Proven Productivity Tips from Successful People

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It’s difficult to argue with success.  Throughout history there are a number of people who have earned a place in the “highly successful” category of human endeavors.  If you are frustrated with your current (lack of) productivity tips, perhaps a few tips from some of history’s most successful people will be just the boost you’ve been looking for.

Productivity Tips

Stephen King

This world-renowned author is not only the king of horror books, as it turns out, he is also the king of consistency.  King once mused, “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”  He is able to consistently turn out successful books because he applies himself to his work on a daily basis, producing at least 2,000 words a day.

Applying the same consistent work ethic, what could you accomplish over time?  Set goals, meet them consistently and over time you should see real rewards.

Agatha Christie

Sometimes the most creative, successful people are not “desk people”.  In Agatha’s case, she never owned a desk.  In her autobiography, she states, “Plots come to me at such odd moments. When I am walking along the street, or examining a hat shop. Suddenly a splendid idea comes into my head.”

Thankfully, today many work environments are becoming more flexible and mobile.  If you are one of those people whose creativity and ingenuity are not well-served by the proverbial 9-to-5 environment, don’t try to fit your square peg into a round hole.  Find an environment where you can flourish.

Benjamin Franklin

It is important to find a work culture in which you feel comfortable.  In Ben Franklin’s case, he was known to spend the first hour of his day working at his desk. In the nude.  Of course, no one is suggesting that you try to find a company that will accept nudity.  However, as in the case of Mark Zuckerberg and his famous tennis shoes and hoodies, if you don’t fit into a power suit culture then find another environment where you can be successful.

Beethoven

According to historical records, Beethoven insisted on drinking a morning cup of joe containing precisely 60 coffee beans.  While this certainly seems excessive, the lesson to derive from Beethoven’s habit is, that consuming a morning cup of joe or energy drink, going on a morning run before work, and/or eating a power breakfast helps you to feel physically more productive, then let it become a habit.

Want to know more about how to elevate your productivity levels?  Contact us.

 

Back Up Your Data to Secure Your Business

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A common paradox in technology security is the trade-off between convenience and security. The best password is a random 40-digit alphanumeric string, but no one’s going to remember it. The more locks on your front door, the more secure it may be, but chances are most people won’t lock all of them every time they leave. Instead, the best compromise between convenience and security is automation: making every step to secure information automatic so it’s safe 24/7 without you having to manually do so. One of the best ways to automate your stored information is through cloud backup. Learn how to back up your data.

Back Up Your Data

What is cloud backup for servers?

Typically, small to medium businesses would store information on local hardware. An office would store a server or two in an office closet near the IT department. Or you store your business’s information on a work computer. That would typically mean depending on one copy of the information. But this could spell disaster due to a hardware failure, a power outage that damages the device, a virus, or even just an inexplicable case of data corruption. You want to securely but conveniently store an up-to-date backup of your business’s information. Instead, use an online backup that sends your information to an off-site server. There it is secured and maintained by a third party.

What are the benefits of using Bluwater Technologies’ cloud backup?

The best type of data backup is automatic. Whether you schedule it to be daily, weekly, or monthly, knowing that your business data is being saved whether you remember to save it or not can be a huge weight off your mind. Losing customer contact information, financial records, and working project files can be a huge blow to your business. The risk of having them taken from you through a virus or malware is even worse. Bluwater works to make sure your data, both onsite and offsite, is secured.

Cloud backup for servers isn’t the only benefit of using Bluwater Technologies for IT support. If you want to learn more about our services and the elements of the best cloud backup for servers, browse our site here.

How IT Slips Through the Cracks in Most Small Businesses

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Large corporations often have entire departments dedicated to IT, network security, and compliance, but small businesses can’t afford that luxury. But if you don’t have a dedicated IT staff or support through another company, some IT concerns can slip through the cracks and end up causing your small business time and money later on. Here are some of the top concerns a small business can face without an IT plan in place:

Small Businesses

Poor network security.

When you have your customers’ and your employees’ personal information on your computer, malware is your biggest threat. Whether it’s through an everyday virus, a dedicated attack, or even just a systemic bug that comes in through your business software, you need more than just an anti-virus program in order to secure your data.

Cyclical problems.

If you own a personal computer, you’ve probably noticed an occasional blue screen and a message that your computer has to reboot, and most of us just let that happen instead of rooting out the underlying cause. But when it comes to your business hardware, signs of some technological slowdowns and forced reboots are now signs of a coming crash later. Without an IT support team, those and even less visible errors could lead to slower processing, an occasional day or two with the system down, or, worst of all, a complete loss of information.

Having small businesses lets you innovate and change courses faster than with a larger corporation, but a small staff means IT can slip through the cracks. If you’re looking for an affordable solution, try an IT support team that can find those bugs and systemic errors before they block up your business. If you want to learn more about different types of IT services to see what best fits your business and what Bluwater Technologies can do for your company, browse our site here.

Computer Tips: How Can You Get A Better Internet Performance?

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If you are running a small business that does not have a great internet connection, you probably shake your head every day at how long it takes for a website’s page to load. No one likes to wait a significant amount of time for any type of web page to load. Regardless of the speed you have provisioned for by your ISP (Internet Service Provider), there is a chance you can do a variety of things to achieve better internet performance. You may be surprised at how a few small changes can give you a faster internet connection.

Better Internet Performance

Get Rid Of Malware And Viruses

It is very important that you make sure your computer is free of any viruses or malware. One of the reasons many computers are slow when it comes to internet performance and system performance is malware.

Test Different Browsers

Some people prefer one browser over the other because some browsers load websites faster than others. You may be surprised at how using a different browser can make a difference in how long it takes for a website to load.

Check Your Router

Is your router capable of handling the highest speeds that your Internet Service Provider offers with your Internet plan? There are some old routers that were not built to handle many of the download speeds. This is because the technology in the old routers is not up-to-date. It is important to keep your router’s firmware updated so you will not have any issues with your internet connection.

Clear Your Cache

How often do you clear your browser’s cache? If you have files that are corrupted in your browser cache, you can experience a variety of problems, including slow performance.

You should not have to deal with a slow internet experience, especially since technology is constantly being improved. Contact us today for additional computer and internet tips.

Computer Tip of the Day: How to Update Drivers

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Has your Windows computer ever restarted itself due to an error? As Windows updates continuously change your system, incompatible drivers are a primary source of blue screen errors. There are many ways to update drivers, some of which are better than others.

Update Drivers

What not to do: Software to update all of your drivers

While many sites advertise software that automatically updates your drivers, usually this quick-fix software does not work as advertised. In fact, it often comes with malware. If you cannot fix your drivers through other methods described below, a better option is to contact someone for support with the process. However, there are many ways you can work on updating drivers yourself.

Device Manager

A built-in program in Windows lets you see all the hardware in and attached to your computer. From there, you can see the driver for each device. To open Device Manager in Windows 10, press Windows-X and choose it from the menu that appears. If you have determined what driver is causing the crash, you can check if Windows can find an update for it. Unfortunately, this often does not work, as Windows does not have a detailed database of all the latest drivers due to how frequently some companies update drivers.

Check the manufacturer’s website

Most computer manufacturers have a webpage where you can download drivers for your computer. To find this page, search for the manufacturer’s name along with your machine’s model and the word “drivers.” Another option is to go straight to the manufacturer’s website and navigate to the driver page from the general help section. Sometimes, you can find updated drivers on this page. However, for certain devices in your computer, such as video cards and network adapters, the manufacturer might not release the latest version in time to fix your problem.

Get drivers from the maker of the component

Most computers consist of components made by many companies. For example, you could have an Intel network adapter and a NVIDIA display adapter. Going to the company’s website and downloading the latest driver or a tool to keep the driver updated is an effective way to make sure your drivers stay up to date.

Updating your drivers can fix many problems with crashing in Windows. It may take a few tries to find the right way to update them, but once you do, the benefits are significant. For more useful tips on computers, please contact us.