Business Archives - Page 5 of 8

April 17, 2018 by Greg Underwood

How to Choose a City for Your Digital Nomad Business

If you’re on the road to becoming a digital nomad, then you’re in for an exciting adventure. Being a nomad, and running your own business, will allow you to live wherever you want and work how you want. It will revolutionize the way you understand the entrepreneurial life, and create opportunities you never even dreamed. You’ll make friends and connections around the world, and you’ll become an expert in social media strategies that get your business’s name around the globe. Before you know it, you’ll know all the best Instagram hashtags by heart and have clients in numerous countries.

As a digital nomad, one of the upsides is that you can travel a lot. But if you’re looking for a base to work from, somewhere where you can be part of a larger digital nomad community and keep your things, then you need to choose a city. And here’s how.

1. Cost of living

Just like with business, a lot of your decisions when it comes to where you want to live come down to money. You may dream of living in Paris or London, but these are expensive cities and may not be in the cards for you. If you’re a blockchain entrepreneur like Brian Magierski or your tech-based startup is hugely successful, maybe you can eventually move to these cities. But in the meantime, you have to get creative with location.

Luckily, there are lots of cheap places out there. In Europe, there are cities like Madrid if you like the sun, and super-cheap prices in Budapest, where the cost of living index is 44.31 percent lower than in London. In addition to making your everyday life easier, if you need to hire an assistant or end up opening an office, then this modest lifestyle will pay off.

2. Match with the culture

The longer you spend traveling, the more you’ll get to learn more about a variety of cultures. And when it comes to where you finally choose to set up your business, it has to be a place where you’re comfortable spending a lot of time. For example, if you’re a writer, find a city with a rich literary history. You’re more likely to run into artists and poets there. If you’re a startup entrepreneur, then you want a tech-friendly city like Tallinn.

Additionally, you need to consider what languages you speak. If you’re fluent in Spanish, then Spain is a great place to go (not to mention the fact that the average cost for a pint of there is 2 euros). Since you’re a nomad, you can travel around a bit to find a place that feels right to you.

3. Business costs

Some digital nomad businesses are more costly than others. If you’re a blogger, or you run a consulting service, these are low-cost, and they can be run from virtually anywhere. But other businesses require more maintenance, and even legal, administrative, and tax fees that can be higher in some cities than others. For example, if you’re running a cryptocurrency business, it’s smart to start it in Estonia. In addition to being a business-friendly place where you can get an e-Residency, there’s also a legal framework available for cryptocurrency startups.

According to Comistar, you can apply for a provision of financial services easily: “As a foreigner, you have to be able to prove that you hold no criminal offenses by submitting your criminal record together with the application of the Financial Services activity license. Additionally, description of the KYC/AML procedures of the company has to be submitted together with the application. Comistar can help you with drafting the KYC/AML procedural rules. Once the application is submitted, you will receive an answer within 30 days. The state fee is 345€.”

Already, Bitcoin is unrestricted in 96 countries, but that’s not a guarantee that cryptocurrency-based and other modern financial businesses can be run freely. So if you suspect you’ll face red tape or other challenges, read up before moving somewhere.

4. The people

If you want to make business partners in the city you’re in, then you want to move somewhere where your industry is strong. If it’s an international industry like ecommerce or design, many people will speak English and can quickly join your team. But there’s also something else to think about: friendship.

Ultimately, it’s smart to base your digital nomad business in a city where there are other digital nomads. Unless you already have a family or groups of friends in many cities, it’s a good idea to move where people will understand not only the way you run your business but your entire lifestyle. Nomads understand you: 85 percent of them say that being location independent is important to them.

These are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a base for your digital nomad business. What other factors do you think matter?

April 11, 2018 by Greg Underwood

5 Reasons Why the Philippines is an Ideal Outsourcing Destination

The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry remains to be what is dubbed as the “sunshine industry” in the Philippines. It is the strongest contributor to the robust economy of the country, with revenues expected to hit as much as $48 billion by 2020. BPO also remains to be one of the highest sectors of employment for Filipinos, reaching a record high of 1.15 million workers in 2015. The figure is expected to continue increasing, beyond the 1.3 million mark posted in 2016.

All these rosy statistics underscore the Philippines as the most ideal offshore BPO site in the world. Industry experts and outsourcing consultants are unanimous in hailing the Philippines as having dethroned India, which was previously considered the top outsourcing destination. While India has had to contend with rising operational costs and flailing retention, the Philippines sustains stellar growth with the continuous entry of new BPO firms and the expansion of existing ones.

Just why is the Philippines at an advantage in the global BPO arena?

1. Lower costs and higher profitability

The Philippines has managed to maintain a highly attractive business environment for BPO companies with one of the lowest costs of operation in the South Asian region and especially compared to Western countries. Overhead expenses such as office space rental, utilities such as electricity, and even wages are relatively affordable and thus enable BPO companies to increase profitability through higher margins.

2. English language fluency

Clients from English-native countries prefer outsourcing to the Philippines because Filipinos have been proven to be extremely fluent in the language, in both written and spoken form. Filipinos are also more accent-neutral compared to other nationalities, and for this they are able to converse more clearly and resolve contact center complaints more effectively and efficiently.

3. Compatible culture

A deeper reason for the superior English fluency of Filipinos is their knowledge of Western culture, having been colonized by the United States for a substantial period of history and having been built with a lot of similar socio-political structures. Filipinos continue to be abreast of Western culture and thus are able to understand nuances in conversation and communication with foreigners. This gives Filipinos a distinct advantage in providing excellent BPO services in many fields.

4. Highly skilled and educated talent base

Again, owing to US colonization, the Philippine educational system is largely based on Western standards and ideals, and thus produces graduates with high literacy and competence. Filipino culture also places a high emphasis on education as a basic necessity, and thus a large pool of potential workers are readily available for BPO firms and locations in the country.

5. Conducive environment and infrastructure

In a short period since the establishment of the BPO industry in the Philippines at the turn of the 21^st century, the government has fortunately been able to support growth by providing the right infrastructure for telecommunications, transportation, education, utilities, and other aspects for BPO business. Real estate developers quickly latched on to the trend toward mixed-use developments that allow BPO firms to thrive not just in established city centers but in emerging locations of growth throughout the country.

BPO Growth and Expansion in the Philippines

With all these strengths and advantages that the Philippines offers, the BPO industry is seen to continue its positive growth trajectory in the country for the near future. The government is pursuing more initiatives that will ensure that the country maintains its solid reputation for being the most preferred site for outsourced operations, whether it be for traditional contact center requirements or even emerging sectors in non-voice such as medical and legal transcription, computer animation, and many others.

April 10, 2018 by Greg Underwood

SKILLS YOU NEED TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS

As an entrepreneur, owning and running a business is demanding. The success of the business rests solely on your shoulders with your employees, partners and clients often looking up to you to provide direction and leadership during all times.

How is the success of a business determined? Of course, the profits come first. You won’t be able to pay wages and salaries and handle operational costs if you aren’t making profits. To make profits, you need to have and keep your best employees while at the same time providing quality services and products to your customers.

The following skills are important in running a successful enterprise:

Here are a few tips for running a successful business that involves losing the fear of failing.

Decision making

Many situations are going to present themselves where you need to act fast and decisively. As a business owner and/or manager, you need to make important business independently and firmly.

Leaving decisions pending for a long time will result into mental fatigue as you mull it over several times. It may even cost your company some ripe business opportunities and your subordinates may see you as a weak leader.

On the other hand, you should not rush in your decision making without any thoughts, considerations and consultations.

Communication skills

Communication is one of the most important business skills that every entrepreneur must possess. Whether you are pitching to potential investors or recruiting personnel for your business, you need to clearly sell your vision for the company so that everyone who wants to be involved with the company sees passion and a sense of direction from your end. For this, you need to sharpen your communication skills continuously.

Furthermore, you need to not only give directions to your employees but also inspire them to provide the best services to your customers.

Dynamic

The business environment is dynamic and as a business leader, you need to keep up. You should be open to changes and new ideas if you want to keep your business afloat and successful.

You need to read widely on business strategies and be updated on the latest business trends and current affairs (view article). Always be on the lookout for the latest information and technology that could take your business to the next level; consumer trends, market dynamics, competitor information, etc.

Most successful businesses are those that support research and innovation. Put in place systems where employees and other stakeholders can bring forth ideas for new business strategies and products.

Leadership

Leadership is a skill that can be learned and developed. As an entrepreneur, you need to embrace the leadership style that gets the best out of your employees and keep things running in the company.

An effective leader is not necessarily the one who bellows commands at his employees. You need to find a balance between being firm and providing direction and allowing your employees to use their skills and creativity freely. You’ll get the best out of your employees when you inspire and motivate them.

April 4, 2018 by Greg Underwood

10 Tips for Improving a Small Office Space

A small office space can feel suffocating if it’s not set up properly. However, by following these 10 tips for improving your small space it can be delightful!

Did you know that on average Americans work 34.4 hours a week, with 1 in 4 even logging 50+ hours on the job! Now that’s a lot of time spent in the office!

But what is your office actually like? Is it a tiny, musty smelling, grey cubicle filled with dated furniture, piles of paperwork and pens that no longer work?

If that’s what your office is like then it’s time for a change. A small dingy office like the one mentioned above is going to hinder your creativity and affect your emotional wellbeing.

But fear not, there are many of things you can do! Keep reading for 10 tips and hacks to improve your small office space.

So let’s get started!

1. Make the Best of What You Have

Make the most of your small office space by placing furniture around the edges of the walls.

When all the open space is concentrated into one area it’ll give the illusion of a bigger space.

There are many innovative designs available for furniture too. Such as corner desks, and smart storage solutions. No matter what style you’re going for, you’ll be able to find furniture that matches your theme.

You can also make the best use of your space by using common areas. For example, using the corridor area for phone calls.

2. Neutral Color Scheme

Colors can make a huge difference to how big an office space can appear. Lighter colors always work best and give the illusion of a bright open space, even if it’s a tiny cubicle!

If you want to use a bold color, be cautious, you could overwhelm your space and make it look more confined. You could try painting one wall a bright and bold color, but leave the rest neutral.

Certain colors are also known to provoke different kinds of emotions. So choose wisely! For example, blue is supposed to increase productivity, whereas green is considered restful.

3. Less is More

Accessories are key to making any space seem more trendy. They should always match your color scheme to create a harmonious look. But remember less is always more in a small office space.

You could put up some well-chosen artwork. It can create an aesthetically pleasing environment for you and your customers to work in. Or add an inspirational quote to get you through the day.

For a personal touch, fill your desk with photos of friends and family. Or have your favorite photo printed on a mousepad.

4. Bring the Outside In

Add a little zen into your life with indoor desk plants. When you’re stuck in a small office all day, you can start to miss the outside world. Studies actually tell us that office plants can increase happiness and productivity!

Not only do they make you feel great, but they can bring color and life into your office on a stressful day. Orchids are a great option. They bring color and class into your office but can be a bit tricky to look after. If you’re not so good at looking after plants try a cactus for an easy alternative.

Another zen related feature is having a small water fountain. It can add a calming effect to even the most stressful clients!

5. Have Stand-Up Meetings

Stand up meetings are practical for a small office space. In fact, the human body wasn’t designed to sit down all day. Crouching at your desk can even be unhealthy and bad for your posture.

You could have a tall table for quick meetings. Or try one of those fancy electronic desks where you can change the height with a few clicks of a button.

Short stand up meetings in a small place apparently result in more creative ideas. Which contrasts a lengthy, structured meeting where everyone is sat far from one another.

6. Be a Minimalist

Yes, get rid of all that unneeded clutter!

Clutter in a small office space can slow you down physically and mentally. This is especially true for your desk. Keep the space clean, neat and tidy and your office will look bigger than it is.

You may have heard the old quote “A place for everything and everything in its place”. Well, it should be true of your office space. Put everything away that you’re not currently using. Use organizers that you can hang or stack around your office. There are even over the door organizers and under desk organizers available.

Go green and try to reduce the amount of paperwork you need. Do it all digitally, you’ll save a huge amount of space, without the need for massive filing cabinets and other storage equipment.

Keep electrical cords and wires hidden and organized, not strung out along the walls. And label both ends of your cables. This will help you a lot if you ever have to readjust or remove any cables under your cramped desk space!

7. Wall to Wall Flooring

Instead of cluttering up your floor with small rugs, use wall-to-wall flooring that will be easy to care for. Small rugs can actually make a floor space look choppy and small.

Avoid hard floor tiles, although they are easy to maintain, they create an echo. This can make phone calls extra challenging.

8. Choose the Right Furniture

Forget your dream of a huge desk, go for something small scale and practical. Choose your desk chair with a view to comfort, as you’ll be sat on this for most of the day.

If you need extra seating for your clients or colleagues, don’t opt for a huge leather sofa! You could use a slim profile sofa or loveseat.

Multifunctional furnishings are also a practical way to use a small office space. For example, a hideaway workstation that can be closed up into a cabinet when not being used. Or use the top of a cabinet as a printer stand or end table.

9. Let There Be Light

A dim dark office can make your space seem even smaller. So try to make use of the light you have.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a window, use natural lighting to brighten up your office. Don’t use heavy drapes or blinds, keep it as open as possible.

If you don’t have a window or the lighting is limited use overhead downlighting. Such as spotlights, recessed lighting or a modern pendant fixture. Get a slimline desk lamp for those late nights at the office. And try to avoid floor lamps that take up extra space.

A fun idea is having twinkly lights hung around your office to get you through those stressful moments!

10. Sharing is Caring

Some communal office spaces can help you to keep your office uncluttered.

For example, some offices include shared printing facilities, conference rooms, and break areas.

This means you can ditch your own personal printer, coffee machine, and fancy chairs for clients, which will leave you with loads more space!

These offices based in Pittsburgh are a great example of that. Check out their website to find out more about them.

Dealing With a Small Office Space

As you can see, having a small office space isn’t the end of the world. From choosing the right colors, organizing things wisely, to getting a cactus to take care of, there are many ways to create the illusion of a bigger office space!

For a million more lifestyle hacks and tips, check out our blog!

March 23, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Top 5 Rules to Follow While Hiring a Storage Unit

Source

There are many types of businesses which could benefit from the use of a storage unit. When hiring a unit for your company, however, not all spaces are created equally. There are several things to look at if you want to ensure a successful partnership and reduce the stress of having an unpleasant experience.

1: Find A Storage Unit That Accepts Deliveries

When running a business, you don’t have a lot of free time. Having a storage unit that can accept deliveries for you will make life a whole lot easier. It also gives you a business address for those working out of their homes.

Options often include having a single package saved at a per-piece cost, or having it delivered to a unit where all your items are stored. This is also safer than having packages waiting on the porch, where they have the potential to be lost, stolen, or damaged.

2: Ensure Hours Fit Your Schedule

If you do the bulk of your business between normal nine to five hours, a storage unit which allows access only during those times may be no problem for you.

If you need around-the-clock access to your unit, however, ensure the company provides this. Many do not, so be sure to ask prior to purchasing.

3: Look for Storage Unit with Gated Access

Gated access is a safer option, as everyone who enters the compound can be tracked. Access is gained via codes that are set up for each person or unit. If someone enters the compound using your code, it will register in the system.

Gated access also tends to have better security, such as cameras, than those without. When people know they are being tracked while on the compound, they are much less likely to be dishonest. As such, having gated access can help prevent the theft of your items.

4: Make Sure There Are Drive-Up Units

Business owners will undoubtedly need to fetch large loads of items at some point. A drive-up unit will make this process much easier. It gives you the capabilities to pull a truck straight up to the unit for easing loading and unloading of items.

The alternative would be to haul items in and out of doors, or possibly up and down stairs, to move it to or from the unit. This isn’t only a hassle but can cause some serious muscle pain.

5: Think About Climate Control

Depending upon what you plan to store in your unit, you may want to think about investing in a climate-controlled one. These units prevent things like mold or mildew from growing on your items. It also keeps fabrics fresher in appearance and dissuades pests more than a unit without climate control does.

If you utilize these five basic rules when hiring a storage unit in Westminister for your business, you’ll be sure to choose the right one for your needs. This, in turn, ensures you keep your business as free from stress and running as effectively as possible.

March 17, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Community Remembers Nathan Benderson, Sarasota/Tampa Bay Mainstay This April 2018

Randy Benderson carries on his father Nathan’s legacy in the same fashion as his Dad did, with wit and optimism. Multiple communities have benefitted from Nathan Benderson’s contributions through charity and through helping develop communities, like Buffalo, NY, and Manatee County in Florida, all three of which remember his life and observe his passing over half a decade ago.

Benderson Development’s success is part and parcel of efforts put forth by two generations of Bendersons. It’s a continuation of the legacy left by Nathan, who passed away back in April 2012.

As the company’s founder, Nathan helped propel the business to success despite an everchanging economic landscape. Now, as the company’s leader, Randy continues to develop the talent of employees while continuing to search for properties for the company to develop. With passion and an eye for opportunity, Benderson Development has gained influence in the commercial real estate industry.

The Sarasota and Tampa Bay, FL communities are able to enjoy a part of Nathan Benderson, too. Nathan Benderson Park is home of the World Rowing Championships, and Randy Benderson serves on the board of directors, seeing and fundraising for its upkeep and maintenance into perpetuity.

Benderson Park also complements the globally-renowned boating event with a huge festival, supporting the arts and humanities. It’s never just been about industry and financial growth for either Benderson.

Benderson Park showcases local Sarasota and Tampa Bay metropolitan area talents. Notable performances from the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, the Bradenton- Sarasota Pop Orchestra, the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School, and the Asolo Reperatory Theater help drive diverse attendance at the park.

“He was a great man of warmth and modesty, whose achievements were enormous,” Randy Benderson said back in 2012 about his father. Randy will continue to walk in his father’s footsteps by growing the family business, keeping a modest and humorous attitude towards life, never taking himself too seriously as well, and always remembering to give back to the communities he helps to build.

March 16, 2018 by Greg Underwood

4 Key Steps to Building Business Ideas

Being an entrepreneur is a desired occupation for many individuals these days. When you’re your own boss, you get to do as you like; pick the hours you like to work, and the work load you want to take on. Not only do you get to oversee everything about your career, but the revenue that you can bring in through owning your business is something that is also very appealing. Your bank account could be brimming if you take on some tips for starting a small business, and follow some these 4 steps for finding business ideas

Invent through interaction

Every social event you attend, whatever work you do, you should make it an aim to interact with the people around you. Find some people that think differently to you. Investigate what peoples like and desires are so that you can come up with a business idea that meets those needs.

You want to create something that is successful, and that people will be eager to invest in. If you aim to solve the problems people have, by bringing them an affordable solution, they’ll be happy to buy into it, because it not only benefits you, but them as well. Whatever you can do to cater to those you’ve interacted with will ultimately leave them grateful for it in the end.

One of the main things that every business needs is a target audience, so if you start off trying to find out what your business idea is by interacting with the people that would be interested in it, then it will make your pursuits prosperous.

Don’t Rush

One of the issues that can come with business making is haste. Rushing into it before carefully considering everything about the business could be detrimental, and your dreams could end up being a great failure. Weigh up the pros and cons. Will your idea be a success? Is the market already booming with what you want to provide, and will it be too much of a struggle for it to make it to the top, or is it something that has the potential to be an instant success.

Purse Your Passion

You don’t want to take on an idea that you have no interest in. If you develop something that you are passionate about and eager to get others in on, then you’ll be able to pitch perfectly and win people over to your idea.

Being passionate about what you pursue will also push you to put your all into it and make it a success. If you are lack-lustre about something that you take on then there’ll definitely be a temptation to give in. If you are passionate about your product, then you can appeal to the emotions of your audience, you can win them with your words.

Choose the Best

If you come up with a selection of different business ideas, then weigh up everything from all of them and decide on the one that will be most triumphant.

February 28, 2018 by Greg Underwood

The Complete Guide to Duplex Printing

Changing the impact that your workplace has on the environment can be extremely challenging.

When you are powering multiple electronics throughout the working day, such as computers and lights, it may seem impossible to cut down on your carbon footprint.

However, there are some small changes that you can make that will help you work towards a greener office.

One of the simplest options that can have the biggest effect, is duplex printing.

Along with this, you can greatly improve efficiency, and your outgoing costs, by simply utilising this one printing solution.

If you are looking for a small change that you can make to work towards a greener workplace, then read on:

What is duplex printing?

If you have never heard the term duplex printing, then you may not be aware of the benefits that it can provide.

This term refers to printers that have the ability to print on both sides of the paper, by feeding the sheet back into the printer once one side has been printed, and printing onto the other.

A modern all in one printer will usually have this feature inbuilt which allows automatic printing but this is not limited to MFPs.

Printers that can only offer one-sided printing are sometimes referred to as simplex printers.

Why is duplex printing useful?

Double-sided printing actually helps to print pages faster, meaning that larger documents can be printed in less time, while less energy is used and paper is saved which can cut down on costs by up to 50%.

Printing on two sides also opens a world of new media options to choose from. For example, it can be used to make double-sided booklets or a two-sided newsletter, which is great if you are looking for new ways to market your brand.

Added green features

Some Samsung laser printer models feature a one touch eco button, which allows users to print two pages onto one side of the paper, further cutting down paper usage.

As well as this, these printers are able to automatically skip blank pages and come with an in-built toner-save mode, helping to make the most of your consumables.

These features, paired with duplex printing are a great way to prevent unnecessary damage to the environment.

How does duplex printing work?

Using your duplex services is extremely simple.

If your printer can print double-sided, then provided you clicked the correct page set-up options, the printer will automatically produce text on both sides of the page.

With some older devices, your printer may print on one side and then you will need to manually feed the paper back into the printer for it to produce images or text on the other side.

If the printer has duplex capabilities, it will usually have a D after the model number, for example, the Xerox colour printer, VersaLink C405DN.

For this printing method to work, you must ensure that the page set-up options are correct.

If working with Windows then find the Windows print driver and go to Settings, then file – print properties – layout – two-sided printing. At this stage you can also pick how you would like your prints presented, for example if you would like to print a folded booklet, you can select this here.

This nifty function means that this is an energy-saving solution that benefits both you and the environment, simultaneously.

February 1, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Artificial Intelligence’s Transformative Impact on the Business World

Disruption from artificial intelligence has arrived, but some business leaders are unsure about the best way to embrace and leverage this technology to gain best the results. Unfortunately, those who ignore AI are at risk of being left behind by the ones who are already using the technology for innovation.

Analyst firm Tractica predicts that the annual growth from AI enterprise software will skyrocket from $644 million in 2016 to almost $39 billion by 2025. Services related to this industry could reach nearly $150 billion over the same period. So, what exactly is AI and how might this technology impact the business world?

What is AI and Why It Matters for Our Future

The term artificial intelligence was conceived in 1955 by Dartmouth math professor John McCarthy who later organized a conference on the topic. Economist Herbert Simon predicted in 1957 that a machine would beat humans at chess within a decade (it took 40 years). While AI has come a long way since the term was coined, there is still some distance to travel on this journey of machine learning.

AI and machine learning are now so common in the business world and our daily lives that most of us interact with it without realizing it. Rather than becoming a replacement for human ingenuity and knowledge, AI has become more of a support tool that allows humans to produce more and make better decisions.

How AI Will Be a Catalyst for Changes in the Business World

Some companies are already making use of AI while others just have plans to do so. A 2017 MITSloan Management report on Reshaping Business With Artificial Intelligence revealed that 85% of companies believe AI will provide them with a competitive advantage. That being said, less than 39% of companies have any sort of AI strategy in place.

Some of the ways that businesses are already making use of AI today include:

Uber’s team of developers uses machine learningto drive its mapping and mobile app development.
Travel site Expedia reports that its core services were built using machine learning, which also helps the company detect fraud.
Ocado is using a combination of cloud APIs and Google’s open source TensorFlow machine learning tools to support its AI projects, including a process to deal with service-related emails.

How AI is Changing How Job Roles Are Defined

Many people make the mistake of believing that AI is only going to impact the manufacturing sector. The point of AI isn’t necessarily to replace jobs, although this may happen, but to take the burden of some tasks away so that we are freed up to be more productive elsewhere.

Take sales, for example. A salesperson is only as productive as the time that they are permitted to devote to the art of selling. Everything involved in the sales process has value, such as lead generation and follow-up, but the one thing that a salesperson can’t and shouldn’t eliminate is the personal attention that they give prospects.

AI is now being used extensively in sales to identify prospects, prioritize emails, handle scheduling, and even electronically communicate with others. AI can also analyze past deals to determine what works as well as what doesn’t so that a salesperson is spending their work time as efficiently and productive as possible.

Artificial intelligence already impacts many aspects of business and our daily lives. Over the next several years, the advances in AI innovation are going to create a shift in the way that we work and conduct business. Aside from delivering greater efficiencies in business, AI has the potential to give those who embrace it a competitive edge in their chosen market.

January 24, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Five Reasons Why Your Business Needs Server Monitoring

Sometimes, things in the IT world don’t work perfectly. Servers can experience downtime and not work the way that they are supposed to. This can affect your business badly as your customers will not be able to visit your website or access the information that they need. Even worse is when you don’t realise that your server is down, and due to this, it stays down for a long time.

Server monitoring is a service that checks the functionality of your server, ensuring that there is minimum downtime. These are the ways that your business will benefit from server monitoring.

1. It makes your network more reliable

When your system goes down, you need it to go back online as quickly as possible. If the system goes back online very quickly, it will seem more reliable to your customers. Server monitoring allows you to detect any issues before the customers even realise it. This way, you can make the business, and the network feel very reliable and trust-worthy for the customer.

2. Monitor your servers anytime and anyplace

With server monitoring, you can connect to the servers whenever you need to. This way, you have access to any information that you need, even if it is 4 am in the morning, and you are on the other side of the world. Server monitoring alerts will also notify you of any issues, so that you can fix them as soon as they pop up, no matter where you are.

3. Server hosting and server monitoring

If your business doesn’t have its own servers, but has a host server, then you should check if it also includes server monitoring. Most commonly, it does. Server hosting is a good idea when your business doesn’t have the revenue yet to buy its own servers. Server hosting that includes server monitoring is called managed hosting, and it provides you with server monitoring, security, full back-up, and storage.

4. It will save your business money

When systems fail, and you have downtime, you are losing money for the business. Without server monitoring, you might need to pay your employees overtime, if the system fails out of office hours. For every hour that the server is down, the cost of fixing the servers is increasing and you are not making money from customers. As a result, the losses can be huge. This can be prevented by server monitoring.

5. Better troubleshooting possibilities

When your servers are being monitored, they are constantly being checked if they are working. Every check is logged, and every issue is recorded with the date, the time, and the type of error. This way you will be able to look up issues from the past, find the trends, and prevent problems from occurring in the future.

Server monitoring is important for the reliability of your servers and for the overall satisfaction of your customer. It also allows you to troubleshoot more efficiently, and allows you to retrieve information, no matter where you are. Server monitoring is a good way to ensure that everything is working fine.