Grove Networks Blog

We live in an era of upgrades. For example, how often do you upgrade your smartphone? Do you give the same care and attention to your business’ technology? Oftentimes users ignore the signs that it is time for an upgrade even when they are crystal clear, just saying to themselves, “I’ll get by just fine.”’ This is not the correct mentality. You need to be able to identify when older devices are holding you back and take steps toward replacing them with better, more powerful ones.

If you are one of the many small businesses out there that does not have reliable technical support for the myriad of devices on your network, it might be difficult to imagine a world where your technology gets the maintenance it needs to thrive. Thankfully, you’re not alone. Here are some basic technology maintenance tips that anyone can implement, plus one at the end that we think small businesses, in particular, will benefit from!

Regardless of their size, businesses need access to some considerable amounts of data nowadays. This means that even small businesses have situations to consider that not only carries data considerations, but operational considerations. Considering many businesses have shifted to a remote workforce (or some variant of it), it stands to reason that an organization’s hardware investments have to be more strategic than ever before.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the way people worked drastically, and it did it very suddenly. As more people are being vaccinated, offices are starting to reopen. Workers, who gained substantial flexibility by working from home, however, are now expecting some of that flexibility to continue. Employers, who up until mandated shutdowns were not enthusiastic that they could make the remote workforce work for their companies are now set up to manage them proficiently. This month we thought we would take a look at the inevitable compromise that is being reached: the hybrid workplace.

Over the past year (and change) millions of businesses have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, it may not surprise you that you will have to adjust your budget to accommodate the massive amount of changes that we will see as everyday life begins to normalize. Today, we thought we’d take you through some of the financial challenges your business is sure to have to deal with when social distancing is a distant memory.

Deciding to start a business is a big shift in a person’s life, but it can be extraordinarily rewarding. Regardless of what business you plan on opening, there are some technologies that can work to make your new business easier to manage and can help you transition into the world of entrepreneurship. Let’s go through four technology tools the small business startup needs. 

Accessibility to the Internet is a hot topic because, at this point, almost everyone should be afforded Internet access. The fact that some people don’t have access to the Internet puts them at a severe disadvantage. One group that has major problems with accessibility are disabled people. Let’s discuss what can be done about that.

With every business having at least some revenue generation in their list of priorities, it is important that an organization understands how technology can help eliminate inefficiency through improved collaboration and productivity. Let’s consider a few modern tools and solutions that can help a business as it strives towards its goals.

Is the era of the desktop computer over? Is it time to rip the bandage off and ditch the traditional bulky tower, cables, and monitors for something sleeker, lighter, and more specialized?

Maybe!

Human resources (HR) may not get the attention that many other parts of your business do, but it remains important. HR plans and coordinates most of the administrative issues of a business. They deal with onboarding and offboarding personnel, are a big part of a business’ strategic planning, and function as a bridge between a business’ workers and its decision makers. With all that responsibility, HR can sometimes get bogged down with work, putting a business behind. 

As much as you hope it will not happen to your business, a disaster could very well strike at any time—statistics have shown as much to be true. To remove some of the risks associated with disasters and the data loss they lead to; we recommend that you implement BDR into your business continuity strategies.

With numerous vaccines now being deployed, it finally seems that there is an end to the COVID-19 pandemic at some point in the future. While we still have some ways to go, it would be helpful to look ahead and plan for how we can implement some of the lessons this period has taught us—especially in the workplace.

The cloud has been a good resource for business for quite a while. Just how good? Currently, nine-out-of-ten businesses operate with some type of cloud-hosted solution. In fact, by the figures, we’re looking at a cloud-hosted future. We thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of the cloud computing stats and trends to paint a picture of just how the cloud has grown up. 

Do you have any idea when the last time your copier was serviced? Do you know if the software your business depends on has been updated and patched? If you have no idea about the answers to these questions, you may be staring disaster in the face. This month we thought we’d discuss how you can ensure that your technology is managed and how you can keep your business from being jeopardized by a catastrophic operational problem. 

Telework has become crucial for businesses to sustain themselves right now, as remote work became a hard and fast requirement in the face of the coronavirus. However, if businesses aren’t careful, they could trade one issue for another in exposing themselves to security threats.

After dealing with months of regrettable news, a lot of businesses are trying to find the right strategy to navigate all the challenges their road ahead presents. With costs rising and revenues shrinking, there needs to be a strategic urgency that will allow your business to sustain operations when other companies are laying off their workers and folding into obscurity. Today, we take a look at some of the technology services that you can use to keep your business afloat during the economic downturn. 

COVID-19 has every business on edge and looking for ways to cut some costs without directly affecting their ability to put out the product or service that their customers expect. When you begin to look at your IT, and try to establish what your IT support costs are, you may find that you are paying a lot more than you might like to keep your business’ IT running right. This is where managed IT services come in.

Many small businesses in the United States—most, actually—are in a catch-22 of sorts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While reopening too soon could contribute to a resurgence in infection rates, there is also a very real risk associated with reopening too late. To help avoid either scenario, the right technology solutions will prove to be indispensable.

As time passes and technology is developed, a lot of the processes that businesses rely on become more efficient and stand to deliver greater benefits to the organizations that use them. These benefits are accessible to businesses of all sizes, including small businesses. Let’s go over a few small business needs, and how technology can assist with them.

Businesses are looking to technology more than ever in a constant attempt to improve productivity and efficiency. One problem that some businesses face is that their staff isn’t exactly technologically savvy, making them difficult to communicate with about technical concepts. This month, we aim to help you do a better job of communicating with those workers who don’t know much about technology.