10 Tips For Changing Website Host Companies

Cookie-cutter website builders made it easy and inexpensive for the novice to set-up their own websites. As the number of entrepreneurs and small businesses has increased, so has the demand for improved technology. This has created a competitive market for web hosting.

Ten years ago people stayed with the same hosting companies because it was too big of a burden to recreate their website. Also, some companies made it difficult for customers to switch their domain when they decided to change website host providers.

Today it is easier to make a switch but there are still things consumers should understand before choosing a new website host.

Are you thinking about switching to a new hosting service? Keep reading for 10 things you should understand before making a move.


What Does It Mean to Change Website Host?

Unless you hired a website developer to build your website from scratch using coding, you're probably using a web builder platform. This is a service that makes it easy for anyone to have a website for a fraction of the cost a developer would charge.

The companies use apps and software to create the sites and then rent the space for your site's placement on the World Wide Web. Most will offer an initial free website domain address, which you can later renew on your own. The website itself is parked on a platform and governed by the platform's rules and regulations.

Hosting sites offer much of the same but there are a few things that set some apart from the rest of the pack. 

Here is how to select the best choice for a website hosting company.


1. Ease of Transition

The website host doesn't want you to leave. The competition is stiff, and they will try to convince you of all the evils that will happen if you move. The truth is you are not actually moving the website, you are moving your domain name.

It is best to follow the steps provided by the website host. If they tell you to go through your current provider that is a red flag. The new hosting service should want to help you with the transition.

The process can take up to a week to complete.


2. The Registration Process

Registration for the new hosting site should be relatively easy with no long contracts to sign. Providing your contact information and agreeing to the terms and services is really all there is. If someone requires you to sign long, lengthy documents, seek legal counseling or search for a new hosting service.

Services like Blue Host And Hostgator are good examples of simplistic registration.


3. Cost at Renewal

Most hosting companies offer attractive deals to get people to sign-up for their services. Choosing a new website host can be influenced by the introductory price. Be very careful A year of hosting at $99 sounds good.

When it is time to renew, your bill will be double that amount or more. Also, verify how often a hosting service increases its annual rates. 


4. Level of Customer Service

Trying to speak to an actual person in customer service is difficult for some providers. More often than not, your standard means of communication is a Q & A search, followed by an option to send a message to support. 

If having access to a live representative is important to you research their customer service before you change website host. Live reps may only be available to their higher tier enterprise customers.


5. Reliability and Stability

When determining which website hosting company is a good choice don't forget to research their performance record. If your website is constantly down that is not a good thing.

Your customers will not blame the hosting company. They will believe it is a failure on your part. 

There are several websites that track outages on web hosting sites.


6. How Long Have They Been in Business

The time in business is not always a good measure of how well a company will perform. With so many hosting sites on the market, it may be a better choice to go with an established platform. There will be more information available including reviews and recommendations. 

An excellent if you change website hosting company is HostPapa. Looking for HostPapa coupon promo codes? Look no further and take advantage of these exclusive offers to get started on HostPapa today.


7. Applications Available

The average cookie-cutter web hosting site has apps to help you build the website you desire. The best sites will offer templates that are easily customizable and provide step-by-step instructions.

Depending on what you need, choosing a new website host could come down to the following apps:

• Booking 
• eCommerce
• Social Media Integration
• Video capabilities 

You'll also want to understand the amount of space you'll have for images and videos.


8. Security

Cybersecurity is at the forefront of everyone's mind. Whether you are a website holder or user, you want to ensure your data is safe. Consumers want to be reassured their financial information is safe when making a purchase on your website. 

A good hosting platform will be intentional about promoting their safeguards against hackers and data breaches.


9. Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization drives visitors to your website. When changing website hosts ask if they have SEO tools to help with your digital marketing campaigns. This tool is essential for today's competitive climate. 

If SEO is not a feature being offered, you will need to hire an SEO firm or learn how to incorporate techniques on your own.


10. Analytical Reporting

The last thing on our list of changing website hosting companies, but definitely not the least important, is analytics. In anything that you do, there has to be a means to measure its effectiveness. Website analytics are key to ensuring your website is dependable and profitable.

Determining which website hosting company is a good choice needs to include what types of reporting and insights their websites offer. Like SEO, if it is not provided you will have to incorporate your own methods.


Hosting Help: It Is Time to Move Your Website!

Now you are better informed on what to look for when you decide to change website host platforms. This is an important decision for your business web hosting and you must cover all of your bases. 

Websites are an integral part of any business marketing plan. Check out our marketing and tech sections to gain more useful tips to drive sales.

How To Make Money From Reseller Hosting

There are many ways to add income to your budget. Many online businesses allow people to earn more money, with minimal effort, from the comfort of their homes. The reseller hosting business is one of those ways to make an additional income, but it is not a commonly known business, so most people don’t even consider doing it. 

Make Even More Money Online Here With Affiliate Marketing

The reality is that the reseller hosting business can enable you to earn a passive, decent income by selling web hosting plans to customers. This business is attractive because it doesn’t require much technical knowledge and doesn’t cost tons of money to start it. It might sound like a simple way to earn additional income, but we need to emphasize that the industry is extremely competitive, so you need to ensure that you offer the right services to stay on top of the competition and earn money. 

The best thing about the reseller hosting business is that it is easy to start. Many companies, like Verpex, offer reseller hosting plans, which you can purchase and then start reselling to your customers. These companies make it easy for people to start their reseller hosting business and earn money without investing a small fortune. 

What Is Reseller Hosting? 

A reseller hosting business is where you buy server space from a hosting company, then use that server space to create your hosting plans and sell your plans to your customers. Starting a reseller hosting business is a great way for web developers to add income, and the best thing is that they’ll broaden the range of their services. Reselling will enable you to create your hosting brand with your hosting plans. The reseller package differs from one host to another, but most include disc space, unlimited bandwidth, white label branding, cPanel, customized account and website management for clients, technical support, etc. For a decent price, you can purchase a reseller hosting plan, start your reseller hosting business without a fuss and earn some money along the way. 

How To Make An Income From Your Reseller Hosting Business 

If you are considering starting your reseller hosting business, here is some advice that will help you make a decent additional passive income from your business online. 

Choose The Right Reseller Hosting Company 

The most important thing before starting your reseller hosting business is choosing the right hosting company. What do we mean by the right? Choose a hosting company that offers top performance, high-quality servers, has high uptime guaranteed, and has the best cybersecurity. If the hosting company doesn’t fulfill the requirements, customers won’t be satisfied with the service, and they will leave. 

Determine Your Offerings 

Decide on the hosting style you will offer and the add-on features. When you start reselling hosting, you will have several different types of hosting you’ll be able to offer. You can choose from offering VPS hosting, dedicated server hosting, shared hosting, WordPress hosting, etc. Depending on the hosting company you are going to work with, you can also include additional services into your plans, such as email features, domain name management, etc. The more services and features you offer, the more different clients you’ll be able to attract. 

Set Up Proper Marketing 

When you decide on a specific niche, creating a proper marketing strategy will be easier. Instead of focusing on everyone, focus on a small segment of a larger market because that will be more successful. The first step is to choose how you are going to reach customers. The most affordable way is to create a blog to rank for organic search with keywords related to web hosting. If you have a bugger budget, you can try social media advertising and search engine. Decide on your approach and plan it according to your budget. If you don’t have a bug budget, don’t worry because you can take a more organic approach. 

Offer Stellar Customer Service 

The best way to ensure that your reseller hosting will be successful and bring you a decent income is to have the best customer support. Most people who start websites aren’t experts and have average or non-technical knowledge about hosting and websites. This means they’ll need a lot of help to keep things running. That is why you need to offer stellar customer support; believe me, customers will be grateful for it. Make sure that you have at least two channels for communication in the website host business. Customers prefer phone services, but email and chat is also great way to offer proper support. Social media is also an excellent channel to help customers. 

Lastly, the most important thing when it comes to customer support is always to make sure that you resolve the issues with your affiliate marketing business as quickly as possible. You can have the best customer support in the world, but if you can’t solve customer’s issues the fastest way possible, it can all go down the drain, and your business can start losing web host customers. 

Conclusion 

Starting a reseller hosting business in the website hosting space might be the right step if you are already in the tech business and need additional income. The reseller hosting business is a great idea because it doesn’t require a lot of money to get things going, and it is a great opportunity to add a passive income. Although all this might sound super simple, you need to focus on creating a proper marketing strategy and find customers that are willing to pay for your plans.

How Does Bitcoin Cloud Mining Work?

If you are looking for the best way to get started in the world of cryptocurrency but aren’t quite sure on how to go about it, it could be worth looking into what cloud mining has to offer. These services can allow you to take advantage of the benefits of mining without being encumbered by the many downsides that come with it. There are only 21 million Bitcoins in the world ever so the scarcity gives it additional value, along with incentive for miners. 

Make Money Online And Get Paid In Crypto Here

It can also offer a great opportunity to get into the world of Bitcoin too, as it is generally incredibly easy for beginners to get started with cloud mining in 2023 or 2024. 

Want to get acquainted with what BTC cloud mining is and why it can be worthwhile? The good news is that we have got all the information you need. 

How Exactly Does Cloud Mining Work? 

If you know how traditional mining works, it is not too complicated to see the differences (and benefits) that come with cloud mining for Bitcoins. These services allow you to rent out and use the facilities of the cloud mining company, where you pay a small amount and temporarily gain access to their equipment (which includes electricity, software, etc.). In general, it will be available to you for a set amount of time before you will need to renew your contract. 

All you need to do is continue paying for the services, and you can keep on taking advantage of the crypto miner equipment they have to offer. All this and you won’t even need to concern yourself with the generally high costs of traditional cryptocurrency mining, either.

For many of those who are trying to find a way into the world of cryptocurrency, quality cloud mining services are the perfect solution; being cost-effective, efficient and above all else, rewarding. 

BTC Mining Tips

Bitcoin mining is the process of creating new units of the cryptocurrency known as Bitcoin by solving complex mathematical problems. In essence, miners use powerful computers to perform computations that verify transactions on the Bitcoin network and add them to a public ledger known as the blockchain. 

As a reward for their efforts, miners receive newly created bitcoins and transaction fees paid by users for their transactions to be processed on the network. This process of creating new bitcoins and maintaining the security of the network is what makes Bitcoin a decentralized and trustless system. 

However, mining requires significant computational resources and energy consumption, which has led to concerns about its environmental impact. Additionally, as the difficulty of mining increases over time, it becomes more difficult and less profitable for individual miners to participate. As a result, many miners have formed mining pools to combine their resources and increase their chances of receiving rewards.

Is Cloud Mining Easy Enough To Get Into? 

Fortunately for anybody interested in getting started in BTC cloud mining, there are a wide variety of different platforms available to choose from. With so many providers, it may not be quite as easy to find the right one for generating cryptocurrencies, but you will find that there are quite a few ways to filter through the options. Thanks to this, you will often have the opportunity to pick the service that best suits your needs. 

Is Bitcoin Cloud Mining Worthwhile? 

For many people who are looking to get started, it is important to ask whether or not it is going to be a worthwhile investment. While you should consider the costs of leasing the equipment and how that could add up over time, it is usually a great way for any beginner to see how everything works without having to invest a great deal of time and money into it. It is the perfect learning opportunity and better yet, you will still be able to earn Bitcoin out of your mining endeavors.

How Is Shelfware Limiting Business Growth?

Shelfware is a term used in the technology industry for software that is purchased and then rarely ever, if at all, used. The business software just sits on the shelf collecting dust, even if it's a software-as-a-service (SaaS) program where the shelf is digital or cloud-based. 

While a company may have the best of intentions for the software initially, somewhere down the line, the momentum decreases or there is no longer use for it as plans across the business change. This is especially common when an IT department is not working efficiently with the business management team and communication is less than ideal.

Research suggests that a significant portion of new tech investment is being wasted. On average, each computer in every office around the world has about $259 of unnecessary, unwanted, or unused software on it. According to a new study, businesses wasted a staggering $30 billion (yes billion!) on unused software over the course of a four-year study. Nearly £5.7 billion of this sum, is accredited to the cost of shelfware across UK businesses – an average of approximately £159 per work desktop user. 

A recent discussion with MHR Analytics, a provider of financial performance management and business intelligence consultancy, found that only 4% of businesses are actively using every software licence purchased; with 20% of respondents stating that more than a quarter of their business intelligence software is lying idle on a shelf. This suggests that powerful tools are being ignored or under-utilised which means that businesses are missing out on a valuable stream of insights despite software being present within the system. 

But how can using Business Intelligent tools help? 

Recent reports found that 64% of business leaders who use powerful Business Intelligence software, claim it has given them a competitive edge. Not only does it help businesses to make sense of data, enabling faster, more confident decision-making, but it also offers quick access into performance insights, data patterns and relationships. This detailed level of data gives further clarity and allows enables businesses to create more accurate reports. This is a clear indicator, that not using our purchases BI software could be directly stunting the growth of your business. 

Nick Felton, Senior Vice President at MHR Analytics, said: “BI software that remains in the cupboard as ‘Shelfware’ is a major waste of resources and business potential. Business intelligence software makes decision-making 5 times faster through revelatory insights that enable the transformation of an organisation. IT leaders need software and implementation partners who understand their needs better, match their exact SaaS solution requirements and are ready to provide the right level of training. 

If you are a business owner who is concerned about Shelfware within your organisation, it could be time to check exactly what is and isn’t being utilised. If you have any unused BI software, now is the time to implement it within your business strategy to get the upper hand on competitors and stand out against the crowd. 

Your business needs all the intelligence and tools it can get in an increasingly competitive digital marketplace driven by the new most valuable currency: data. Just don't let these software programs and SaaS solutions go to waste!

10 Benefits Of An Operational Data Store

Database sizes are increasing all the time and to reap its benefits, companies need to find ways to process data with as little disruption to business operations as possible. With the growing demand for speed, low latency and scalability, new solutions are necessary to help solve challenges. 

Collecting and storing data is useless unless companies can use it to achieve business objectives. An Operational Data Store (ODS) can be a real benefit, especially if it is a next-generation ODS rather than a traditional one. 

1. A Consolidated Repository For Previously Isolated Systems 

An Operational Data Store integrates data coming from a variety of different sources and puts it in consistent format while business operations continue. It, therefore, provides a consolidated repository for previously isolated systems of record. According to GigaSpaces, the main advantages of integrating data from the various systems of record is for analysis and reporting. 

Business owners and employees can make more informed decisions by having a more comprehensive view of data than when it is siloed in the different systems of record. The integrated tables contain the most recent, relevant snapshot of operational activities and therefore, reports on operational processes are more sophisticated and holistic than reports coming from individual systems. 

2. Real-Time Processing 

One of the problems when dealing with huge quantities of data is high latency. Making API calls to various data sources for each action makes real-time processing impossible and customers are unable to get the response times they demand today. An ODS focuses on a single business concept, such as a customer, service or product and constantly updates data, overwriting previous data. 

As the data is in real-time or as close to real-time as possible, it enables excellent operational decision-making. For example, creating a marketing plan today involves using real-time data to target customers and hone in on their preferences and needs. Data analysis can also help with monitoring performance and improving marketing campaigns. 

3. Very Fast Performance 

A next-generation ODS uses a distributed in-memory core and this means back-end systems are unaffected by unplanned loads or unexpected volumes. Over-provisioning with expensive resources when volumes fall is inefficient and this becomes unnecessary with an ODS in place. 

The ability to scale autonomously means that companies can maintain customer experience when volumes peak and a high concurrency of users does not affect performance at all. 

4. High Availability 

When many systems of record need managing, the chance of a system of record going down is high. Decoupling the API layer from the systems of record means applications can continue working even when a particular system of record isn’t available. 

For example, checking the credit card status of a customer against the ODS is possible without having to interrogate an authorization system that may be down. Customers today expect 24/7 service and are not satisfied if service is disrupted for any reason. 

5. Better Predictive Modeling 

When real-time or near real-time data is available for analysis, predictive modeling is more robust and accurate. Predictive modeling is a process used by businesses, involving the use of data and statistics to predict outcomes. Forecasting outcomes can reduce time, efforts and costs. 

For example, businesses can predict potentially late deliveries, sales orders, and other impacts or risks. Variables such as regulation changes, market conditions and environmental factors can be factored into calculations to offer more complete views. 

6. Easier Diagnosis Of Problems 

By having a current view of operational status, users can diagnose problems without having to go to individual systems of record. For example, a service rep could find a customer order and determine its status quite easily. 

7. Time-Sensitive Business Rules 

Businesses can build time-sensitive business rules on an ODS. They can automate certain processes and improve business efficiency. Without current, integrated operational data, this would be impossible. The rules engine can recommend a certain action to an appropriate system for execution. For example, if fraud is suspected, an authorization system may be alerted to take an appropriate action. 

8. Remote Data Center Synchronization 

Global organizations often have data centers in remote sites due to the need to keep to certain regulations and offer high availability. An ODS makes it possible to synchronize remote data centers and allow for cross-site replication in real-time. Data synchronization ensures secure, accurate and compliant data and successful customer experiences. 

Clean, consistent data is essential for product and service competence but also for data governance issues like regulatory compliance. Without seamless synchronization, data transactions can be delayed, and decisions can be affected by inaccurate data. A glitch can also have a negative impact on customer retention and sales. An ODS allows for unaffected performance and accurate decision-making. 

9. Effective Security 

With mobile apps and the rise of online transactions, security issues such as data breaches and cyberattacks are on the increase. Data privacy regulations are stricter than before and organizations need to secure even their internal systems. 

A modern ODS can effectively support role-based security, data masking and advanced encryption systems. Only a few people have security to access systems of record but an ODS doesn’t have the same security issues as it doesn’t contain historical data. 

10. Handles Data On-Premise And In The Cloud 

Many organizations today have data on-premise and in the cloud. They adopt a hybrid solution so they can enjoy the benefits of each to the needs of the business. An ODS can handle data from many different sources without compromising performance. It can orchestrate data in real-time or near real-time from on-premise or in the cloud data sources. It doesn’t matter what systems data comes from or where it is stored. 

A Final Word On Operational Data Stores

Companies choosing to modernize their architecture with a next-generation ODS will drive their digital transformation and improve their throughput and scalability dramatically. They can upgrade their operational capabilities as an ODS enables better decision-making and reporting. By becoming more productive and efficient with company data, they can maintain a competitive edge and stay profitable.

Why AWS Cost Optimization Should Be Part Of A Cloud Strategy

One of the main reasons why companies move their workload to cloud services is for economic benefits. However, many firms ignore the opportunity to make higher AWS cost optimization as they are satisfied with the initial OpEx and CapEx gains. Even if they move their workloads to AWS (Amazon Web Services), most of them retain the approach they used on the physical infrastructure. But they might fail to see that this approach might end up costing more than them saving up. 

This is one of the main things that the in-house technology lacks, the operational, architectural, and financial knowledge to manage costs. Hence, AWS Premier Consulting Partners are available to ensure that the company's current cloud strategy is integrated with the AWS cloud and cost optimization is maintained. 

Begin By Understanding The Present Cost Of The Company 

A good AWS cost optimization application in the company requires gaining a deep understanding of the company's current costs, identifying opportunities for cost optimization, and then implementing the new ones. Software like SWS provides those tools for the customers to understand the pattern of expenses. Additionally, the consultants will be required to implement things like using appropriate tools, system analysis and results, and other changes to make the work optimized. They ensure that these changes do not affect the security or the performance of the company negatively. 

Cost Management Tools That Companies Must Have 

AWS issues cost management tools to help companies understand how they are using their resources and how to save them. 

1) The AWS Cost-Usage Report 

This provides a detailed report of the day-to-day or the hour-to-hour usage of all the company's resources, their use, and the cost incurred. 

2) Cost Explorer 

This tool provides aggregate and detailed reports that can be custom-designed, including charts and tabular data to understand and manage company expenses. This tool also allows to filter different costs and usage and group them to identify any recurring trends, detect anomalies and manage the factors influencing the costs. 

3) Cloud Watch 

It is an efficient tool that gathers and tracks metrics and provides an insight into the performance of the application and utilization of resources. 

4) CloudCheckr And CloudHealth 

They provide detailed billing analytics of the company. CloudCheckr, for instance, can identify unused and idle resources and services, mismatched EC2 (Electronic Compute Cloud), and provide suggestions for resource re-sizing. 

What Are The Cost-Cutting Opportunities That An AWS Consulting Partner Can Find? 

There are numerous tools available to understand and analyze the current cost of the company. With a thorough understanding of the company's business goals and the AWS environment, they can create a custom dashboard containing default usage reports and cost management reports. There are some changes that they can make to lower expenditure, and they are: 

1) Taking The Spot Instances Into Account 

They help find EC2 on sale, which are largely unused and available at steep discounts. If the company has a little flexibility about a few interruptions when their applications run, the EC2 costs can be lowered using Spot instances. 

2) Substituting Monolithic Applications 

Consultants can help replace old applications with high-performance, cost-efficient, and highly specific tasks like AWS Lambda functions. 

3) Identifying And Removing Unused Resources 

They help determine the resources that are no longer in use in the production units, testing, and development and remove them from consuming the company's resources and additional costs. 

4) Adding the Most Efficient Resources 

The consultants refer to the AWS cloud's performance data, and they make sure that the right services and resources are used in the company to provide maximum efficiency. 

5) Using Additional AWS Services 

Additional AWS services like CodeCommit, CodeDeploy, and CodeBuild are implemented to ensure organized and automated deployment processes. 

Overall Benefits Of Having An AWS Cost Optimization Strategy 

A strong foundation for an AWS cost optimization strategy can be laid by working with a consultant from an AWS Premier Consulting Partner. Many companies may find it difficult to analyze their resources, cost, suggesting changes, and implementing improvements, when done alone. Due to this, numerous businesses end up impacting their performance and security. This can happen because of under-providing the resources or not attempting to take full advantage of the AWS infrastructure. But working with AWS Premier Consulting Partners like Mission can help companies avoid these issues and make the expenses more economical. With continuous monitoring of the cost and resources and AWS cost optimization methods, the company is bound to make significant gains.

How To Transform Your Business Processes Through Technology

Experts would agree that all business sectors are experiencing disruption from technological advancement, some greater than others. Advancements like Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Analysis are all driving this change. Business owners often find the advancement perplexing and have no plan in place on how to go about transforming business processes for their organization. 

If that's your concern, too, then in this article, we explain how you can leverage technology for your company. 

Types Of Digital Transformation 

All the technologies that are driving the change are collectively known as digital technologies. Hence the transformation is called digital transformation. But there are different types of digital transformation. As a business owner looking to transform your business, you must know about all the four types, which are: 

1. Process Transformation 

In this type of transformation, you overhaul your current processes. The aim can be to lower cost, reduce cycle times, or enhance quality, but the result remains the same. This is the most common type of transformation you can adopt for your business. 

2. Business Model Transformation 

This transformation refers to reinventing your business model. If your existing market gets too crowded and competitive, you have no choice left but to change your business model. 

3. Domain Transformation 

With domain transformation, you use digital technologies to enter new markets that support your existing business model and offerings. Think of Amazon's expansion into cloud computing when it was an online retailer.

4. Organizational Transformation 

The final type of transformation is organizational transformation. It refers to bringing about changes in the mindset, process, and culture of your business. Even if you offer the same thing, you change the way it's delivered from the inside. 

So with that knowledge, how do you go about transforming your business using technology? Follow the steps below. 

Plan Long-Term 

Irrespective of which type of transformation you're going to adopt for your business, you need to plan long-term. An article published by HBR revealed that most digital transformation projects fail because they do not make it beyond early pilot work. 

That means they are successful initially but fail to scale. If you're implementing company-wide cultural changes, do not expect results instantly. The same goes for transformation to your business model. 

Take Your Business To The Cloud 

Cloud computing is considered the foundation of many digital transformation projects. With the advancement in both internet speed and processor power, you can process an insurmountable amount of data. The companies that leverage it to the fullest are winning. Consider the examples like Amazon, Airbnb, Uber, and Netflix. All of the companies are sitting on thousands of terabytes of data. 

Another reason to invest in cloud computing is it's cheaper than ever. You can pay as you do, and there's no upfront cost barrier. So there's no reason not to invest in cloud computing. 

Form Direct Relationships With Customers 

An increasing count of organizations are recognizing the significance of direct-to-customer or D2C business models. By forming a direct relationship with the customer, your business can better understand their pain points and address them. The more intermediaries you'll have in your supply chain, the farther you'll be from your customers. 

And the D2C model is fueled by technology too. Almost half of the world is connected to the internet with their smartphones. All of them have email accounts. So by creating a professional website, you can form a direct relationship with your customers. You can ship directly to them and get feedback for your services. 

Automate As Much As Possible 

Automation will impact almost all sectors in the future. You see it in manufacturing, retail warehouses, and other places. But it'll soon be omnipresent. 

And as a business owner, you must look to capitalize on this. Technologies like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data are ripe. By moving or migrating your business to the cloud, you can implement these capabilities and derive the most value for yourself and your customers. 

The primary benefit for most businesses is cost-savings. By automating redundant processes, you can save an ample amount of time and capital. 

Adopt A Subscription Model 

We're collectively moving to a subscription economy where we are subscribed to a service and pay on a monthly basis. If that sounds familiar, then it's because a growing number of companies are exploring this business model. 

Starting from Amazon to Netflix to Disney, all have a subscription in place. Reportedly, even Apple is working on a similar model. Thus, you should invest in a subscription business model supported by the latest cloud technology as much as possible. 

The best time for transforming business processes is now. So, you should consult with a cloud consultant and start overhauling your existing business.

5 Reasons Why Businesses Need Records Management Systems

Records management is an important part of any business no matter what industry these companies are part of. All companies will have important documentation they need to keep a record of. However, sometimes it can be difficult to manage these documents. 

Perhaps this is a service you provide or need? Remember that records management is a commercial service and there are liabilities involved. You’ll need the proper legal advice to get it right along with the systems you incorporate. This will be the role of the commercial lawyers Melbourne practices can put you in contact with. 

Let’s discuss this matter of business records in detail so those who provide and use the systems know how to do it right the first time. 

1. Complete Control Over The Growth Of Records 

Companies that have been in their trade for many years, will have extreme record growth. Even though more companies are opting for digital document solutions it’s still crucial to keep physical files too. Therefore, companies will require a place to store a large number of physical files. 

Businesses will need to have complete control of these documents so they will decide on the following: 

- The number of files stored in each box 
- How these files are labelled 
- When these files need to be destroyed based on their retention periods 
- How many files or boxes they want to send to a storage company 
- The number of files that must stay on site 
- Security that safeguards sensitive files 

At the end of the day, businesses must have full control over their documents even though you’re giving them a means of storage. If you’d like assistance in the legal aspect of how to operate a document storage facility, find commercial lawyers Melbourne businesses trust for the proper advice. 

2. The Ease of Retrieval 

Since the number of documents can be quite high, how do businesses find the records they’re looking for at any given time? Well, perhaps consider physical as well as digital storage. With both physical and digital systems in place, it will make it easier to retrieve documentation. 

Some files such as medical records and legal records must be kept in a physical format. That’s why most storage companies have both digital and physical storage systems. 

Some document storage facilities work on a barcode system. Each physical file and box is labelled with a barcode that’s scanned onto a digital platform. 

These boxes and files are then placed in a location in a warehouse that’s also bar-coded. Every time a box or file is moved from the location and placed in another one these area codes are scanned. This is so documents can be found easily when searched for on a computer. 

Here are the benefits of physical and digital storage: 

- You adhere to legal document retention periods 
- Improves workflow 
- Documents can be retrieved with a click of a button 
- Records are kept safe 

3. Incorporate New Records Management Technology 

Digital storage systems are now changing. There are cloud servers that people store all their personal documents on to save on paper and floor space. You too can assimilate the latest digital storage technology for your company. 

However, the latest technology isn’t simply digital storage. It could be robotic box retrievers or digital systems that will find a file and deliver it to you without the need for human labour. 

Capturing file information onto a digital system could also be made easier with scanning technology. All you have to do is run a file under a scanner and it will record the words onto a computer. 

Scanning will eliminate the need for data capturers and it will be much faster transferring information onto digital platforms. 

4. It Safeguards Sensitive Documentation 

Some storage companies have vaults to keep physical confidential documentation in. These vaults can only be accessed by authorised personnel. It’s crucial that you work with a maximum of three authorised people responsible for these files to keep them safeguarded. 

Ensure you have a tracking system so that there’s a record of anyone going in and out of the vault to retrieve documents. For digital documentation, there is top-notch malware and antiviruses on all devices. These digital security platforms will keep documentation safe from hackers. 

5. Reduce Operating Costs 

Opting for offsite document storage reduces operation costs. To store records on site, employees will have to file papers, label and capture them onto their systems. The disadvantage of this is that it’s extremely time consuming and businesses will have to pay these employees for their labour. 

If businesses use off site storage facilities it will reduce labour costs because the third-party company will do all the work. 

Final Thoughts On Business Record Management Systems

The history of records management systems go back hundreds of years. Much of what we know about history is all thanks to the preservation of documentation. That’s why it’s important for businesses to keep records because it backs up corporate memory. 

Businesses should have proper records management and commercial legal assistance in case of theft, damage or lawsuits from third parties. How up to date is your record system?

Introduction to Colocation Hosting

Looking to improve business operations? In today’s digital world, countless IT solutions promise to help your business attain a tech edge over your competitors.

If you are seeking dependable, low-cost hosting for your business, then colocation solutions might be just what you need to pull ahead. Read on to learn everything you need to know about colocation hosting.


Colocation Hosting Basics

Colocation, also known simply as colo, refers to data centers that businesses can rent for server space and other IT hardware. Colocation providers usually offer floor space, power, cooling, bandwidth, and physical security. Clients provide the server hardware and sometimes the storage as well.

Many colo providers offer managed IT services, tech support, and other expanded services to their business customers.

So, in simple terms colocation is a joint hosting solution where a company works with a colo provider to reduce costs and mitigate risks. Let’s see the benefits of colocation in more detail below.


The Benefits of Colocation

There are many reasons why you might chose colocation instead of investing in your own in-house data center. The most obvious reason is the cost of building, and maintaining an extensive computer infrastructure. With colocation, your colo provider takes care of these technical issues while you invest only in the hardware.

Colocation offers dependable IT functionality with high uptime and exceptional security. Colo servers are stable and reliable, which increases quality service for companies that rely directly on their IT infrastructure for their end product.

Whether you are building your infrastructure from the ground up, or upgrading your existing IT systems, colo will give you added flexibility while reducing costs.

Moreover, many businesses opt to move their existing infrastructure to the data center of their colo provider to meet regulatory compliance. Check out more details about compliance and colocation here.

The main benefits of colocation hosting include:

• Mitigating risk from hardware failure
• Mitigating physical disaster
• Mitigating power failure
• Reliable high speed internet
• Reducing network management and IT infrastructure costs
• Leveraging the colo provider’s expertise for IT implementation
• Freeing up key assets, which you can instead use to grow your business

Colocation vs. Cloud Computing

As you may have noticed, colocation does pretty much what most modern cloud computing solutions offer. So, why choose colo over some cloud solution?

If you can afford the initial cost of buying the hardware, then colocation is less expensive than any cloud solution in the long run.

Your typical cloud hosting service costs around $20,000 USD. The same functionality through colocation would set you back around $5000 initially, and then a monthly retainer of $100-200 USD. 

So, after the first year, you will only have to pay $2400 at most, which is 8 times less than what you would pay for an equivalent cloud solution.


Expanding Your Financial Knowledge and Business Savvy

Now that you know how colocation hosting works, come on in and explore the rest of our site. With an emphasis on independent yet dependable information, we strive to offer you articles, tips, and how-tos on a range of topics.

Browse our blog’s topics including tech, investing, frugality, loans, insurance, SEO, real estate and more to expand your financial knowledge and business savvy today!

12 Microsoft Office 365 Tools For Productivity

Microsoft Office 365 tools have become ingrained in business culture. With more than 200 million active monthly users of MS Office 365 software, it is understandable why many new businesses would think about incorporating it into their daily workflow. 

But how do you get the most out of Microsoft Office 365 when you decide to turn the key? In the following article, we are going to show you how to do just that by focusing on a dozen productivity tools that are baked right into the pie. 

But first, let's explore why Microsoft Office 365 SaaS is the first choice among business owners.


Why You Need Microsoft Office 365

Microsoft's Office 365 is readily available in an array of industries ranging from transportation and public service to charitable and commercial organizations. There are several reasons for such widespread adoption. 

Let's examine the top MS Office 365 benefits below.


It Is Based in the Cloud

Being cloud-based and cloud-accessible, Microsoft Office 365 tools can be accessed, edited, and shared from any compatible web browser. It doesn't matter which device you're on. As long as you have an Internet connection, you're able to work. 


It Contains Numerous Options

As you are about to see when we get into the heart of this article, you can do a lot of things with MS Office 365. Write emails, craft multimedia presentations, and share with either a select group or your entire organization. It is up to you as the user. 


It Is Universally Accepted

Two hundred million business professionals! That is a lot of people. With the Microsoft label, it is a suite of tools that the most successful business owners in the world have learned to love and so will you. 


It Facilitates Teamwork

You can work for yourself your whole life without hiring someone and do just fine. But if you really want to grow your business, you will eventually need team members and thinking that you can all work the same hours from the same location in the 21st Century is a bit unrealistic.

Office 365 tools enable you to maintain productivity as an individual and a group by creating flexible virtual environments in which to do your work. That is teamwork!

Now that you know why Microsoft Office 365 is important, let's get to the main event. These are the 12 productivity tools that make it successful. 

12 Microsoft Office 365 Tools To Be More Productive


1. OneDrive

The Microsoft Office 365 tool OneDrive is a godsend for any company that's had to work with large files and is finally tired of passing thumb drives to share information. OneDrive is a cloud-based hard drive that also allows you to create links to the content and control with whom you share. It is also constantly adjusting to the business environment with one of the latest feature add-ons being the option to request files from a document custodian.


2. Access

For the typical office environment, this is one of the lesser-used Microsoft productivity tools. But it is no less important.

See, Access allows you to create end-user software. And it has gotten quite intuitive in its old age. If you have an internal software development team, Access can open doors that make the Office 365 suite more business-friendly and customized to your end-users' experience.


3. Excel

Excel is probably second only to Word in usefulness among the Microsoft Office productivity tools on this list. MS Excel is a spreadsheet platform that allows you to create simple or complex databases that help you group information, track data, and sort by a number of variables.


4. Word

Another of the most widely-used Office productivity tools, perhaps the most widely-used, Microsoft Word has gone from being a simple word processor to a feature-packed desktop publishing program where word processing is only part of the benefit.

MS Word allows you to create great-looking content for external use. It contains several quality-control features for policing typos and bad writing. And it can bring in other types of media for a more professional-looking final product.


5. Outlook

Microsoft Outlook is another of the longest-established Microsoft Office 365 tools. With it, you can send and receive emails, attach or receive documents or images, and plan or get reminders for upcoming events. 

Outlook also gives you the power to organize important emails. And it will quickly store and bring up contact information with just a few taps of the keyboard. 


6. PowerPoint

PowerPoint gives you the ability to create a sleek-looking presentation. One that incorporates images, video, and animations. Beyond what the final product looks like, it also gives the presenter confidence in the content of his presentation and helps him to focus more on building a relationship with the audience.


7. Publisher

Apple has some very intuitive and sleekly-designed applications that will allow you to do some bang-up business cards or brochures with ease. But no graphic design program that serves the gang in Cupertino has ever been able to surpass the options and the execution of Microsoft Publisher. 

There are no limits to the publications you can pull off with this gem. From future social media memes to full-color newsletters, complex logos, magazines, and print-ready books, Publisher has it all.


8. Planner

Microsoft Planner is great for bringing together a team on a project. You can use it to assign responsibilities, get progress reports, share information and content, and collaborate with others. 


9. Teams

Microsoft Teams is another tool that gives you the opportunity to coordinate and communicate projects among a specific number of people. You also can use it for audio and video calls while splitting off into private channels and separate tabs. 


10. OneNote

Got a project with tons of useful information but the data are spread out in screenshots, drawings, handwritten notes, and more? OneNote can help. It compiles all that information into a seamless, shareable experience for sharing on the web or through an internal network.


11. Skype for Business

Instant messaging, audio calls, video calls. Skype puts your people in one room together even if they are miles apart. And it can be used on mobile phones, tablets, and desktop or laptop computers. 


12. InfoPath

Need to make a fillable form and keep the formatting where it needs to be when you send it to others for their signatures or to add data? InfoPath has your back. It also integrates with SharePoint for easier accessibility near and far.


These Microsoft Office 365 Tools Will Optimize Productivity

Putting these Microsoft Office 365 tools to use in your organization will help you get the most out of your team, whether they are part of the same office or they all work remotely. Use one or all, it is up to you and other users. And for more software and tech business tips, check out some of our additional blog posts.