Cambium Data Blog

The concept of a four-day-long workweek is one of the latest trends that businesses of all shapes and sizes are pondering. It has been touted to have significant benefits for both their operations and the employees who carry them out. However, is the “compressed” workweek the route your business should go?

Well, as is so often the answer, that depends. Let’s examine the concept of a compressed workweek and its application more closely.

Small businesses often face a range of technology-related challenges that can disrupt the efficiency of their business. Being able to understand the common issues—such as network connectivity problems, outdated technology, or cybersecurity—is the first step toward keeping business running smoothly. By identifying these recurring problems, businesses can anticipate potential disruptions and prepare strategies to reduce their risk.

Today’s businesses have to deal with many risk factors, especially cybersecurity and its many related concerns. At this year’s Cybsafe Impact 2024 USA conference, intended to share human risk management insights, a very accomplished panel of experts shared various thoughts.

Let’s explore some of the topics this panel spoke on.

Even if it didn’t directly affect you, you have probably heard about the Crowdsrike outage that caused critical errors in a lot of Microsoft-run systems. Due to the sheer volume of companies and organizations that are using Windows, this error caused an unprecedented amount of computers to crash and took down over 8.5 million systems for extended periods and cost some of the most successful businesses billions of dollars. It was also noteworthy for affecting air travel, causing 3,000 flights to be canceled and wreaking havoc on people’s travel plans. As the largest outage in world history, it made a lot of people realize that the technology that we all depend on for our livelihoods isn’t infallible. Today, let's take a look at some of the things we should take away from the CrowdStrike outage.

Effective management is crucial for success. One way to achieve this is by using management software. With so many options available, however, how do you choose the right one? This article explores the different types of management software to help you make an informed decision.

Today’s businesses need to have access to IT expertise. It is not a stretch to say this in our highly tech-reliant modern society, as business technology has become a legitimate advantage for organizations of any size to utilize against their competition. However, how confidently do you know what to look for in a job candidate?

Let’s go over the expertise—in both hard and soft skills—that you want any IT professional you depend on to have.

Decision-making is such a big part of business, and a lot of time the “gut feeling” may actually work against their stated aims. By incorporating back-end analysis into their strategy, business owners can get insights that they typically wouldn’t even consider. It can make their businesses more money through improved sales, customer relationships, and efficiency. In today’s blog, we will go through what the incorporation of AI means for businesses regarding their business intelligence.

Internet speeds have significantly increased over the past few years, driven by the growing demand for online activities. This acceleration offers numerous advantages for businesses across various sectors. Here are five key benefits that businesses can leverage with faster Internet speeds.

Nowadays, businesses are taking cybersecurity much more seriously. Many insurers require businesses to adhere to specific cybersecurity standards before offering coverage. A key requirement is the implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Prioritizing cybersecurity is mandatory for all business owners, but many don’t know where to start. As a result, many businesses deal with cybersecurity issues that can put them behind and even ruin a good thing. In today’s blog, we provide a guide that explains the basics of cybersecurity for anyone to follow.

When you run a business, it’s often hard to know what to do. There are several strategies that you could potentially implement for every single part of your business. When things go right, you look like a genius; when things go horribly wrong, you can look like a fool. In this blog, we plan on outlining some things that every business owner should do to improve their business.

You would be hard-pressed to find anything more important to a company’s success than information technology. Today, we want to cover five of the most important tools modern businesses can use to improve operations and engage in commonly known and standardized best practices.

One sure sign of a healthy business is that it is growing—possibly to the point that your office space seems less and less spacious. Time to move!

But not so fast: what about your IT infrastructure? Are you prepared to move it? How does one even begin to do that?

It can be tricky to speak to your managed service provider about problems with your technology. However, you can make it easier by following some simple strategies. Today, we want to share some tips that have helped our clients communicate their issues and resolve problems as quickly as possible.

Your customers—both those you currently work with and those you have yet to onboard—are the key to unlocking your company’s potential. Therefore, it stands to reason that you’ll want a solution in place to help you manage the interactions you have with potential customers. This is what a customer relationship management tool, or CRM, is all about. With the right CRM, you can fully leverage your organization’s customer base to maximize profits and attract new leads.

Chances are, some of your employees operate outside the traditional office setting, whether it's occasional remote work or a permanent setup. Consequently, your business needs to furnish your team with the necessary tools and resources to ensure their success. It's a good practice to carefully evaluate the technology you provide, particularly for those who work remotely part-time, and to strategize how your team will access these resources.

You must make difficult decisions in any walk of life, especially in running a business. The most critical decisions will focus on policies that help you keep employees and ensure they are motivated. Today, we want to discuss some of the problems associated with employee churn, or turnover, and what you can do to combat it in today’s modern business environment.

Businesses are increasingly reliant on technology, and effectively managing IT support costs has become crucial. With approximately three to six percent of a company's revenue allocated to technology expenses, exceeding the monthly budget can have adverse repercussions on the ability to allocate funds elsewhere.

Downtime in a business context can be considered a "business predator" because it can have detrimental effects on a company's operations, profitability, and overall success. Downtime refers to the period during which a business' critical systems, processes, or equipment are not functioning as intended. Here are some reasons why downtime is often seen as a threat to businesses.

Financial Impact

Downtime can result in significant financial losses. When key revenue-generating systems or production processes are unavailable, businesses may lose sales, incur extra expenses, or face penalties for failing to meet contractual obligations. Downtime can also prevent a business from pursuing new opportunities or responding to market changes. In a rapidly evolving market, missing out on opportunities can have long-term consequences, and can be the difference between business growth and stagnation.

Operational Impact

Downtime leads to decreased productivity as employees cannot perform their tasks efficiently. This results in wasted time, missed deadlines, and a drop in overall output. In cases where downtime is due to data loss or system failures, it can result in the loss of critical information, which can be difficult or impossible to recover. This can have severe consequences for businesses, especially when it comes to sensitive or irreplaceable data. Frequent downtime can demoralize employees who must deal with the frustration and stress of interrupted work. Low morale can lead to higher turnover rates and decreased employee engagement.

Customer Impact

Prolonged or frequent downtime can do significant damage to a company's reputation. Customers and partners may perceive the business as unreliable, which can be challenging to overcome. Also, these unfortunate companies may find it challenging to compete effectively in markets with companies that show better reliability.

If you struggle with downtime, you can do better. If you don’t, you need to ensure that continues. The IT professionals at Cambium Data can help. We can introduce you to technologies and strategies that are designed specifically to reduce downtime and improve operational efficiency. Get a professional perspective by calling (402) 514-3200 today.

Using the right technology can streamline operations, enhance customer engagement, and boost overall productivity. Despite its potential benefits, many small businesses often make significant mistakes when it comes to technology implementation. Let’s explore some of the biggest technology blunders small businesses make and how to avoid them.