DP Solutions Newsletter

November 2020 Newsletter

 

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Webinar:

 

Looking Ahead:

Preparing Your IT Strategy

for an Uncertain Future

 

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2020 has brought to the business world the importance of technology planning and strategy.

 

Tune in to our live webinar to learn how to make durable, sustainable technology plans to take you into 2021 and beyond!

 

Sign up today:

https://www.dpsolutions.com/webinar/it-planning-2021


 

Welcome New Clients!

 

We are thrilled to welcome the following organizations

to our family of clients:

 

 

 


 

Making This One Mistake With Your Computer Network Could Put You Out Of Business

 

 

How do you handle network issues? If you’re like most small businesses, you wait until something breaks or goes wrong before getting an IT services company on the phone. At a glance, it makes sense. Why pay to fix something if it isn’t broken?

 

Sadly, this way of thinking can do more harm than good, and it has taken many businesses out of commission.

 

When you get right down to it, there are two primary ways to handle network security:

  • By being reactive
  • By being proactive

One of these costs significantly more than the other and can destroy a business. You can probably guess which one we’re talking about.

When you’re reactive with your IT services, which includes data security, it means something bad has already happened. There are many different things that can harm your data and your business, like an employee accidentally downloading malware onto their computer, you getting hit by a data breach or a power surge occurring late in the night after a thunderstorm hits.

 

However, being reactive basically opens the door to these threats. It’s the one mistake that can put you out of business for good.

 

Hackers, for example, are a HUGE threat to small businesses. These cybercriminals will stop at nothing to break into your network to steal whatever they can get their hands on or do whatever damage they can.

 

These people don’t care if their actions put you out of business.

 

This is why you cannot rely on a reactive approach to your IT services. When you do, you’re a step behind hackers, malware and even natural disasters and equipment failures.

 

In the past, IT services were very reactive. They were built on the break-fix model, which is exactly as it sounds. A business would wait for something to break or go wrong before calling an IT services company for help to fix it.

 

In the 1990s and even into the 2000s, the break-fix model had its place and it worked. But as technology improved and it became easier for even the smallest businesses to stay ahead of the curve, the break-fix model stopped making sense.

 

The number of external threats has increased dramatically over the last 10 years. There are countless malware programs floating around on the Internet, and hackers are working 24/7 to wreak havoc.

 

It’s time to get proactive.

 

Today, IT services companies can predict threats. They can stop attacks in their tracks and protect your business and your data. This is called managed services — and it could save your business.

 

When you work with a managed services provider, you can state exactly how you want to be proactive. Do you want your network monitored for threats 24/7? Do you want them to have remote access to your networked devices so they can provide instant support to you and your team? They can do all of that!

 

A good IT services company can help you make sure all your data is backed up and secure. They can make sure external threats are spotted before they become a problem. They can make sure phishing e-mails don’t expose you to harm. The list goes on!

 

If you’re already working with an IT services company and they’re only providing outdated break-fix support, it’s time to say, “Enough!” Demand that they get proactive to manage your network. Don’t wait until something breaks to make that phone call. Because, as many businesses have learned, waiting to make that call can be devastating!

 


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Guest Article 

 

4 Ways Leaders
Can Identify And

Overcome Blind Spots

 

Andy Bailey

 

 

One of the biggest challenges leaders face in their personal and professional development is identifying blind spots, the unseen obstacles that hold them back from achieving their full potential.

Unfortunately, many leaders don’t take the time to find out if they have blind spots. Research by Zenger Folkman found that 30% of leaders had at least one major flaw that they did not know about.

Finding and fixing blind spots isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of effort, courage and discipline to identify them and course-correct. But going through the process will help you and your business to keep moving forward. Here are four tips to guide you.

 

  1. Look In The Mirror.

    Conduct a self-assessment and categorize your known strengths and weaknesses. Block out time on your calendar and don’t allow interruptions. Force yourself to answer tough questions about your abilities and limitations. Then, write down the answers so you have a better understanding of where you are succeeding, where you are falling short and what steps you need to take to improve. The inventory you create during the self-assessment will be incredibly helpful when you compare it to information collected from other sources.

  2. Gain Insight From
    Personality Tests.


    Standardized personality tests are another tool to help uncover blind spots. Wiley’s DiSC and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator are two popular tests that provide insight into your leadership style. Most of these assessments are based on the “Big 5” personality traits: agreeableness, conscientiousness, extroversion, neuroticism and openness. When compared to your own self-assessment, the tests can shed more light on your tendencies and preferences in communication, decision-making and problem-solving.

  3.  Seek Input From Others About Your Blind Spots.
    This is where the process gets tough, but it’s also the most important step to take. Ask several members of your team and peers to list your strengths, weaknesses and blind spots. Ask them to recommend ways that you can improve. If you are unsure that team members and peers will share their true feelings for fear of looking critical, then use online tools like Google Sheets or Survey Monkey to obtain anonymous feedback.

 

  1. Create A Plan And Act On It.
    The most effective personal and professional development initiatives have a written plan that includes the information collected in the previous steps and identifies tasks to be completed and milestones to be achieved. It’s your blueprint for success and will keep you on track to achieve your goals. Make sure every goal is SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) and that tasks and milestones are reviewed on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis so you can quantify your progress.

 

 

 


Andy Bailey

Andy Bailey is the founder, CEO and lead business coach at Petra, an organization dedicated to helping business owners across the world achieve levels of success they never thought possible.

 

With personal experience founding an Inc. 500 multimillion-dollar company that he then sold and exited, Bailey founded Petra to pass on the

principles and practices he learned along the way.

 

As his clients can attest, he can cut through organizational BS faster than a hot knife through butter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 Factors to Consider when Choosing a Managed IT Services Provider



Technology success is one of the key drivers for achieving business goals in 2020. Picking the right Managed IT Services Provider, or MSP is now more critical than ever.

In this video, we will walk you through four factors you should be considering when selecting the right MSP for your organization..


Get the Video Here:

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“What’s the Biggest Security Threat in the Final Months of 2020?

 

As we come to the end of 2020, the biggest threat for most organizations continues to be social engineering and phishing attacks on staff. It is an unfortunate truth that your staff can be your greatest mitigation tools, or your worse security risk.

Why? For starters, many of these attacks are cheap and easy to implement by anyone with the right skills, which are not difficult to achieve. Another thing to keep in mind is that phishing can be an avenue to a variety of different attacks, such as malware, tricking a user to giving sensitive information, or simply learning about the person behind the keyboard for intelligence on a future attack.

Every employee must know about the threat of phishing and social engineering. You should be testing and training your users to identify these attacks as they happen, to aid them in avoiding them.

 

 

 

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