don’t have this in place, it’s going to be impossible to get the most out of whoever you hire, and you’re going to waste their and your time.
Make sure that you’ve got everything you need to communicate with your potential employee, and that you can easily share the information you need to share.
You might have an urgent need to transition to remote workers, but you’ve got to make sure you’re investing in remote work monitoring software at the same time.
Invest in the Hiring Process
Just because this employee will be working remotely doesn’t mean you should pay any less attention to the hiring process. You still need to find the right person for the job, and they still need to be a good fit with your company.
The process of hiring online might look a little bit different, but you’ve got to find a way that allows you to get to know your candidates. Remote workers are the same as office-based ones, you need the right people, and you don’t want to be looking for new employees constantly, so put the effort in to get the decision right the first time.
Sort Out Payroll
Make sure that everything is set up with your payroll to accommodate remote workers. There shouldn’t be much difference in this aspect between a remote worker and an office-based one, but it’s worth double-checking to make sure you’ve got everything sorted.
When an employee isn’t physically meeting with you, it’s important for trust that payments go through on time and correctly. With the right payroll software, you can ensure this is all taken care of automatically, and you don’t have to worry about it.
Furthermore, if your remote team includes employees working overseas, partnering up with an EOR that offers Global Payroll Services will simplify the entire process.
Work on Communication
When you’ve got the right software setup, this becomes much easier, but you’ve still got to make sure you’re focusing on communication.
When you’ve got everyone working in one office, communication should come naturally, but when you’re dealing with remote workers, you have to work a bit harder at it. That doesn’t mean you can’t communicate even better than when your staff are working from the office; it just presents slightly different challenges.
Keep People Involved
Make sure that you’re giving your remote workers regular feedback and make them feel like they’re part of the company. They might be working remotely, but they’re still working towards the same goals as everyone else.
You must continue to give them a sense of identity within the company by keeping them up to date with what’s going on and involving them in what’s happening.
Tips for Working with Remote Workers was last modified: December 1st, 2022 by Carol Trehearn
Smartphones have become so prolific that almost everyone has one in their pocket at any time. These devices are making it extremely easy to access all kinds of information in an instant. However, they aren’t without their flaws.
One of them is the fact that you can’t really do much with them if there’s no internet. More importantly, you can’t access videos online without the internet. To watch your favorite show or music videos offline, you’ll have to download them first. Here’s how you can do that without breaking a sweat.
How Can I Download a Video Directly to My Phone?
You can’t. It’s not that it’s technologically impossible, it’s that neither Google nor Apple wants anything to do with it. Downloading videos is a massive headache in terms of copyright.
Because of that, you won’t find any legitimate apps that allow you to download videos from places like YouTube.
Instead, you’ll have to first download the video to your PC, and then transfer the video to your phone. Although it might sound complicated, it’s not. All you really need are the right tools for the job.
Downloading the Video
As of yet, most video streaming sites such as YouTube don’t have a download option. They only allow you to stream the video. To go around this issue, you’ll need to get yourself a video downloader of some sort. Speaking of which, not all downloaders are created equal.
You’ll need to dig into different features this type of software offers. The people behind Viddly YouTube Downloader say that choosing the right file parameters is essential when downloading a video from any source. After all, the idea is to get a video of optimal size and resolution for your phone.
Choosing the Right Format and Resolution
When you decide to download a video using video downloader software, you’ll be presented with various options in terms of video format and resolution. Both of these are important as they directly impact the size of the file, as well as the picture quality.
Phone screens are way smaller than your average TV or computer screen. There’s no need to run a 4k video on your phone since it most likely won’t support it. So far only Sony has seriously dabbled in 4k reproduction with their Xperia line.
If your source video is 4k, you can save a lot of room on your phone by downgrading the resolution. In fact, you can go past full HD, if storage is an issue for you or if you plan on downloading more than one video.
As far as video format goes, you’ll want to select the right one for your phone. Both iPhones and Android phones will run a variety of formats, so make sure to select the one that works for your device.
Download and Transfer
Once you’ve selected the resolution and format you want, go ahead and download the video to your PC. Once it’s on your hard drive, you can proceed to transfer it to your phone.
For iPhone
If you run an iPhone, you’ll first want to sync up your device with your computer using a cable or WiFi. Keep in mind that the procedure is different depending on the type of computer you have. Macs offer native syncing with iPhone, while Windows machines don’t.
When your iPhone syncs up, open the Finder feature and select it in the dropdown menu.
Next, select the Movies tab in your button bar and click “sync movies to (name of your device)”. Lastly, check the box next to the video you’ve just downloaded, and click apply.
For Android
If you have an Android phone, simply hook it up to your PC using the USB cable. Once the connection is established, you’ll get a prompt where you can select the “Use USB for Transfer” option. This will open up the file manager on your PC, allowing you to transfer the file to your phone by dragging it over.
All you need to do is select the right folder where you want your video to be transferred to. To do so, just navigate the folder tree until you find the right location in your phone’s memory.
Practice Makes Perfect
If you decide to make a habit of downloading videos and saving them on your phone for offline use, you’ll quickly figure out the settings that work for you. We’ve given you a brief rundown on how to transfer video to your phone.
However, if you want to, there’s a lot more information out there that could potentially make your experience even better. Over time, you’ll optimize the entire process and make it even easier.
How to Download Videos on Your PC and Transfer it in Your Phone was last modified: March 9th, 2023 by Allen Brown
Nowadays, social media are the most popular platform on the Internet, even more, popular than most standalone sites. People become lazy, and they don’t want to make extra clicks or taps to buy something. So, transferring your shops into social media is a great idea! Also, you may create your store in the social media exclusively, without the brick-and-mortar equivalent, thus saving money for rent. Social media also present you with a great opportunity to auto-track your customers’ flow, analyze the demographics, and plan your own strategy.
Right Before You Start
Make a plan first. Social media are free to use and already have all the instruments needed for a great ad campaign. But they still are just tools for your strategy. Giving up planning and just posting everything you want is very tempting, but without a promotion content plan, you won’t be able to post consistently and track your progress (these two factors are essential for the successful ad campaign).
Set your goals and objectives and plan your milestones. Make them reachable and easy to understand. Remember that it is better to make more milestones, dividing your big goal into the small ones. Use the SMART acronym to check your goals: make them specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. Set the exact metrics and assign them to your goals. Are you going to have 100 subscribers in a month? 1000? 5000?
If you do have a social media account already, make an audit of it. Check the number of your subscribers, their activity, the number of your leads for the last month, etc. Compare what you have with the social media of your competitors. Learn from their mistakes, not yours, and borrow their successful moves to use in your strategy.
Get inspired not only from your competitors but from other businesses. Study the most prominent cases of social media ad campaigns, read their success stories and learn from their strategies. You may even ask the owners of these businesses to share their stories with you in more detail and answer your questions.
Create a content plan. As we said before, consistency is one of the most important things in social media marketing. Choose the frequency of your posts (not less than once a week, but twice is much better) and the themes you are going to use. Try to start using a 80\20 content rule. 80 percent of your content should be entertaining or educating, just giving your audience the reason to follow you. 20 percent of your content can be the direct promotion of your products.
Decide What Social Media Platforms You Are Going To Use
Learn about the core audience of the different social media networks. How is an average Instagram user different from a Facebook or Youtube one? Who has more chances to get interested in your products? What are they interested in except for your products? How can you use it in your ad campaign? Decide on types of promotion: it can be PR or advertising, also, you can use special services to promote your brand.
After the defining of your main potential clients, you may think about the directions for the expansion. What can you offer for their families? Friends? Kids? Neighbours? Or should you try launching a completely new product to cover a new niche? Maybe, you should expand internationally, considering the new culture, new demands and new economy?
Get feedback. The central part of promoting your goods in social media is building relationships. Always answer the direct messages, create interactive posts and competitions, address your audience directly. Don’t be shy to promote your brand values; it will help you build trust and get you an audience that shares these values.
Learn your tools. Each social media network has its own tool set that helps you to promote your goods, and it is optimized for exactly that platform. Learning these tools will open the way to a successful ad campaign that will reach as many potential clients as possible. Usually, these tools are completely adjustable, letting you choose any demographics, any country or even the interests of the people or the smartphone models they use.
Using social media for promoting your products, or even for creating a full-fledged store is easier than you think! It still demands consistent and devoted work, though, but the simple rules listed above will give you a good start to your marketing success!
What You Need to Create Your Small Business’ Social Media Page was last modified: September 12th, 2022 by Chloe Evans
Has this summer totally ruined your plans for going on a sunny vacation or seeing famous spots all over the world? The fall has just begun, and with all the COVID restrictions you might need to keep your travels on hold for a while. However, there are no barriers to virtual traveling that has another benefit—it is free! Using online street views, you can enjoy virtual trips anytime and get inspired by them without even leaving your home. Here, we have gathered for you the top-10 world-famous landmarks to visit online.
1. Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
If you want to visit this great historical landmark and see one of the biggest mysteries of Egypt on the inside, you can fully rely on websites providing a 360-degree view. Choose an adventure instead of procrastinating, and you will see how your everyday routine gets bright and sunny.
2. Taj Mahal, India
The city of Agra has never been so close! The white-domed mausoleum of the Taj Mahal tells the story of love, faith, and wealth of the Mughal emperor who made his way into the history and hearts of tourists. Arabic architecture is one of a kind, and we highly recommend checking out this landmark in a 360-degree view.
3. Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Japan
If you’ve always wanted to meditate in a Buddhist temple, you have to visit Kiyomizudera online. Traveling is the best way to study history, architecture, and life. If you don’t have time for it, ask a history buff to write an essay for me and get your work covered while you enjoy the views from the wooden stage that made this temple in Kyoto world-famous. Add a cup of green tea and repeat “om mani padme hum”, and you will immediately feel more positive and relaxed.
4. Colosseum, Italy
Rome might not be as busy in times of quarantine as it was before, still, you can take a virtual tour to Colosseum whenever you want without being afraid of the crowd. Especially when lighted up during nighttime, the amphitheater will put you into the atmosphere of glory and take you away from everyday troubles.
5. Palace of Versailles, France
Do you think that the period of quarantine is the best time to visit the principal French royal residence? You might be right! Using a 360-degree view, you can stroll around the deserted chambers and walk in the royal garden that looks as magnificent as the palace itself.
6. Sydney Opera House, Australia
Because the quarantine has changed the way we get to the art, now you can access many of the opera house content online. From a virtual walk around one of the most famous buildings in the world to performances and behind-the-stage talks, you can get it all on the web.
7. Hollywood Boulevard, LA
If an actual trip to LA is not in your plans right now, you can still admire its iconic street with its museums, shops, and footprints of stars. Explore the Walk of Fame using street view and check how many of your favorite celebrities you can spot here.
8. International Space Station
In case you are fascinated with the idea of space trips, check out the view provided by the International Space Station. Find out how it looks on the inside and imagine yourself being an actual astronaut. You can check the view from the Earth orbit and get a little more dreamy in the middle of an ordinary day.
9. Machu Picchu, Peru
If you are not a fan of crowded cities or space equipment, you will like visiting the ancient city of the Inca online. The ruins of Machu Picchu hold many secrets of how the city might have looked when people lived there. The citadel also opens a magnificent view over the Andes that will help you get rest from reality.
10. Tikal, Guatemala
If you like ancient sites like Machu Picchu, you will also fall in love with this one. An ancient citadel in the rainforest, Tikal is one of many temples and palaces built by the Maya in Guatemala. You can submerge into the history of America anytime using online models and real-time views of this grand monument.
Top 10 Virtual Travel Destinations for Instant Positive Relaxation was last modified: September 15th, 2020 by James White
Undoubtedly one of the great challenges today is to have followers on the different social networks, but today we are going to talk about one in particular focused on smartphones and that has become so popular, Instagram, and through an App, it will give us the possibility to add followers and long-awaited “likes” on the publications we have and the new ones we are publishing.
Instagramers have the possibility to grow their accounts exponentially, through an application called GetInsta, which has added and brought together real people to follow and like each other, trying to generate a great community.
Everyone can get their benefits by following others or liking each of the posts. With this system, you can get free Instagram followers and likes for your own accounts and also for each of the posts you make on Instagram.
Something important and that you will surely be interested to know is that downloading GetInsta to get free Instagram followers and unlimited likes is very easy, especially easy to use, but it is worth mentioning that above all its use is 100% safe, with GetInsta being a Instagram likes application of the best that exist.
Let’s talk now about the features that GetInsta brings us:
First of all, we will have security and privacy. GetInsta is developed by professionals, it is a 100% safe and clean application. It does not contain malicious software and above all without risk or surprises like other applications that make use of your data without your consent. You can get totally organic follower growth along with real Instagram likes and keep your account seamless.
This app is undoubtedly of high quality: its operation is real and organic, because the users are exactly real Instagram users, they are not fake Instagram bot users generated by nothing. The followers and likes you get are from Instagram accounts that are active and the most important thing is that they are real. Therefore, when your followers increase, the likes will increase at the same time. All the followers and likes are made in a reasonable time, in an organic and natural way. There is no risk of being sanctioned by this social network.
You don’t need to spend money to get followers and I like you. It is 100% FREE and unlimited. What you need are coins, which is a system that uses the application itself and what you have to do is acquire said coins as it is used, but when you log into GetInsta for the first time, you will get 1000 free Instagram followers trial, and can be used to buy followers and likes. To earn more coins, you have to do easy tasks within the same application, therefore the more you use the more growth you will have.
The application is available for Windows, Android, and iOS platforms, where its developers invite us to try it for free and can download from its official website: GetInsta
We just have to download, register, log in and start adding followers, it’s that simple.
How To Get Free Instagram Followers and Likes was last modified: December 9th, 2021 by Adriana S
When it comes to running a business successfully, it is unheard of to do so without having the right kind of software. And, as technology becomes more and more adaptive and advanced, there pretty much isn’t software out there that doesn’t cater to any kind of need in your business, regardless of the field that you are working in. If you’re just getting your business started, it’s essential that you are aware of the latest options and what it is you need in terms of software in order to run a successful business.
Customer Relationship Management
There isn’t a business model out there that does not rely in one way or another on its client base. And for this very reason, your company needs to utilize the best CRM software available. It’s important that you understand the details of how your customers and clients shape your business, and accordingly, you’ll be able to have the most suitable CRM. This goes a long way in managing large volumes of inquiries and sorting them out, and by doing so, you’ll be able to cater to all your customer’s needs, allowing your reputation to stay on top of the pile.
EHS Management
The value of any company’s Environmental, Health, and Safety measures have never been as relevant as it is after the onset of the pandemic. If you are planning on opening up your offices for people to come into work again, it is imperative that you invest in a decent EHS management software in order to keep records efficiently and to comply with any laws that are put in place. From monitoring safety incidents to managing health and safety campaigns and audits, EHS management is an essential part of any successful business.
When it comes to managing safety in the workplace, there is a lot of paperwork that needs to be taken care of. When you come to pick an EHS software, make sure that it is compliant with your settings and that it can take up heavy storage as well.
Accounting and Payroll
You cannot run a business without having a solid accounting foundation. And you can no longer have a solid accounting foundation without the right software put in place. Depending on the kind of business that you run, you need to see what software would suit your needs best and make sure that you stay up to date on the latest in the market, as this is one genre in terms of software where there are consistent upgrades.
Project Management
The days of paperwork and saving files all over the place on different programs are long gone. What you need for proper project management is a software that is made for managing projects specifically. This is the best way to go because everything concerning the project is uploaded onto one platform, along with any communication concerning it. This way, it is much easier to track details and be better organized.
Internal Communication
Your business needs to have the software installed exclusively for communication. Such software is designed in a way where you can create different channels and organize and separate the members of each one according to the project or department. This way, you are able to keep a record of all conversations happening internally in case you need a reference for any reason. You also have an easier way to talk to everyone and make company-wide announcements without having to worry about sending emails and who saw them or not, as such software creates notifications both on laptops and phones alike.
Document Management
We already create files and folders on our computers to manage our documents. However, when you’re running a business, the situation becomes more complex, and you need a lot more space than one computer system can handle. Investing in a document management software will do wonders in organizing all of the company’s documents in an automated and organized way that will make it easier for you to refer back to them when need be, keep details such as date and creator, and notify you if any changes are made. That’s not to mention the limitless space that you can have if you pay the price for it!
The Latest Business Software You Need to Try was last modified: August 11th, 2023 by Allen Brown
If you filed a tax extension because you needed more time to file your taxes, it’s important to know that you have until October 15th before the IRS considers it late and places additional penalties against you.
Get your tax refund ASAP. If you expect to receive a tax refund after filing your taxes, the IRS recommends filing as soon as possible in order to get your money quickly. For those who are expected to receive a refund, the IRS typically won’t penalize you.
Pay off your tax debt as soon as possible. Taxpayers are advised to pay off their tax liability by the initial tax deadline but if for some reason a taxpayer needs more time to pay off their balance, the IRS provides payment options online in order to help avoid staying compliant and out of collections.
Avoid interest and penalties by filing on time. The IRS strongly recommends that taxpayers file their taxes before the final tax extension deadline of October 15th in order to avoid failure-to-file penalty and the IRS tacking on additional interest.
What to do if you miss the tax deadline. If you forgot to file your tax return, not to worry, the IRS offers the option to file a tax extension. Taxpayers have up until October 15th to prepare and file their tax return to the IRS. Although the IRS prefers taxpayers to file on the initial tax deadline, they understand that unexpected circumstances may arise that could cause a taxpayer to miss the initial tax deadline. It is also important to know that even with a tax extension, this will not stop additional interest and penalties from adding up.
Those serving in the military have more time to file. Members in the military or for those who are serving in a combat zone, the IRS provides more time to file. These taxpayers usually have up to 180 days after they leave their combat zone to both file returns and pay any taxes that are due.
Optima Tax Relief Reviews Key Items Taxpayers Need to Remember When Filing an Extension was last modified: September 8th, 2020 by Addison Yes
Entrepreneurs often fail to market their startups due to inadequacy of resources. However, they fail to realize that while a limited budget can impact their marketing endeavors, it doesn’t necessarily need to sabotage it. There are many ways in which startup marketing can be achieved, even on a shoe-string budget.
First and Foremost, Draw Up a Marketing Plan
Create a marketing plan. Identify what the goals of your startup marketing will be, the techniques you will use and the measurement tools you will require for analyzing the profitability of your marketing efforts. A well-documented plan will help you stay on track with your marketing goals and ambitions. Tailor your marketing to your specific industry. For example, if developing a car wash business plan, your marketing strategy might include coupons, cross-promotions with local mechanics and local radio and print advertising.
Include an Elevator Pitch
An elevator pitch is a short description of your business. Not only are attention spans getting shorter, few people have time for a detailed and nuanced explanation of what your startup business has to offer. One of the many advantages of having a ready elevator pitch for your business is that it allows you to market anytime, anywhere.
Get Involved
Don’t have the money for traditional advertising? Don’t lose heart, there are other ways to get the word out. One of the easiest ways to raise awareness of your new business is to actively participate in local community gatherings. Sponsor neighborhood events or print out and distribute flyers for business to event audiences.
Collaborate
Cross-promoting can have significant benefits for your new business. If there’s a company that offers products/services in your business ballpark – but not necessarily in your business niche – reach out to them. Persuade them that collaboration is possible and engage in some healthy cross-promoting. Even better if the business you are cross-promoting with already has a customer base.
Network! Network! Network!
Networking can be time-consuming and exhausting, but the benefits are unparalleled. Try to grow a network by initiating conversation with people you find interesting. A reliable business network can really help a new business endeavor stay afloat, even in difficult times.
Don’t Be Shy About Asking for Referrals
If you’ve already gathered a bunch of customers who’ve purchased your products/services, contact them and ask them if they’d be kind enough to leave you a referral. The importance of social proof in marketing efforts cannot be denied. Customers today are always on the lookout for reviews and recommendations of products/services before making their purchase. A good word from a past customer can go a long way in securing your next potential customer.
Focus on Building Customer Relationships
One-time buyers might bring your new business immediate profit but establishing a loyal customer base will extend long-term gains for your business. Make your existing customers feel special and valued and they will make repeat purchases from your business. Strong business-client relationships can provide a steady stream of revenue income for your new business.
7 Ways to Market Your New Business was last modified: August 17th, 2021 by Bridget Quinlan
Taxpayers can expect that the IRS will send out notices every year for a variety of reasons. It is important for taxpayers to understand what type of notice they received and what their next steps should be in order to remain on the IRS’s good side.
Optima Tax Relief explores what taxpayers should do if they receive letters or notices from the IRS:
Don’t ignore your notice or letter. The IRS will typically send out notices about federal tax returns or tax accounts. Each notice deals with a specific issue pertaining to a tax return or a tax balance a taxpayer may owe. Review the notice that you receive and follow the directions in order to resolve the tax matter at hand.
Don’t panic if you receive a notice or letter from the IRS. The IRS and authorized private collection agencies send out letters to taxpayers by mail. More often than not, all taxpayers need to do is to read the letter they have received and take action by reading the directions on their notice.
Don’t reach out to the IRS unless they have requested you to do so. The IRS typically doesn’t require a response back from a taxpayer unless instructed to do so. If taxpayers receive a notice showing that they owe a balance, the IRS will request that the taxpayer responds with payment.
Take action in a timely manner. A tax notice may notify a taxpayer that there have been changes to their account regarding taxes owed, a payment request, or a specific issue on a tax return. Acting quickly could minimize any additional interest and penalty charges.
Review the information placed on the notice. The IRS can send information regarding a change or correction on a tax return. The taxpayer that received the notice should review the information and compare it to their original return.
Respond to disputed notice. If a taxpayer receives a notice from the IRS that they don’t agree with, they should mail a letter explaining why they dispute the notice. A taxpayer disputing claims made by the IRS should also submit substantiation to the IRS to prove that their claims are incorrect.
Optima Tax Relief explores what You Should do if You Receive a Letter or Notice from the IRS was last modified: September 8th, 2020 by Addison Yes
Over the centuries, humans have always strived for the world’s technological advancement. We have been continuously improving for the betterment and discoveries for new techs. In this digital age, almost all people have their data on their mobiles and computer. These computers can store different types of data, but they also have limited capacity. With endless valuable information at hand, if you are wondering how to protect, move, and copy information on your computer without deleting your current data, you must think of ways on how to back-up your essential files.
Creating backups is one of the most recommended solutions for preserving your data. This action lets you copy or duplicate your files for significant reasons. Losing files due to system crash, corruption, or failing internal harddrive are few of the reasons why we need to exercise backing up our data. If you are wondering how you can back up your file, here are some ways you can use and try to back-up your pieces of information.
Windows Backup
Windows is an operating system that has built-in tools that can help you with backing up your valuable files. We call this built-in utility tool Backup and Restore. It automatically saves copies of files from your desktop, libraries, and your default windows folders. This program saves changes in your applications or saves any data during a specific update. For example, you updated or installed an application on a certain date, the information and state of your system will be saved, and when you encounter problems in your system, you can go back to the time of state when you last updated an application. The tool is simple, and it is easy to locate because you can find it in your computer settings.
Hardware Storage Devices
Hardware storage devices are tangible tools that can store and save your soft data originating from your computer. These are also mobile devices that you can carry around with you, without having to worry about the weight of your computer. These are also practical to use when traveling or transferring your data from one device to another. We have three examples of hardware storage devices that you can consider for your files:
USB Stick:
These devices are little and lightweight solid-state drives that you can easily insert to your computer port. Note that USB Stick has limited capacity. They can store information from 8 gigabytes up to 128 gigabytes. These devices are ideal, and you can use them as a means to transfer files for multiple devices and to back up multiple copies of valuable data.
External Hard drive:
This portable storage device has a large capacity for storing different kinds of files. This device is medium in size, and it comes in different storage capacities. They are usually rectangular, and they can house hundreds or thousands of gigabytes. Like USB sticks, you can use this device for transferring data information or files. Most people recommend External Hard Drive when dealing with large types of files, like storing huge quantities of documents, pictures, videos, or any type of media.
Cd’s and or Dvd’s:
CD stands for Compact Disk while DVD stands for Digital Versatile Disk. You can use these optical storage devices when you make copies of your files. Computers nowadays are programmed with a CD/DVD writer, which enables you to fill the drive with data as they store your files as binary codes, and can be previewed by using light. You usually use these types of storage for Audio and Video Recordings.
Cloud Storage
Cloud Storage is intangible storage that you can use anywhere as long as you have access to the internet. This method uploads and stores your information on the internet, and you can manage it through cloud providers that services data storing. The data you send to the internet data server is forwarded to multiple servers that you can access through the web. Deciding to use this type of back-up tool requires you to choose the best cloud storage to use as this will have a hold-in all your crucial backup files. Although this will also cost you money for the cloud space, this assures your files are safe in cases where your devices are unavailable, lost, broken, or stolen. The amount you will need to pay is all worth it because you can securely save your files.
Cloning
Clone can replicate the exact image of your whole operation. You simply copy the contents of a hard drive to another hard drive. Not only can it copy files, but it can also copy the precise programs that operate your computer, even your operating system. This is beneficial when you use certain programs or software for your files. There are numerous ways to back up your files as there are also different types of it. These types may be the Full backup, Incremental, and Differential backup. The full backup is a method where you store all your files and folders selected for the backup.
You can use this kind as an initial backup plan. However, it has the slowest backup speed, but it has the fastest restore speed. Next is the Incremental backup, this is a method of storing and backing new files that you have accumulated after your last backup. This type has the fastest backup speed, but it has the slowest file recovery. Lastly, the Differential backup is a method you can use when backing up specific data from the files that you have already backed up.
Choosing a way to backup your file can be very confusing, so it is recommended to practice the 1-2-3 Rule for backing up. These involve copying one for the original files on your computer, two for the external hard drive or USB Stick, and three for the cloud storage. Backing up your file now and then may feel very exhausting, but there are a lot of benefits that you can learn from it. It can make your mind feel at ease of thinking that all your important documents are safe.
Ways to Backup Data on Your Computer was last modified: September 8th, 2020 by Allen Brown
Learning Management Systems, or LMS, are software applications that are intended for training, learning, or development programs. LMS was based on the concept of e-Learning. Because of LMS, you will be able to deploy your training courses and offer them to your staff without geographical bounds.
Basic Features of an LMS
While an LMS can be used for a variety of learning purposes, you may find that the basic features of different LMS are similar. For one, it allows you to manage users, upload courses, assign roles and instructors, as well as generate reports. Aside from this, you will also be able to make a course calendar that will allow users of the system to view available training programs at a single glance. This makes it easy for the users to enroll in courses that they need to.
However, if you need something more adjusted to your training needs, you may find that investing in a custom learning system is a better option. Custom learning systems are tailored to meet the specific requirements of your organization and can be designed to include custom features such as custom branding, custom content delivery, custom user management capabilities, and custom reporting dashboards.
An LMS also features a messaging or a notification system that provides reminders to the users regarding the upcoming training events or deadlines. Along with the training courses, an LMS also comes with pre and post-assessments and evaluations. This helps assess the level of knowledge of the students before the course, as well as the learning they have gained over the course proper. An LMS can also provide certification and display the user’s scores and transcripts.
Basic Functions of an LMS
An LMS is beneficial for competency management, which includes tracking the skills and abilities of the staff of an organization. An LMS is also used to make a course calendar that enables users to view available training programs. It can also be used for instructor-led management and administration, as well as tracking and reporting within a centralized system.
In this modern-day and age, below are 9 reasons why every company needs an LMS.
1. Focused Services of HR Managers
One of the reasons why every company needs an LMS is to allow their human resources (HR) managers to focus on staff services, lifting the burden of holding training programs. In this case, the LMS will take care of the latter as soon as you finish setting up the learning paths that are relevant to your business. The good news is that there are certain LMS consultingservices that you can get for free to aid you in your LMS software selection. All that you need to do is to identify the criteria that you need such as the features that you want to have, as well as the price that you are willing to pay for the software, and the consultants will match you with the appropriate provider.
The LMS software will already be responsible for monitoring the training time, as well as providing insight for training improvement opportunities. Aside from this, an LMS also paves the way for the automation of certain administrative processes such as enrollments, registration, payments, record keeping, as well as course assignments and content updates. Assessments, certifications, course evaluations, as well as student communication can also be automated. All these yields to effective training time management.
2. In-house and Personalized Training
An LMS eliminates the need for you to outsource your training programs. This proves to be beneficial since you will be able to avoid the challenges that come with outsource training such as the restrictions when it comes to the programs that you can offer to your employees. Another is the time-consuming process that happens when your employees leave the workplace to take part in the training programs.
Also, with an LMS, you no longer need to build a training program from scratch. But alongside this, you still have the liberty of customizing the training program available in a course marketplace to suit the needs of your staff. In this case, you are guaranteed that the training courses are tailored for each of your employees. You will be able to do this seamlessly with just a few clicks or a button, or for some LMS, with a drag and drop functionality.
Your company will greatly benefit from the training consistency that an LMS brings forth mainly because you have a single source for content, related materials, and instructions. This is in contrast to an instructor-led training that can greatly vary depending on the engagement of the students in the course through the efforts of the instructor.
Factors Affecting the Success of a Training Program
One of the factors that can affect the success of a training course is the differences in the learning curves of each individual. Employees have varying skill levels and learning pace. This is where an LMS proves to be beneficial because it can cater to an individualized learning path, helping the employees learn at their own pace and explore what works best for them to retain information.
Another factor that can affect the success of a training course is the type of group that needs to be trained. For instance, customer service representatives need a different training curriculum compared to HR professionals. With an LMS in place, you can create and deliver training to different groups of employees with varying tasks and goals.
3. Easy Access to Training Materials
With an LMS in place, you and your employees will have easy access to the training materials that they need. In case they want to revisit a certain program to refresh their knowledge, they instantly know where to find the information that will help them. It is also through an LMS where they will be able to keep track of the training programs that they have finished, as well as the rest of the materials that they still need to take. This is because, alongside the training materials, employee records and HR data can also be stored in an LMS.
4. Innovative Learning Tools
Innovative developers now have discovered better ways to present training courses. For instance, there is the integration of virtual simulations that allow trainees to be in the moment, practicing their knowledge and skill while eliminating risks and dangers. Interactive videos also provide a better engagement to help students understand the course content. Aside from virtual simulations, whiteboards, chatrooms, and forums, as well as virtual reality (VR) technology are already available in most LMS. All these techniques improve the knowledge retention of the students
5. Central Knowledge Hub
It can be deemed, therefore, that an LMS acts as a centralized knowledge hub. It offers a streamlined place where knowledge can be stored and maintained. Because of this, the information can be easily shared and maintained, eliminating the possibility that any data is lost.
Because all the training materials are stored in a central location, the personnel in charge of these materials can quickly change and update them accordingly. They will be able to directly incorporate the feedback that they get from the trainees. In parallel to this, the company can also provide feedback to the LMS vendor, which the latter acts upon immediately, providing a course content or a training program with new products and features accordingly.
An LMS also ensures that the most recent training content is the one that is distributed to the employees in need of training. As a result, team members will be able to easily set up new employees with the relevant training materials available in the hub. While this may not seem like a great deal with a small team, it can prove to be beneficial as the number of people in your organization increases.
6. Train Remote Employees
Thanks to the advancements in modern technology that brought about the LMS, even remote employees can already be trained seamlessly. In this case, remote employees will have access to the same level of detail training, development, and onboarding that employees reporting physically in the office obtain. This can be attributed to the fact that LMS provides access to the same quality training for all the members of the organization, paving the way for consistency with how they receive information.
7. Seamless Reporting and Tracking
More often than not, an LMS includes a feature that can produce reports regarding the training programs taken and completed by an employee or the whole of the organization. This will provide help to team members in tracking where they are in terms of their goal progress or knowledge gains. The reports can even demonstrate the cost savings for the training initiatives and techniques implemented in a company.
The overall goal of a training program is to enhance the skills and the knowledge of employees that took the course. In this case, an LMS will provide a clear measurement in terms of the knowledge gains of the employees. This is through the comparison of the tests that they take before the training program, as well as the exams they undergo after finishing the course.
Apart from the knowledge gains, an LMS also provides a great feedback system because it can track the employee’s course satisfaction. This information is beneficial in uncovering opportunities in modifying the course content for it to be more effective for the students taking the program.
8. Save on Training Costs
When transitioning into an LMS, you may need to invest in a hefty upfront cost. However, you may realize that in the long run, the LMS you implemented in your company has saved you some training costs. Without an LMS in place, you may need to spend a couple thousand dollars annually for the direct learning of each of your employees. Through an LMS, you will be able to save a couple of hundred dollars per employee per year.
Through an LMS, a company will also have an overall view of their return on investment (ROI) in terms of all its training initiatives. In this case, the training programs in your LMS should closely be linked to the objectives of the business for you to be able to make a connection. In the end, you can even monetize your training material by selling them to generate more revenue for your company. In line with this, it is a good idea to go for an LMS that features e-commerce tools. In addition to this, an LMS that allows you to bundle courses together or even offer subscriptions, maximizing your ROI.
Aside from saving on costs, an LMS can also help your employees be more productive, allowing them to spend less time learning and more time on earning. Once they understand the concept of a certain training course, they will be able to put their efforts into using what they have learned to achieve the goals of the business. Again, this makes an LMS a more cost-effective option.
9. Keep up with Compliance Regulations
Lastly, an LMS will ensure that you adhere to the training regulations and standards set in your industry. With a simple click of a button, you will be able to get the training that you need to have yourself certified accordingly. This serves as evidence to satisfy any legal requirements. This also demonstrates the company’s drive-in ensuring that employees are trained, making it a priority. Keep in mind that noncompliance may prove to be costly and damaging for a company because of the legal issues that they may face should training and certifications be neglected.
There are several reasons why a company already needs to ponder about the implementation of an LMS. The automation that it brings paves the way for better time management in terms of training programs. Your staff will also be able to take advantage of in-house and personalized training materials that they can easily access remotely.
With an LMS, you will also have seamless training, reporting, and tracking which will provide you with a good insight into the areas where you can still further improve your programs. While you may need to invest in the upfront cost of the software, in the long run, you will be able to save on your training costs, while ensuring that you are keeping up with compliance regulations. Just make sure that you check for the basic features of the LMS that you need to ensure that you will get the functions that you expect.
9 Reasons Why Every Company Needs a Learning Management System was last modified: September 18th, 2024 by Allen Brown
Ecommerce is something that has actually been going on for much longer than you would probably think, but now it is taking over industries and is becoming the signature way to do business.
Millennials and the younger generations certainly prefer this way of doing business, and here are some of the reasons as to why it is taking over industries such as retail. Brick and mortar businesses are really hurting in some areas, and it seems like it is a matter of time before we are all eCommerce in some sectors.
No Transportation
Driving to a mall to get clothes is silently becoming a thing of the past. Not only can it be a hassle to sit through traffic to go and get your clothes, but it can be time-consuming. Do you know how easy it is to get on your phone and pick out your clothes?
The only downside is that you can’t actually try the shoes or clothes on at the store, but that is a risk that most of us are willing to take. Being able to go shopping from your living room couch is pretty enticing, and that is why it is so popular.
Shipping Times
As I said, eCommerce has been around for a very long time. But some factors were holding it back in the last decade, and they are already solved. One of the biggest things that were holding eCommerce back was waiting a week or two for shipping.
Now, products are being shipped in less than a week, and sometimes in just two days. One day is usually much more costly, but now it is an option will next day air shipping. Limiting wait times was a huge advancement for the eCommerce industry because it was a pain point for buyers before.
Selection
One of the last major things that need to be pointed out is the amount of selection that you have with eCommerce. Before at a brick and mortar store, you had to drive to individual stores and if they did not have your desired product then you were screwed out of luck.
Now, you can just simply type in a new store and they will probably have the product. Or, better yet you can just search for the product and find it on a website that you trust buying it from.
Ecommerce is practically an unlimited store because they are all so easy to just pick out what you want and put your card information into the checkout. Selection, short shipping times, and not having to drive to the store have made eCommerce a great option.
Are you looking to take your business over to eCommerce? Maybe you do not have a technology skill set and think that it will be too hard. Actually, there are eCommerce development company that is making it easy for people to make the transition. It is a smart investment to get into for sure.
Why is Ecommerce Taking Over? was last modified: September 8th, 2020 by Duncan Adams
Business communication involves various means of sharing information with people within and outside the organization. In the digital-driven workplace, secure and robust communication strategies are crucial to productivity and good customer relations. From top management memos to project deadlines and customer communications, there are numerous reasons why a business should secure communication methods to communicate internally and externally. Part of running a company means protecting your employees’ and clients’ data. Understanding the availability, affordability, benefits, and drawbacks of various communication options will help a business choose secure and convenient tools.
SMS
In a world that loves novelty, a humble SMS has stood the test of time. SMS remains the most popular, affordable, and ubiquitous way for business communication. It is predicted that by 2020 SMS will have an expanded reach, and 48.7 million clients will opt to receive business SMS.
To ease sending and receiving SMS, you can integrate an SMS API to your business application. This enables you to send SMS messages all over the world with backup solutions. The API makes text message communication cheaper as you can buy bulk messages and even install a prepaid plan where your clients can send back feedback for free. People can view SMS as a nuisance in some cases. Therefore, you have to create very informative content.
Whether you are scheduling an appointment, waiting for a ride from Lyft, or just getting notifications about your pizza delivery, it feels good to be kept in the loop. Mass texting campaigns shouldn’t be about your brand, they should be about the customer. You can make your text updates helpful and interesting so customers have a reason to stay on your list. Offering exclusive promotions, deals, or coupons will go a long way to maintaining your list.
Face to Face Conversations
While technology is an excellent tool for communications, businesses still value face-to-face conversations. Verbal communication is used to express opinions, discuss ideas, persuade listeners, and relay orders. Your team members have different preferences and personalities, and some may be more comfortable dealing with issues on a one-on-one basis. However, one-on-one conversations are not always possible, especially when people are not in the same geographic location.
Your client will be happier when talking to your marketing personnel in person compared to that email sent to her. Also, face-to-face communications are relatively safe. In-person conversations between employees will help solidify the team and build trust within the organization.
The most significant benefit of in-person conversations is you can interpret non-verbal cues and study body language to get immediate feedback. To ensure your communication is private, you have to converse in a secure location or private room.
Chat Apps
There has been an emergence of many chat apps that offer a quick form of conversing. Some apps like WhatsApp have end-to-end encryption that ensures the security of the app. The majority of these apps have a mobile and desktop version, which increases their flexibility.
Phone calls
Phone systems have been used in business communication for a long time. You may be wondering why they remain an invaluable business communication tool. After video calls, voice calls are the closest form of one-on-one conversation. Both communicators can get immediate feedback. It also offers real human interaction and gives your company a personal voice that clients can associate with.
Like other means of communication, phone calls can be tapped by the authority to obtain a warrant. Passive surveillance could also be happening on your phone, which means that your phone data, such as messages and phone records, are not safe. In many states, recording phone calls are legal as long as the parties involved are aware. Data stored on your phone can be hacked using spoofing and social engineering, a process commonly referred to as SIM card hijacking.
People love using emails because it is a form of documenting communication. People should be careful with what they send via email, as it can be used as evidence in court. Emails offer flexibility as they can be used to communicate with one or many individuals in different locations. This mode of communication is cheap and convenient. Email breaches are prevalent these days. Recently, more than 773 million outlook emails were compromised. Beyond violations, emails are subject to data analysis and advertising. However, emails for personal use such as Gmail allow advertisers to send adverts based on your email contents. You cannot be assured of privacy since the management and IT personnel can view your emails.
The ideal means of business communication will be dictated by the availability, affordability, and security. Sensitive information will call for more secure means.
Safe and Secure Means of Business Communication was last modified: June 28th, 2023 by Allen Brown
