SMART Blog

Smart Services has been providing independent agents with proactive, fast, and expert technology services since 1991.

Don’t Wait Until Your IT Breaks to Resolve Issues

Don’t Wait Until Your IT Breaks to Resolve Issues

Proactive IT is something we harp on a lot, and that’s because it works… especially compared to the alternatives. However, what does proactive IT mean, and how can you get the most out of your business technology?

Perhaps more importantly, how can you make sure your technology doesn’t become a liability rather than an asset?

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Celebrate World Productivity Day by Boosting Your Business’ Productivity

Celebrate World Productivity Day by Boosting Your Business’ Productivity

Productivity is one of the most common business goals today, with many doing everything they can to optimize it. In fact, today is officially World Productivity Day, highlighting the significant importance placed on this specific metric.

Despite this, productivity can often feel unattainable… regardless of how busy one is throughout the day. Let’s fix that and consider three habits that will greatly support your work and help make the most of your time.

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How IT Laziness and Apathy Hurt Your Business

How IT Laziness and Apathy Hurt Your Business

As a business owner, you wear many hats. You're the CEO, the head of sales, the marketing guru, and often, the de facto IT department. It's understandable that with so much to do, dealing with a sluggish computer or a temperamental software program gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. A laissez-faire attitude towards your technology can have serious consequences, however. Today, we’ll go through why being lazy with your IT causes more harm than good.

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Three Ways to Prevent Technology Problems in Your Business

Three Ways to Prevent Technology Problems in Your Business

Do you ever wonder why some businesses seem to have endless technology problems? It’s not by accident. It's often a matter of not having the smart, simple habits in place to combat issues that present themselves. Let’s take a look at three ways that your business can avoid big technology headaches.

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Mastering the 3-2-1 Data Backup Rule

Mastering the 3-2-1 Data Backup Rule

For small and medium-sized businesses, a data backup plan might seem difficult or even impossible to implement without the right in-house IT expertise. That’s no excuse to neglect data backup, though. Today, we want to share the 3-2-1 backup rule, which is an ideal standard to aim for.

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If Your IT Resource Can't Explain ROI in 60 Seconds, It’s Time to Look Elsewhere

If Your IT Resource Can't Explain ROI in 60 Seconds, It’s Time to Look Elsewhere

You see it everywhere, again and again: how much return an investment into proper business technology will bring, with little to no context behind these claims. We want to fix that.

Let’s examine why so much information about modern IT options can be less than helpful, and see if we can’t clarify what it means. Simplifying tech for the businesses we work with is one of our primary goals, after all.

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How a Longstanding IT Joke Can Help Your Business Flourish

How a Longstanding IT Joke Can Help Your Business Flourish

While it’s the longest-running joke in the world of IT, the question “Have you tried turning it on and off again?” is still an important one to consider when things are going awry. There’s a good reason why it’s such well-known advice, too: turning your device off can help solve a significant amount of technical issues. Why is this the case, and what can you learn from it?

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Why “Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again?” is a Valuable Question

Why “Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again?” is a Valuable Question

We’ve all heard it, perhaps even rolled our eyes at it: “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” This seemingly simplistic question has become a running gag in the world of IT support. But beneath the humor lies a fundamental truth: rebooting a device is often the most effective first step in resolving a surprising number of technical glitches.

We understand that, although it might sound elementary, this advice is based on solid technical principles.

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Don’t Let Your Data Vanish into the Ether… Back It Up!

Don’t Let Your Data Vanish into the Ether… Back It Up!

When your business’ data is so crucial to your successful operations, there are certain precautions that you simply need to take for the sake of your business’ longevity. One such precaution: data backup.

Your data is the gas that powers your business’ engine, whether you’re referring to project files and intellectual property or financial info and customer records. As such, imagine what it would mean if your business ran out of gas… or, more accurately, it was siphoned out.

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Transform Remote Work from a Liability Into an Asset

Transform Remote Work from a Liability Into an Asset

We’re sure your business has at least a couple of employees who spend part of their workday in a different location, but are you doing all you can to help them be as productive as possible? While remote work is beneficial in so many circumstances, there are a lot of caveats to it that must be considered. Today, we want to go over how you can mitigate risk and keep remote work from becoming a liability for your company.

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When Staring Down Crisis, Could You Manage Your Business?

When Staring Down Crisis, Could You Manage Your Business?

Unfortunately, crises happen, so the only responsible course is preparing your business to deal with them. Let’s walk through what modern crisis management should look like for businesses of all sizes, identifying the steps to address these risks and protect your operations.

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Hardware Acquisition is Hard. Let’s Make It Easier

Hardware Acquisition is Hard. Let’s Make It Easier

Hardware is far from the most fun topic for a business owner to learn more about, but that doesn’t diminish its importance. If you want to ensure your business stays ahead of the game, then you need to be strategic about your hardware implementation. Otherwise, you risk falling behind, put your business in danger, and—even worse—imperil your budget. Today, we want to help you get the most out of your hardware, long before you have to invest in anything new.

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Mobile Devices Can Be Invaluable to Your Business… If Handled Properly

Mobile Devices Can Be Invaluable to Your Business… If Handled Properly

Nowadays, the average business leans pretty heavily on mobile devices to some degree, particularly as they make business productivity—and thereby, competitiveness—more easily attainable. However, this also makes it essential that a business using mobile devices has a means of managing them effectively.

Let’s explore the concept of mobile device management, and discuss some ways that your business can take advantage of it.

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There’s Yet Another Reason to Update to Windows 11 (As If We Needed One)

There’s Yet Another Reason to Update to Windows 11 (As If We Needed One)

As you should be aware by this point, the Windows 10 operating system is reaching its end of support on October 15 of this year—meaning that it will no longer receive updates of any kind afterward, including critical security updates. What you may not know, however, is that Microsoft is following suit and pulling Office support around the same time.

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How to Reposition Yourself for Remote Productivity (Literally!)

How to Reposition Yourself for Remote Productivity (Literally!)

As current events have made congregating in an office irresponsible and hazardous, many companies are sustaining their operations by enabling remote work. While we normally focus on how you should properly take care of your technology, we wanted to shift our focus momentarily to the people using this technology, and how they can do so more safely.

To do so, we have to consider ergonomics.

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Two Tips for Managing Your Email in Outlook Better

Two Tips for Managing Your Email in Outlook Better

Email! We all know it. We all stare at it every day (or it stares down at us, depending on how you look at it). Microsoft Outlook has some neat features to help cut down on the time you spend managing your email. Let’s jump right into it.

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How to Make Video Conferencing Less Awkward for Everyone

How to Make Video Conferencing Less Awkward for Everyone

Right now, more business than ever is now conducted over video chat. You may have found yourself using it as a tool as you work remotely. However, while these conversations may help keep your team connected to one another, the experience certainly isn’t the same as what would be found in the office conference room. Here, we’re sharing a way to get rid of one of the biggest hurdles in remote collaboration.

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Business Continuity Planning is Your Greatest Tool

Business Continuity Planning is Your Greatest Tool

Disasters, at least in the business sense, have long been underestimated. While you always, always, hear about disasters that are often seen, there are some (as we are witnessing now) that can go under the radar until they strike. Regardless of the nature of the disaster, however, you need to be prepared to continue both your operations and your communications to some degree.

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For the SMB Returning to Work

For the SMB Returning to Work

Many states’ stay-at-home orders that are/were designed to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus are now lapsing all over the U.S. As a result, business owners are re-opening their doors to a great deal of uncertainty. We have put together this guide to help the business owner understand that, even though you’ve finally been given the go-ahead, you have a responsibility to keep your staff and customers safe.

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When It Comes to Your Technology Policies, Don’t Forget These Three Details

When It Comes to Your Technology Policies, Don’t Forget These Three Details

If you haven’t kept your most up-to-date policies and procedures written down somewhere, you absolutely must correct this as soon as possible. A written guide to your business’ policies and procedures is crucial, as it is intended to give your team a resource to turn to for an answer to any questions concerning their employment. Let’s go over some things you must include in your written employee handbook.

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