Directive Blogs

Efficiency. As a business leader, this word has probably become a favorite of yours. An efficiently run business results in lowered costs and increased productivity. Who doesn't want that? As you know, efficiency requires intentionality. A great place to start is with your technology. Here are three solutions that will intentionally increase your technology's (and in turn, your business') efficiency.

If you're like most heavy Internet users, you've got multiple Google accounts and you have to think twice about which Gmail address to give someone. It's not like you set out to have three, or five, or even ten Google accounts. It just kind of happened over time. Can anything be done to streamline your different Google accounts?

This world is dangerous; there are murderers, serial killers, and identity thieves. These dangerous criminals aside, many people ignore the digital world and find solace in thinking that they are untouchable in their online community. Little do they know, some of the most dangerous criminals in the world exist on the other end of a telephone line, sitting in front of a computer: Hackers. One of the easiest ways to shield yourself from these criminals is to keep your antivirus up to date.

Just because you hit the delete button when using Microsoft Word doesn't necessarily mean that your information is gone forever. Thanks to Word's Track Changes feature, all of your deleted sentences can be easily retrieved. This is a very handy tool to help you out of a jam, but it can also be misused to leak secrets if you're not careful.

We are creatures of habit. We love our routines and live in "comfort zones." Getting anybody to do anything outside of their comfort zone is always challenging. A comfort zone typically applies to social situations, but it can also apply to technology. Don't let an emotional attachment to old technology keep you from taking advantage of new money-making solutions!

Just because you have an IT technician on staff, doesn't mean your technology needs are 100% covered. The people making up your IT department are just that, people, and because they are people, having reliable coverage can be difficult. Outsourcing your IT department is the perfect way to get the extra coverage your business needs, especially when your IT team can't be there for you.

The first pitch of another Major League Baseball season is being thrown this afternoon and with 2,427 more games on the docket in the regular season, it won't be the last. One of the greatest feats a player (or a team) can accomplish in baseball is by throwing a perfect game. To do so, a team's pitcher (or pitchers) must complete nine innings without allowing a baserunner.

Whenever you hire a new employee, you essentially incorporate their social network into the networking reach of your business. With this reality in mind (along with the measurable influence of an employee's use of social media) you have to ask yourself, "Is a connected employee more valuable than a non-connected employee?"

There's been a lot of exciting talk lately about brand new technology including biometrics, smart appliances, and wearable technology. With all of this kind of buzz, it's easy to forget about older technology, even if it still provides value to the industry. Bluetooth technology is one of the most exceptional technologies of recent history, and it's celebrating its 20th birthday this year!

Remember when you upgraded to a flat screen TV or monitor just a few years ago? You may have marveled at the increased picture quality and celebrated getting rid of your old and bulky equipment, but do you know what happened to the old CRT monitor after you threw it out? Unfortunately, the answer doesn't bode well for the environment.

If you've ever had your smartphone stolen, you can attest to the frustration and potential risk that it brings. Many organizations and legislators are working to muzzle the issue, and there are steps that you can personally take to help prevent your device from being stolen. Let's take a look at how to prevent smartphone theft, and how to respond if your gadget is stolen.

Not too many years ago comedian Jeff Foxworthy became a star with his trademark "You Might Be a Redneck If..." jokes. Rednecks are an interesting breed that do things backwards because they stubbornly believe that it's the best way, and like all of us, rednecks use technology. Are you a technology redneck? Check out our redneck technology list to find out.

19 years ago, a class of fifth graders from Helena, Montana was featured in a PSA video that, looking back, made some eerily-close predictions about how the Internet is used today. When this PSA was shot in 1995, only 0.4% of the world's population regularly used the Internet. Today, nearly 39% of the world uses it, and for good reason, as predicted all those years ago.

We've reached a point with technology that we're totally dependant upon it to accomplish most mission-critical business tasks. This is great for getting business done efficiently, but being dependent upon technology makes operations virtually impossible when technology fails. This is called downtime, and your business needs to be prepared for every downtime scenario possible.

One of the greatest trends to hit business culture within the last few years has been going green, aka, being environmentally conscious. Companies that adopt green culture end up helping the Earth, improving their brand reputation, gaining tax credits, and attracting new green-minded customers. If you're considering going green, one of the easiest places to start is with your technology.

Small business owners accept that they need to find alternative solutions to issues that larger organizations can just throw money at. Money is often tight for a small business and no where is this more evident than when dealing in technology. Larger organizations can afford state-of-the art IT, but thanks to the cloud, your business can experience enterprise-level IT at a price that makes sense for your budget.

As the top American collegiate men's and women's basketball teams are poised to take the court to decide national champions in 2014 NCAA tournament, local businesses are in a competition of their own; to turn a profit. There are three ways your business and your favorite team share a similar path to success.

You may have been using a PC long enough to remember just how awesome Microsoft Word 98 was. When Microsoft first released their Office 98 productivity suite with programs like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, there was really nothing quite like it on the market. Unfortunately for some businesses, Word 98 isn't nostalgia, it's a daily reality.

Lawyers have certainly played a huge part in modern western society, as they battle at the center of every legal trial, hearing, and financial exchange. Just like any other businessman, lawyers highly depend on their office technology to aid them in their business operations. Here are three effective technology solutions that any lawyer could benefit from.

The modern office has been heavily influenced by technology. Today, offices revolve around computers, but even before computers became commonplace, offices were still designed around the technology of their time. As we're witnessing technology change the world, the modern office is sure to follow suit.