Are your productivity tools actually slowing you down?

Productivity tools are supposed to make you more, well… productive.

But if they’re not embedded properly within your business, tasks can actually end up taking longer than they should. That’s frustrating for employees and you. It wastes time, and it costs money – which is the opposite of being productive.

So how can this happen?

Often a lack of consistent training means everyone is using tools differently, or finding their own workarounds. Maybe the tools haven’t been properly integrated with other apps, creating additional work. Or perhaps employees simply don’t find some tools useful and give up on them.

Bringing new technology into your business can be a big step – so big that lots of owners try to avoid it completely. That might be because of understandable risk aversion, or because they simply don’t have enough information to choose the right solution from the thousands of available options. It doesn’t help that nearly all tools work differently and offer different advantages.

What most business owners need is expert help. It’s easy to say you plan to introduce new productivity tools to keep employees happy and to gain a competitive advantage, but in practice it’s a lot more involved.

One thing’s for sure. As AI solutions become more and more integrated into new solutions – and others in your industry start to benefit from the new tech landscape – businesses that don’t keep up, risk being left behind.

Working with professionals can not only help to identify the most suitable tools for your business…

But also to help get the most from them by ensuring all your people are fully trained.

That means you’ll not only be getting all the productivity benefits you hoped for from your investment, you’ll also have a more engaged, better skilled and more productive workforce.

This is something we help businesses with all the time. Get in touch if you’d like us to do the same for you.

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Weak passwords are one of the biggest security risks to your business. Why? Because cyber criminals are getting smarter than ever before. If they manage to crack just one password, they could gain access to your sensitive business data, financial information, or even gain control of your entire system. Cyber criminals use automated tools to guess passwords, allowing them to try out millions of combinations in seconds. So, if you’re using something like “Password123” or “CompanyName2025”, you’re practically handing them the keys to your business. A compromised password can lead to big issues, such as: • Data breaches • Financial losses • Identity theft • Reputation damage But how do you create strong passwords without driving yourself (and your team) mad? Think of your password like a secret recipe, where only you should know the ingredients. It should: • Be at least 14 characters long (the longer, the better) • Include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters • Contain a few numbers and symbols (like @, $, %, or &) • Not contain any common words or easily guessable information (like birthdays, names, or the word “password”) Instead of using a single word, you could try a passphrase – a short, random sentence that only you would understand. For example, instead of “Sailing2025”, try something like “Coffee&CloudsAreGreat9!”. This is much harder to crack, yet still easy to remember. You should also steer clear of these common mistakes: • Using personal info (your name, birthday, business name, etc.) • Reusing the same passwords across multiple accounts • Using simple sequences (“123456” or “abcdef”) • Storing passwords in an easily accessible place (like a sticky note on your desk) If remembering unique passwords for every account sounds impossible, there is another option: Password managers. These generate strong passwords, store them securely and autofill them for you. With a password manager, you only need to remember one strong master password for the manager app itself. The rest are encrypted and stored safely, reducing the risk of data breaches. Even the strongest password isn’t foolproof, which is why multi-factor authentication (MFA) is also important. MFA requires a second form of verification, like a one-time code sent to your phone or generated from an authentication app. If you have employees accessing your business systems, it’s a good idea to have a password policy in place to explain your rules and why they’re important. This should include: • Unique passwords for each system and account • Regular security training on password best practices • Business-wide use of MFA for critical systems • Scanning for compromised passwords regularly By making password security a priority, you can reduce the chances of a cyber attack creating a nightmare for your business. And if you need help making your business more secure, get in touch.

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Weak passwords are one of the biggest security risks to your business. Why? Because cyber criminals are getting smarter than ever before. If they manage to crack just one password, they could gain access to your sensitive business data, financial information, or even gain control of your entire system. Cyber criminals use automated tools to guess passwords, allowing them to try out millions of combinations in seconds. So, if you’re using something like “Password123” or “CompanyName2025”, you’re practically handing them the keys to your business. A compromised password can lead to big issues, such as: • Data breaches • Financial losses • Identity theft • Reputation damage But how do you create strong passwords without driving yourself (and your team) mad? Think of your password like a secret recipe, where only you should know the ingredients. It should: • Be at least 14 characters long (the longer, the better) • Include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters • Contain a few numbers and symbols (like @, $, %, or &) • Not contain any common words or easily guessable information (like birthdays, names, or the word “password”) Instead of using a single word, you could try a passphrase – a short, random sentence that only you would understand. For example, instead of “Sailing2025”, try something like “Coffee&CloudsAreGreat9!”. This is much harder to crack, yet still easy to remember. You should also steer clear of these common mistakes: • Using personal info (your name, birthday, business name, etc.) • Reusing the same passwords across multiple accounts • Using simple sequences (“123456” or “abcdef”) • Storing passwords in an easily accessible place (like a sticky note on your desk) If remembering unique passwords for every account sounds impossible, there is another option: Password managers. These generate strong passwords, store them securely and autofill them for you. With a password manager, you only need to remember one strong master password for the manager app itself. The rest are encrypted and stored safely, reducing the risk of data breaches. Even the strongest password isn’t foolproof, which is why multi-factor authentication (MFA) is also important. MFA requires a second form of verification, like a one-time code sent to your phone or generated from an authentication app. If you have employees accessing your business systems, it’s a good idea to have a password policy in place to explain your rules and why they’re important. This should include: • Unique passwords for each system and account • Regular security training on password best practices • Business-wide use of MFA for critical systems • Scanning for compromised passwords regularly By making password security a priority, you can reduce the chances of a cyber attack creating a nightmare for your business. And if you need help making your business more secure, get in touch.
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