Direct Technology Group Blog

Let’s face facts… once you’ve spent enough time and money investing in your business, you’re going to want to see some return when the time comes for you to move along and let someone else take the reins. Whether that time is now or years away, there’s a critical element to keep in mind: any buyer won’t just be buying your business and its resources… they’re also buying any problems that come with it.

Therefore, instead of having your asking price suddenly chopped down when a potential buyer conducts their due diligence and discovers significant risks, investing in your IT now can generate significant returns when the time comes to divest from your company.

Email is a vital tool to have in the workplace, but it still deals with its fair share of issues—particularly in regards to time wasters and security risks. You can save time, money, and future headaches by proactively addressing your email policies. Today, we want to look at two ways you can keep email from holding your business back: spam blocking and archival solutions.

Do you find your computer filled with junkware and other types of software you don’t remember installing on your device? Even if you haven’t done anything wrong, you’ve probably made one mistake that has allowed junkware to accumulate. Today, we’re going to get into this mistake and the best way to avoid it: reading the fine print during any software installation.

Has your business implemented virtualization in any form? Chances are there is at least one part of your business that could benefit from a virtualization shift, whether it’s your hardware infrastructure, software infrastructure, or even desktop infrastructure. Today, we want to help you determine what the best virtualization options are for your business so you can take your digital transformation efforts to the next level.

Many organizations are fortunate enough to have an in-house IT department, but even the best teams can get overwhelmed. A small staff might be buried in daily maintenance, leaving little time to implement new, innovative solutions. If you're looking to upgrade your IT infrastructure, a great place to start is with a network audit. This is a detailed review that helps you identify what's working well and what needs to be improved.

Do you ever wonder how you could possibly have so much junkware installed on your computer? Even if it seems like you’re not doing anything wrong, chances are you’re making at least one vital mistake. Today, we want to break down this mistake and how you can avoid making it—which, it turns out, is as simple as reading.

Chances are you get a lot of unwanted messages, whether it’s spam or messages from threads, feeds, or newsletters you no longer want to receive. Thanks to some nifty built-in features in Gmail and Microsoft Outlook, you can easily unsubscribe from pretty much any website that’s sending you boatloads of emails, and it’s as easy as clicking a link.

IT support is one of those necessary parts of running a business, whether it’s to handle the small issues or the larger problems. The worst of us, however, take advantage of people’s need for IT support and leverage it in targeted attacks to exploit others. We’re talking, of course, about cybercriminals, and if you’re not careful, you might find yourself the target of a fake IT support attack.

Picture this: you’re at a major industry conference. The coffee is mediocre, the lanyards are itchy, but the networking is pure gold. You strike up a conversation with a peer, an owner of a competing company. After some friendly back-and-forth, they ask, "So, how are you guys handling lead follow-up from these events? It's always such a manual grind for us."

You smile as you pull out your phone. "It used to be," you say. "Now, we just do this."

You tap a custom form on your phone, enter the information, and press submit. "There," you say. "That person is now in our CRM, they've just received a welcome email with our digital brochure, and a follow-up meeting is already being proposed for next week. The whole thing is automated."

The look on their face? A perfect, beautiful blend of awe and envy. That’s the ultimate conference flex: showcasing a business that runs like a well-oiled machine. It’s a silent testament to efficiency, foresight, and having the right technology in your corner.

One of the more interesting accessibility features of Windows 11 is the ability to use your keyboard to move your mouse cursor. This is especially helpful if your mouse stops working or if it’s battery-powered, dead, and you don’t have a replacement. Let’s go over how to turn Mouse Keys on and off, as well as how to use the numeric keypad to move your cursor.

Solid teamwork is what allows businesses to thrive, but there are also many reasons this collaboration can go somewhat awry. It can be challenging to get a team back on track, but it’s not impossible. Here are four ways collaboration can go horribly wrong, but four ways you can help your collaborative efforts resume.

If you are like me, you’re constantly juggling a dozen different things. You spend your days building client relationships, refining your product, and handling situations you never could have dreamed up. The last thing you need is to lose sleep worrying about whether or not your data is safe.

The truth is, cyberattacks are a very real risk for everyone. Ransomware, phishing scams, and other cyberattacks can cripple your business’ ability to thrive. Here are some smart, proactive steps you can take to build a strong security posture that will go a long way toward protecting your digital assets.

Is your business prepared to square off against ransomware? It can be scary to even imagine your business becoming the target of an attack that essentially takes your operations hostage. Are you going to let ransomware extort money, hold your data for ransom, and threaten your business’ future? The answer is no, and we’ll show you how you can not only prevent ransomware attacks, but respond appropriately in case you can’t completely prevent them.

Do you feel sluggish, achy, or just plain tired after a long day of sitting? A simple change to your workday could be the key to improving your health and boosting your well-being: the standing desk.

The popularity of standing desks is growing for good reason. They are an easy way to combat the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Standing for even part of your day can make a big difference, and here are five of the top benefits you can expect.

Let’s face it, the Internet is absolutely everywhere, and most likely contributes to your success. That means it is important that your business’ Internet connection meets the requirements of your operations, starting with its bandwidth. Let’s go over what bandwidth actually is, and how to make the most of your Internet service.

How well is your business secured? At the very least, you’re bound to have a lock on your business’ doors, with additional locks protecting different rooms, desk drawers, and other resources, right? Of course… otherwise, you’re leaving your business vulnerable to all kinds of crime.

You need to have the same prepared for the digital side of your business as well, in the form of written policies. Let’s go over five of the security policies you absolutely need.

Your business has a lot of technology at its fingertips, but how effectively are you using it? Chances are some of your tools might have more practical uses than you might expect. One such tool is Microsoft Excel, Microsoft 365’s spreadsheet building platform. Here are three ways you can use Excel for your SMB that you might not have thought about.

How much does your business prioritize security on the organizational level? The more your business relies on technology, the more susceptible it is to the countless threats that exist in the technological space, and you have to remain cognizant of that as you strive to move your business forward. Today, we’re looking at how each and every individual on your staff contributes to the security of your organization and, consequently, its data.

Desk and digital hygiene might not seem to have a serious impact on your workday, but they affect it in more ways than one. You want to make physical cleanliness a priority, as well as digital cleanliness, so you can get as much out of your devices as possible. Here’s how you can do it.

You won’t get far on our website without finding an article or two talking a big game about the cloud and what it can do for your business. One thing is for certain: you can’t underestimate the value of securing your cloud solutions. It doesn’t matter what you use it for; cloud security is an integral part of ensuring your operations continue unimpeded and uninterrupted.