Small Business I.T. Insider

The recent breach suffered by Sony’s Playstation users has the majority of people wondering just how secure their online identities are. If your personal information falls into the hands of the wrong person, the results can be grave. Thankfully, there are many simple steps you can take to protect against that.

Use an encrypted connection

Encrypted connections are rather easy to find on many of the most popular sites including Facebook and Twitter. Sometimes, you need to change the privacy settings in order to gain encrypted access. Once that is done, however, it can make your information far more secure.

You may determine whether or not you have encrypted access simply by checking the URL. If the URL begins with “https” instead of “http” you have an encrypted connection. Unfortunately, some sites do not offer encrypted access so this is not always an option.

Use strong passwords

Strong passwords are generally one of the best ways to keep your information safe. By using spaces, symbols, numbers and a combination of upper- and lowercase letters, one can easily attain a strong password. Even if you don’t use all of these tips, be sure to use something that can’t be easily guessed by hackers.

It’s also extremely important to use a unique password for each of your accounts. Using the same password on multiple accounts makes them all vulnerable if just one of them is hacked.

Look out for phishing

Phishing is essentially when a hacker poses as a trustworthy company in order to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and account numbers. It is a fairly common practice due to its relative ease – after all, hackers simply need your name and email address to pull this off.

The recent breach of Epsilon was a prime example. Thousands of names and email addresses were exposed and the companies affected immediately sent out emails telling their clients not to trust any emails that claimed to be from them. Some browsers, but not all, will alert you if a website looks fake, but you still need to be smart to avoid the scams.

These three tips are particularly easy to follow and do not take much work on your part. If you are interested in a few more tips, check out this article.

Many of us travel frequently for business. Unfortunately, the majority of business travelers don’t know how to be most productive while they’re traveling. We have compiled a list of tools and tips that can help you to be more productive and keep your work and gadgets secure while you’re on the go.

Tools for easier travel

Traveling can get chaotic fast. We lose track of details, can’t locate our boarding pass quickly enough, or simply cannot recall which hotel we’re staying at. For those of us that become disorganized quickly, there are several tools that are designed to help.

TripIt is an awesome tool that helps you manage your travel plans and itinerary all in one spot. All you need to do is forward your itinerary to an email address and TripIt will organize the information for you. This makes it incredibly easy to locate all of your information, including flight times, hotel addresses, and frequent flier numbers.

Good luggage is also essential. It makes getting through the airport easier and can help keep you organized – a big plus when you’re doing business on the road. These are some key features to look for in your luggage:

• Laptop compartment – It’s best to have a separate compartment for your laptop so that finding it at security, or even once you get to your destination, is easy. Nobody enjoys being the person who’s holding up the security line.
• A wire pouch – Having a specific spot to place all of your chargers and other wires is great for anyone with lots of gadgets. You no longer have to wonder where you placed everything, as there is a designated pocket for it.
• Convertibility – A convertible bag is best for someone who goes on a variety of business trips. If you need to carry everything through the airport one day and carry only your laptop the next, finding a bag that can serve both purposes is beneficial.

Security tools

Many of us travel with our most prized possessions, which just adds to our stress for fear of losing them. Because of that, it’s smart to bring a personal safe and a notebook lock that can keep some of the most valuable items secure when you can’t keep an eye on them.

Usually, taking general safety precautions is enough. Either make sure that your valuable items are somewhere secure, or keep them close by whenever you can. If you’re interested in more tools and tricks to keep your things safe, take a look at this article.

Boosting productivity

Productivity is likely to wane when we’re working from the road for a number of reasons. Being away from our familiar tools and desk setup can quickly slow us down. Luckily, there are many items that can help bring productivity back up, even when you’re in an unfamiliar workspace.

Internet access is critical for most jobs, especially when you need it to communicate with your coworkers. If your hotel does not offer Wi-Fi, consider investing in a wireless card that is easily portable and can provide you with instant Internet access.

Another thing that can affect your productivity is your comfort level. If you are sitting in an uncomfortable desk chair (which, let’s face it, most hotel chairs are) you may not be able to get as much done. You may want to bring a back pillow that can quickly boost comfort and therefore increase productivity.

There are many things that can make working from the road easier and more productive. These tools and tips can be incredibly helpful and help you learn how to be at your best while you’re on the go.

Creating a greener office is an excellent way to simultaneously save money and help the environment. Some small businesses believe that going green takes too much effort, but that’s hardly the case. Here are a handful of quick and simple ways to make your office greener.

1.    Use double-sided printing whenever possible

If you set your printer and/or copier to double-sided printing mode, you will quickly save a substantial amount of paper. This takes very little effort and can quickly be changed if someone needs to print something single-sided.

2.    Use a water delivery service

Bottled water is unbelievably wasteful and, unfortunately, it is a staple in most office environments. Using a water delivery service can cut down on waste and also reduce the harmful effects that can result from drinking bottled water.

3.    Turn lights and machines off when they’re not being used

This might seem obvious, but many people do not turn off lights and machines when they’re not in the workplace. Failing to do so can result in a lot of wasted energy and can cost your company funds. Encourage employees to turn off lights, computers and printers to quickly cut back on energy use.

4.    Use recycled and recyclable products when you can

Practically any paper product that you use in your office can most likely be bought in a recycled form. Recycled versions of most products are commonly available at popular office supply retailers and are generally inexpensive.

Using recyclable and compostable products is also critical. These items are typically easy to find and can make a huge impact if they’re actually recycled after use. If you don’t implement an easy-to-follow recycling plan, you may find that employees aren’t actually recycling anything.

5.    Cut down on commuting

If you have a company full of commuters, it can be very helpful to implement some sort of carpool matching service that links employees who live near one another. Offering parking incentives or other bonuses to people who carpool is an excellent way to generate interest in the program.

As you can see, these are simple and inexpensive ways to make your office greener. If you’re interested in even more green ideas, take a look at this article.

Face-to-face meetings may be the longtime standard, but they’re not always practical. Virtual meetings are quickly becoming more common, and they’re fairly easy to conduct. There are certain tips to keep in mind, however, when you’re conducting a virtual meeting.

Proper etiquette is vital to the success of a virtual meeting. Many people treat virtual meetings as more laid-back than face-to-face ones, which is not always appropriate. Etiquette can go a long way in making participants view you as professional and an authority on the issue at hand.

Here are a few more suggestions that can help your virtual meetings to be more efficient and professional.

1. Be prepared

Preparedness is key when it comes to professionalism and helping a meeting run smoothly. When you’re gathering the content and materials for a virtual meeting, you should make sure to remember your audience – something that’s not quite as easy during a virtual meeting.

Also, make sure that everybody invited to the meeting has the appropriate login information. If the invitees can’t actually access the meeting, the entire function is lost.

2. Engage participants

Many people are in the habit of jumping right into the meat of the presentation, which isn’t always ideal during virtual meetings. If you and your participants aren’t familiar with each other, building some kind of relationship is necessary. Try giving everybody the opportunity to introduce themselves.

Although it may seem somewhat cliché, it is always helpful to give people the opportunity to share a little personal information – such as the highlight of their weekend, or a fun fact. It may seem awkward at first, but it will go a long way in making people feel more connected to the other participants.

3. No side conversations

Side conversations can be unbelievably distracting to all participants, even if you’re not on screen at the moment. Not only can side conversations grab the focus of the presenter, it can distract other attendees and deter from the point of the meeting.

Virtual meetings are excellent assets and there are many ways to ensure that you are conducting them in a professional and interesting manner. If you’d like to take a look at more suggestions for conducting virtual meetings, check out this Inc. article.

E-readers are a convenient technology that users often swear by. They are practical and easy to travel with, making them perfect for many bookworms. The technology isn’t for everybody however, so it’s essential to take the features into consideration when deciding if it’s right for you.

What are the choices?

E-readers are primarily devices that display e-books, although some have additional capabilities, such as Internet connectivity. The most popular choices are the Amazon Kindle, the Sony Reader and Barnes & Noble’s Nook.

Some people are also employing tablets like the iPad for their e-reader functions. However, these tablets generally do much more than just display e-books.

Pros

• E-readers are extremely portable, which is great for anyone who likes to read while on vacation or a business trip
• An additional travel perk – if you are in a foreign country, you can still download an e-book in the language you choose, instead of looking for an accommodating bookstore.
• Books are frequently cheaper than you will find in standard bookstores.
• Privacy – you most likely don’t want everyone to know if you’re reading a self-help book. If you’re using an e-reader, they won’t be able to tell.
• All of your books are located in one place.

Cons

• Depending on the style of e-reader or tablet, you might not be able to read in direct sunlight because of screen glare.
• Cost – while you might pay less for books than you normally would, e-readers typically cost more than $140.
• If you’re accustomed to shopping in used bookstores, these books will cost much more than you’re used to spending.
• Lending books isn’t always an option.
• All of your books are in a single place – if you lose your e-reader, you’re losing all of your books if you do not buy a replacement.

As with any technology, the choice between an e-reader and a book depends upon personal preference. While some people enjoy being able to display their books on a bookshelf and share them with the world, others prefer the portable convenience that comes with an e-reader.

If you’re contemplating purchasing an e-reader, take a look at this article on the advantages of the technology, and where it may be headed.

Employee motivation can often be hard to maintain, especially when you’re running a small business with limited resources. Incentives are really imperative when it comes to inspiring your employees, however, so finding simple and inexpensive alternatives is necessary.

Luckily, there are a great deal of ways to keep employee morale high without breaking the bank. Here are a few creative and simple ideas:

1. Ask for input

By encouraging input from employees you are letting them know that their opinions are valued. This goes a long way in making them feel like a part of the team, which then inspires them to work hard for the good of the team.

2. Change it up

Sometimes repetition can lead to a lack of motivation. When this happens, it’s essential to remember the cause for the tapering motivation and mix things up a little. If you know an employee is eager to exercise a certain skill, try giving him or her a project that allows for that.

3. Focus on a great company culture

Some of the best companies to work at are the ones that employees feel are unique. Developing a great company culture can actually be quite simple and may help you to find and retain strong employees. A game room where employees may take a break and decompress when they’re feeling burned out can do wonders.

4. Recognize people for a job well done

One of the biggest possible motivators is recognizing your employees for doing a good job. When you’re toiling away at something and feel like nobody knows it, it can make your effort seem entirely pointless – regardless of its effect on the company.

Although “employee of the month” programs might seem clichéd, they are in fact a great motivator. People enjoy being recognized for doing a good job and these programs are an easy, inexpensive way to do that.

All of these techniques are simple, inexpensive and can do wonders when it comes to motivating employees. Explore one or two of these ideas to see how they may affect employee morale and motivation.

Check out this article to see a few more methods for motivating employees.

Smartpens are an awesome office trend whose possibilities are always evolving.  They’re still pretty new to the scene, but so far, they are full of convenient features to make office life a little more efficient.

Smartpens basically record what you’re writing and transfer those notes onto your computer. Each smartpen has different features, however, some of which are more useful than others.

IOGEAR Mobile Digital Scribe

This was the first smartpen on the market and, because of that, it comes without some of the special features that are available on newer pens.

It does, however, do plenty of great things that make it a great business tool. The Mobile Digital Scribe captures and stores all of your notes for later review. It doesn’t require you to write on a certain surface – a simple piece of paper will do. Also, if you link the smartpen to your computer, it can display your notes on the screen as you write them.

Logitech IO2 Digital Pen

The Logitech smartpen has a number of the basic functions that you might find in the Mobile Digital Scribe. It transcribes your notes and can save them in various different file types.

You are then able to browse your notes for keywords and phrases by date, file name or file type. This makes it much easier to scan your notes for specifics of a meeting or conversation. One of the inconveniences of this smartpen is that you cannot simply write on any surface – you must use Post-Its or a digital notebook made specifically for smartpens.

Livescribe Echo

The Livescribe Echo is hands down the most sophisticated of all the smartpens. It allows you to not just record your handwritten notes, but audio as well. It then allows you to save those audio files in a number of different formats.

One of the coolest features that you can find on the Livescribe Echo is the introduction of Pencasts. Pencasts are basically when you are able to play back the audio along with the written notes, so you can see it all in one place. Apple has created an app that allows you to play these Pencasts, so sharing is easy and quick.

Smartpens are a great technology that is sure to keep becoming more popular in the office setting. They make it easier to become a more efficient worker with little effort.

To check out a review of the Livescribe Echo, click here.

Everybody has been talking today about the new feature to be unveiled by Google. It is called Gmail Motion and it allows users to perform basic email commands with simple gestures.

Common actions such as reply all, search and archive can now be completed with simple gestures, instead of a keyboard and mouse. This advancement will most likely make users feel more in sync with their computers and enjoy their email experiences even more.

How does it work?

Gmail Motion is able to combine your computer’s built-in webcam with Google’s new, patented spatial tracking technology. Basically, your webcam tracks your movements and interprets them as Gmail specific commands.

How to use Gmail Motion safely

Of course, like any physical activity, there are a number of precautions that ought to be taken in order to protect against injury. You should make sure that there are no fragile objects around you that can be damaged. It is easy to get excited about the new technology and make fast movements, which can end in serious injury if you end up hitting something.

Google also suggests that you take regular breaks every 30 or 40 minutes, just as you should with any other sort of deskwork. It is easy for your muscles to get fatigued as well, which is why you should always take time to stretch between sessions.

If this technology intrigues you, try taking a look at the Gmail Motion website, which profiles how-to videos and a printable Motion Guide that contains all of the possible gestures. If you are a business user who is wondering when you will be able to take advantage of this technology, have no fear – you will soon be seeing Google Docs Motion.

This is a great technological advancement that could change the way all of us interact with our computers and complete daily tasks. Google’s latest announcement may seem goofy and kind of crazy to some of you, and it is – it’s just another one of Google’s yearly April Fools’ Day pranks.

Happy April Fools’ Day!

Sometimes it can be tricky to keep your belongings safe while you are on the go. Thankfully, there are many tools that make it easier. Things like notebook locks and personal safes are unbelievably handy and portable enough that you can take them with you wherever you go. These are some of the coolest tools that can help protect your things.

Laptop privacy screens

Privacy can be quite tough when you’re working in a public place like a coffee shop or an airplane. There is always a nosy neighbor who wants to see what you’re working on. Unfortunately, if you’re working on something with sensitive data, there is not an easy way to keep your neighbor from spotting it.

People who are viewing your screen from an angle will have an obstructed view. The privacy screen darkens your laptop screen, which is especially helpful for when you are viewing sensitive data that you don’t want anyone else to see – no more crouching over your laptop to cover everything.

Handheld paper shredder

We all know the benefits of shredding documents that have personal or business information on them. Sometimes, it’s not so convenient to do. With a handheld shredder, destroying sensitive documents is a simple task that can be a huge help in keeping your data protected.

Mandylion Password Manager

You’ve probably heard countless times how important it is to have a secure, unique password for each of your accounts. The problem is, those passwords can sometimes be difficult to remember, and you can quickly run out of password options if you have to reset it every time you attempt to log in.

The Mandylion Password Manager gets rid of that problem and makes it easy to keep track of all of those strong passwords you create. With its “military-grade password protection,” this tool is excellent for anyone who has trouble coming up with and remembering passwords – and you can even attach it to your keychain!

Anyone who works outside of the office from time to time knows how tricky it can be to really secure your belongings as well as information. These tools, and others like them, make the security much easier to attain.

If you’d like to check out even more gadgets that can help you stay secure, check out this Mashable article.