Author Archives: Roy Castleman

Top 3 PC and Phone Security Apps for Small Businesses

Posted on by Roy Castleman
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The joy of B.Y.O device usage in the workplace – and the extensive connectivity and range of devices that accompany – is all positive… until it’s not.

Considering how the average user simply assumes data protection when adding or integrating a protocol, a cloud facility, or devices, corporate security has remained remarkably tight. Granted, there has been an increase in broad criminal activity online, but when looking at the figures, the successful strike rate is still low.

In part, this is because antivirus and other tools have evolved enough to run just ahead of the game, regardless of the enhanced connectivity and diversity of inputs globally (get ready to times that by a million for the unfolding IoT). Another factor is increasing awareness of online security－the bigger the company, the higher the awareness, by and large.  

Reputable agents like IT support outfit EC-MSP make patches and best practices – as well as important updates – available to their clients as a standard courtesy. It’s vital for your sec`curity to remain as current as possible, and larger companies have dedicated IT departments that contain someone who will do just that.

Unfortunately, most small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) don’t have that luxury, with an increasingly large proportion of SMEs falling prey to first time cyber-attacks each year. It’s not easy to make patching your business’ security your prime focus when you’re the boss and doing everything yourself.

The antivirus software community can still slap themselves on the back a little－today’s online security is dynamite in comparison to the simple days of yore－and most take the onus of updating out of (busy) users’ hands. Invariably, successful hacks come on the back of poor user behavior, not the failure of top end protection.

Here are seven great choices for phone and PC security; all are packages that are highly unlikely to allow any meaningful or successful attack via mobile or office machines. All can provide top end security, so feel free to pick and choose your preferred option.

Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud

A name now familiar to millions, Kaspersky is highly scalable and good for common OS options, including Android. Features that make this option stand out include cloud discovery, mobile support, and vulnerability monitoring. Frequent complaints about the price can be found in consumer reviews, but it’s still comparable. That the app is cloud-scalable reflects Kaspersky’s focus on SMEs, and it comes with mobile support and remote management, as well as a 30-day free trial period.

Some of Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud main features include:

  • comprehensive network attack defence
  • email, web, and file protection
  • a solid firewall
  • exploit and ransomware prevention, and
  • vulnerability monitoring

Just to name a few.

It also allows monitoring users’ social media networking, messaging, and file sharing. This feature is intended for security flags rather than an Orwellian desire for control, but it does help with identifying who did an honest day’s work on any given day. 

A clean and easy to use dashboard has gone a long way towards increasing Kaspersky’s current popularity, and from there you can control password rules, camera use, and even detect compromised devices.

Furthermore, you can remotely lock or entirely remove data from lost or stolen devices, alongside the usual filtering of unwelcome messages or calls－mighty handy in our mobile era. On that point, two licenses are issued per user, enabling a phone and tablet per staff member, which is often sufficient, even for larger corporates.

Overall, a great choice from a company that’s evolved into the modern cyber battleground while still remaining simple yet comprehensive for users.

Avast Business Antivirus Pro

Voted the most comprehensive antivirus by many, don’t be put off by your previous trials of their free offerings. Curiously, the free version often fails to pick up worms, trojans, and some other more ubiquitous malware files, but the pro version is a different story – and extremely potent.

Avast Business Antivirus Pro is a good choice for Mac, Windows, and Windows Server users. There is a significant difference between the performance of the free versions and this business pro package.

 For example, this pro version includes:

  • a shredder
  • a no-nonsense sandbox
  • an inbuilt rescue disk (standard with the pro version)
  • protection for Exchange and SharePoint servers, and
  • automatic updates (protection is always current and live)

Overall, Avast Business Antivirus Pro boasts super web filtering capacities, but avoid toying with the extensively customizable spam filter; otherwise, it can allow junk to land in your inbox.

Their network firewall, web shield, and phishing email protection will keep you safe online, letting you know that all endpoints are secured. A 30-day trial is usually on offer too, so that you can familiarize yourself and give it a whirl.

Critically, their support and overall company ethos is good－replies are swift－but there’s consumer complaints around constant ‘pop ups’ of payment requests and warnings that you’re not covered (when you are). Unfortunately, this is similar to McAfee－left off this list precisely because of too many negative reviews about their approach, not their products.

Avast is still on the right side of the fence, but since 2016 they’ve changed their behavior and now manifest many of the frustratingly bothersome pop-up and crossed-wire behaviors of the antivirus fraternity as a whole. Still, it features great functionality and enterprise-level protection that will serve any business well.

Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security

While a good for Windows, Mac, and Windows Server users just like Avast, Bitdefender GravityZone is also great for a host of other OS options. Additionally, you’re unlikely to have installation issues no matter what OS you’re running on.

This app is easy to use, although it’s fairly technical in approach; anyone not current on computing (at least on layman’s terms) will be intimidated by it. The company has made a pitch out of machine learning (ML) components, which is good, but that’s also where their Proprietary Process Inspector starts to overwhelm new users.

That said, this antivirus option provides exceptional malware flagging and removal, and its heuristic understanding is impressive. Their firewall, web advisor, URL filtering, and anti-malware features are automatic, but open to customizing by users.

A range of features geared specifically for a busy company is on offer with this package, notably:

  • auto-updates across all your Windows or selected OS devices (not just the device searching for updates)
  • local full disk encryption
  • broad protection against web threats
  • process monitoring and blocking suspicious activity
  • endpoint risk analytics, and
  • app and device control

There’s no free trial, but a 30-day guaranteed satisfaction refund is available.

Overall, Bitdefender is an excellent choice, although most users should ‘keep it simple’ and not attempt extensive customization of this app. Bitdefender has been around since 2001, and its current pro version is the result of decades of refinement.

Honorable Mentions

Sophos Endpoint Protection Advanced is rising in popularity on the back of its user-friendly, solid protection. Another antivirus incorporating AI, it’s a little heavy on resources but takes a visibly predictive approach to security with its Intercept X technology, rather than a reactive one.

Webroot Business Endpoint Protection is light on resources and provides quiet but highly effective protection, its soft footprint belying its potency. With plenty of advanced features available – including a truly synchronous outbound firewall that compliments the Windows firewall without compromise of any kind – this option will protect against fileless or file-based script attacks, while also preventing malicious behaviors in PowerShell or Java.

No antivirus software list would be complete without mentioning Norton and F-Secure SAFE, as well－another two great options for any company’s needs.

The enterprise-level antivirus fraternity plays a competitive and impressive game, and any one of the options listed here will provide cutting-edge protection for small to very large companies.

Antivirus options are worth trialing whenever you can get a 30-day free trial, as it truly comes down to personal preference when all available options provide almost the same level of security for connected devices.

Protecting Your Business PCs and Phones

All of the choices listed above are sophisticated and can competently cope with the modern online business environment. Special circumstances may require higher levels of vulnerability monitoring. However, how they impart their sophistication – how technically or simply they present to users – makes all the difference, along with support levels.

7 Phone Apps to Help Your Small Business Thrive

Posted on by Roy Castleman
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Ever since the legacy office was disrupted by mobile and B.Y.O devices flooded the workplace, app development’s principal aim has been rebuilding the office – on your phone.

It must be said: most entrepreneurs are innately skewed towards mobile apps. When time is critical – and portfolios and their tasks are numerous – mobile apps have found some of their greatest application in the hands (or on the phones) of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs.

Startups, too, have embraced mobile apps as basic business tools. If you ask a reputable IT support outfit like Computers In The City what their percentage of mobile app support is compared to overall office tech issues, they’ll confirm it’s become almost the default call.

Here are seven of the best phone apps for businesses large and small. The best apps have a basic functionality that includes all the essentials, allowing for greater use at scale once your business grows. These apps truly benefit small and large companies because they’ve enabled a set of core functions to allow a similar experience across the commercial spectrum.

Monday.com

Monday.com has made a meal of time and task management and their associated needs. Additionally, it’s highly interactive and visually appealing. The app is an aid to business process mapping and costing, and – while it can’t do the work for you – it’s unambiguous about what happened when, where, and how much it cost at any stage of a project.

That said, besides facilitating workflows through a visual ‘master plan’ that captures it all in one place, many tasks can be put on autopilot. The platform is open to integration with personal favourite tools, too.

Microsoft 365

Needing no introduction, Microsoft 365 remains a default app for millions all over the world. Universally used, four big tickets come with the app; Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and cloud backup OneDrive.

It’s hard to avoid with such an essential basic composition, and Microsoft is still trading on its successful entrenchment of Word and Excel as basic business tools that were developed decades ago.

A synced online backup has saved many business owners from disaster, and even if you employ other cloud facilities, it’s worthwhile doubling up on OneDrive.

Previously Microsoft Office, Microsoft 365 is a fundamental platform in the sense that it offers a suite of useful tools for the daily grind. It’s success and value show in that most people don’t even distinguish between “computing” and Microsoft anymore – everyone uses this app, and for obvious reasons.

It has competitors, it’s true, but there always seems to be issues with file conversions, or absent familiar features with other apps and – like Bill or hate him – Microsoft 365 remains the king of essential apps.

Avast Business Antivirus Pro

Not so long ago, it seemed as if the top antivirus would always be McAfee. While McAfee still ranks as one of the world’s best antivirus software.

But, Avast Business Antivirus Pro has a serious claim to the throne.

Where McAfee boasts very few false positives, a file shredder, and is great at protecting your ID online, Avast appears more skillful at online malware detection, protects your webcam and inhibits ransomware attacks, and also has a great sandbox for handling dubious packages.

Taken as a whole, Avast is a more practical protection for modern business – with no disrespect to McAfee – and their free version isn’t bad, either. Businesses should use the Pro version, however－comprehensive protection is needed for commercial conduct, as there’s far too much at stake.

RingCentral Office

With Zoom and Microsoft Teams all the rage these days, RingCentral Office is often overlooked as a business communications system. It has enterprise-grade voice, text, fax, and conferencing-stroke-collaboration capabilities, and has hit a sweet spot for millions of users the world over.

Coming as a Service (aaS), RingCentral Office is bought, installed, and managed online, and allows for fluid comms between multiple locations, people and devices easily. You use, and the cloud manages everything else.

FreshBooks

For many years, QuickBooks has been the preferred small business accounting package, and – in fairness – it did evolve to greater application over that time.

However, FreshBooks is better suited to startups, while QuickBooks is geared towards businesses that sell products. While QuickBooks is highly scalable and many accounting types know it and prefer it, FreshBooks is far more intuitive with greater ease of use, especially when the entrepreneur is still the bookkeeper.

FreshBooks has straddled the world stage because it’s also incredibly easy to integrate with other tools. Indeed, the company has an integration library that makes CRM functions seamless and synced. It has a strong affinity for Capsule, AgileCRM, and HubSpot.

Considered the accounting app for freelancers, FreshBooks is meeting modern startup needs head on. Cloud-based and uncomplicated for non-accounting types, FreshBooks is a better QuickBooks for most small, modern startups.

Asana

Asana is project management software that, in the words of the company itself, moves “from the small stuff to the big picture,” and “organizes work so teams know what to do, why it matters, and how to get it done.”

But that’s not the real value of this software.

As any decent UX designer will tell you, an app’s value lies in a muted ease of use, which indicates that designers have done their job well. Asana is such an app – simple in presentation, but detailed enough to scale with any project.

The app lets you generate reminders and to-do lists, dates and timelines, instructions and collegial intel – all in one place. You can share images directly from apps like Google Drive, and one of the app’s main focuses is on tracking and reporting.

HubSpot Marketing Hub

Now a household name, HubSpot is a diverse and incredibly valuable platform – hence its dominant position in content marketing and CRM.

A content management and marketing tool (including social media management), HubSpot might be outdone on occasion on individual points by competitors focused solely on a particular functionality, but as a suite of tools with marketing savvy, it’s hard to beat.

Very welcoming towards startups and small-scale entrepreneurs, the HubSpot Marketing Hub simplifies their forays into the market and ensures campaigns have consistency, while following strong Inbound Marketing principles. In short, it’s a must-have not only for small business and mobile activity, but rather the baseline app for proactive businesses.

Mobile Business Apps Can Help Your SME Succeed

If you’re a small to medium-sized business owner – or would like to become one in the near future – these seven phone apps are sure to help get your business started on the right foot.

5 Ways to Enhance Small Business Productivity

Posted on by Roy Castleman
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In this digital age, it’s easy to forget the practicalities that maintain a thriving business; in fact, we often default into wanting an app or service to take care of it for us.

While apps and modern connectivity certainly enable business and help us meet customers’ expectations, business productivity is still very much a process of ‘doing’, filled with tasks and duties that should be the core of any small-scale entrepreneur’s working day. A simple understanding of 1) what to do and 2) when to do it is often the first needed port of call for small business owners to markedly raise their productivity.

First and foremost, it’s imperative that your IT is sorted. Today’s consumers (and B2B clients) expect prompt and smooth service, and that inevitably means having your digital office sorted. Comprehensive IT support packages can keep your essential functionality rolling, and alleviate the need for you to personally command and repair your IT infrastructure on your own.

Your time is far better spent building your business; this is especially true in such a rapidly evolving space like IT. You need it, but you’re not the one who’ll get the best out of it－this is a field where the pros should be servicing your hardware and software, and advising you on best practices, overall market expectations, and trends.

How to Increase Business Productivity

Aside from the critical responsibility of ensuring your employees – and yourself – get paid every month, a few other obvious truths govern 1) the volume of work and 2) its enjoyment for the average entrepreneur.

Provide Clear Instructions to Employees

First, be sure to provide unambiguous instructions to those who need to know what to do and when you expect it to be completed. What do you need to happen now, this morning, who’s doing it, and are they clear on how it’s to be done and when it’s supposed to be finished?

It’s your job to leave no doubt in anyone’s mind about the expectations for the day, and to dream years ahead into the future; your employees’ jobs are right in front of them now, here, and it’s costing you money – so be crystal clear.

Maintain a Clean Working Environment

Second, live and work as uncluttered as possible, with your desk and office demonstrative of your clarity of vision.

It’s not about being fastidious or messy; it’s about manifesting a clear resolve, both in real terms and in how you manage your time. Real terms mean an organized desk and tidy books, components, or other stock that may be in your office or warehouse. No one respects or finds things easily in a mess.

Know What (and When) to Delegate

A clear resolve in your personal time management means identifying core functions that you either cannot or would not delegate, and visibly putting your energy to those tasks. There’s a catch, though－it’s not about doing what you enjoy; it’s about being honest about what you need to do, and what you need to delegate.

For instance, a furniture-building startup isn’t going to move beyond their hometown if the boss is in the workshop himself with a mallet and chisel every day. You cannot be the worker in that scenario for very long, not if you want to grow your business.

There are moments (especially when you’d like to demonstrate to staff and colleagues how something should be done) when the boss can get loans for small business once you have a modest cash flow. You need to be managing diverse inputs, not making stuff in the workshop or populating a marketing campaign－those baseline functions need to be built by others.

The bottom line? Delegate.

Good business owners know what to delegate, no matter how attached they might be to any particular activity.

Evaluate Your Own Performance

How is your performance? Your ability to do what needs to be done?

Planning and execution are very different; while planning is an immense aid to successful execution, only execution itself makes money. Be honest with yourself when you think about your average day, and evaluate your own performance accordingly.

5 Tips to Improve Your Performance as a Small Business Owner

These tips should help you perform at your very best even when other people and tasks are tugging at your brain:

Prioritize your to-do list items, and tackle small, quick tasks immediately.

This allows for a sense of productivity that will drive greater productivity as the day wears on. Following Covey’s dictate that urgency and importance are easily confused, concentrate on what’s truly important, both in the here and now and for future success－delegate the rest.

“Eat the cake first, then the icing.”

In other words, get tasks that you know you have to do but don’t enjoy out of the way during the first half of your day－it’s the kindest way to treat yourself when trying to build a business. There are many different methods of remaining motivated and productive. With the drudgery sorted, you can maintain the feeling of optimism and enjoyment that’s essential to business success.

Time block complex tasks when possible.

Allocate longer tasks a given time frame; if you don’t finish within the allotted time, evaluate carefully whether you now need to postpone other responsibilities for the day, or whether you can justify finishing it up tomorrow in another allocated time slot.

Separate work and personal social media.

If you need to be on social media for work, keep it strictly to work-based screen time. Relegate genuine socializing to after hours; furthermore, it’s a great idea to have regular time slots for checking emails and messages.

Automate or use AI / chat bots to your advantage.

Responding to a customer the same day is excellent responsiveness, and more than adequate－consider setting up automated replies to alert them that you’ll buzz them shortly if the current volume is too great (that’s a hint towards employing someone to handle that kind of traffic, too).

In your daily meanderings, seriously contemplate automation. Indeed, as one of the two major drivers of near-future business (the other being customer expectations), automate where you can without compromising your client liaison or staff morale.

Learn to Say No

This last consideration is important, and a rough one for most entrepreneurs: you must learn to say no to things that don’t fit your plans.

Decide for yourself whether the upcoming meeting could, in a best-case scenario, further your current aims? If not, say no.

Saying no to meetings, add-ons, and a ‘trunk of junk’ is something every entrepreneur will encounter at some point while running their business. Unless it clearly ties in with where you want to be in five years’ time, roll on without it, and you will, indeed, be where you imagined yourself in the not too distant future.