Igniting Business Blog

Theft is real and common

Everyone thinks that it'll never happen to them. But that's not true. If you want proof, type in "2014 identity theft statistics" in google. You will be surprised by the results. The truth is that few people know and understand the real danger of virtual theft. People always talk about how to protect yourself from someone who mugs you on the street, but how do you protect yourself from something you cannot touch or see?

Shopping for tech this year? With so many products being advertised, searching the best product can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Although finding the best option isn't easy, here are a few reminders on how to find the best products for your business:

Igniting Business will be presenting a marketing seminar at the Columbia Chamber of Commerce's annual Small Business Exhibition held on Wednesday, October 22, 2014 from 12-4 p.m.  Grab a passport and tour dynamic booth displays from Chamber businesses with 15 or fewer employees and attend informative seminars relevant to businesses of all sizes. Admission is free!

Seminar Details:
Topic:5 Affordable Small Business Marketing Tools
Presenter: Ben Seidel, President of Igniting Business
Time: 1:15 pm (seating will be limited, try to arrive early!)
Location:Parkade Center, East Entrance, Suite 214 E - 601 Business Loop 70 W, Columbia, MO 65203
Description: Ben will be presenting on 5 low-cost (some are even free!) tools that you should be using to market your small business and communicate with current customers.

Seminar Schedule:
12:30 pm- The Art of Negotiation and Closing a Deal
1:15 pm- 5 Affordable Small Business Marketing Tools
2:00 pm- Small Business Resources

Please encourage others to come see us and other local businesses.  We look forward to seeing you there!

The ability to share files without emailing back and forth has been a fantastic tool for small businesses. Sharing any sort of document is so easy these days that we don't realize how much time this saves us. DropBox is probably the most popular free file sharing service, but there are a few other options that you could use along with DropBox.

As a computer technician, I often get asked the question "Why is my computer running so slow?" I chuckle to myself sometimes, because "slow" is usually a relative term. For example, "Can you take a look at my laptop? [Insert co-worker's name] is not having any issues with her computer, and we have the same computer." Regardless of what slow means to you, here are some simple tips that will help keep your computer running smoothly:

Recently, Igniting Business asked a local small business employee what she thinks of Windows 8.1. Her name is Paula Burger, and she is an accountant for Oakstone Construction, a residential construction company. When we got her answers to our questions, Paula said "I was not entirely positive about upgrading, but I was honest." If you are still unsure of upgrading, read through Paula's experience of the new operating system.

As someone who installs and upgrades computers for small businesses, I have heard many questions regarding the new Windows operating system. The user interface is different from what Windows 7 or Vista users expect, so it can be unnerving and inconvenient for some people to learn. Tablet and smartphone users have some sort of experience with the app or card style interface, but those who are not as knowledgeable in this area may have trouble adapting. For that reason, I have put together a short and simple look at Windows 8.1. Microsoft has a lot of nice resources too, and I will be linking to them throughout this blog.
To start off, if you have Windows 8, it is for your benefit to upgrade to Windows 8.1. After this modification, you will have less trouble maneuvering through the new operating system. If you would like help updating to Windows 8.1, please follow these instructions. Oh, and it's free! So update!

Most likely, you have heard some news about the recent security concerns regarding Internet Explorer. You usually don't hear this much talk about most software bugs, but this one is quite serious. There are a lot of people who use IE, and all those users are extremely vulnerable. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security warned against using IE until the bug was fixed. For those who want all the details, Microsoft has posted an official report: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/library/security/2963983. The main thing you should know is that someone could remotely execute arbitrary code when you view a well-crafted web page or email. Eventually, this can lead to your entire system being compromised. That means all your information can be easily stolen if your system is successfully attacked.

Have you explored the Review tab on Microsoft Office's ribbon beyond spell check and word count? Well Microsoft Word has more features to offer. In this blog, I will walk you through the Comments, Tracking, and Changes sections. Here there are features that help to review edits that have been made to a document. This is especially useful when a document is being passed back and forth between several people. I think you will find yourself using these features more often than you would expect.