June 2018
TECHNOLOGY TIMES Insider Tips To Make Your Business Run Faster, Easier And More Profitably 3 Deadly Mistakes You’ 're Making By Being Cheap With Technology
“As a business owner, you don’t have time to waste on technical and operational issues. That’s where we come in! Call us and put an end to your IT problems finally and forever!”
Founder & CEO Vector Choice
Today’s small and midsize businesses (SMBs) have an uneasy relationship with technology – even if they don’t realize it yet. As the marketplace reaches new heights of complexity and speed, and consumers migrate to cyberspace en masse to make their buying decisions, SMBs are responding in turn. Today’s savvy business owners utilize ever- evolving technologies to capture their customers’s interests and imagination, make conversions and manage their day- to-day operations with unprecedented ease and clarity. Certainly, the Internet age is a thrilling time to be in business. Each business is equipped with wildly powerful tech that has transformed the landscape of commerce forever. But there’s an uncomfortable truth that goes hand in hand with this increased dependence on technology. At its best, IT allows us to do incredible things we never would have imagined were possible even 10 years ago. At its worst, IT’s an unreliable, finicky and potentially
hazardous scaffolding upon which we built our loftiest hopes and dreams. Even the best IT requires wrangling to shape it to our needs and to keep it on track and safe from intruders. Despite this reliance on technology, the vast majority of business owners consider it some extra, add-on expense rather than a foundational element of their company. As a result, they skimp on technology spending. But being cheap has a cost – one much bigger and more dangerous than you probably realize. Here are four mistakes you’re making by underspending on this key part of your business. 1 You’re spending on technology based on an unrealistic, poorly planned budget rather than building your technology budget around your actual needs.
inside this issue
3 Deadly Mistakes You’re Making By Being Cheap With Technology PAGE 1
Vector Choice News PAGE 2
Watch What You Eat With LinkSquare PAGE 3
Have You Asked Yourself These 3 Questions Lately? PAGE 3
Business Trends Worth Checking Out PAGE 4
When you’re an SMB with limited resources, it’s easy to see any money
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''Despite this reliance on technology, the vast majority of business owners consider it some extra, add-on expense rather than a foundational element of their company." ''
saved on software and hardware as a success, leading businesses to opt for cheap, clunky and outdated solutions. But in a world where the lion’s share of your day- to-day operations is dictated by the digital equipment you and your team use, where small businesses exist under constant threat of cyber-attack and data is a precious commodity that could disappear at the speed of a failed backup, cutting corners is unwise. Updating your digital approach and tightening your cyber security may not result in obvious, immediate returns on your investment. But adequate technology spending is just that – an investment. When you invest in the latest technology, you’re investing in the long-term productivity and security of your business. 2 You’re opening yourself up to disaster. It’s one thing to have an employee’s computer unexpectedly fail or an Internet connection to have a momentary hiccup. But if you’re skimping on technology,
Even if you assume you’re secure (and you probably aren’t), there are other risks to contend with. Server failures, backup loss and system downtime can shutter businesses just as easily as a vicious hacker. 3 You’re letting the competition get ahead. Outsmarting your competitors takes more than just mimicking whatever latest strategy the thought leaders of your industry are championing at the moment. It requires anticipating future trends and acting on them. And in business, there’s one universal truth you can count on: The future of your industry lies in technology. Cloud services, new and constantly updating software, CRM and a staggering array of productivity-enhancing tools are just a few of the advances that your competitors are considering, if they haven’t snatched them up already. If you neglect the future, your company is destined to become a thing of the past.
you’re leaving your business vulnerable to catastrophes that could cost you thousands.
One of the most prominent and overlooked of these threats is cybercrime. According to the 2016 State of SMB Cyber Security report, half of all U.S. small businesses fell victim to a cyber-attack in 2015 – a number that has only continued to climb. The majority of these attacks are ransomware, in which entire systems are locked out of vital data and forced to shell out enormous sums to recover it.
Vector News
TRIVIA
Who wants to win a $25 gift card?
Our CEO, Will Nobles, spoke from the NASDAQ podium about cyber security on April 30th!
You can be the Grand Prize Winner of this month’s Trivia Challenge Quiz! Just be the first person to correctly answer this month’s trivia question and receive a $25 gift card to Amazon!
We will be posting a recording of his speech on our website soon!
Which of the following search engines has been helping people find things online for the longest? (i.e. which came first of the four?)
1) Ask Jeeves
3) Google
2) Yahoo!
4) WebCrawler
Ready? Call us right now with your answer! (877) 468-1230
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Shiny New Gadget of The M< onth: LinkSquare
Everywhere we go, most of us use vision to navigate our world. Whether our mouth begins to water at the sight of a tasty dish or our brow furrows at the sight of a
2 If you have a question of whether someone is underperforming in their job, they are. There’s a common cycle of “facing reality” that I see my clients often go through. They have a bold vision and a goal to achieve something great. And when they realize that they don’t have the team to make it happen, they start to fantasize and think, “I wonder if Fred or Amy is going to rise to the occasion and display strengths we’ve not yet seen to achieve these results.” Great leaders know who they can count on. They don’t expect a subordinate to suddenly start performing well in a role that does not appear to fit their talents and interests. 3 If you wonder whether you can trust your boss, you can’t. There is a saying, “People don’t quit companies; they quit bad bosses.” So if you find yourself wondering whether you can trust your boss or not, you likely can’t. Instead, go find a boss who you can trust. Find a boss who will hold your interests in high regard and care about your
At ghSMART, we advise board members and CEOs of large companies on their most important leadership issues. One of the most important skills we train our consultants on is making sure they are consulting on the right questions. I think of a “right” question as one that matters – a question that will cut to the heart of of an issue, produce an answer on which the leader can act and provide the highest value to the leader in terms of results. There are three categories of “wrong” questions that I’ve heard time and time again over the years. Merely asking these questions can lead you down the wrong path when you’re seeking to achieve your career’s full potential. 1 I f you have to ask an ethical question, just don’t do the thing you were considering. The wisest, most successful leaders I have served or worked alongside all seem to lead according to this rule regarding ethical questions: “If you have to ask, then don’t.” In other words, if there is something you’re considering that’s But the “right” question then becomes, “What are the wrong questions?”
shady-looking dollar bill, our eyes are one of our primary means of connection to the world around us. But, just by looking, can you tell whether that delicious-looking food is as high quality as it seems? Or be absolutely sure that the dollar is real?
Enter LinkSquare, the pocket-sized spectrometer that enables us to gaze deeper into the objects
around us. After scanning an object with the device, it uses machine learning to analyze the properties of all sorts of items, including the freshness of food, the authenticity of money or gold, the identification of stray medications and a huge variety of other potential applications. If you’re interested in purchasing this wildly futuristic technology, it’ll cost about $300.
Vector Choice would like to recognize one of our long-standing customers, 2U Medical, for the month of June. 2U Medical is located in Atlanta, GA. Their team of experts provides in-home medical services such as Wellness Services, Physical Therapy, Aesthetic Services, Medical Services, and Nutritional Services.
career goals as much as you do, giving you coaching and feedback to help accelerate your learning. These bosses
in a moral gray area or might be misinterpreted as unethical, then just don’t do it. At ghSMART, we call this “having 110% integrity.” We do things that are not only 100% ethical, but we give an extra 10% safety margin to avoid things that could be misinterpreted.
will have your back during bonus time. Rarely do you see great leaders who wonder about the trustworthiness of their boss staying at that particular job for very long.
We are happy to have had 2U Medical in the Vector Choice family since 2012.
Geoff Smart, founder of leadership consulting firm ghSMART, is one of the top thought leaders of hiring and leading talented teams in the entire business field. His clients include Fortune 500 CEOs and boards, billionaire entrepreneurs, and heads of state. He loves guiding truly skilled professionals so they can amplify their positive impact on the world.
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How To Quickly And Easily Make Your Business More Profitable
Top Ways To Stay Secure In The Social-Media World
Social media allows millions of people to reconnect and stay up-to-date with family members, friends, acquaintances and even ex-in-laws. But as it reshapes the way we communicate with one another, it’s important to keep a couple things in mind to protect yourself and your data. Remember: There’s no “delete” button on the internet. Even if something seems temporary, a simple screenshot or check through the archives can make it permanent. Even if you keep your social media completely private, relationships change, and what was private yesterday may suddenly become public record. The question you need to ask is whether you’ll be comfortable in 10 years with what you’re posting today. In the same vein, if you post in online forums or on message boards, consider using a pseudonym. Never share names of real businesses, clients, friends or family. If a bank manager wouldn’t allow a picture of all the money in the vault to be shared on the web, you shouldn’t ever allow a picture containing any confidential, financial, legal or other protected documents and items to be shared either.
Early in any small business, it’s extremely difficult to turn a profit. Even after you gain a little traction, it’s easy to get caught up in the minute and never-ending details. This means you have no time left for the things that will actually increase your revenue. But there are a few things you can do right now to raise your bottom line.
Perhaps the most important action item on your list should be to calculate the exact costs of your business. In order to know where you’re starting, you need to look beyond general expenses and pinpoint just how much your activities are worth to the company.
Then, you can start cutting out tasks that are measurably low in tangible value, automating them wherever possible. If you can do that for both you and your team, you have a great place from which to start. SmallBizTrends.com, 3/26/18
A good social-media policy in the office now can save headaches down the road.
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