business consultants with a technology focus …...business consultants with a technology focus...

June 2016

This Monthly Publication provided courtesy of John Hill, President of TechSage Solutions.

We are Business Consultants with a

Technology Focus and have Leveraged Technology to Propel Our Clients Toward Competitive Success in the San Antonio area for sixteen years. Our goal is to Simplify the use of Infor-mation Technology for our Clients so that they can focus on managing and growing their businesses.

BUSINESS CONSULTANTS WITH A TECHNOLOGY FOCUS ISSUE 88 JUNE 2016

TECHSAGE TECH TALK "Insider Tips To Make Your Business Run Faster, Easier, And More Profitably"

I t's one of those little secrets that nobody wants to talk about...

The term "Shadow IT" refers to apps and devices used at work that operate outside your company's sanctioned policies and protocols.

Shadow IT takes many forms, like conversations on Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, Gmail or Skype. It can include software from Excel macros to cloud-based data storage apps such as Dropbox, Google Docs and Evernote. Or collaboration spaces like Slack, Asana and Wrike. And then there are devices: USB sticks, smartphones, tablets and laptops within your network that you have no control over.

Robert J. Moore, CEO of RJMetrics, relates how companies like Slack and Dropbox craft their pricing models to encourage rapid proliferation. One day, a few of his engineers were using Slack, then all the engineers, then the whole

Shadow IT: Ignore At Your Own

Risk rest of the company was using it. He said, "We reached a point of no return and paying for it was pretty much our only option."

The hidden dangers of shadow IT When users on your network adopt apps and devices outside your control, protocols aren't followed, systems aren't patched, devices get infected without people knowing it and data breaches happen... As a result, confidential information can be exposed, accounts taken over, websites defaced, goods and services stolen, and precious time and money lost.

Not only that, you end up with siloed information in unknown places, data compliance issues and missed opportunities for bulk pricing.

The obvious solution would be to crack down and forbid use of all but company-approved devices and apps. Unfortunately, that tends to slow things down, stifling productivity and innovation.

Continued on page 2

Managed Server & Workstation Solutions • 24 X 7 X 365 Help Desk

www.TechSageSolutions.com

TECHSAGE TECH TALKBUSINESS CONSULTANTS WITH A TECHNOLOGY FOCUS ISSUE 88 JUNE 2016

“Insider Tips To Make Your Business Run Faster, Easier, And More Profitably”

Managed Server & Workstation Solutions • 24 X 7 X 365 Help Desk


This MonthlyPublication

provided courtesy ofJohn Hill,

President ofTechSage Solutions.

We are BusinessConsultants with a

Technology Focus and have LeveragedTechnology to Propel Our Clients

Toward Competitive Success in the San

Antonio area for sixteen years. Ourgoal is to Simplify the use of Infor-

mation Technology for our Clients sothat they can focus on managing and

growing their businesses.

To all Fathers

June 2016

It’s one of those little secrets

that nobody wants to talk

about…

The term “Shadow IT” refers to

apps and devices used at work

that operate outside your

company’s sanctioned policies and

protocols.

Shadow IT takes many forms, like

conversations on Facebook

Messenger, Google Hangouts,

Gmail or Skype. It can include

software from Excel macros to

cloud-based data storage apps

such as Dropbox, Google Docs and

Evernote. Or collaboration spaces

like Slack, Asana and Wrike. And

then there are devices: USB sticks,

smartphones, tablets and laptops

within your network that you have

no control over.

Robert J. Moore, CEO of RJMetrics,

relates how companies like Slack

and Dropbox craft their pricing

models to encourage rapid

proliferation. One day, a few of his

engineers were using Slack, then

all the engineers, then the whole

rest of the company was using it.

He said, “We reached a point of no

return and paying for it was pretty

much our only option.”

The hidden dangers of shadow IT

When users on your network

adopt apps and devices outside

your control, protocols aren’t

followed, systems aren’t patched,

devices get infected without

people knowing it and data

breaches happen… As a result,

confidential information can be

exposed, accounts taken over,

websites defaced, goods and

services stolen, and precious time

and money lost.

Not only that, you end up with

siloed information in unknown

places, data compliance issues and

missed opportunities for bulk

pricing.

The obvious solution would be tocrack down and forbid use of allbut company-approved devicesand apps. Unfortunately, thattends to slow things down, stiflingproductivity and innovation.

Shadow IT:

Ignore At

Your Own

Risk

Continued on page 2

Leveraging Technology to Propel Our Clients Toward Competitive Success

Bringing your shadow IT out into the light. Obviously, burying your head in the sand won't make the problem go away. Here's what you can do to not only take control of the situation, but actually use it to drive innovation and agility at your company.

Cut loose the "control" mentality. It's no longer feasible to simply ban certain apps. If you don't give employees the software they prefer, then they will start using their own. They can easily access a vast and growing variety of apps, all without your help - or control.

Recognize the delicate balance between risk and performance. Evaluate risk on a case-by-case basis. Then take control of high-risk situations and keep an eye on the rest.

Foster open communication. Get employees involved in creating intuitive policies. You can turn them from your greatest risk to your greatest asset by levering their input and ownership of protective protocols. This helps everyone maintain security while keeping practical needs for performance in mind.

Develop a fully tested plan. Even if it's only 70% complete, a tested plan will be far more useful when the need inevitably arises than a 100% complete plan that's not fully tested. Most managers underestimate the confusion that occurs in the first few days following a breach. Unfortunately, that confusion can create a defensive rather than constructive atmosphere centered on discovering how, when and where the breach occurred. A comprehensive incident response plan can go a long way toward achieving a speedy resolution, and keep an otherwise manageable event from turning into a full-blown business crisis.

Finding the right balance Focusing only on security and asset protection can drag down business performance quickly. However, balancing risk with performance enables you to maximize your return from investments in detection and response. It also helps you become more adept at adjusting as the security landscape changes. By developing your organization's ability to recognize threats and respond effectively to incidents, you can actually take risks more confidently and drive business performance to a higher level.

TechSage Solutions can help you with this. Our proprietary Security Assessment helps you take the friction out of data protection. Contact us at 210-582-5814 or [email protected] to take advantage of this offer (normally $297), FREE through the end of June, and put an end to Shadow IT in your organization finally and forever.

"Take control of high-risk,

situations and keep an eye on the

rest. P

Cloud Solutions • Co-Location • Disaster Recovery Planning & Data Protection



Cloud Solutions • Co-Location • Disaster Recovery Planning & Data Protection

www.TechSageSolutions.comPage 2

Bringing your shadow IT out into the light.

Obviously, burying

your head in the

sand won’t make

the problem go

away. Here’s what

you can do to not

only take control of

the situation, but

actually use it to

drive innovation

and agility at your company.

Cut loose the “control” mentality.

It’s no longer feasible to simply ban certain apps.

If you don’t give employees the software they

prefer, then they will start using their own. They

can easily access a vast and growing variety of

apps, all without your help – or control.

Recognize the delicate balance between risk and

performance.

Evaluate risk on a case-by-case basis. Then take

control of high-risk situations and keep an eye on

the rest.

Foster open communication.

Get employees involved in creating intuitive

policies. You can turn them from your greatest

risk to your greatest asset by levering their input

and ownership of protective protocols. This helps

everyone maintain security while keeping

practical needs for performance in mind.

Develop a fully tested plan.

Even if it’s only 70% complete, a tested plan will

be far more useful when the need inevitably arises

than a 100% complete plan that’s not fully tested.

Most managers underestimate the confusion that

occurs in the first few days following a breach.

Unfortunately, that confusion can create a

defensive rather than constructive atmosphere

centered on discovering how, when and where the

breach occurred. A comprehensive incident

response plan can go a long way toward

achieving a speedy resolution, and keep an

otherwise manageable event from turning into a

full-blown business crisis.

Finding the right balance

Focusing only on security and asset protection

can drag down business performance quickly.

However, balancing risk with performance

enables you to maximize your return from

investments in detection and response. It also

helps you become more adept at adjusting as the

security landscape changes. By developing your

organization’s ability to recognize threats and

respond effectively to incidents, you can actually

take risks more confidently and drive business

performance to a higher level.

TechSage Solutions can help you with this. Our

proprietary Security Assessment helps you take

the friction out of data protection. Contact us at

210-582-5814 or [email protected] to

take advantage of this offer (normally $297), FREE

through the end of June, and put an end to

Shadow IT in your organization finally and

forever.

“Take control ofhigh-risk

situations andkeep an eye on the

rest.”

AO,


Marketing Wars IT Sales and Marketing Boot Camp

Robin's sales and marketing boot camp was the best conference I've attended this year. The theme this year was Star Wars and Robin extracted many concepts and ideas that we can leverage to build our businesses like "Do. Or do not. There is no try", Yoda.

There is always so much information presented by Robin, as well as the fantastic speakers she brings in it's like drinking from a fire hose. It's impossible to attend and not bring home at least a handful of business building concepts, ideas and step by step guidance that if implemented will dramatically grow your business.

The lineup of speakers was fantastic to say the least.

Dan Heath, co-author of "Made to Stick," gave us insights on why some ideas, whether true or false, live on and others die and how we can leverage it to promote our businesses.

Darren Hardy, Publisher of Success Magazine, spoke about "The Compound Effect" and how the small decisions each of us make throughout the day will take us to the lives we desire or to disaster.

Roxanne Emmerich talked with us about her "Thank God It's Monday" concept and how we can build an inspired team at our businesses.

I have to say that the next speaker I'll mention is the one I was most excited to see and was, for me, the highlight of the conference. He is one of my childhood heroes and helped to stimulate my early interest in science and technolgy. His name is Buzz Aldrin, one of the first two humans to land on the moon and the second person to walk on it. Buzz has been a tireless advocate for space exploration and manned missions to Mars as a path toward making humans a multi-planet species.

Referral Contest Refer a Friend to TechSage Solutions for the Chance to

Earn Cash & WIN a Amazon Echo Refer a friend to TechSage Solutions between June 1, 2016 through August 31, 2016 for a chance to win a Amazon Echo

How the Contest Works: 1) Call or email us with your referral information. 2) We will call to schedule an appointment. 3) We will pay you or donate $25 to your favorite charity for anyone that you refer to us, who we

get an appointment with. 4) When your referral becomes a client (and spends $1,000 or more), we will pay you $75 more or

donate $75 more to your favorite charity. Plus, we will give your referral $100 off the purchase. 5) What makes a good referral for TechSage Solutions? A business owner who has 10 or more PC's and needs help with their net-

work, data backups, email server or is just interested in having a second opinion on how they are doing things now. We provide service to the San Antonio area and surrounding cities.

Office 365 • Email Spam Filtering • Email Archiving & Encryption www.TechSageSolutions.com


Office 365 • Email Spam Filtering • Email Archiving & Encryptionwww.TechSageSolutions.com Page 3

Robin's sales and marketing boot camp was the best conference I've

attended this year. The theme this year was Star Wars and Robin extractedmany concepts and ideas that we can leverage to build our businesses like

"Do. Or do not. There is no try", Yoda.

There is always so much information presented by Robin, as well as thefantastic speakers she brings in it's like drinking from a fire hose. It's

impossible to attend and not bring home at least a handful of businessbuilding concepts, ideas and step by step guidance that if implemented

will dramatically grow your business.

The lineup of speakers was fantastic to say the least.

Dan Heath, co-author of "Made to Stick," gave us insights on why some ideas, whether true or false, live on and others

die and how we can leverage it to promote our businesses.

Darren Hardy, Publisher of Success Magazine, spoke about "The Compound Effect" and how the small decisions eachof us make throughout the day will take us to the lives we desire or to disaster.

Roxanne Emmerich talked with us about her "Thank God It's Monday" concept and how we can build an inspiredteam at our businesses.

I have to say that the next speaker I'll mention is the one I was most excited to see and was, for me, the highlight of the

conference. He is one of my childhood heroes and helped to stimulate my early interest in science and technolgy. Hisname is Buzz Aldrin, one of the first two humans to land on the moon and the second person to walk on it. Buzz has

been a tireless advocate for space exploration and manned missions to Mars as a path toward making humans amulti-planet species.

Marketing Wars IT Sales and Marketing Boot Camp

Refer a friend to TechSage Solutions between June 1, 2016 through August 31, 2016 for a chance towin a Amazon Echo

How the Contest Works:1) Call or email us with your referral information.2) We will call to schedule an appointment.3) We will pay you or donate $25 to your favorite charity for anyone that you refer to us, who we

get an appointment with.4) When your referral becomes a client (and spends $1,000 or more), we will pay you $75 more or

donate $75 more to your favorite charity. Plus, we will give your referral $100 off the purchase.5) What makes a good referral for TechSage Solutions? A business owner who has 10 or more PC’s and needs help with their net-

work, data backups, email server or is just interested in having a second opinion on how they are doing things now. We provide

service to the San Antonio area and surrounding cities.

Referral ContestRefer a Friend to TechSage Solutions for the Chance to

Earn Cash & WIN a Amazon Echo

Windows 10 Voice Recorder App

How many times have we been at an event wishing we had a way to record speeches, lectures, and conversations. Windows 10 has revamped their Voice Recorder app which creates files in the .m4a format.

Below are some of the features:

There are no maximum time for a recording.

Ability to mark key moments in the recording of a speaker. Recordings are autosaved and stored in your documents folder for easy access. Play back, trim, rename, and delete your record-ings.

Reminder- Microsoft's free upgrade offer for Windows 10 expires July 29, 2016


TechSage Solutions Has Partnered with vertrsQ)

We are always looking for new solutions that enhance and add security for our clients IT infrastructure. Since Vertiscale offers cloud computing, mobility and security solutions, we believed this would be an excellent partner to provide the above solutions.

Vertiscale is an easy-to-use, instantly available solution for small and medium businesses that creates a security wrapper around your sensitive data and applications. It keeps everything off your devices within our secure cloud, shielding your data from unauthorized access.

Vertiscale from TechSage Solutions is built from the ground up with security and compliance in mind and helps keep your business data safe.

It boosts the efficiency of your operations by enabling your staff to work from any location, any time, using any device.

This platform also helps you keep your over all IT costs under control:

Eliminates complicated VPNs Use your existing IT hardware Delay expensive hardware upgrades by leveraging older computers Reduce the need for expensive encryption software.

IT Security Tip Lie, lie, lie! Social engineering is big business. What is it? Figuring out who you are and then using that information to make money off of your information. People list password challenge and identity verification publicly or at least freely on their Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages and feeds without giving it a second thought. Maiden name? Check. Favorite Pet? Check. High School? Check. Town they grew up in? Check. Favorite or first car? Check. Throwback Thursday is a social engineer's dream! They love this stuff. Combat it by always giving false password and identity challenge and verification information to the sites and services that require it. Keep the answer file of-fline or at least in a format that's not easily guessed. Remem-ber if it's a handwritten list you can still take a photo of it.

Firewall & Network Solutions • Cloud File Sync Solutions



Firewall & Network Solutions • Cloud File Sync Solutions

www.TechSageSolutions.com Page 4

IT Security Tip Lie, lie, lie!Social engineering is big business. What is it? Figuring outwho you are and then using that information to make money offof your information. People list password challenge and identityverification publicly or at least freely on their Instagram, Twitterand Facebook pages and feeds without giving it a secondthought. Maiden name? Check. Favorite Pet? Check. HighSchool? Check. Town they grew up in? Check. Favorite orfirst car? Check. Throwback Thursday is a social engineer'sdream! They love this stuff. Combat it by always giving falsepassword and identity challenge and verification information tothe sites and services that require it. Keep the answer file of-fline or at least in a format that's not easily guessed. Remem-ber if it's a handwritten list you can still take a photo of it.

Windows 10Voice Recorder App

How many times have webeen at an event wishing wehad a way to record speeches,lectures, and conversations.

Windows 10 has revampedtheir Voice Recorder appwhich creates files in the .m4aformat.

Below are some of the

features:

There are no maximum timefor a recording.⇒ Ability to mark key

moments in the recording

of a speaker.⇒ Recordings are autosaved

and stored in yourdocuments folder for easyaccess.

⇒ Play back, trim, rename,and delete your record-

ings.

Reminder-Microsoft’s free upgrade offerfor Windows 10 expiresJuly 29, 2016

TechSage Solutions Has Partnered with

We are always looking for new solutions that enhance and addsecurity for our clients IT infrastructure. Since Vertiscale offerscloud computing, mobility and security solutions, we believed thiswould be an excellent partner to provide the above solutions.

Vertiscale is an easy-to-use, instantly available solution for smalland medium businesses that creates a security wrapper around yoursensitive data and applications. It keeps everything off your deviceswithin our secure cloud, shielding your data from unauthorizedaccess.

Vertiscale from TechSage Solutions is built from the ground up withsecurity and compliance in mind and helps keep your business datasafe.

It boosts the efficiency of your operations by enabling your staff towork from any location, any time, using any device.

This platform also helps you keep your over all IT costs undercontrol:⇒ Eliminates complicated VPNs⇒ Use your existing IT hardware⇒ Delay expensive hardware upgrades by leveraging older

computers⇒ Reduce the need for expensive encryption software.


Separating Yourself From The Start-up Pack Shiny New Gadget Of

The Month:

What If Your Smartphone Had

Wings

Video streaming from the air is about to get a whole lot more affordable.

It just so happens that the brains, gyroscope, GPS and camera aboard all those new drone cameras you may have seen can also be found in your smartphone...

Slip your smartphone into a PhoneDrone Ethos, and you have your own flying camera at a fraction of the cost of a fully equipped camera drone.

Worried about your smartphone taking a hit in the event of a crash landing? For about $50 you can buy a cheap smartphone with all you need to fly the Ethos.

Built-in mirrors enable you to shoot down, forward or to the side. You can preprogram it, or fly it manually from the ground. You can even control it with an Apple Watch.

It's scheduled to start shipping in September 2016, and "early-bird" discounts may be available at xcraft. io/phone-drone .

Many of America's favorite companies began as a small start-up.

Ben & Jerry's sold ice cream out of an old gas station when they first opened in 1979. Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook in his college dorm room. Starbucks started with just one location in Seattle, Washington.

The ability to scale up is a defming trait among businesses that want to move ahead of the start-up pack. To do that, companies must learn how to lose the start-up mentality and focus on a few key areas.

Building A Great Team

Nancy McCord, chief talent officer at Netflix, said, "The best thing you can do for employees — a perk better than foosball or free sushi — is hire only 'A' players to work alongside them."

Top talent likes to work with other top talent. Create a culture where team members challenge each other, learn together and propel the company forward. If your top talent is too busy managing disengaged, subpar workers, the work will get old very quickly. No one wants to go to work and babysit fellow team members.

To create a team of top-tier talent, focus your energy on engaging current members and improving the hiring process. Create a company scorecard for job candidates. Outline the type of person who excels in the position and the character traits they must possess. If an applicant doesn't meet the criteria, politely decline to pursue them further.

Choosing The Right Strategy

Your company's strategy is the roadmap that tells you how to get from where you are to where you want to be. It's the defined path that your start-up will take in order to grow and become a leader in your industry. You should live, breathe and make decisions based on this strategy.

This requires more than just vague goalsetting. What matters most to your organization? What's your mission? All of these should be taken into consideration before you pick a strategy. Once this strategy is established, your senior leadership should meet weekly to discuss its progress.

Include your entire team in the execution of the strategy and educate them on the "why" behind it. Each employee should have a solid knowledge of the company values, foundation and proposed direction of the company. This transparency will also aid in retaining the top talent you worked hard to recruit.

Improving Your Cash Flow

Your cash conversion cycle (CCC), or the amount of time it takes for a dollar spent to make its way back into your bank account, is one of the most important metrics to watch while scaling your business up. Growth requires money, and the faster you scale up, the more money you need. Learn how cash flows through your organization.

Scaling up is possible, but it takes focus and dedication to these three areas. Every industry -leading company started somewhere, and there's no reason why your organization can't be next.

Andy Bailey can cut through organizational BS faster than a hot knife through butter, showing organizations the logjams thwarting their success and coaching them past the excuses. After all, as he tells his clients, 100% annual growth is only 2% growth every week. It's not easy. But possible.Andy learned how to build great organiza-tions by building a great business, which he started in college then, grew into an Inc. 500 multi-million dollar national company that he successfully sold and exited. He founded Petra to pass on to other entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders the principles and practices he used to build his successful enterprise, which are rooted in the Rockefeller Habits methodology.

Security Audits • HIPPA Compliance • IT Consulting


Security Audits • HIPPA Compliance • IT Consulting



Shiny New Gadget Of

The Month:

What If YourSmartphone Had

Wings

Video streaming from the air isabout to get a whole lot moreaffordable.

It just so happens that the brains,gyroscope, GPS and camera aboardall those new drone cameras youmay have seen can also be found inyour smartphone…

Slip your smartphone into aPhoneDrone Ethos, and you haveyour own flying camera at a fractionof the cost of a fully equippedcamera drone.

Worried about your smartphonetaking a hit in the event of a crashlanding? For about $50 you can buya cheap smartphone with all youneed to fly the Ethos.

Built-in mirrors enable you to shootdown, forward or to the side. Youcan preprogram it, or fly it manuallyfrom the ground. You can evencontrol it with an Apple Watch.

It’s scheduled to start shipping inSeptember 2016, and “early-bird”discounts may be available atxcraft.io/phone-drone.

Separating Yourself From The Start-up Pack

Many of America’s favorite companiesbegan as a small start-up.

Ben & Jerry’s sold ice cream out of anold gas station when they first opened in1979. Mark Zuckerberg created Facebookin his college dorm room. Starbucksstarted with just one location in Seattle,Washington.

The ability to scale up is a defining traitamong businesses that want to moveahead of the start-up pack. To do that,companies must learn how to lose thestart-up mentality and focus on a few keyareas.

Building A Great Team

Nancy McCord, chief talent officer atNetflix, said, “The best thing you can dofor employees – a perk better thanfoosball or free sushi – is hire only ‘A’players to work alongside them.”

Top talent likes to work with other toptalent. Create a culture where teammembers challenge each other, learntogether and propel the company forward.If your top talent is too busy managingdisengaged, subpar workers, the workwill get old very quickly. No one wants togo to work and babysit fellow teammembers.

To create a team of top-tier talent, focusyour energy on engaging currentmembers and improving the hiringprocess. Create a company scorecard forjob candidates. Outline the type of personwho excels in the position and thecharacter traits they must possess. If anapplicant doesn’t meet the criteria,politely decline to pursue them further.

Choosing The Right Strategy

Your company’s strategy is the roadmapthat tells you how to get from where youare to where you want to be. It’s thedefined path that your start-up will take inorder to grow and become a leader inyour industry. You should live, breatheand make decisions based on thisstrategy.

This requires more than just vaguegoalsetting. What matters most to yourorganization? What’s your mission? Allof these should be taken intoconsideration before you pick a strategy.Once this strategy is established, yoursenior leadership should meet weekly todiscuss its progress.

Include your entire team in the executionof the strategy and educate them on the“why” behind it. Each employee shouldhave a solid knowledge of the companyvalues, foundation and proposed directionof the company. This transparency willalso aid in retaining the top talent youworked hard to recruit.

Improving Your Cash Flow

Your cash conversion cycle (CCC), or theamount of time it takes for a dollar spentto make its way back into your bankaccount, is one of the most importantmetrics to watch while scaling yourbusiness up. Growth requires money, andthe faster you scale up, the more moneyyou need. Learn how cash flows throughyour organization.

Scaling up is possible, but it takes focusand dedication to these three areas. Everyindustry -leading company startedsomewhere, and there’s no reason whyyour organization can’t be next.

Andy Bailey can cut through organizational BS faster than a hot knife through butter,showing organizations the logjams thwarting their success and coaching them pastthe excuses. After all, as he tells his clients, 100% annual growth is only 2% growthevery week. It’s not easy. But possible.Andy learned how to build great organiza-tions by building a great business, which he started in college then, grew into an Inc.500 multi-million dollar national company that he successfully sold and exited. Hefounded Petra to pass on to other entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders theprinciples and practices he used to build his successful enterprise, which are rootedin the Rockefeller Habits methodology.

-Inc.com


Imagine just taking a pill to acquire a whole new skill set.

In The Matrix, Neo opens his eyes after being programmed and tells Morpheus, "I know kung fu." According to futurist and world renowned inventor Ray Kurzweil, conversations like that will actually take place within the next 20 years. By implanting blood-cell-sized, cloud-connected nano-robots into the brain, humans will be able to literally download any skill set or body of knowledge from the cloud. Sound far-fetched? Scientists are already helping Parkinson's patients, using a pea-sized implant connected wirelessly to an outside computer. And Kurzweil has a 30- year track record of accurate predictions -including a little thing we now know as the World Wide Web.

Hootsuite, Buffer...or both? Keeping in touch with new and current customers via social media can suck up your time. Social media apps Buffer and Hootsuite both aim to help you achieve more impact in less time. So which one is right for you? While Hootsuite offers a full featured social media dashboard, Buffer focuses simply on prescheduling your content. When it comes to managing posts and tracking which ones perform best, Hootsuite is the way to go. Yet Buffer gives you more timing flexibility by allowing you to pick when your posts get published, regardless of when you add them to the queue. Choose either of these apps based on your posting and tracking needs - and consider using them both.

-MarketingLand.com

Which app best helps you take notes on the go - Google Keep or Evernote?

Google Keep runs faster with a cleaner mobile interface than Evernote. It also wins on consistent quality of search across devices. Where Evernote shines is in its ecosystem of third-party integrations that add cool features. And its Clipper extension makes it easy to save web pages from Android or iOS directly into Evernote. So which app is best for you? If you just want to make quick notes on the go and share them easily, go with Google Keep. Plus, it's free. If you want a deep database of notes, lists and web content with lots of features, even if you have to pay for it, go with Evernote.

-C/0

Facebook wants to help you blow up your business.

The Facebook Ad platform can work wonders when you apply these principles: 1) Have a strategy. Don't make the mistake of diving in without knowing how the money you put in will actually pay off. 2) Remember "T -O-M": TARGET the right audience with a great OFFER wrapped in a compelling MESSAGE. 3) Write great copy. Start with an engaging headline, keep your text simple and straight to the point. Make it easy to grasp and end with a clear call to action. Facebook ads give you access to the world's largest audience - over 1.5 billion at last count... And one good ad could make a world of difference for your business.

-Forbes

Who Else Wants To Win $25 Gift Card?

Last month, Jackie Daggett took the challenge and answered last month's Trivia Challenge Quiz. Her name was drawn from the bowl of correct answers. The correct answer for What does the "V" in DVD stand for? D) Versatile.

Here is this month's trivia question. The winner will receive a gift card to Texas Roadhouse.

Amazon was not the name Jeff Beos originally selected for his Internet start-up company in 1995. What name was his first pick? A) Kagera b) Bookmeister c) Juggernaut d) Cadabra

Email Megan Now With Your Answer! [email protected]

With Subject: June Trivia Answer At the end of June will draw from the correct answers for the gift card

Managed Network 24X7 • Security Audits & Solutions • VolP (Voice Over IP Phone)


Managed Network 24X7 • Security Audits & Solutions • VoIP (Voice Over IP Phone)



Imagine just taking a pill toacquire a whole new skill set.

In The Matrix, Neo opens his eyesafter being programmed and tellsMorpheus, “I know kung fu.”According to futurist and worldrenowned inventor RayKurzweil, conversations like thatwill actually take place withinthe next 20 years. By implantingblood-cell-sized, cloud-connectednano-robots into the brain,humans will be able to literallydownload any skill set or body ofknowledge from the cloud.Sound far-fetched? Scientists arealready helping Parkinson’spatients, using a pea-sizedimplant connected wirelessly toan outside computer. AndKurzweil has a 30- year trackrecord of accurate predictions –including a little thing we nowknow as the World Wide Web.

-Inc.com

Hootsuite, Buffer…or both?Keeping in touch with new andcurrent customers via socialmedia can suck up your time.Social media apps Buffer andHootsuite both aim to help youachieve more impact in less time.So which one is right for you?While Hootsuite offers a fullfeatured social media dashboard,Buffer focuses simply onprescheduling your content.When it comes to managingposts and tracking which onesperform best, Hootsuite is theway to go. Yet Buffer gives youmore timing flexibility byallowing you to pick when yourposts get published, regardless ofwhen you add them to thequeue. Choose either of theseapps based on your posting andtracking needs – and considerusing them both.

-MarketingLand.com

Which app best helps you takenotes on the go – Google Keepor Evernote?

Google Keep runs faster with acleaner mobile interface thanEvernote. It also wins onconsistent quality of searchacross devices. Where Evernoteshines is in its ecosystem of third-party integrations that add coolfeatures. And its Clipperextension makes it easy to saveweb pages from Android or iOSdirectly into Evernote. So whichapp is best for you? If you justwant to make quick notes on thego and share them easily, go withGoogle Keep. Plus, it’s free. Ifyou want a deep database ofnotes, lists and web content withlots of features, even if you haveto pay for it, go with Evernote.

-CIO

Facebook wants to help youblow up your business.

The Facebook Ad platform canwork wonders when you applythese principles: 1) Have astrategy. Don’t make the mistakeof diving in without knowinghow the money you put in willactually pay off. 2) Remember “T-O-M”: TARGET the rightaudience with a great OFFERwrapped in a compellingMESSAGE. 3) Write great copy.Start with an engaging headline,keep your text simple andstraight to the point. Make it easyto grasp and end with a clear callto action. Facebook ads give youaccess to the world’s largestaudience – over 1.5 billion at lastcount… And one good ad couldmake a world of difference foryour business.

-Forbes

Who Else Wants To Win $25Gift Card?

Last month, Jackie Daggett took the challenge and answered lastmonth’s Trivia Challenge Quiz. Her name was drawn from the bowl ofcorrect answers. The correct answer for What does the “V” in DVDstand for? D) Versatile.

Here is this month’s trivia question. The winner will receive a gift cardto Texas Roadhouse.

Amazon was not the name Jeff Beos originally selected for his Internetstart-up company in 1995. What name was his first pick?A) Kagera b) Bookmeister c) Juggernaut d) Cadabra

Email Megan Now With Your [email protected]

With Subject: June Trivia AnswerAt the end of June will draw from the correct answers for the gift card

business consultants with a technology focus …...business consultants with a technology focus...

Documents