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Author: Joe Ernst

  • Solve Your Work From Home Issues With Cloud Computing

    Solve Your Work From Home Issues With Cloud Computing

    Has 2020 shaken your companies thoughts on work from home?

    Your employees like it and their productivity is high. Offering work from home as a staple of your company opens up your ability to recruit anywhere in the world and save a ton on monthly office spaces… but, you’re really not sure that you can effectively manage their work and keep it secure.

    This is where cloud computing, along with mobile technology, provides your customers’ employees the ability to work from any location that has internet access, via a virtual desktop or remote infrastructure.

    Cloud computing provides flexibility

    Cloud technology is what enables employees to work from any location, giving them access via a virtual environment to the same information that they’d have access to from the office. Collaboration and communication tools ensure that your customers’ employees can use the latest techniques and complete work at the same level as they would be able to from their office desktop.

    Employees can access documents and data that they need by using specific credentials to maintain security at the same time as giving them flexibility to work from home or any other location. This can be useful when your customers have multiple office locations, such as if they have a primary central office and smaller remote offices from additional locations. Cloud technology provides a greater level of flexibility and shared access to information centrally accessible via a single server.

    Increasing security for remote working

    Despite concerns your customers might have about security, cloud computing can actually work towards increasing their overall security levels as a business. Security measures can be put in place, such as user-specific passwords and encryption of files when there are attempts to open these by unauthorized users. Additional security measures can be implemented in the event of mobile devices or laptops being lost or stolen to prevent a security breach, so your customers need not worry about cloud computing compromising high levels of security in favour of remote working capabilities.

    Scalability for growing businesses – in the office and remotely

    Cloud computing also enables your customers to accommodate a large increase in a remote workforce very quickly, since employees can use their own mobile devices and laptops without incurring additional hardware costs. They can also access internal information via the cloud wherever they choose to work, and on any device. As long as each user is provided with access details, new employees can easily be granted access to all of the information that they will need, without them ever having to visit the office at all. This is ideal when there is restricted physical office space to scale up, and there is no restriction on the number of remote workers.

    Cloud computing and the future

    Cloud computing can offer a greater level of flexibility, security and scalability to your clients by enabling remote working. Find a specialist


  • Smarter Business Solutions: Best Employee Time Tracking Software

    Smarter Business Solutions: Best Employee Time Tracking Software

    Every business needs the right tools in order to succeed. Chief among these tools are employee management tools. When your employees clock in, when they leave: these are critical data points you have to have great tracking of. Time tracking software is how you generate payroll, and how you accurately keep up with billable hours, time management and project durations.

    When you get employee time tracking software, you need the best. It needs to be reliable, easy to use and easier to read. No one wants to have to decipher crazy tables and illegible data points in order to try to generate payroll. Today we’re looking at a few of the best employee tracking software solutions on the market to help you narrow it down to the best options. Run your business like a pro with these smart time tracking solutions.

    Beebole

    Don’t let the odd name fool you: Beebole is a great app for businesses of any size. Whether you have only 10 employees or 1,000, Beebole can help you to manage your team’s time. Of course, it can track basic time sheets, but it’s also great for coordinating project time management as well as budget monitoring.

    Beebole offers budget tracking, configurable time reports, one-click timers and a lot more. It’s incredibly simple and easy-to-use, but it’s also highly modular and can be configured to do pretty much whatever you need it to. To add to how easy it is to use, it’s also got a mobile app that works on all mobile devices, and can even be used when offline. Beebole only costs $6 per month, and there are even discounts for large groups.

    Scoro

    Scoro is a very popular time sheet program capable of handling tons of functions for your business. The basic time-tracking is there, of course, keeping up with billable hours employee in and out times and project durations. This information is presented in a clear and easy-to-read format, and can be used to help coordinate team efforts on project. This is a stellar tool for people who need their teams to work consistently on time-sensitive projects.

    Scoro is a lot more than just time-tracking, though. It also offers billing automation, quoting and invoicing, time and work reports, CRM and a lot more. It can probably replace three or four different tools you’re already using for these tasks, likely saving you a ton of money. Scoro costs only $26 per month per user, and you can try it out for 14 days for free.

    Harvest

    Harvest is a favorite time-tracking app of hundreds of businesses. It’s one of the best-known time tracking software solutions, and for good reason: it’s a very focused time tracker for businesses of small or medium size. It’s not like the other software suites on this list, though: it’s not a team collaboration tool, it’s primary function is as a time tracker. This single-mindedness makes it incredibly straightforward: it has one job, and it does that job quite well.

    Harvest is available in both free and paid plans. The paid version starts at $12 per month per user. The app supports real-time tracking of time spent on the job, generates estimates of invoices based on collected data, and can even integrate data from across a wide variety of time-tracking tools. In short, there’s a lot of very useful features under the hood of this deceptively simple time-tracking app. Whether you’re running a small business and just need an inexpensive solution for your time-tracking or you’re running a medium-sized business and need an efficient and focused time-tracker, Harvest can fill these roles for you.


  • Best Deals for Visiting Las Vegas

    Best Deals for Visiting Las Vegas

    You know what they say: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! Some of the most exciting shows and attractions can be found in the desert oasis that is Las Vegas. Whether you prefer concerts, theater, magic shows or sporting events, there’s a good chance you’ll find something you’re looking for somewhere in Sin City.

    Yes, pool parties, Vegas shows, gambling, food, music and top stars, are all awaiting you on a Vegas vacation. All you have to do is find a four-star Vegas hotel room and a cheap round-trip plane ticket. Fortunately, there are many great resort hotels in Vegas that offer experiences. For help sorting through the options, we’ve compiled a list of the best Vegas hotel deals!

    Best Las Vegas Deals

    Kayak.com

    The first site for Vegas deals we’re highlighting is Kayak. Kayak.com offers some great deals on hotels and travel to and from Vegas. This covers hotels and flights and can included tours and packages, as they are actually a conglomeration of several other travel and booking sites. They way it works is that instead of having to go to several different sites, you just go to one and punch in what you want, in this case ‘Vegas.’ Kayak crawls the other sites and brings up the various Vegas deals being offered at the time, with links to those sites.

    Vegas.com

    Vegas.com is a great destination for those looking to make Vegas their trip destination! Jokes aside, this site is wonderful if you’re trying to find deals for traveling to Vegas. They market their site as a way to see “Vegas from the Inside,” and, for what it’s worth, it’s pretty accurate. The site offers a ton of great insider info on tickets for shows, deals at hotels and venues for parties! They even help you find cool activities you might not have thought of and help you save money while you’re at it! Vegas.com also offers a ‘Best Price Guarantee’ that matches competitor’s pricing.

    LasVegas.com

    Not to be confused with Vegas.com, LasVegas.com offers a rather similar service to its similarly-named competitor. The difference, however, is that LasVegas.com is the official tourism site of surrounding Clark County, Nevada. The site offers vacation packages, hotel deals, tours, show offers and tickets, restaurant deals, resort packages and even planning tools to help you plan your Vegas getaway. They’re a great way to find deals on visiting Las Vegas!


  • Treadmill Workouts for People in a Hurry

    Treadmill Workouts for People in a Hurry

    Making time to monitor your health and fitness can be quite difficult. If you’ve got a busy schedule, you’ve likely found it’s very difficult to get time to focus on your exercise.

    However, having a treadmill in the house is enough to get you started with a few easy workouts. Remember, every little bit helps! Even a few minutes of cardio can be a huge help for your health.

    Treadmill Workouts

    Side-Stepping

    Get started by walking at a normal pace for a minute, then move to a gentle jog for two-to-four minutes. Next, go back to walking speed and turn to the side. Use the side rail, squat down, and do some side-shuffling. Do this for about half a minute.

    Then, return to a standing position and walk normally. Move up to jogging again, or running if you’re looking for a more intense workout. Keep this faster pace for about two minutes, then go back to walking speed and do another thirty seconds of side-stepping on the other side.

    Round this out with a nice five-minute cooldown walk.

    Sprinting Intervals

    Get started by walking at a normal pace for a minute, then move up to a jogging pace for about five minutes. This is a good warm-up for a workout.

    Then, up the pace to something close to full-tilt running and keep this pace for thirty seconds. Then, go back down to jogging for a minute and a half before cranking it back up to full-tilt for another thirty seconds.

    Repeat this process for as many times as you have time for. Ideally, you’ll want to get around eight or nine repetitions of this cycle in. Remember, if you don’t have the time, however, that any amount of cardio is good cardio!

    Finish your exercise with a cooldown walk. Take about five minutes at an easy pace to cool down from your workout.

    Classic Jogging

    Finally, a classic jog is great when you don’t have a ton of time. Start at a walking pace for a minute, then crank it up to a jogging pace for four minutes. Next, crank it up to a run for two minutes. Finally, take it up to a sprinting pace for thirty seconds.

    Once you’ve finished the sprint, work back down to a running pace for a minute. Then, work your way back into a jog for two minutes before finishing with a cooldown walk. Make your cooldown around four minutes. This is a great quick workout for when you only have about 15 minutes to dedicate to exercise.


  • Which Treadmill is the Best for Your Home?

    Which Treadmill is the Best for Your Home?

    Getting good cardio in is a great way to stay in good health and good shape. After all, exercise is a serious time commitment. What’s better than having exercise equipment at home to help save you time?

    Today we’re going to help you find the best treadmill for your home use. Here we go!

    Best Treadmills for Home

    Types of Treadmill

    There are two main types of treadmills. The first is the manual treadmill, and the second is the motorized treadmill. The difference is that manual treadmills don’t have a motor and can only go as fast as you can. As such, manual treadmills are usually set at an incline to help you move the belt with your own stride.

    On the downside, manual treadmills can be taxing on the knees and hips of the user. That’s because moving the belt with your own movement can be quite difficult depending on your personal strength. Manual treadmills tend to be less expensive, can usually fold away for easy storage and are much lighter.

    Motorized treadmills, on the other hand, are usually pricier, but they have more features. Heartrate monitors, various running modes and variable speeds are all available with motorized treadmills. Keep in mind, however, that motorized treadmills tend to be more expensive, heavier and noisier.

    These tend to be better served as home gym or workout room exercise equipment.

    Folding Treadmills

    If you have less floor space and need to be able to quickly put away your treadmill, you’ll want a folding treadmill. While most folding treadmills are manual, there are a few motorized folding treadmills. One of the upsides to folding treadmills is that they’re often less expensive than larger, non-folding versions.

    That’s especially helpful if you’re already on limited space. For those looking to save even more, opting for a manual treadmill allows you to run on a budget.

    Non-Folding Treadmills

    For customers looking for a more dedicated exercise platform, a non-folding treadmill is ideal. This goes double for motorized non-folding models. These types of treadmill tend to be more stable, higher-quality and more durable. This makes them ideal for dedicated workout rooms or home gyms.

    Non-folding models are, however, more expensive on average. If you want a stable, non-folding treadmill that won’t break the bank, consider a manual non-folding treadmill. This is a bit of a compromise, allowing for a stronger platform that also has a lower price.


  • Cloud Backup Services: Which One is Right for You?

    Cloud Backup Services: Which One is Right for You?

    Nothing quite compares to the feeling of losing all of your files. All the pictures, documents, movies, games and other digital materials you had saved are just gone. How can you make sure your files are backed up and safe?

    Using the Cloud, you can have peace of mind and security for your files. Here’s how.

    Could Backup Services

    What is Cloud Backup?

    A Cloud backup service is a service that periodically scans your computer’s files and uploads them to the Cloud. The Cloud is the colloquial term for the interconnected system of off-site storage servers used by various network companies. Namely, Cloud storage is decentralized storage for your files that is kept online.

    Cloud backup services are typically paid services that you subscribe to, not dissimilar from renting a storage unit in the real world. You’re essentially paying a company to hang on to digital copies of all of your files. This is a great system if you have a number of files that you want to keep backed up in case of emergency.

    Examples

    A number of companies offer these types of services. AT&T, Carbonite, Rubrik, Oracle and more offer you to access their cloud backup systems. These services are all similar: they let you back up and store your files off-site. Businesses often prefer to use these types of services, as they protect against hacking, sabotage, break-ins and fires destroying important files.

    For residential use, these cloud backups are awesome if you travel a lot or use laptops primarily. For busy people who are often on the go, automated cloud backups are a life-saver. You don’t have to even think about them: your files are just backed up. If you lose your laptop or it gets destroyed, you’re covered. Well, you need a new laptop, but, you know.

    Alternatives

    Cloud backups aren’t your only option, though. You can also opt to back up your files manually on an external storage drive. This requires you to actually sit down and manually make copies of the files to the external drive, though, so it’s not as “clean” as automated cloud backups.

    However, for those who want backups without having to pay a fee for cloud services, this is a good option. As long as you remember to back-up your files once per month or so, you’ll have a pretty good backlog of your own files. Then, if your files get lost, you can simply re-upload them from your external drive.


  • Crazy Ways to Get a Good Scholarship

    Crazy Ways to Get a Good Scholarship

    College is expensive. There’s no two ways about this. The ballooning costs of a college education are a serious problem in the US. While there are loans available for students, they’re generally not a great idea. The interest rates and penalties on private loans are downright predatory, and government loans don’t usually cover everything. To help you out, here are some crazy ways to get a good scholarship!

    Great Websites for Finding a Good Scholarship

    Collegeboard.org

    This site has a great number of features for you to check out. The site is primarily aimed at being a college planning site, but it has a whole division set aside for scholarship. Fill out your profile as accurately as you can and it will help you sniff out great scholarships! If you’ve been in extracurricular activities, have a high GPA or were on a sports team, include that!

    Even students who didn’t do any of those things might find good scholarships. Make sure you fill out all the info about your background, your family and where you’re from. There are scholarships for all kinds of things! You never know what types of markers you might have that make you a good candidate for a scholarship. That’s why it’s so important to fill out the paperwork as accurately and thoroughly as you can!

    Scholarships.com

    It should come as no surprise that a site called Scholarships.com can help you find scholarships. Jokes aside, this is a fantastic resource for college hopefuls. The site features scholarships from a wide variety of sources, and you’re bound to find something that applies to you.

    There are a ton of search criteria you can use to try to find a scholarship for you. Everything from scholarships for academics, sports, clubs and even backgrounds can be found on Scholarships.com. That’s not to say you shouldn’t also make a detailed profile! Again, you can never know just how many great scholarships are just waiting for you!

    Chegg

    Chegg is a cool site for a few reasons. The first reason is pretty evident right away: they’re a great site for finding textbooks! While getting textbooks for your classes is going to be expensive, it’s well worth it. You’ll usually fall behind your classmates and fail the course if you try to wing it without a textbook. It can be tempting to try to find the book for free online, but that’s not always an option. Some books are hard to find, and others are far too big to parse in PDF form.

    All that being said, Chegg is a great place to buy college textbooks from. They have good prices and a great search function. Whether you’re a freshman going in or a returning upperclassman, you should check out Chegg’s bookstore. As for the scholarships, they have a wide variety you can search on their site too!

    Simply go to the homepage and select “colleges.” Then, in the drop menu, select “scholarships.” As you would expect, there are a number of criteria you can search through to find a scholarship that’s right for you. They even have a “top scholarships this week” filter to help you find some of the most popular options among other students.

    As with the other sites in this list, you can also make a detailed profile. Make sure to include all pertinent information: it can help you get the best scholarships! Every little bit helps!

    The U.S. Labor Department’s Free Search Tool

    It’s good to check with this free search tool, as well. If you’ve already applied for FAFSA, this should be your next step. The government has a number of programs in place to help you figure out good ways to pay for college. Remember: people want you to succeed. Your success is important! Government programs like this is funded by taxes and made to help the people. That’s you!

    If you still need help after checking all of these sites, consider speaking to your university’s financial aid office. It can be really difficult to find enough assistance to pay for school! Just remember that you can take government subsidized loans out relatively safely. Just be really careful that you don’t take out more loans than you’ll be able to pay back!


  • Create Your Own Website for Free: Get Yourself Out There

    Create Your Own Website for Free: Get Yourself Out There

    No matter what you do, having your own website can be a huge boon. There’s a lot to be said for the strength of having an online presence for your brand.

    Maybe you’re an artist, a designer, a PR firm, a small business owner or a visionary. No matter what you do, a website can help anchor your image and give you an online identity.

    Today we’re going over how you can make your own website for free and make your mark on the internet.

    When it comes to making a splash in the digital sphere, less can often be more. Here are our tips for how you can make your own website for free.

    Create Your Own Website

    Pick Your Builder

    The first thing you have to do is pick out the site you’ll use to build your website. There are a few popular options, though the top three are undisputed. We’ll go over the top three and tell you what the major pros and cons of each are.

    Wix

    Wix is a popular platform that you may have seen advertised on various YouTube videos or web ads. A lot of people like Wix due to its high-quality mobile templates and ready-to-use site building tools.

    One need not know a great deal about web design to make a good-looking website with Wix.

    The free version of the Wix website builder results in a domain name that is under the Wix banner. If you opt to pay, you can get your own URL, which is great if you’re a small business owner and want your own identity.

    The free site builder, however, does allow for a robust suite of tools to make a site that looks great.

    uKit

    uKit is a very popular pick for site building, though it’s not as well-known as Wix and WordPress. It’s preferred by business owners, due to its unique layout and ease of use. The biggest draw to uKit isn’t the free version, however, but the affordable $3/month business plan.

    WordPress

    WordPress is one of the most popular site building tools in the world. In fact, this site was built on WordPress! Text-based sites that focus on articles are a great fit for WordPress. The free version, like Wix, gives you a WordPress domain.

    Keep in mind when you’re considering WordPress for your own personal website that it’s easy to add and change images and designs. There’s a lot of flexibility with WordPress, though the focus is much more on words than on images.