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Directive has been serving the Oneonta area since 1993, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Tip of the Week: How to Find the Right Outsourced IT Company for Your Business

b2ap3_thumbnail_your_outsourced_it_provider_400.jpgAs your company expands, you’re beginning to realize that one IT person isn’t enough to handle all of your technical needs. You feel like you need more hands on deck, but your budget won’t allow for it. You decide that your best option is to hire slowly and steadily, interviewing externally for the most qualified individuals. But, how can you be sure that they meet the needs of your company?

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Tip of the Week: How to Add User Profile Management to Google Chrome

b2ap3_thumbnail_add_profile_management_400.jpgGoogle’s web browser Chrome has a ton of nifty features that users can take advantage of. One of them is the ability to “lock” browser windows, and to allow only certain guest users access to the Internet through Google Chrome.

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Tip of the Week: 3 Easy Ways to Connect Your Business with Your Community

b2ap3_thumbnail_is_your_community_involved_400.jpgIt’s important for a business to be connected with their community. Even if you have a global market, it’s still important to invest in the city you’re headquartered in. It’s where you and your employees live, and if you can build relationships and connect with other organizations in your community, only good things can come from it.

Here are three easy ways your business can become more involved and respected within your community.

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5 Tips to Enhance Your Next PowerPoint Presentation

b2ap3_thumbnail_presentation_with_powerpoint_400.jpgAs a business leader, you’re expected to make a presentation from time to time. This is where Microsoft PowerPoint comes in handy. However, if your PowerPoint presentation is lame, your message will suffer because of it. Here are five tips to help you make a dynamic PowerPoint presentation.

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Tip of the Week: How to Know Who Is Using Your WiFi

b2ap3_thumbnail_how_to_wifi_400.jpgWe all know how annoying WiFi can be at times. Sometimes it’s simply a bad connection, or perhaps there are too many devices accessing your network. Or, maybe it’s your sneaky neighbor stealing your WiFi. Regardless of what the cause is, there’s a way to check your WiFi usage in the Windows operating system.

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Tip of the Week: Set Up 2-Step Verification for Your Google Account

b2ap3_thumbnail_googles_two_factor_authentication_400.jpgToday’s headlines are dominated by stories of major companies getting hacked, making the average computer user feel uneasy about their security. If you’re solely dependent on a measly password to protect you from hackers, then you’ve got good reason to worry. Adding a second layer of verification is an easy way to protect your information. Here’s how to set up 2-Step Verification for your Google account.

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Tip of the Week: How to Respond to Internet Trolls and Online Criticism

b2ap3_thumbnail_internet_troll_400.jpgNot everyone you meet on the Internet is going to have the same opinion as you. This ordinarily wouldn’t be a problem, since most people are reasonable and can realize when not to open their mouth; but on the Internet, anonymity breeds a foul creature with a mind for mischief: The Internet troll. They often respond to posts and comments in a condescending or crude, obnoxious manner in a deliberate attempt to anger the original poster.

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Tip of the Week: 5 Technologies to Get Maximum Productivity Out of Your Employees

b2ap3_thumbnail_maximum_productivity_400.jpgWhen it comes down to it, your employees are being paid for their time spent at work. Business operates on the principle of “time is money,” which means that every minute wasted cuts into your bottom line. If you’re looking to squeeze the most productivity out of your employees, then there are technologies available that can take back those precious minutes.

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Tip of the Week: Understanding Business Technology Acronyms

b2ap3_thumbnail_what_do_these_acronyms_mean_400.jpgBefore investing in a solution for your business, it’s important to understand what you’re getting into. Sometimes it can be difficult, especially with all of the jargon floating around. In fact, an excessive amount of this “geekspeak” can intimidate prospective clients, and maybe even frighten away a sale. While it’s avoided as much as possible, it sometimes can’t be helped, and some business owners are still lost on certain sayings or acronyms.

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Tip of the Week: 7 Ways to Secure Your Smartphone

b2ap3_thumbnail_security_for_smartphones_400.jpgSmartphones may have been some of the first Internet-connected mobile devices, but they are still as vulnerable to attack as ever. This is especially true for those who forsake any sort of mobile device security policy. With modern businesses utilizing mobile devices, it’s more important now than ever before to have solid security practices in place.

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Tip of the Week: How to Go Back in Microsoft Word

b2ap3_thumbnail_ms_word_400.jpgWhen working on a project, it can be helpful to retrace your steps. This is especially true when using Microsoft Word. To help you find where you were last at in Word, Microsoft has a Go Back command that’s not very well known. For this week’s tip, we’ll show you how to use it.

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Tip of the Week: How to Avoid Office Burnout

b2ap3_thumbnail_office_burnout_400.jpgWhen a hard-working business owner such as yourself gets going, you keep working until you’ve got nothing left to give. This is commonly known as “office burnout,” and isn’t healthy for anyone, or anything; especially your business and office relationships.

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Tip of the Week: How to Stay Safe on a Public WiFi Network

b2ap3_thumbnail_public_wifi_400.jpgWith the Internet of Things fast approaching, and BYOD becoming prevalent in the business world, there are a lot more devices connecting to wireless networks now than at any time in history. This makes new technology far more mobile, but it also means that more threats are able to access networks from countless new entry points. These threats can access your business’s devices which contain sensitive corporate data. How can you protect your devices from this wave of new threats?

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Tip of the Week: How to Avoid 7 Common Communication Blunders

b2ap3_thumbnail_not_like_that_400_20150204-141300_1.jpgAt this point, running your business is easy as pie; however, you might still be having issues dealing with your team. The problem might lie in how you’re communicating with them. Even something as simple as changing the way you make small talk in the office could drastically improve your reputation in the eyes of coworkers, and increase employee morale.

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4 Ways to Be Productive During Your Commute

b2ap3_thumbnail_commute_productivity_400.jpgA business owner knows better than anyone how difficult it can be to manage their time and get the most out of their workday. However, you can use your morning and afternoon commutes to eliminate certain mundane tasks from your day-to-day schedule. By using this time to your advantage, you can reduce the stress you’re put under on a daily basis and free your schedule for more important tasks.

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Tip of the Week: 4 Android Device Lock Settings

b2ap3_thumbnail_android_security_400.jpgThe busy business owner keeps sensitive work-related information stored on their mobile device. If he lost the device, it could have disastrous results, especially if the device were to fall into the hands of an experienced hacker or competitor. Just in case, it’s a best practice to always lock your mobile devices. How do you choose the Android lock feature which is right for your unique needs?

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Tip of the Week: Try an Ergonomic Workstation Setup

b2ap3_thumbnail_ergonomic_workplace_400.jpgSometimes you feel exhausted when you get out of work, but you have no idea why. It might be because you’re straining your eyes too much by staring at the computer screen. Or, maybe it’s your back that’s killing you, and even moving slightly is a pain. Perhaps it’s carpal tunnel ravaging the nerves in your wrist. If any of this sounds familiar, it’s safe to say that you could use a workstation overhaul.

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Tip of the Week: How to Safely Use a Public PC

b2ap3_thumbnail_public_computer_security_400.jpgPublic computers are like public restrooms. You really don’t want to use them unless you absolutely have to. Coincidentally, the reason to avoid each public service is the same; viruses--both of the biological and the digital variety. Thankfully, there’s a way to sanitize your data so that you can safely use a public PC.

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How to Prevent Email Spam

b2ap3_thumbnail_prevent_spam_400.jpgWhile email offers several great benefits to those willing to deal with it, the most popular method of communicating in the office has its flaws. One of the most crippling is spam, which can ruin your inbox and your productivity. The unfortunate truth is that even the most diligent workers get hit with spam, but that doesn’t mean that your business’s productivity needs to suffer from it.

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Tip of the Week: 4 Ways to Get the Most Mobile Device Memory

b2ap3_thumbnail_phone_memory_400.jpgAs a technology consumer, you might realize that your mobile device’s hard drive storage space is somewhat lackluster compared to your needs. Countless photos, applications, and videos take up a ton of space, and if something were to cause the device to fill up suddenly, you’d be out of luck. How can you prevent this? You can start by using these four tips to get around your device’s lack of storage.

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Our business began its journey with the purchase of a personal computer back in 1992. This purchase ignited a passion with Chris Chase, our CEO, and there was no stopping its momentum. Less than one year later, he had his first IT support client (and...

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