No one could have foreseen the kind of impact 2020 would have on small businesses, or the world, but now we are ready to put that year behind us and move on to the future. While you may not have been able to meet many of the goals you set for your business this past year, you can prepare for ...
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If you’re a small business owner, you know that finding new and creative ways to save money whenever possible is just as vital to the success of your business as driving sales. Luckily, finding ways to cut costs is easier than you think, and the changes can be surprisingly painless. Here are some easy ways you can save money for your ...
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As technology progresses each year, new solutions become available to help small business owners. These solutions can increase productivity, grow your business, and boost your revenue. Here are five technology solutions to fix in the new year. Problem: Excruciatingly Slow Internet Solution: Increase Network, Wi-Fi & Internet Speeds The Internet has become even more of a lifeline this year. Think ...
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With most computers attached to the Internet 24-7, the threat of computer viruses and other forms of malware are always present. Even if you’ve taken precautionary measures and installed antivirus software, how sure are you that it’s doing its job to keep you safe?  Here are some simple steps to make sure you are getting the most out of your ...
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We’ve all been there: We’re frantic to print out a report before a meeting, and nothing works. Then that pop-up strikes: Drivers out of date. You don’t have time to figure out the problem, but you know what this means – you’re not getting your report printed in time for that meeting. So, why does this happen? Why does our ...
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We’ve all had days where it feels like no matter how hard we work, NOTHING gets done. At that point, we tell ourselves, “It’s time to multi-task.” Although working on more than one thing at once may SOUND like a good idea, when we put multi-tasking into practice, we often get less done than we would have if we tackled ...
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What’s the point of shelling out for a custom email domain when you can get a free email account from Gmail or Yahoo? If you’ve asked yourself this question before, you’re asking the right questions. Many business owners who are just starting out choose to register a free email account for their business. This helps keep costs low at the ...
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Looking for a way to save your business money? Start by rethinking your approach to IT. In this day and age, a full IT department isn’t a necessary business expense. This is especially true for businesses with only a handful of employees. It’s much more efficient and budget-friendly to invest in IT services that support your business, rather than the ...
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In the era of coronavirus, businesses have learned to function mostly or entirely online. We’ve traded in-person meetings for Zoom conferences, quick chats at the water cooler for equally speedy emails, and more. But what would happen to your business if one day, with no warning whatsoever, your email accounts simply disappeared? For the team at McBride & Lucius, an ...
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We get it! Managing a remote team is difficult, especially during times when what feels like your “normal” routine one day might be thrown out the window the next. As a manager or a business owner, it’s critical to develop top-notch communication skills for getting messages across to your employees. Particularly during times of change, these tips for better employee ...
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If you’re looking to hire during COVID-19, you may be considering hiring remote employees. The best way to hire a remote team member is to be flexible: While much of the hiring process stays the same, there are things to think about when it comes to fitting someone new into a remote team. These tips break down what to do ...
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1 in every 99 emails is a phishing scam – for American employees, this comes out to 4.8 emails per employee in a five-day workweek. Can your employees avoid five phishing scams a week? There’s a way to find out. One of the best ways to assess your small business’s email security is to send out a simple test: a ...
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In the middle of tumultuous times, many of our small business clients are asking the same question: How can my business save money in the middle of a pandemic? As all small business owners know, the unexpected costs of running a business pile up at the worst times. And when global economic uncertainty comes into play, the instinct can be ...
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As more and more brick-and-mortar retailers move their businesses online, the question of e-commerce security becomes ever more critical. What security features do you need to safely sell products online? The customer purchase funnel presents too many opportunities for security breaches.  Think about it – at every step of the customer’s purchase process, how many opportunities are there for identity ...
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If you run your business from the Southeast, the Gulf of Mexico, or certain parts of the East Coast, then you’re probably familiar with hurricane season. For people living in the Atlantic basin, hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th each year. Most permanent residents of these areas are familiar with hurricane prep, especially when it comes to ...
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Like iPhones, laptops, and useful programs, viruses and malware are constantly evolving. Today’s IT provider has to stay three steps ahead of hackers and malicious programs. A virus can make a computer slow, buggy, or even unusable. For the average Joe, viruses are a nuisance. For business owners, they can be catastrophic. Luckily, modern IT technology like antivirus and anti-malware ...
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If your business is ready to expand, one of the first things you’ll need to address is workplace technology. But how do you know you’re getting the best bang for your buck, WITHOUT breaking the bank? Today, let’s break down the step-by-step process for creating (and sticking to!) a small business technology budget. Step 1: Take inventory. Before you start ...
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How do your technology needs change when you switch to a remote work environment? When you’re ready to start hiring again, how do you know your team has the right technology in place? Today, we’re taking a closer look at the IT concerns behind hiring a new employee: what you should have set up before they arrive, how to boost ...
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In past articles, we’ve taken a closer look at some of our most sought-after offerings: GTS PhishGuard, GTS EncryptGuard, and GTS Office 365 Backup. These collaborative tools combine to create an all-in-one security package for small business owners who rely on Office 365 – and it will be a powerful part of your daily routine. That’s why we’re so excited ...
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How many times have you shared login info by email? We all know not to do it, but when the workday gets away from us, we’ll do just about anything to save a few minutes’ time. On the other hand, some of us take the time to encrypt our emails without realizing that encryption isn’t supported on the other end ...
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We all know the dangers of phishing scams—credit card fraud, dubious wire transfers, data leaks—but what if there was a way to safeguard your inbox from phishing scams in the first place? Four or five times a week—sometimes as often as three times a day!—our team receives forwarded emails from our clients, all asking variations of the same question: “Is ...
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What would you do if the work computer you rely on for everything—you know the one—suddenly decided not to turn on? Without backups in place, how many files, contacts, and critical programs would your business lose access to? This is exactly what happened to Curt Coenen and Belinda Casper. “Mine was a brand new laptop,” says Belinda. “It had all ...
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Sometimes we come across an app or online tool that’s so awesome we can’t stop talking about it. Microsoft Teams is one of the best collaboration tools for remote businesses in 2020, and right now, it should be your go-to tool for getting things done. Hot take, right? Hear us out. It’s 11:39 AM on a Monday morning. Since 9:00, ...
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Happy Earth Day! As business owners, we’re constantly looking for new ways to improve our efficiency and give back to our communities. However, most small businesses don’t have the resources or manpower to roll out an entire program devoted to corporate responsibility. One of the best ways for small businesses to boost their accountability is by practicing workplace conservation. If ...
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With so much panic and uncertainty in the news, the COVID-19 pandemic is a heyday for scammers. Don’t let your business fall prey to scammer panic! With a few minutes of research and a commitment to double-checking, you can arm yourself—and your business—against potential coronavirus scams. This week, we’re taking a closer look at some of the most common scams ...
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What’s your biggest pet peeve when it comes to virtual meetings? Holding a meeting by video or conference call can often feel like playing a game of “Uh Oh Bingo.” Mark off three squares if you’ve ever had someone drop off the call due to a bad Internet connection, get interrupted by a pet or housemate, or accidentally mute themselves ...
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When catastrophe struck, Dennis Povloski found his business dead in the water—for two full weeks. A ransomware attack ground operations to a halt for DF Pensions, Inc.’s online provider. DF Pensions had recently moved its office to a cloud-based virtual server. When the office’s online provider was hit hard by ransomware, Dennis’s business suffered. “Fortunately, no data was compromised, but ...
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With everything going on in the world today, small business owners are really struggling. GTS is part of a business network group called SMB Turnkey Solutions (https://www.smbturnkey.com). We met over a Zoom conference this morning, and we wanted to let our Northeast Florida small business family know that we are here to help. Our group is made up of seven ...
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With much of the world transitioning from office work to working from home, many small businesses are struggling to integrate virtual work platforms at the last second. If you’ve made the decision to send employees home, you can still keep your business running smoothly with a little technology magic. Whether you’re a new business with a small team or an ...
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As a small business owner, you’ve probably got a good idea of goals for your business. Generate revenue. Follow up with leads. Convert sales. But with so much on your plate, how do you know you’re setting the “right” goals for your business? One of the best ways to boost small business efficiency is to commit yourself to goals that ...
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Going it alone in the world of business? According to statistics, you’re NOT alone! 80% of small businesses in the U.S. operate without any employees—meaning, one tough, whip-smart CEO runs the whole ship. When you’re the only employee in your small business, it can often feel like it’s you against the world. However, just because you wear a lot of ...
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GTS is growing, and we're excited to welcome Michael Gregory to our team as our new Sales & Support Technician! Michael has a strong business background with more than twenty years of customer service experience (and that's what we're all about here at GTS!) With a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a strong technical skill set, Michael ...
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It’s the age of the remote employee! Many of today’s businesses operate across continents and time zones, with employees meeting in person once or twice a year—if at all. When everyone on your team works from different locations, it can feel nearly impossible to get everyone on the same page. However, many modern collaboration and security tools exist specifically for ...
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GTS is excited to announce a relationship with The Della Porta Group to offer Cyber Insurance to our customers! Cyber insurance is designed to help businesses recover from expenses that might occur as the result of a data breach. This includes forensic investigations, business losses, lawsuits, extortion attempts AND recovery expenses! A report by USA Today found that approximately 61 ...
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Data is everywhere. Employee bank information, client addresses, credit card numbers, style guides—how much sensitive information does your business process over a single day? All that data doesn’t stay in one place. It’s stored, transferred, analyzed, collected, processed, and accessed by any number of legitimate users. So, what’s stopping an illegitimate user from accessing all of those juicy credit card ...
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The business world is full of unexpected delays. Your project management platform shouldn’t be one of them. Especially when working as part of a remote team, an integrated project management platform can help your business stay on top of client requests, project updates, and time constraints. These systems are constantly changing—in this blog, we’ll take a look at five of ...
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In the era of identity fraud, database leaks, and sloppy cybersecurity, committing to password strength is one of the easiest ways to improve security—and one of the most common steps working professionals forget to take. We all know not to set “password” as our password—but what makes a good set of security credentials, anyway? A strong password is complex, varied, ...
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When small businesses and IT collide, we come across a number of misconceptions about what business owners need. For example, many small business owners think their business is safe from cyber attacks because hackers have bigger fish to fry. Other small businesses believe they are “too small” to benefit from outsourcing their technology headaches. Still others might think all they ...
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The end of the year is an excellent time for planning: prepping for tax season, archiving old client information, and planning your budget for the new year. While you’re preparing your next year’s IT strategy, take the time to address your current storage system. How can improvements to your storage system help boost your business? Take a closer look at ...
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Picture this: you’re ready to start your workday and sit down at your laptop, coffee in hand. You’re halfway through your morning cup before your computer finishes its boot-up process, and you finish your drink in the time it takes Outlook to run. Then, when you’ve clicked on your first email and switched over to your calendar to see what ...
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For business owners, the end of the year can seem like a massive hurdle to jump. With taxes, budgets, and vacation time to plan, it can feel like there’s no time to celebrate the holidays at all! However, the end of the year can be a great time to get a head start on planning, especially if you start early. ...
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Whether you’re starting your business or looking for ways to upgrade in the New Year, it’s always a good idea to take stock of your current IT practices and find ways to improve. But what are those “current IT practices”? How do you identify areas for improvement without leaving anything out? And what if your “IT department” is just one ...
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November is all about boosting small businesses! This week, we’re diving into tools that boost collaboration for small businesses: Office 365, online meeting tools, and the GTS Password Management Portal. When you work as part of a small team, it’s critical for everyone to have access to everything they need, whenever they need it. To that end, online collaboration tools ...
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There’s a general assumption among small business owners that only large corporations have to deal with IT security concerns. In fact, small businesses face a range of vulnerabilities that many corporations don’t face at all—and if they do, they have an entire IT department dedicated to fighting those security concerns. To that end, we give all of our small business ...
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“A Win-Win All The Way Around” – An Interview with Michelle Spires Many small business owners believe that because their business doesn’t deal with a “techy” industry, they have no need for IT services. Life coaching and whole body wellness might seem like one of those businesses, but Michelle Spires has seen a huge improvement in her business flow since ...
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Happy Computer Learning Month! This week, we’re tackling our second computer learning topic: the importance of regular, secure backups. Do you have a backup system in place? No matter what industry you’re in, your business handles some type of sensitive information. Whether that includes credit card payments, health insurance information, or client contact info (or all of the above!), every ...
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Let’s kick off Computer Learning Month by debunking a common myth of the business world. Many business owners think that hackers only target companies with the largest payoff, like banks and major financial organizations. In fact, this is about as far from the truth as it could be: hackers go after small businesses because they’re often considered easy targets. Many ...
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Ransomware is one of the wilder forms of malware attacks circulating the technology industry today. The concept is simple: a hacker and a victim get into a malicious game of “monkey in the middle,” where the hacker holds sensitive files hostage until the victim pays a ransom, usually in the form of an online payment. Although it sounds scary, ransomware ...
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SUBJ: GOOD NEWS! From: Teste AM <teste-am@culturamazonas.am.gov.br> Good Day,  This is to officially inform you that you have $500,000.00 waiting for pick-up at Western Union from the Heritage Foundation and we have also register online your first $50,000 transfer, kindly visit western union  online or click on the direct link https://www.westernunion.com/global-service/track-transfer to track your first payment with the Mtcn details below. ...
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When it comes to business technology, Sue Parten finds herself working with more than one type of Windows. Her company, WindowWears Inc., designs, fabricates, and installs custom draperies and shades for interior designers. While the work itself takes the skill of an expert craftsman, managing the business takes an extensive amount of technology. “We are completely reliant on technology for ...
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Microsoft recently announced that it is sunsetting all support for the Windows 7 operating system. As of January 14, 2020, Microsoft will no longer offer technical support, software updates, or security updates for PCs running Windows 7. For some business owners, this change may be unexpected. Luckily, we have the perfect amount of time to prepare for it. If you ...
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After a three-month implementation project, we are delighted to announce that Grand Technology Solutions is now a HIPAA verified company and has received the HIPAA Seal of Compliance from the Compliancy Group (https://compliancy-group.com)! This means that GTS is now utilizing some of the best data protection solutions and security policies available on today’s market. Using the security standards that address ...
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Many small business owners tend to ignore their IT and security needs, simply based on the idea that their business is “too small” for a full IT department. In some cases, the expense may not sound worth it – an educated, high-quality staff member, with health insurance and PTO costs. Instead, many business owners opt for a one-size-fits-all antivirus software. ...
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As a Certified Public Accountant, Celeste Grande has a lot on her plate when it comes to running her business. Celeste’s accounting advisory firm specializes in small businesses that are owned and operated by their shareholders. Her specialized approach encompasses proper planning and management for all her clients’ tax needs – and without the right technology and support, Celeste could ...
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When you’re starting a business, your IT needs are probably the last thing on your mind. But whether you’re a solopreneur, a team leader, or one half of a rockin’ partnership, you need to be thinking about your technology. A polished online presence can set your business apart from similar companies in your industry. Effective IT can also give you ...
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When was the last time you looked at your smartphone? Are you reading this article from it now? Mobile devices are changing the way we do business. With the advent of new technologies, cloud storage, communications apps, and more, the tiny computers we hold in our hands seem to have endless possibilities. Today, many businesses operate under a “bring-your-own-device” (or ...
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For most businesses, if an employee’s computer performance starts to drop, the first course of action might be to investigate that computer’s settings, antivirus, and storage. However, did you know it’s possible to make group updates to a business’s computers via a shared network? Establishing an internal network for your business technology is a great way to set your IT ...
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For Andrea Rosenblatt and the rest of her three-person team at A. Chef’s Cooking Studio, an actual day off seemed like a far-off dream. In 2006, Chef Andrea opened A. Chef’s Cooking Studio as a studio for cooks of all experience levels – apartment chefs, professional cooks, and first-timers alike come together to sharpen their knife skills, learn the proper ...
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Slow Internet speeds can be frustrating, but for a business they can be downright catastrophic. How often has a poor Internet connection disrupted a client video call, or made it impossible to process credit card payments? Your first instinct might be to turn to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). However, there are a number of other factors that could be ...
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“Antivirus” and “antimalware” are two terms we hear a lot in the world of managed IT services. Most people know that certain software exists to block harmful programs and downloads, and remove them if they ever make it onto our computers. But how do they work? And what exactly are they? Let’s start by looking at the things these programs ...
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If your connection to the Internet goes down, what happens to your business for the day? For most business owners, “no Internet” often means “no business.” That’s why it’s so critical to have IT support to get your business back on its feet as quickly as possible. Luckily, there are some Wi-Fi 101 quick fixes you can try if your ...
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When we began serving small business clients in Northern Florida and around the country, many of our first customers told us that they felt their business was “too small” to need an IT company. Their initial impression of managed IT services was that they’d need to shell out thousands of dollars per month for a large-scale technology solution, like the ...
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What would happen to your business if one day, you woke up and discovered that all of your critical data was gone? This happened to one of our clients recently – a server crash left their computers wiped, their data lost to the digital ether. Or so they thought. Because we had set up automatic data backups through our remote ...
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Imagine this: you’re on a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and you get a call from an employee back home. The office computer system just crashed! You’re cursing yourself because you know your computer had been sending you “Update Now!” messages all week, but you were too busy with work to pay attention to them. Now ...
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How important is your email address when communicating with potential clients? If you’re just starting to build your business, you may be working with a free email account, such as Gmail or Yahoo. While these email clients are great for personal use, they tend to fall flat when used to run a business. Most professionals use email addresses tied to ...
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Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and practice management software has transformed the way we run small businesses. A CRM, such as Clio for law offices or MINDBODY for spas and yoga studios, manages customers across their entire journey through the sales funnel. Using applications like these reduces the time and effort it takes to reach new clients, manage their payments, and ...
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Learn how to protect yourself, your business, your family, and your data from cyber attacks. Watch our eighteen-minute Cybersecurity Basics video to learn what you can do to avoid becoming a cyber attacker’s next victim.
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This article recently appeared in Golden Years News – “News And Views About The Best 50 Years”
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Grand Technology Solutions – A Small Business Case Study Northern Virginia Appraisal Services (703) 978-2110 nvappraisals@cox.net 42949 Ridgeway Drive, Ashburn, VA 20148 www.northernvirginiaappraisalservices.com NVAS is a leading provider of real estate valuations for the mortgage lending marketplace. With many years of experience in the business, they have a proven track record of reducing lenders time, efforts and costs in managing ...
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It’s only Tuesday, and we’ve already worked with two clients this week whose computers have been infected by malicious browser extensions. What is a Browser Extension? Browser extensions (sometimes called plugins or add-ons) extend your web browser’s functionality with additional features, modify web pages, and integrate with your web browser to create shortcuts that can save time. There are thousands ...
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What would you do if your computer crashed and you lost EVERYTHING? Do you have backups of your data? If you’re a home user, are you willing to risk all of your family photos and important documents if your computer crashes? If you run a small business, how much time, money, and potential revenue would be lost if you suddenly ...
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With an affordable Office 365 implementation, you and your small business staff can work from anywhere, using any device and securely share files, calendars, and contacts with your team and your customers. We just finished moving another new client away from an old web-based email system and into an Office 365 platform. For a couple hundred bucks per user per ...
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We’ve had several business and residential clients reach out to Grand Technology Solutions for help recently after becoming victims of various tech support scams. Some of these clients questioned these random calls or popup windows and called us right away. In those cases, we have been able to help clients remove popup messages that seemingly locked up their Internet browser, ...
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Grand Technology Solutions supports small businesses, home-based businesses, and families with technology improvements. We have lots of clients who would be happy to share their positive experiences working with GTS. Here are a few recent testimonials: “Grand Technology Solutions is a must if you are looking to protect and enhance your computer systems. Paul is both professional and great to ...
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Do you run a home-based business? Grand Technology Solutions can help! Declutter your work space by implementing secure cloud file storage. Work from anywhere using any device with an affordable Office 365 account. Share files and calendars with colleagues and clients Access your files, contacts, and calendars on the go from your smart phone, iPad, or laptop computer. Everything is ...
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“You’re a business owner, and no matter what your core business is, there is no denying that technology plays an important role in your daily operations. As we grow more dependent on modern technologies and systems, IT failures are starting to directly impact our ability to do business, in some cases with catastrophic consequences. While you might think of technology ...
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Are you one of the growing number of iOS (iPhone, iPad, etc.) users experiencing a strange “predictive text” bug where typing an ” I ” automatically changes the text to ” A [?] ” (or something similar)? This problem came out with recent iOS updates, but it is not affecting all users. If your iPhone or iPad is one of ...
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Do you have an old desktop or laptop computer that you’ve been meaning to get rid of, but you’re concerned about making sure your data doesn’t get into the wrong hands? Grand Technology Solutions offers affordable data destruction services. For just $45 per computer, we’ll pick up your old PC or Mac, wipe the drive using three-pass industry-standard data destruction ...
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As part of a new relationship with any new client (business or residential), we run through our Grand Technology Solutions 15 Point Technology Check. This allows us to document the existing network and equipment in place and make recommendations for improvement if needed. Give us a call to schedule our 15 Point Technology Check! 1. Inventory current PC and Macintosh ...
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We’ve worked with several small business clients who carry both a cell phone and an iPad to meetings, both with paid data connections for access to the Internet. Most cell phones (and their data packages) now allow for “Personal Hotspot” connectivity, where you can turn on a Wi-Fi connection from your phone to provide Internet access to your iPad, tablet, ...
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