<p>There is a growing notion that once organisations establish a social media following, having a business website is no longer needed in developing its digital presence. While social media have their place and are of course very important, the rising popularity of business social media profiles has, unfortunately, overshadowed the need for good business websites.</p>
<p>The advent of social media has made it quite easy for small businesses and freelancers to have a digital presence in an ever growing global digital culture. This has become so much so that it is not uncommon to hear business owners oversell the use of social media and undersell the importance of having a business website. Before continuing, it is imperative to note that this article is not meant in any way to discredit the merits of a sound social media presence and campaign, but rather underline some of the fallacies of statements such as &ldquo; I&rsquo;m on Facebook so I don&rsquo;t need a website. &rdquo;</p>
<p>Websites offer a degree of customisation with regards to the face of your business that social media platforms do not. Apart from styling and appearance (which are also pertinent factors), let&rsquo;s look at three important reasons why you should have a business website :</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-362 img-fluid" src="https://buzzolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/credibility.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="426" /></p>
<h3>Credibility</h3>
<p>When someone looks up your business, what will they find? A few directs to Facebook or Instagram? Or will they find a business website that specifies what your business is about and the products or services it provides; basically it speaks to a level of professionalism and dedication. A business website separates the perception of those who are making a part-time hustle from those who are serious about what they do.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-364 img-fluid" src="https://buzzolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/automated-processes.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" /></p>
<h3>Automated processes</h3>
<p>Many websites today function as an integral part of companies&rsquo; daily operational processes. Most of us are aware of online stores, however many businesses employ their sites to streamline other operations such as order taking, bookings, registrations and other processes that save on man-hours as well as cut down significantly on human error. Let&rsquo;s not forget these automated processes work for the business 24/7 , which overlaps into our next point.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-365 img-fluid" src="https://buzzolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/UX.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" /></p>
<h3>Tailored User Experience (UX)</h3>
<p>We have evolved into a culture where using our mobiles to call is done only when necessary, but is this really a bad thing? If we can get all the information we want quickly, easily and efficiently, why bother with the hassle of calling? We can list a number of challenges with calling a busy business place, but most of us, have had a less than ideal experience with this before.</p>
<p>Social media are still limited in how we maintain control over the UX to potential clients. Sure a restaurant can post their menus on a social media platform, but must one scroll through a series of advertisements and daily posts or statuses just to find the beef menu? And, after a decision is made, still call to place a reservation? Consider we can shop for ticket prices and book a flight in a matter of minutes at 2 AM, in the privacy of our homes while in bed.</p>
<p>We know it can be a bit of a maze, regarding where to start, how much to spend and how to set up a website. This topic is covered in our article &ldquo;<a href="http://buzzolution.com/i-need-a-business-website-how-do-i-begin/">I need a business website, how do I begin</a>?&rdquo;</p>

Why you need a business website

<p>You&rsquo;ve just finished a meeting with the sales team of Acme marketing TT Ltd*. Their presentation was excellent, they seem quite knowledgeable in what they do. Acme marketing quickly becomes a shortlisted candidate to handle the launching of your project that is well within the five figure range. The time comes for the ritualistic shaking of hands and exchanging of business cards, you take a glance of the well-designed card in your hand. Before putting it away something catches your eye , something you could not help but stare at with the slightest of frowns; the contact email address on the card is <span style="text-decoration: underline;">acmemarketingtt@gmail.com</span>. An email address is an email address right? Well, it largely depends on how seriously you want to be taken, granted it could have been worse, perhaps <span style="text-decoration: underline;">acmemarketing22@gmail.com</span>? But three big questions should come up when you see these sorts of addresses:</p>
<h3>Are lines of communication well organised?</h3>
<p>If an email is sent to this address, will it reach a specific person that would handle the message or will it go into a pool of messages that everyone in the company has access to?</p>
<h3>Is this a professional organisation?</h3>
<p>Ok, this question might be a bit harsh but having an unprofessional email is a bit, unprofessional.</p>
<h3>Does this company have an <a href="http://buzzolution.com/why-you-need-a-business-website/"><strong>official website</strong></a>?</h3>
<p>When you have an email address such as <span style="text-decoration: underline;">YourName@YourAddress.com</span> it shows you took the time to register a domain which hopefully points to your official website. Here are a few options for getting your domain name and your business email account also, our pros and cons for each provider: <a href="https://www.bluehost.com/track/buzzolution/"><strong>Bluehost</strong></a> &ndash;&nbsp;At the time of this article bluehost is offering a domain, 5 email accounts along with other services such as webhosting, SSL certificate and more starting at $4.95 USD a month <strong>(billed at an annual subscription)</strong>. Pros: Relatively inexpensive for the services provided, offers webmail access or you can connect to your email client of choice to send and receive email. Cons: The site tries to throw in unnecessary upsells and is not very intuitive. <a href="https://www.hover.com/"><strong>Hover</strong></a> &ndash;&nbsp;These guys are offering a 10GB storage email address at $20 USD a year! Pros: Great value for money, simple intuitive site with no pesky upsells and they offer webmail assess or you can connect to your email client of choice to send and receive email. Cons: You&rsquo;d have to purchase a domain but given hover&rsquo;s non gimmicky interface, we&rsquo;d recommend purchasing your domain with them if you&rsquo;re opting in for their email plans. <a href="https://www.godaddy.com/"><strong>GoDaddy</strong></a> &ndash; Offers similar price points as Bluehost on the lower tiers however we&rsquo;d like to highlight GoDaddy&rsquo;s partnership with Microsoft for their business premium email package priced at 10USD per user per month. Yes a bit expensive coming out of the gate, but being software compliant and having the full Office 365 suite at your disposal gives your administration arsenal some firepower! Pros &ndash; You get online access and downloadable apps for Microsoft 365 office suite. Also you get access to Microsoft&rsquo;s business apps such as Microsoft invoicing and outlook customer manager. Cons- Expensive, GoDaddy also has some annoying upsells, however it&rsquo;s limited to their site and not the Microsoft Office side of the package. Lastly you still need to purchase a domain, as with Hover, if you&rsquo;re going with this option purchasing your domain from GoDaddy will make the set up easier. <a href="https://gsuite.google.com/"><strong>Google</strong></a> &ndash; Wait, didn&rsquo;t we just bash the @gmail.com address as unprofessional for businesses? Well google has a service called g suite that allows you to use your own domain starting at 6USD per user per month (billed monthly) which includes some nice online applications/features such as video and voice conferences and 30GB of cloud storage. Pros: Very intuitive webmail platform (it is Gmail&rsquo;s interface after all), ease of administration as the organisation grows, and many powerful applications with the higher priced tiers. Also, easy setup with your domain. Cons: Expense given you still need to purchase your domain, but you can purchase one from google directly depending on your location. If you would like to consult with us to set up and advise on the best package for your business, please send us an email at <a href="mailto:info@buzzolution.com">info@buzzolution.com</a> *We found it prudent to state, that at the time of publishing this post, all companies and events depicted in this article are entirely fictitious. Any similarity to actual events or companies, registered or not, is purely coincidental.</p>

@gmail.com? An email address is an email address right?

<p>So you need a business website and you&rsquo;re ready to make the next step in developing your professional online presence, here are the basics of what you should know to begin:</p>
<ul>
<li>Register a domain name</li>
<li>Build your website</li>
<li>Get your website hosted</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Register a domain name</h3>
<p><strong>But what is a domain name?</strong> Very simply put, a domain name a human readable address to find you on the internet. For example buzzolution.com is our domain name. A domain name and a website is not the same thing. A domain name tells the browser where to <em><u>find</u></em> a website, so if you type buzzolution.com into a browser&rsquo;s address bar, it would carry you to our website. That's not the only way a domain name is used to find things, let&rsquo;s say you setup <a href="http://buzzolution.com/gmail-com-an-email-address-is-an-email-address-right/">professional email addresses for your business.</a> Whenever you send an email to jessica@acmemarketingtt.com, it tells the email app where to find acme marketing tt&rsquo;s mailbox and more specifically, to send it to Jessica at acme marketing tt. Quick note, you have to be renew a domain once purchased, this is typically done annually but most registrars will give you a discount if you choose a longer renewal period.&nbsp; The basic rule of thumb in choosing a good domain name is choosing one that is short, easy to remember and is similar to your business name. Say you&rsquo;re the owner of Caribbean pepper sauce limited** a great name may be caribbeanpepper.com. If the domain name you want is taken or is out of your budget, you should opt to find the next best option. Most registrars will provide recommendations for you. For example, the alternative caribbeanpepper.shop is available from <a href="https://www.godaddy.com/">GoDaddy</a> for only 10USD. Other well-known registrars to get a domain name are: <a href="https://www.hover.com/">Hover</a>, <a href="https://www.bluehost.com/track/buzzolution/">Bluehost</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.networksolutions.com/index.jsp">Network Solutions</a>. &nbsp;</p>
<h3>Build your website - Get a developer? or build your own with a website builder?</h3>
<p>At this junction you have two broad options: hire a developer/designer or use a website builder. We will outline what each entails and the pros and cons of each. <strong><u>Hire a developer/designer </u></strong> Developers are responsible for programming the core functions of the website that run in the background. Designers are responsible for creating the layout, design and flow of the website. It not uncommon however for someone to do both. Going this route is usually more suited for companies that want specific functionality and have specific objectives to meet. Generally, a reputable developer/designer is capable of taking what you have envisioned and bring it to life. Also, most developers would handle the domain registration process and provide advice throughout the development of the site. Not only do big companies hire designers and developers. In fact, many small companies that have invested in tailored business websites have achieved massive success over their competitors, whose sites were largely generic. <strong>Pros:</strong> Customization &ndash; The site can be tailored to meet the exact business needs of the company. Not only can this provide a competitive edge it can provide specific functionality that generic "out-of-box" websites do not. <strong>Cons:</strong> Cost &ndash; Depending on the scale of customization, this option can become expensive. <strong><u>Use a website builder</u></strong> Website builders are basically websites that allow you to create your website by using visual tools (typically drag and drop). This option does not require you to have any programming knowledge nor any experience with design and design tools. Website builders usually charge a subscription fee to host your website afterwards so your initial start-up cost is lower than hiring a developer. This route is well suited for persons that are on a budget and/or short on time. Website builders offer a basic amount of customization visually but little by way of functionality. <strong>Pros:</strong> Inexpensive, fast <strong>Cons:</strong> Generic &ndash; many other websites look the same Here are some of the more popular website builders: <a href="https://www.squarespace.com/">squarespace</a> <u>,</u> <a href="https://www.wix.com/account/sites">wix</a> &nbsp;</p>
<h3>Hosting</h3>
<p>Ok now your website needs a place to live on the internet. If you&rsquo;ve used a website builder, more than likely, part of the package includes website hosting on their servers. If you&rsquo;ve hired someone to develop your site you&rsquo;re going to need a hosting provider for website. A good developer would usually handle this portion for you as well, here are some providers we have worked with: <a href="https://www.godaddy.com/">GoDaddy</a>, <a href="https://www.bluehost.com/track/buzzolution/">Bluehost</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.networksolutions.com/">Network Solutions</a>. We hope this info helped you in making some informative decisions in creating your business website. If you would like to consult with us to develop or advise on the best solution for your business, please send us an email at <a href="mailto:info@buzzolution.com">info@buzzolution.com</a></p>

I need a business website, how do I begin?

<p>Many small businesses face the challenge of having the right tools to carry out their day to day operations. It may be that some of these tools are cost prohibitive or the administrative team is unaware of some of these tools that can perform tasks quicker and easier. In this article we compiled a list of free business productivity tools that can help small businesses measure up to the big boys.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://bzconcms.live/storage/uploads/Articles\office-administration.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h3>Office Administration</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download/">Libre Office</a> &ndash; A powerful alternative to Microsoft Office that includes a flowchart creator.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/docs/about/">Google Apps</a> &ndash; Google provides online applications for word-processing, spreadsheets ,presentations and forms.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.draw.io/">Draw.io</a> &ndash; Create vector flowcharts and diagrams online that you can download.</li>
<li><a href="https://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/">Adobe Reader</a> &ndash; The free version offers a few handy options for editing PDFs. The importance of PDFs may be <a href="http://www.legalscans.com/whypdf.html">obvious for some</a> but many companies still do not utilize them.</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp; <img src="http://bzconcms.live/storage/uploads/Articles\proof-reading.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h3>Proof Reading and Research</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.hemingwayapp.com/">Hemingwayapp.com</a> &ndash; A great online proof reader that scores readability and highlights potential issues in your text.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.grammarly.com/">Grammarly</a> &ndash; The free version of this software provides spelling and grammar correction.</li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/">Archive.org</a> &ndash; This non-profit site is a library of millions of books, journals, music and so on.</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp; <img src="http://bzconcms.live/storage/uploads/Articles\accounting.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h3>Accounting</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.waveapps.com/">Wave</a> &ndash; wave provides an online accounting platform that can handle invoicing, estimates, receipts and some basic reporting functionalities.</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp; <img src="http://bzconcms.live/storage/uploads/Articles\black-illustration-on-white-printer-paper-716661.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h3>Drawing</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://inkscape.org/">Inkscape.org</a> &ndash; &ldquo;Inkscape is professional quality vector graphics software which runs on Windows, Mac OS X and GNU/Linux. It is used by design professionals and hobbyists worldwide, for creating a wide variety of graphics such as illustrations, icons, logos, diagrams, maps and web graphics.&rdquo; Taken straight from their website its functionality is self-explanatory.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.freecadweb.org/">FreeCad</a> &ndash; A powerful AutoCAD alternative.</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp; <img src="http://bzconcms.live/storage/uploads/Articles\schedule-planning-startup-launching-7376.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h3>Project Management</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://clickup.com/">ClickUp.com</a> &ndash; An online project management platform that provides a multitude of project management tools and features.</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp; <img src="http://bzconcms.live/storage/uploads/Articles\remote-access.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h3>Remote Access</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.teamviewer.com/en/">Teamviewer</a> &ndash;&nbsp; The non commercial licence of this application allows you to control computers and mobile devices remotely. You can also host meetings, share your screen with colleagues as well as send and receive files; you can check out the full list of features <a href="https://www.teamviewer.com/en/features/">here</a>. It's a great tool managing your device remotely or setting up conference calls with your peers.</li>
</ul>
<p>We hope this article provided you with some valuable resources for productivity tools to ease your administrative workflow on a budget.</p>

12 free productivity tools for business administration

<p>Online security, install your favourite antivirus on your device and problem solved, yes? sadly this just isn&rsquo;t the case. Of course, we all need some form antivirus protection but viruses aren&rsquo;t the only threats we need to be concerned about. In this article, we would discuss what you need to know about online security and how you can minimize the risk of being hacked.</p>
<h3>Phishing</h3>
<p>Phishing usually comes in the form of an email that takes you to fake website posing as an entity it is not. For example, you may get an email stating that there is an issue with your Amazon account and you need to login to correct it. This example email includes a link to a website that looks like Amazon&rsquo;s login page, needless to say when you enter your information on these fraudulent sites you&rsquo;re handing an attacker your Amazon credentials. There is a more nefarious method to this sort of phishing by suggesting urgency. Let&rsquo;s say you get an email stating <em>&ldquo;Your order would be shipped in 2 hours - $400 will be charged to your credit card ending in 1234.&rdquo; </em>You can imagine that someone in a panicked state may throw all reason out the window to address the &ldquo;emergency&rdquo; at hand and fall victim to these schemes. Here&rsquo;s how you can safeguard against these types of emails and websites. <u>Examine the domain name.</u> When reading an email or viewing a website, having a look at the domain name can reveal a lot about the authenticity of where the information is coming from. We will briefly examine the domain name hierarchy with an example below. As far as email goes, a display name (the name that shows up on the email) can be changed easily, faking the place where it came from is not so easy. An email from <a href="mailto:pete@sunnysidefarms.com">pete@sunnysidefarms.com</a> is likely to, in fact, come from sunnysidefarms.com because the &ldquo;sunnysidefarms&rdquo; is right before the &ldquo;.com&rdquo;. The &ldquo;sunnysidefarms&rdquo; part is known as the second-level domain and the &ldquo;com&rdquo; is known as the top-level domain. Understanding this is important because Sunnyside farms can make an addition to their domain name known as a subdomain. Let&rsquo;s say they wanted to differentiate between their head office and their distribution office, they can certainly register distribution.sunnysidefarms.com. Notice the hierarchy: &ldquo;distribution&rdquo; (subdomain) &ldquo;sunnysidefarms&rdquo; (second-level domain) then &ldquo;com&rdquo; (top-level domain). Now if someone wants to impersonate Sunnyside farms they can just as easily register sunnysidefarms.skethcywebsite.com. Looking at that domain name hierarchy you can see it does not belong to Sunnyside.</p>
<h3>Use secure websites when entering sensitive data</h3>
<p>Whenever entering sensitive information online (passwords, credit cards etc.) always ensure the website has a security certificate. You can verify this by looking for the &ldquo;s&rdquo; at the end of http in the url. All secure websites would begin with https. This ensures all information sent to the server is encrypted.</p>
<h3>Strong passwords</h3>
<p>If you&rsquo;ve heard it 1000 times let us be the 1001<sup>st</sup>, strong passwords are a <strong><u>must</u></strong>. Weak passwords are one of the easiest ways to get hacked. You may think you are cleaver by replacing E&rsquo;s with 3&rsquo;s and a&rsquo;s with @ symbols and sprinkling an uppercase letter in, however, it isn&rsquo;t humans that are doing the cracking nowadays, it&rsquo;s computers. Password cracking algorithms have become so sophisticated that a weak 7 character password can be cracked in under a second! Creating a strong password takes into account the complexity, length, predictability and how common a password is. Given this knowledge, here are two ways of creating strong passwords:</p>
<ul>
<li>Use all out complex lengthy passwords such as &ldquo;By2V2BQeTf=YF+e7&rdquo; but these are incredibly hard to remember.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Use a passphrase rather than a password &ndash; if we were to use &ldquo;thedogsofwar&rdquo; it would satisfy the need for a lengthy password but it&rsquo;s not complex (all lowercase letters with no special characters) and worse it&rsquo;s both predictable and common (a well-known line from Shakespeare&rsquo;s Julius Caesar). How about &ldquo;cardbookkeyspen&rdquo; it has 15 characters so good on length and it&rsquo;s neither predictable nor common, but it&rsquo;s not complex. Let&rsquo;s try &ldquo;caRd&amp;bOoK=keyspen&rdquo;, easy enough to remember: card and book equal keys pen, ROK are your capital letters in order of appearance. We came up with this by choosing four items at random found on desks.</li>
</ul>
<p>While the passphrase method may be a good way to remember one or two passwords, after about five or six remembering these would start to become unmanageable. You may be tempted to use the same passwords for different accounts but this is a very, very bad idea which we will jump straight into.</p>
<h3>Never reuse passwords.</h3>
<p>You may think providers like Google and Amazon have great security measures in place to prevent hackers from getting our passwords and you would be right in that assumption but, what about the providers that do not? Suppose you&rsquo;re a member of an internet forum that got hacked. It&rsquo;s very likely the attackers would try to use your password with the email account you supplied when you signed up. If they gained access to your email account they would easily find out what services you use and attempt the same email/password combination on those. If you&rsquo;ve used the same password for all of these accounts things will go downhill pretty quickly. So, how best to keep track of multiple unique strong passwords? We recommend using a password manager - it's an app that not only stores complex passwords for you but can generate them as well.&nbsp; Right now <a href="https://www.dashlane.com/">Dashlane</a> is offering their service for free that allows you to save up to 50 passwords on one device. Some other reputable providers are <a href="https://www.lastpass.com/">LastPass</a> and <a href="https://keepass.info/">KeePass</a> (a completely free password manager).</p>
<h3>Use 2 factor authentication</h3>
<p>Wherever possible you should use 2 factor authentication, this provides an extra layer of protection by using 2 pieces of information to verify a user. For example, a username and password coupled with a passcode text message to your mobile phone. Given the scenario mentioned earlier where an attacker gets hold of your username and password, if the said attacker needs a code that was sent to your phone via sms to login, they still would not be able to access your account. While they have your credentials they do not have your phone and thus cannot get the next piece of information needed to login to your account.</p>
<h3>Secure your WiFi</h3>
<p>Anyone with access to your WiFi can do a great deal of damage to all the devices connected to it from collecting usernames and passwords to viewing files on your devices. Ensure your WiFi network is password protected and create a guest network for any visiting persons that need internet connectivity. The guest network basically allows you to keep your WiFi network private by only giving the guests internet access and keeping their devices separate from your personal devices on the network. Make sure your wireless router is able to password protect the guest network as well else you may consider upgrading to a wireless router that can.</p>
<h3>Use VPNs when on public WiFi connections</h3>
<p>A VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows you to create a secure connection to another network over the internet. We just covered the danger of having a WiFi network accessible to potential attackers so it should go without saying that being on a network with a group of strangers puts you at risk. A VPN shields your browsing from everyone else on the network in addition VPNs offer a degree of privacy as they mask your real location. Here are 3 reputable providers <a href="https://nordvpn.com/">NordVPN</a>, <a href="https://www.expressvpn.com/">expressVPN</a> and <a href="https://www.ipvanish.com/">IPvanish</a></p>
<h3>Stay away from the shady parts of the internet</h3>
<p>Lastly, we would like to touch on the propensity to visit shady websites. We strongly recommend staying clear of sites that offer free movies as an example, as these sites are almost always filled with malware that can compromise your online security. If you do want legitimate free stuff you can check out our article on &ldquo;<a href="http://buzzolution.com/12-free-productivity-tools-for-business-administration/">12 free productivity tools for business administration</a>&rdquo;</p>

Online security: what you need to know

<p>Many take disaster recovery and planning for granted, we assume the likelihood of something bad happening is so low we throw caution to the wind in this regard. But, what many do not take the time to consider is what should happen if the following occur:</p>
<ul>
<li>Cyberattack</li>
<li>Your equipment is stolen</li>
<li>Your equipment fails</li>
<li>Your equipment is damaged</li>
</ul>
<p>How long would it take you to recover? (Provided you can recover at all). What are the monetary penalties you would be burdened with during the downtime? Your number 1 method to recover from a disaster is having a backup of your data. In this segment, we are going to take a look at a few tools and methods for disaster planning and recovery on a budget. We shall examine both cloud solutions and the use of physical media as well as their pros and cons.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://bzconcms.live/storage/uploads/Articles\cloud-solutions.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h2>Cloud solutions:</h2>
<p>Pros:</p>
<ul>
<li>Redundancy, these companies have many globally situated <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_center">data centres</a> that offer a ridiculous amount of redundancy in the event of system failure and natural disaster</li>
</ul>
<p>Cons:</p>
<ul>
<li>Just by virtue of having a cloud account, <a href="http://buzzolution.com/online-security-what-you-need-to-know/">online security</a> becomes a vulnerability.</li>
<li>Latency &ndash; downloading data can be slow depending on your internet connection</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.google.com/drive/">Google Drive</a> &ndash; their free version gives you 15GB of cloud storage. You can <a href="https://www.google.com/drive/download/backup-and-sync/">sync your folders</a> on your computer and have access to them anywhere anytime from any internet enabled device. Having your folders synced means having a copy of your files automatically saved to the cloud when you save locally so your backup happens in real time. There is one caveat with Google drive&rsquo;s storage space, the 15GB you are provided also includes all your Gmail messages and attachments as well as any media you have stored on your Google account. If you plan on using your already existing Google account we recommend <a href="https://support.google.com/drive/forum/AAAAOxCWsToT9qxrnlMjbI">checking your existing storage</a> before committing. <a href="https://www.dropbox.com">Dropbox</a> &ndash; Like Google Drive, Dropbox offers a similar service for syncing and online access. Their <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/basic">free version</a> has a storage capacity of 2GB however. <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204247">iCloud</a> &ndash; For the Apple users you can utilize iCloud in a similar fashion to Google Drive and Dropbox. The free version has a 5GB limit but as with almost everything Apple related, setup is super easy.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://bzconcms.live/storage/uploads/Articles\physical-media-opt.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h2>Physical Media (external drives, flash drives, etc.):</h2>
<p>Pros:</p>
<ul>
<li>Huge storage space at a low cost</li>
</ul>
<p>Cons:</p>
<ul>
<li>Low redundancy; unless you make multiple copies and save a few offsite, having just one storage medium carries the risk of being corrupted, lost, stolen, etc.</li>
<li>Time-consuming &ndash; you need to stick to scheduled plans and backup often to increase the efficiency of your backups.</li>
</ul>
<p>As mentioned above, you can utilize physical media if you require more storage that is budget friendly. It does require some additional work to be efficient but we&rsquo;ll address these now.</p>
<ol>
<li>Create a backup schedule (<strong>and stick to it</strong>) &ndash; determine how much data would be lost between backup cycles. For example, if you store a lot of transactions a day, you should have a daily backup schedule.</li>
<li>Implement version control &ndash; Create a standard, don&rsquo;t just dump all your files in a disorganised manner on an external drive. Carefully date and categorise your work as you perform backups.</li>
<li>Create multiple copies &ndash; Ensure you have multiple copies in the event that one of your storage devices fail.</li>
<li>Keep a copy offsite &ndash; We may not want to think of it but what happens if your office was destroyed by natural disaster or fire? Keep a copy (or two) securely in another location. Insurance can cover your lost items and property damage but not bring your data back.</li>
<li>(For extra security) encrypt your storage devices &ndash; What happens if your sensitive data is stolen? Encryption is your ally in this battle. Just don&rsquo;t forget your password or lose your decryption key!</li>
</ol>
<p>Now that you&rsquo;ve learned some quick, reliable and affordable methods to set up your disaster plan go create those backups now! Still unsure of setting up your disaster plan? You can reach out to us <a href="mailto:info@buzzolution.com">info@buzzolution.com</a> if you require assistance.</p>

Can you recover from disaster? Disaster planning on a budget.

<p>As more countries are reporting confirmed <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html"><strong>coronavirus</strong></a> cases, many companies around the world have opted to send their staff home as a precautionary measure. These companies have undoubtedly invested in the necessary IT infrastructure to facilitate working from home. With the increasing rate of internet accessibility, it is no surprise that more business operations are being centred on mobile computing. While the extent to which a business can take its operations online is only limited to the business type, it still beckons the question: Can your business survive a pandemic? Here are some tips for setting up your remote environment work-space:&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://cms.buzzolution.com/storage/uploads/Articles/cloud-computing.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://bzconcms.live/storage/uploads/Articles\cloud-computing.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<ul class="fa-ul">
<ul class="fa-ul">
<li>Utilise cloud based software when you can - Not only does this allow users to perform their duties remotely it is also a good characteristic of <a href="https://buzzolution.com/can-you-recover-from-disaster-disaster-planning-on-a-budget/"><strong>disaster recovery</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ul class="fa-ul">
<li>Set up remote access to application servers &ndash; Say you have accounting software that can only be used on the company&rsquo;s premises. You should consider having that server accessible from the internet so users can continue working remotely. (With all the necessary security protocols of course!)</li>
</ul>
<p><img src="http://bzconcms.live/storage/uploads/Articles\instant-messaging.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<ul class="fa-ul">
<li>Utilise instant messaging apps to communicate general information &ndash; Using group chats are very effective in relaying non-critical information quickly.</li>
</ul>
<p><img src="http://bzconcms.live/storage/uploads/Articles\video-call.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<ul class="fa-ul">
<ul class="fa-ul">
<li>Use video conferencing software for meetings &ndash; Apart from the cost benefit of digital meetings, this eliminates the risk of exposure to airborne diseases.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ul class="fa-ul">
<li>Migrate to cloud telephony &ndash; The advantages of cloud telephony are huge but in this scenario we&rsquo;ll just like to point out that you can forward your phone numbers and extensions to mobile devices. This allows you to make and receive calls using the company&rsquo;s number instead of disclosing personal phone numbers.</li>
</ul>

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