Washington Works Blog

Running a business is like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle, blindfolded. You’ve got employees, customers, operations, and, of course, vendors. Vendors keep the gears turning, but if you’re not careful, those relationships can turn into a never-ending headache that eats up your time, money, and possibly your sanity. So how do you make sure your vendors work for you, rather than the other way around? Here’s how to get the most out of them without losing your mind.

We live in a moment in time defined by connectivity, which also means we live in a time defined by unwanted correspondence. It’s never been easier to reach you by phone, email, and even social media—even when you don’t want to be reached. Today, we’re talking about how social media, in particular, presents opportunities for scammers to target you and your loved ones.

What’s the plan if you ever lose your phone—or worse, some sneaky thief swipes it right out of your hands? Panic? Cry? Retrace your steps like a detective in a crime drama? Let’s be real—losing your phone is a nightmare. Not only are you cut off from memes, group chats, and your entire digital life, but your data, privacy, and security are also suddenly up for grabs. The usual solution? Wipe the device, cross your fingers, and hope for the best.

You’ve probably been told that multitasking is the ultimate skill. Employers love it, schools encourage it, and everyone seems to brag about how they can juggle ten things at once. But here’s the truth: multitasking doesn’t actually work. In fact, it makes you slower, more stressed, and less productive.

People leave their jobs for all types of reasons. Sometimes they move on to different opportunities, sometimes they retire, and sometimes, the change is initiated by you. Regardless of the reason for their departure, they’re gone, and you have some loose ends to tie up before you can begin the process of finding their replacement. Let’s look at five things you need to do immediately when someone leaves your organization.

In business, you generally know better than to make promises to your clients or customers. After all, what happens when you can’t keep them? Well, today, we want to highlight a couple of promises that managed IT can make—with confidence—for your business.

Having tools that help enhance your ability to support your customers is rarer than you may expect. One of the best tools a lot of businesses employ is Customer Relationship Management (CRM). The CRM system can transform how a business operates, but to make the most of it, you’ll need to employ some strategies. 

Have you ever imagined what life would be like if you weren’t buried in papers all the time? Loose sheets of paper, sticky notes, printouts… it’s all so wasteful and bad for the environment. But you can make a difference by going 100% paperless; that is, if you have the gumption for it.

In business today, technology plays a big role. Unfortunately, by using technology, each individual has to make security considerations. This is because there are more cyberattacks today than ever before. To keep business rolling effectively, today’s workers must carefully consider and understand their role in their organization’s cybersecurity initiatives. In today’s blog, we look at four ways they can do just that.

When you think about it, the technology we have today is truly awe-inspiring, simply because it enables us to be so much more productive as we exercise our creativity. All one really has to do to prove its value is to compare the quality of life we enjoy now as compared to almost any time in the past.

However, this does not mean that everyone is using technology to its full capacity and, as a result, suffering some consequential effects. Let’s consider some of these effects to reinforce why it pays to embrace the potential uses of technology fully.

Data fuels business, but we also share a large amount of data even in our personal lives. Even the most benign communications, like chats, requests to stop by the store on your way home, and even memes or pet pictures, are considered data—and where there’s data, there’s a place where it’s stored.

Today’s question: do you know where your data is being stored? And do you know the impact of that storage?

Many states’ stay-at-home orders that are/were designed to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus are now lapsing all over the U.S. As a result, business owners are re-opening their doors to a great deal of uncertainty. We have put together this guide to help the business owner understand that, even though you’ve finally been given the go-ahead, you have a responsibility to keep your staff and customers safe.

Unfortunately, we have yet another reason to reflect on the importance of data backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity for organizations everywhere. A week ago today, Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas, downgrading to a tropical storm, but only after it had already caused estimated damages totaling over $5 million amongst the islands of middle America.

When disaster strikes your business, it can cause a lot of problems; and many of them aren’t a direct result of the disaster itself. It’s for this reason it’s important to prepare your technology for a potential disaster. Here are four of the best ways to get your technology ready.

Disaster Recovery (DR) provides your business with tools and processes to restore normal operations following a disruption. Think of it as a safety net for when things go wrong. The primary goal of your disaster recovery system is to restore critical business functions as quickly as possible.

"Quit." The q-word is often seen as one of the worst four-letter words in business. However, there are times when quitting can actually benefit your operations.

Imagine you have a project consuming all your resources with no real returns. What should you do?

Transferring data between computers and devices is now a routine activity. Let's review the steps to ensure your data remains intact and your memory card stays in good condition before ejecting it from a computer.

What would you do if you lost your smartphone? While some might do their best to keep their composure and work to find it, there’s no mistaking the amount of data stored on our favorite mobile devices. Today, we want to walk you through some strategies for finding your misplaced or stolen device.

Secure and reliable file sharing has become essential for businesses. It makes collaboration, communication, and better productivity possible. With the increasing prevalence of cyberthreats, however, having a comprehensive plan to ensure the security of your files in transport is extremely important. Let’s explore some of the best practices for secure business file sharing.

Today, cybersecurity responsibility extends beyond the IT department; it's now everyone's concern. Experiencing a hack can be deeply unsettling, leaving you feeling vulnerable and uncertain about what steps to take next. This short guide aims to assist you by outlining the necessary actions to take post-hack, along with practical cybersecurity advice and measures to help you strengthen your defenses. Let's transform this stressful situation into an opportunity to learn and fortify your cyber resilience.