How to Use Technology to Keep Your Business Safe From Break-Ins

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Did you know that on average, only 1 out of every 48 shoplifters are caught? With sobering stats like these, it’s no wonder that billions of dollars are lost every year in the US due to shoplifters and others. For small business owners, these numbers can be especially alarming. Every penny counts, and crimes like these could be eating away at your bottom line.

You’ve probably been wondering how best to tackle this problem. When it comes to reducing theft, technology can be your best friend. Here are a few simple ways you can start preventing crime at your place of business.

Smart Locks

Getting a smart lock can be your first and easiest line of defense against after-hour intrusions. Smart locks may sound fancy and high-tech, but it’s a pretty simple concept and there are several user-friendly brands to choose from. In basic terms, a smart lock is a gadget installed on your door that has WiFi capability. You can communicate with the lock and employ its different features remotely, although the features themselves will differ based on the level of security that the lock brings. Some locks can be activated remotely, have voice and camera options, and can even activate other smart devices within the building. 

Security Cameras

When you hear “security cameras,” do you still picture those large black cameras hoisted high into a corner, watching your every move? While today’s security cameras can still record your every move, they’re very different from the old ones in that they’re mostly wireless. Wireless security cameras have many advantages over traditional wired security cameras. The number one advantage is that since they’re wireless they’re also portable, and usually also have the capability to be monitored from anywhere, not just within a store.

Lighting

While it isn’t a guaranteed method to prevent theft, having poor lighting can definitely increase a business’s chances of getting robbed. Criminals are more likely to do their work in the dark, so using technology to help brighten the surroundings may be a big help in preventing break-in.

Try options such as sensor lighting. Many new sensor lighting models can also be operated remotely over WiFi, letting you have greater control in monitoring the premises.

Theft is certainly a real problem, especially for small businesses. But thanks to advancements in technology, there are many new and effective options to keep your business safe. Take a look at the options available to you and stay safe!

Read this next: What Your Insurance Business Can Do to Create a Better Online Presence

Top Concerns Homeowners Have About Renewable Energy

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Renewable energy has only become cheaper and more accessible over time. And yet, lots of homeowners are hesitant to install things like solar panels on their homes to harness the power of renewable energy. Though it may not work for everyone, updating your home to use renewable energy comes with some amazing benefits. Here are the top concerns homeowners have about renewable energy!

Costs

There is an upfront cost to updating your home to run on renewable energy. Installing something like solar panels can cost tens of thousands of dollars depending on the size of your home and how much energy you use.

But in the long run, Solar to the People says renewable energy in your home actually saves you money. Utilizing renewable energy significantly lowers your utility bills, and over time that savings adds up. Not to mention there is a federal tax credit, and installing solar panels increases property value, so when it comes time to sell, you’ll be thankful you switched to renewable.

Lack of Sun

Maybe the cost isn’t such a big deal to you, but you live in an area where there is not constant sun. While solar panels may seem like a great idea in Arizona or California, in Minnesota or Washington, you may be concerned you won’t get enough sun.

But, by having a solar battery system in place, you can make solar energy work almost anywhere. According to Current Homes, a backup solar battery helps maintain power during blackouts and storms. By storing energy that is not immediately used while the sun is out, the solar battery can give you that energy to use later, when the sun has gone away.

Non-transferable

When you move, your solar panels won’t come with you. This is a concern a lot of homeowners have who are not planning on being in their current home for very long. But, according to Lightning Solar, solar panels actually increase property value, making them a good investment regardless. You can always get solar installed in your next home too.

Not too long ago, the idea of having solar panels on your roof would have been laughable. But today, we find that solar panels are accessible and popping up everywhere, helping humanity decrease its carbon footprint, and save money. Whatever your concerns are about solar or renewable energy sources in your home, you have nothing to worry about. Solar is safe, cost effective, and a great choice.

Read this next: Features That Will Bring Your Home into the 21st Century

Technology Must-Haves for Every Business

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When you are managing a business, you have a lot to juggle. However, you do not need to do all the work on your own. By leaning on technology, your business can become much more efficient and accomplish more tasks during the work week.

Software Subscriptions

In your business, there are many different tools that you can use to make your job easier. This is why you should learn to manage multiple different software subscriptions. Software can help you do many different things like keeping time sheets, managing communications, and client management. You can also have subscriptions to tools like Microsoft or Adobe suite that would typically cost your employees money, but you can get them at a discounted rate if you purchase them with a group bundle.  Like other forms of technology, the software will simply be doing a job that you would otherwise have to do manually or pay someone else to do it.

IT Services

As a result of using technology in your business regularly, you will need to also utilize IT services. This will help you fix any issues that may arise or figure out how to do something that you do not understand. People who work in IT are professionals and are trained to fix any problems on your devices or through the software that you use. That said, if you have a smaller business, you do not have to create an internal IT department. IT outsourcing has many benefits for your business. For example, you only have to pay for the help you do get and not for time wasted.

Video Conferencing

Over the last couple of years, businesses have experienced a shift to working online instead of in person and in the office. As a result, if you want to take advantage of technology, you should start implementing video conferencing into your daily interactions. This allows people to work from home and often cuts down on unnecessary chatter that often accompanies in person meetings. Consequently, meetings become much more flexible, and you can save money on travel expenses if you meet with clients out of town. There are several video conferencing programs you can choose from, depending on your needs and who you will be calling.

As you continue to build your business, you need to learn how to make technology your servant. Once you start benefiting from the efficient capabilities of technology, you can start focusing on more important things.

Read this next: The Best Ways to Use the Cloud for Your Business

Click Frenzy Australia – 53 Hours of Awesome Tech Deals and More

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Click Frenzy has been a part of the shopaholics’ grapevine when it comes to the best deals and offers throughout the year. The 50+ hour online event gives participants a chance to fill their carts and empty their wallets on items ranging from Tech to fashion inspirations. Rather than scouring the internet for the best sales, Click Frenzy brings all these awesome deals under one roof. You can get offers from your favourite brands from high-end to budget brands including Phonebot in Australia who recorded a massive percent increase in sales during the Click Frenzy promotional sales event last year, so we expect 20 to 30 percent off this year too including iPhone, Apple or Samsung watches, Airpods and many more, when the day comes.

Check out our deals and more!

Click Frenzy started in 2012 as inspired by the numerous mega sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday which were popular in the US. The founder and CEO, Grant Arnott, figured it would be great to have a similar mega shopping event in Australia and so Click Frenzy was launched. Its been over 4 mega sales per year from the first November 2012 event. Today, Click Frenzy hosts more than 500 brands and retailers spanning tech, fashion, travel, Home & Décor, electronics and entertainment systems. Participants in the mega sales are usually treated to an abundance of deals and exclusive bargains on products for 50+ hours after the sale goes live.

How to get in

To participate, shoppers have to sign up for free to become members of the Click Frenzy family. As a member, you get exclusive deals and benefits unavailable elsewhere. Members even get 30 minutes early access deals to begin their shopping frenzy 30 minutes before the rest begin shopping. Click Frenzy is known for wild, unbelievable bargains, epic promotions and unmatched discounts from local Aussie brands and international brands as well.

Click Frenzy has also been involved with other charity events and partnerships outside the retail sphere. They have partnered with organizations like the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Good 360 to help raise funds for research and support of ongoing programs. Through their charitable initiative and campaigns, the Click Frenzy community has supported those in need nationwide. Some of the events include the Click Frenzy sports and virtual canteen, Click Frenzy Places in Need to help areas affected by Australian bushfires, $1000 gift cards to small businesses affected by bushfires and COVID-19.

When and where

As a popular shopping online event, Click Frenzy is as intense as it is exciting. The next event in the lineup, Click Frenzy The Main Event, comes on the second Tuesday of November after the Melbourne cup. The Sale That Stops a Nation will be live from 7 pm AEDT and shoppers are in for a treat. 1000s of deals from national and global brands will graze the first major online event for 50+ hours. The Main Event will jumpstart holiday shopping with deals on everything from wearables and personal shavers to Laptops and lawnmowers.

Shoppers can catch a piece from the action from anywhere within or outside Australia. As Australia’s very own version of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Click Frenzy is home to irresistible deals so there’s no limit to how big you can go on spending. To join the sale, a pop up will indicate the sale is live and participants can now join. Click Frenzy will also send email notifications on deals as they go live. To ensure you get the pop up for the start of the sale, you have to turn off your adblocker and monitor emails if you’ve already signed up.

Going live

It’s easy to get caught up in the storm of deals and bargains, to ensure you make the most of your shopping spend, make a list of what you want to get. With a list, you can monitor Click Frenzy for the latest deals and check out the list of which brands will be participating. Once the product you want has been added to the list of special offers, you can add it to your cart and purchase it.

Several international brands have been part of the Click Frenzy retail bonanza for years now. Depending on the event lineup, you can get exclusive deals on tech, fitness and wearables or even the whole catalogue depending on the time of the sale expect to see deals from brands like Nike, Sketchers, Timberland, Dyson, Acer, HP and even Mac and Camilla. This year, we have had four Click Frenzy events starting with Click Frenzy Showcase Valentine’s Day that ran from 3-14 February and brought deals for valentine shopping, Click Frenzy Travel for all your travelling equipment needs, for 20th April, Click Frenzy mayhem that ran on 18th May, and now the Mega sale of the year “Click Frenzy the Main Event” that will happen on 9th November and showcase the Cyber weekend.

One thing about Click Frenzy, you can score no one or two but several bargains of a lifetime. The 50+ hour events from Click Frenzy are ways for brands to up the ante and give customers unbelievable deals. As a participant and shopper, you can’t afford to miss out on the deals.

High-Tech Upgrades That Can Benefit Your Home

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Smart Home assistant device, Virtual assistant , Artificial intelligence, Home control internet of things concept

Owning a home is a big step with many benefits. Once you’re comfortable and on your way towards paying off your mortgage, there are some upgrades you might consider to benefit your home even further. Here are a few technological upgrades that can help you make your home more cost-effective and safer.

Smart Devices

One great technological upgrade to add to your home is the use of smart devices. Smart devices come in all sorts of forms. One form that’s particularly helpful is installing a smart thermostat. These thermostats can connect to another smart device so you can control your house’s temperature from anywhere! Some smart thermostats even learn your habits; they’ll turn the air conditioning up when you leave to save energy and down when you’re coming home to cool down the house again. Another great smart device is smart door locks. For these locks, you don’t need a key. Rather, you can lock or unlock your door from your phone—from any location with the internet.

Solar Panels

Another great tech upgrade to install on your house is solar panels. Solar panels provide energy to your house from the sun so you don’t have to use as much electricity as you normally would. This, therefore, saves you money on your energy bill. You can also get a solar battery. Ideally, the solar battery should be hidden to prevent weather damage. This will make sure that your battery lasts long and works well.

Alarm Systems

Lastly, another great upgrade that can benefit your home is adding an alarm system. Alarm systems benefit your home in many ways. First off, alarm systems help to protect important items in your house. Naturally, they also deter thieves from breaking into your house. Thieves don’t want to get caught, so if they know you have an alarm system that will expose them, they’ll be less likely to target your home. Additionally, alarm systems actually often lower your homeowner’s insurance. If you have an alarm system, insurance companies feel more comfortable providing you with insurance because your home is more secure.

Owning your own home is exciting. If you’re looking to improve it, however, simple technical upgrades can benefit this investment in many ways. If you love technology and all that it has to offer, check out all the ways it can help your house!

Read this next: Technologies That Are Transforming the Home

Industries That Can Benefit the Most From Advanced Software Tools

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Technology has made many aspects of life much easier. However, businesses sometimes forget how it can be a great tool for industries as well. Many businesses have benefited greatly by implementing advanced software tools into their systems, which increase productivity and efficiency. Here are a few industries that can benefit in particular!

Marketing Agencies

Marketing is an industry that has evolved along with technology, and it can use software tools for many different aspects. When it comes to managing projects, you want to be able to stay organized and deliver quality products to clients. Using management software can make this much easier for you. Many marketing teams will use social media to promote products or services. Again, software can help here. You can automate tasks, schedule posts, and run analytics to help you see what can be improved. There are even software programs available to help manage your SEO or run a chatbot on your website. Digital marketing can be accomplished much easier through the use of many marketing software tools.

Information Technology

Software and information technology really go hand in hand. IT professionals usually come in to help you with your software. They might be removing unnecessary software, installing new software, or removing any bugs in the system. Since they are experts at working with software, it only makes sense that there are software tools available to make their jobs easier. In fact there are many tools that will analyze and monitor your software for you. There are also tools that can clean up your hard drive and other elements of your computer. IT professionals can use these software tools to better assist their clients.

E-Commerce

A great deal of shopping is now done online. It’s quick and convenient. But, in part because it is so popular, it takes a lot of work to keep such website pages running smoothly. Fortunately, there are plenty of e-commerce software tools available to make it easier. If you’re just getting started, you can use software tools that will make it easy for you to build your website and manage it all from one dashboard. Some tools also allow you to track the progress of your customers as they move through the purchasing process. Running analytics can be made much easier as well, and help you to pinpoint how leads become sales so you can hone that process.

Accounting Firms

In any business, accounting is a necessary but often complex job. You want to make sure your finances are managed properly. Accounting departments within companies and stand-alone accounting firms can greatly benefit from the use of different software tools. With accounting software, many tasks are automated, removing human error so you can be sure everything is being done correctly. Also, accounting software helps you hit deadlines and prevent clients from getting left behind. Your software can help you manage your business so you can deliver quality to your clients.

Healthcare

The medical industry is one where you certainly do not want to make mistakes. Human error will do more than just lose money, but could cost someone’s life. Using software in the healthcare industry, on the other hand, helps prevent errors and keep everything properly managed. For example, e-prescribing software can be used to reduce medication errors and streamline communication between doctors and pharmacies. Software is also used to gather and manage data. Electronic health record systems make it easier to collect patient data. It can then be securely stored and used across the system so everyone can have updated information.

Retail Businesses

The retail business is another industry that is very complex and has a lot of moving parts. Using retail software can streamline processes and improve productivity. Software is especially popular for automating certain tasks. For example, you can automate your inventory, billing, processing returns, and more. This is beneficial because it ensures that these tasks get done without taking up valuable work hours from employees and that the tasks are done correctly. Software is also extremely helpful for improved customer service. You can use software to manage chatbots on websites or create and manage a portal where customers can communicate any issues they are having, which definitely improves customer satisfaction.

Media Outlets

While there is still plenty of print media, a great deal of media is produced digitally. This includes online magazines and newspapers. However, the media industry is also heavily affected by social media. In order to properly produce, manage, analyze, and create media, you need to make sure you are equipped with all necessary tools. Software can make it easier to organize and manage projects for magazines or newspapers, even with creating infographics and formatting online articles. For any social media based businesses, it can be helpful to find a social media management tool. These tools help you run social media accounts while still being organized. They also make it easy for you to analyze your posts, accounts, profiles, etc. and gain a better understanding of public opinion.

Transportation

While transportation takes place in the physical world, it can still be improved by the help of software and digital tools. Transportation Management Software (TMS) is essential because it allows for more efficiency in the transportation industry. TMS can be used to plan routes, calculate costs, manage pricing, and measure the overall efficacy of the system. You can also use TMS for the benefit of passengers. Your system will automatically communicate with them if there is a delay, accident, or poor weather conditions that could disrupt their travel. TMS can also be used to automate tasks such as booking transportation.

Advanced software tools were created to make businesses run more effectively. Without having to do certain tasks by hand, you reduce errors and use time more efficiently. A variety of industries could benefit from the use of software tools. In fact, there are many industry specific tools that have been created, and they’re worth looking into!

Read this next: How Technology Can Make Employee Training More Effective

How Small Businesses Can Use Technology to Step Up Their Game

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If you own a small business, you likely don’t want to stay small forever. But expanding involves a lot of foresight and great planning. While you might not have been able to anticipate a global pandemic, finding ways for your business to work both in office and remotely was made much more possible by technology. How can you use technology to help your office run more efficiently while you’re trying to grow? What are the best options for small businesses as they seek to expand?

Cloud Software

The cloud always sounds like a nebulous place, but it’s the future of storage. While it sounds like a not-real location, basically cloud storage is just sending data from your servers to another part of the internet for backup storage! This is a good thing—having a backup that you can reach from anywhere, even your phone, makes it possible to do work from where you are. Cloud backup protects your work and that of your team, and makes it equally accessible to all in the company while protecting it from hackers.

Managed IT Services

Small businesses need various IT services, including VOIP solutions, to function best. VOIP, or, Voice Over Internet Protocol, allows several calls to be going on at once. This includes conference calls and client calls from varied locations. Having the ability to use various locations for a VOIP call makes a difference. Your team can work together more closely, and be able to keep in contact, both with one another and with clientele.

Faster Internet

If your company depends upon the Cloud, VOIP, and other services which are necessary for modern business, you want to be able to do that business as effectively as possible. While things like dialup have gone the way of the dinosaurs, if you live in a rural area or smaller town, you might not have access to fiber internet yet. However, searching around and installing both the fastest available internet for your area, and rewiring your place of business with cables which can tolerate faster speeds, is essential.

No matter what industry, businesses need the internet and technology to be able to grow and prosper! Figure out what services are best for your business’s growth. Meanwhile, make sure you’ve got fast internet, Cloud storage, and that you’re all set up with the best IT services!

Read this next: Retail Sectors That Need Specialized POS Software

Are Live TV Shows Still Relevant?

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With the growing popularity of streaming platforms like Netflix, many people aren’t sure what place live TV has in the world anymore. However, it has become increasingly clear that people are still tuning in to watch live TV. That means that live television remains a relevant space and a good place to reach an audience of people who are excited to see what is coming to them through their TV screens from their favorite channels.

Live vs On-Demand

First you have to understand the difference between live and on-demand television and the kinds of audiences they reach. Live television plays on your TV throughout the day while on-demand shows can be watched at any time. While there are many benefits to on-demand TV, live television still pulls a huge audience. Many people enjoy the excitement that comes from waiting for the newest episode of their favorite show to air. This is so true that even on-demand services have started putting out shows an episode at a time to keep their audience intrigued.

Advertising Power

Live TV also provides an excellent opportunity to advertise your business in an effective manner. In fact, 58% of consumers prefer TV ads over other forms of advertisements. That means that your television ads are more likely to be successful than other advertising options. Taking advantage of the possibility of television advertising is a great way to build attention for your brand and tap into a broad customer base.

Seeing Things First

For many people, the ability to see their show as early as possible is important. This helps them to prevent spoilers and to ensure that they are on top of the latest happenings in their favorite TV shows. For this reason, many people like to have access to live television as well as the ability to stream it later. It makes it easier for them to watch the newest episodes of their favorite TV and re-watch as often as they want through a streaming service. Most consumers are looking for a combination of both options to meet their needs.

It’s important to acknowledge that though the ways people consume media have changed, more traditional methods are still great. Many people enjoy the ability to watch live television on a regular schedule. Finding ways to maximize upon both options will make things simpler and ensure that you have access to everything you need.

Read this next: New Research by University of York shows everyday technology helps people feel less lonely

The Best Ways to Use the Cloud for Your Business

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To succeed in business, you need to keep up with the latest in technology. Cloud-based technology systems are crucially helpful in managing and organizing your business documents. There are so many ways to take advantage of the cloud to benefit your business. 

The Ultimate Backup

The most important reason to utilize a cloud system is to have a backup. In the event of a server failure or other unexpected data loss, having a cloud backup system will make sure you don’t lose any important files. Companies that suffer large data losses are at a higher risk of bankruptcy than companies that don’t. Using cloud-based storage for everything from your most important documents to day-to-day communications is the only way to protect your company from major data losses. Cloud-based storage systems can also provide excellent security to prevent hacking.

Keeps Everything Organized

Another benefit of using a cloud-based storage system is that it is easier to keep everything organized. You can set up separate folders by teams, projects, or other types of categories. This allows everyone in your company to keep their work organized in the appropriate folders so everyone can find their needed documents. Because everyone who needs to can access everything, your business will always be synced up. It is easy to make changes and move documents to different folders as necessary if your organization system changes. 

Easily Share Files

Cloud-based storage systems also make it easy to share files with those who are inside of and outside of your organization. You can control permissions on documents and folders, so privileged information can remain private. In addition, you can make sure that anyone who needs access to a document or folder can easily receive access through the permissions you allow. Cloud-based storage systems also allow you to decide who has access to edit or view documents. Another benefit is you can allow those you are working with outside of your organization the permission to upload files to your cloud system. This allows for easy collaboration with members inside and outside of your organization.

There are so many benefits to using a cloud-based system for your business, from staying organized to avoiding large data losses, cloud-based organization systems make many aspects of running your business that much easier. Making the most of your cloud-based system will make it easier to manage your business successfully.

Read this next: How Technology Can Improve Efficiency in Business

How to Be a More Tech Savvy Homeowner

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As a homeowner, your fiscal investment depends upon your taking care of it. This is, of course, exhausting after a while! There are so many tiny things which need to be cared for in a home; however, those tasks are much easier than they used to be thanks to new and upcoming tech products. How can you use technology to become a more savvy homeowner?

Install a Security System

First things first: your home needs to be protected. Chances are, unless you own an older home, a security system was installed on your property. Likely, though, it’s outdated. According to Consumer Reports, modern security systems have options for monitored doorbells, window and door sensors, and property monitoring in varied ways. Some can give you the options of having deliveries monitored, or for you to monitor your home online from a remote location. What specifically you need is dependent upon what crime is in your area, and specifically how many square feet of coverage and acreage you need cared for.  

Solar Energy

People can often erroneously have concerns over installing solar power, thinking it will not be useful on days when it is not sunny. Nothing could be further from the truth. According to AMP Smart, solar can be combined with battery storage to give you more control over your power. While solar rebate options in most states are ending in 2022, that still gives you five months to choose whether solar could be a good bet for your home. Owning your own panels gives you options to not be dependent upon the electrical grid as well, which is increasingly important in certain states.

Regulate Your Temperature

A simple install and simple to use computerized thermostat can save you a great deal of money in the long run! Many consumers turn their thermostats up midday, for their air conditioner to not be overworked in the heat of the afternoon, and down slightly at night, so as to sleep in cooler air. If you’re like many, though, this can mean forgetting to turn the temperature back to a more regular setting and paying the bills for it later. According to Hunker, digitally connected thermostats that connect to an app on your phone can save you up to $100 on yearly electrical bills, as you can change the temperature whenever and wherever you are!

Sometimes new technology can seem intimidating, especially if you’re the one expected to install and use it. But don’t worrythere are excellent technicians who can help with the installation process. Your safer, more efficient, better protected home is waiting for you!

Read this next: How Mobile Apps Have Transformed Personal Finance

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