September 29th, 2023 → 5:05 pm @ kamind // No Comments
As a former hostage negotiator for the FBI, I have been writing about ways negotiators take themselves hostage and what you can do to avoid making these same missteps. I’ve recently identified three new negotiation tactics that end up putting you in a terrible position at the table. Read on to learn more about each of them and what you can do to avoid having these negotiation tactics derail your efforts. 1. YOU BELIEVE IN LEVERAGE (“THERE IS NO SPOON.” FROM “THE MATRIX”). Jim Camp, the author of “Start With No”— one of our top 12 must-read books for expert negotiators — has always said that there’s no such thing as leverage. In the early days of my company, The Black Swan Group, we used to say the opposite: “There is always leverage.” How do you sort this out? Change “leverage” to “influence” — “trust-based influence,” more specifically. If you’re […]
September 29th, 2023 → 5:03 pm @ kamind // No Comments
Discovery Channel’s Mike Rowe On The Power Of Authenticity In Communication To Influence Your Audience Mike Rowe’s mother, Peggy Rowe, always finds a way to outdo her son — and she does so in a way only mothers can. “I am so brutally and relentlessly upstaged at every turn by my mother,” Mike said. Peggy Rowe is a retired teacher, mother of three boys, wife of more than six decades and the author of two books, but it’s her simple, tell-it-like-it-is one-liners (with a mother’s touch) that Peggy is known for. They dig at the root of the stories she’s uncovering as a journalist, author, wife and mom. At least, that’s what happened one day when Peggy called Mike about his grandfather, Carl. As Mike explained, everyone knows a man like Carl. He was the product of a seventh-grade education, but he could solve more problems with his hands than […]
May 3rd, 2023 → 7:38 pm @ kamind // No Comments
Tech Tips To Improve Productivity And Focus Technology has become essential to our society. We use it for nearly every aspect of our lives, from entertainment to personal security. Unfortunately, it’s not all good, and over time, many of us have developed some negative tech habits. When we’re supposed to work or stay productive, we might turn to our phones or tablets and scroll through social media or the news. There’s no better time than the present to shake these harmful habits so we can become more productive. The good news is that technology can actually help improve our overall productivity. The pandemic forced many of us to start working remotely or in a hybrid environment, which makes it even more important for us to use technology to stay focused and productive. Technology does not have to be a distraction: it can help us stay on task and achieve our […]
April 30th, 2023 → 7:43 am @ axionadmin // No Comments
As you know, the GCC (Government Community Cloud) is a specialized type of Cloud deployment that allows defense contractors to secure datasets provided to them from the DoD. GCC High, is a separate data center that meets the Government standard for security and is located in the Continental United States and managed by US citizens. In one of our recent blogs, we examined how to deploy Audio Conferencing for this. In this blog, we examine how to deploy the SBC (Session Base Controller) for it as well. What Is The SBC? It is acronym that simply stands for “Session Border Controller”. In non-technical terms, this is the tool that is used to help protect and secure any VoIP based communications that you are engaged with. A company that deploys a SBC has complete control over the VOIP data traffic and can secure the traffic as needed. To deploy it, follow […]
March 29th, 2023 → 10:40 pm @ kamind // No Comments
There is an endless number of things a business owner should do for their business to be successful. They must develop a product or service that can attract customers, hire and train a team to oversee day-to-day operations, implement marketing strategies and so much more. While all these tasks are essential for your business to be profitable, your business will never get off the ground if you aren’t compliant with standards that affect your industry. Compliance standards are guidelines or rules that organizations must follow to meet legal, regulatory or industry requirements. These standards are designed to ensure organizations ethically conduct business – by protecting the rights and interests of their customers, employees and other stakeholders. When an organization does not maintain its compliance standards, it will be met with fines, legal action and other penalties. Many compliance standards that apply to most organizations involve sensitive information protection. Here are […]
March 6th, 2023 → 10:20 am @ kamind // No Comments
Whenever a business gets an Azure or M365 account (or perhaps even both), a sense of excitement starts to fill in. After all, now you can do those projects and other items you have always wanted to do, at a very affordable price, you can scale resources up and down as you need, and you can perform tasks from wherever and whenever you want to, in a secure manner. But what happens if a license expires? What happens when Azure consumption is not paid? Is it the end of the world? Not really, and we explain the entire process in this article. What The Process Is Like Just because your license ends, it does not mean that you have lost all of your data or access to M365 or Azure portals, at least initially. Here is what exactly happens after a license is expired: 1. 365 Expiration: Once your M365 […]
March 2nd, 2023 → 4:09 pm @ kamind // No Comments
The rate of cyber-attacks has significantly increased over the past few years. Businesses of all sizes are at risk of becoming victims of them, which is why it’s crucial that every business owner and leader is aware of the most common cyberthreats impacting the business world today. Being aware of common cyberthreats and developing plans to prevent them is the best way to protect your business, customers and employees from cybercriminals. These criminals’ tactics will improve as technology continues advancing, but cyber security defenses will as well. Knowing exactly what you’re up against with cyber-attacks and creating the proper safeguards will protect your business. If you’re new to the idea of cyber security or need an update on the common threats that could impact your business, we’ve got you covered. Below, you will find the most common types of cyber-attacks out there and how to protect your business from them. […]
February 28th, 2023 → 8:53 pm @ kamind // No Comments
Introduction As we mentioned in a recent blog, Microsoft Teams is now evolving into a juggernaut in the video conferencing realm. There are two versions of it, the Premium, and the Basic. In this blog, we review what the latest is in the premium version. What is New In Teams Premium? There are a number of strategic benefits, which include the following: Meeting customization: Given the technological advances of today, one simply cannot have a business meeting at the local coffee shop. Instead, you need to customize it so that it fits the needs of what you are trying to accomplish with your audience. Because of this, Teams Premium comes with a brand-new functionality called “Meeting Guides”. With this, you can create the environment that is best suited for your meeting, in order to make it as productive as possible. You can select a template that is most appropriate, and […]
January 9th, 2023 → 9:16 am @ kamind // No Comments
The new year is upon us, and many business owners will use this opportunity to create plans to ensure that 2023 is as profitable as possible. You can devise all kinds of business resolutions you want to focus on during the year, but most of the time, business owners think about key performance indicators like sales opportunities, customer loyalty or referrals. Still, while these are vital, it’s just as important to include resolutions relating to new technological advancements. You can see growth in many different areas when you improve the technology within your business. Some improvements will help you make each experience better for your customers, while others will allow you to save time and money. If you’re unsure of what tech resolutions to make, don’t panic; we’re here to help! Here are three tech resolutions to think about in 2023 – they will help you both improve and protect your business. Improve […]
December 6th, 2022 → 7:44 pm @ kamind // No Comments
The year 2022 will soon be on its way out the door. It became a year full of ups and downs for many small businesses, but it still felt more promising than the past few years in the midst of the pandemic. Many small-business owners used this past year to reevaluate their IT services. Some needed to strengthen their cyber security defenses while others utilized new advancements to further assist their customer base. If you’re a small-business owner, it’s essential that you’re aware of the IT news, trends and events that took place in the recent past. In fact, knowing what happened in the previous year can allow you to develop plans for the future so 2023 will be successful for you and your business. You shouldn’t continue following old trends because the competition will quickly leave you behind, and that could open you up to cyber-attacks you didn’t know […]
