3 Simple Tricks To Get More Done Every Day

In today’s crazy-busy world, who doesn’t want to cram more “done” into their day? We’ve got 3 really simple things you can do to get more work done for the hours you’re putting in.

1.  Use dual monitors. According to a University of Utah study, you can increase your efficiency by 25% just by adding a second monitor. Performance measures included task time, editing time, number of edits completed, number of errors made, as well as usability measures evaluating effectiveness, comfort, learning ease, time to productivity, quickness of recovery from mistakes, ease of task tracking, ability to maintain task focus, and ease of movement among sources. All of these factors combined show truly increased productivity.

2.  Block social media sites and/or other non-work related content online. THIS one won’t be popular for a lot of people, but if you want to get more done, then take the distractions out of your day. Of course if your job is “social media director” for your company, this doesn’t apply; for all the other workers in your office who don’t NEED to go on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to do their job, this will remove the temptation to “snack” on social media sites throughout the day, which add up to hours wasted on entertainment surfing. Content filtering software can easily manage which sites you can and cannot go online to view, also keeping employees from gambling, searching for jobs, reading the news, or visiting sex sites.

3.  Set up remote access. It’s incredibly easy to access files, e-mail, and programs from home (or while on the road) these days using cloud technologies or other remote access applications. Not only does this allow people to keep working when forced to stay home with sick kids or to wait for the cable guy to show up, but employees would also put in several more hours of work on their own initiative if they could easily jump on their home PC.

How To Easily Spy On Competitors And Keep Track Of Your BEST Clients

If you’re not familiar with Google Alerts (or if you’re not using them) this article may be one of the best tips we give you all year! Google Alerts is a free service offered by Google that will e-mail you whenever new content is posted online on a particular subject. While some people use them to keep up to date on their favorite celebrities or sports stars, there is a far more practical reason to use this in business.

First off, everyone should have a Google Alert set up for their name for obvious reasons; if you are in business, this goes double, including your company’s name, as well as the names of your key employees. After all, if someone posts a negative comment about your services or names one of your employees, you probably want to know about it so you can make it right. You might also consider setting up Google Alerts on:

• Your biggest competitors.
• Your key clients or prospects you’re trying to win business from.
• Industry alerts or trends.
• An important news story in your industry.

Time To Upgrade Your Network? Here Are 4 Things You Should Know

It’s that time of year again when business owners from all over are scrambling to make any last minute purchases they can to lighten the tax burden for 2012. One of the things many tax-savvy businesses do is purchase new office and computer equipment that will be needed within the next few months NOW so they can deduct the expense on the current year’s taxes. But if you’re planning to upgrade your server, here are 4 things you might want to look into before making any decisions.

1. Cloud computing. Cloud technologies are far beyond “hype.” They offer real, tangible benefits to businesses, including improved disaster recovery and backup, easier access to data remotely, reduced IT complexities, fewer problems and, in many cases, a cost savings because you don’t have to buy a server and keep it in your office closet anymore. Cloud is definitely not a right fit for everyone, but you should at least consider this as one of your options.
2. HaaS. In case you haven’t heard enough acronyms in the IT industry, let me give you one more: HaaS, or “hardware as a service.” Simply, HaaS is an option to “rent” hardware on an affordable and predictable monthly basis instead of purchasing it outright. This eliminates the hefty cash drain for a network upgrade and allows you to pay for hardware as a service. It also puts the burden of repair and replacement on the shoulders of your IT company (us) to keep your equipment up and running. You do end up paying more in the long run (as you would if you leased a car or bought a house on payments) but the ease on cash flow makes this a better option for some people.
3. Windows 8. Microsoft’s latest operating system is making headlines with its completely new look and feel. The most obvious difference between Windows 8 and its popular predecessor is the user interface. This interface has been designed to work very well with touchscreen devices. As of now, we are not deploying Windows 8 to clients in business environments and doing so carefully if client is using a tablet or touchscreen with Windwos 8 Pro version. As the product develops and users acclimate, we’ll have more time to provide additional comments.
4. Our Year-End Bonus Program! All during the month of December, we’re offering clients who upgrade their network with a new server or upgrade to our cloud solution a FREE month of our Essential MNS-CARE managed services plan. (If you already have a plan, we’ll give you an upgrade to the next level.) This will save you hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollars in IT services and support. But to get it, you MUST upgrade your network THIS YEAR.

For the full details, visit us online at www.myersnetsol.com/SpecialOffer or call us at 408.483.1881.