What Are Small Businesses Doing for Their Computer Recovery and Backup?

Computer Recovery Small Business IT Consulting

With cybercrime so quickly on the rise, data backup and recovery measures have become a priority for many companies, not only for large corporations, but for small businesses as well. Having printed copies of corporate data is no longer a viable solution, so here are some things to know about data loss and some of the advanced and common methods to ensure the security of the digital data.

Common Forms of Data Loss

Digitally stored data is exposed to many threats: digital equipment can sustain damage because of an accidental power cut or power surge; ill-intended attackers can try to break into corporate systems using various types of viruses, malware and ransomware. Computers can also malfunction without being attacked, problems that can lead to the loss of the data stored on the malfunctioning computer.

Measures to Prevent Data Loss and to Ward Off Attacks

Adequate data protection systems usually employ a combination of physical devices and software solutions. The best way to prevent any damage caused by fluctuating tension, power cuts and power surges is by using surge protector devices and with uninterruptible power supplies that will keep supplying your computers with current for some time after a power cut to give you enough time to shut down your devices correctly.

Another way to ensure data protection is by regularly backing up your vital corporate data or hiring an IT consulting Denver firm’s services to protect your business. The frequency of running the backup procedure depends on the data volume generated by your operations – if that volume is high, you should step up the frequency of running backups. Ideally you should store your data in multiple storage places, including physical devices, such as external hard disks as well as cloud-based storage. The physical media that you use for creating backups should be stored at a safe, off-site location that only your most trusted employees have access to.

You should also implement adequate measures to protect your system from attacks. The best way is to keep your anti-virus software updated at all time and to implement professional methods, such as advanced firewalls.

The Importance of Turning to Professionals

There are essentially two ways that small companies can ensure that their companies are backed up and their data can be recovered in case of a catastrophic event: they can either have an in-house expert or a team to handle all the tasks related to the process or they can outsource the process to a specialized company. The decision to choose one of the options over the other is usually informed by financial considerations: having a highly-qualified in-house team or a specialist is often much more expensive that working with an external company, even more so as the software and hardware needed for the process are very expensive. Turning to a specialized company for recovery and data backup services usually comes with a significant amount of convenience as well – the subscriptions and plans offered by these companies are affordable, easy to implement and they usually provide access to state-of-the-art technology that would otherwise be out of reach for many small companies.

How Can I Decide If I Need a Root Canal?

wisdom teeth removal Parker

A root canal is a dental procedure that has the purpose of cleaning the decay in an infected tooth pulp and root. This is a must-have dental procedure if you want to prevent tooth loss. Left untreated, a decaying tooth will eventually have to be extracted and you will have to choose one of the available tooth replacement options.

However, many patients put off a root canal procedure because they believe that it is very painful. In reality, only 17% of patients who had this procedure described it as “the most painful experience in their lives” according to a study conducted by a group of dental specialists.

How Does the Inside of Teeth Get Infected?

Contrary to outside appearances, the interior of a tooth is not a solid mass. The protective outer layer of enamel covers a porous substance called dentine. In its turn, the dentine surrounds a soft tissue called the pulp.

This pulp contains nerves and blood vessels. If bacteria penetrate the tooth enamel, they can go as deep as the pulp and create an infection. The dentist will remove all affected tissue and keep the tooth alive and functioning.

How Is a Root Canal Performed?

The dental specialist will use a miniature tool resembling the device used to clean clogged pipes. The device will effectively removed damaged tissues inside the tooth. Afterwards, the dentist will use an antibiotic to kill all remaining bacteria.

Finally, the empty space will be filled in and the entry point sealed off. Since this procedure involves penetrating the enamel, a tooth with a root canal will be more fragile and exposed to future infections than a healthy tooth. To prevent such problems, the dentist will probably recommend you to have a crown applied.

How to Tell If You Need a Root Canal

Wisdom teeth removal Parker surgeons corroborate that tooth decay and infection give a lot of warning signs. Interestingly enough, experts found out that symptoms differ depending on the type of bacteria that got inside the tooth.

However, most patients state they experienced one or several of the following symptoms:

  1. Sensitivity to Heat and Cold

If you suddenly develop sensitivity to hot and cold foods/drinks, most probably you need a root canal to resolve the infection. When enamel is compromised by bacteria, the sensitive dentine layer inside gets into contact with foods and drinks. This is what causes the sharp pain you feel when you enjoy an ice cream or a cup of hot tea.

  1. Pain When You Eat or Touch Your Tooth

Any kind of pressure on the tooth elicits a grunt of pain. This kind of pain will not go away. Painkillers only numb it for a period of time, but the problem – the decay – is still inside your tooth. You should go see your dentist as soon as possible.

  1. You Have Swollen Gums

Bacteria inside your tooth can spread to the gums and to the bone tissue in your bone. If you notice that you gums are swollen, reddened and/or painful, you may have a decaying tooth.

  1. The Tooth Is Discolored

With proper oral hygiene, your teeth should stay white for a lifetime. If one of them appears discolored, it is not because you do not brush it carefully enough. It is more likely that it is the outer sign of an infection inside the tooth.

  1. The Tooth Feels Loose

Can you move your tooth inside the jawbone? This is not a good sign. It means that the tooth is afflicted and may fall off or spread the infection to other teeth. A root canal will solve the issue and save your tooth.

Colorado New Construction Trends

homes for sale in Southlands

With the continued growth and evolution of the construction industry in Colorado, companies must stay up-to-date if they want to remain competitive. According to those who represent homes for sale in Southlands CO, here are some current trends.

  • Technological advances and integration will continue

The construction industry has been trying for some time to adapt to the current technological field; and this is a trend that will not go away. Construction project management software is getting better and better every day. However, technological advances in the construction industry are not limited to software. The use of drones is becoming more and more popular among construction companies, especially since they become more affordable. Not only is the technology getting better, but there are more options available, which give contractors the opportunity to get them for lower costs and with features that work best for them.

  • Artificial intelligence and virtual reality

These concepts are increasingly used in all fields including in construction. Technologies such as HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, Google Daydream are just some of the virtual reality available on the market right now, which offers a new dimension to buildings, in a virtual 3D environment. Here, architects and designers can show their creativity by taking various designs and drawing software. Whether it is about programs that let you draw, in real time, or about specialized software that transpose ready-made creations into the virtual environment, these tools allow construction specialists to enjoy a greater freedom.

Microsoft Hololens is a different but similar technology, combining digital elements with real-world images and managing to integrate a building on a street, along with other existing constructions.

The IntelRealSense camera is another technology that could be useful to architects and designers, generating as accurate renderings as they can view and modify, using virtual reality and augmented reality headsets.

  • Green technology in construction

Ecological construction is a growing field. More and more buildings and plans include eco technology in the construction process. Ecological construction is a way to build projects in an environmentally friendly and resource-efficient manner. It refers to planning, design, construction, maintenance and demolition. These methods are not so different from the classical methods of construction.

The construction industry accounts for about 20% of global emissions. However, considering the population growth rate in Colorado, more buildings are needed, and, in this context, the construction of environmentally friendly buildings makes more sense than ever. Nowadays, there is a significant increase of the research in ecological construction projects.

  • Growth of modular and prefabricated construction products

This trend continues to increase in Colorado, due to the high rate at which residential and commercial buildings are being built. The new materials and technologies are represented by different assortments of ecological cement, concrete reinforcements, wood, glass, bricks, mortars, additives, corrosion technologies, various types of ceramics, structural steel elements, prefabricated products made of wood, different types of polymers, fiberglass, thermal insulation, as well as sealing substances.

  • Better safety equipment and increased attention for health & safety, due to the evolution of technology and increased campaigns to promote safe work.

 

How Do I Get Fall Protection Certification?

fall protection certification Colorado

Professional fall protection training providers help workers gain theoretical, practical and educational information on the use of personal protective equipment for working at height. The training programs are designed to maintain the safety and protection of thousands of workers in a wide range of industries. From preventive and corrective maintenance to inspections and controls, from simple access to heights to complex rescue techniques, training providers offer a full range of services, but also products for the safety and protection of workers.

Courses are generally structured in several parts: theory + theoretical testing, as well as practice + practical testing. After successfully passing the exam, each participant will receive a fall protection certificate.

It is important to know that the fall protection certification Colorado training courses can be customized with the help of different modules, which may include:

  • Height Safety Awareness – Designed to provide a theoretical understanding of how to use simple techniques and equipment for working at height.
  • Height Safety Worker – Designed to provide an understanding of the theoretical and practical skills needed to use a range of retractable, positioning and fall arrest equipment.
  • Height Safety Rescue – Designed to provide an understanding of the notions of rescue in various situations. Training focuses on the presentation of lowering and lifting techniques.
  • Rooftop Safety Awareness – Designed to provide an understanding of the hazards and risks that arise while working on the roof.
  • Roof Worker – Designed to provide an understanding of the theoretical and practical skills needed to use a range of retractable, positioning and fall arrest equipment for roofing activities.
  • Basic Tower Climber – Allows users to work on communication poles and towers, climb fixed stairs and work on indoor and outdoor platforms, safely using protective equipment for working at heights.
  • Fixed Ladder Access & Rescue – The course covers the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to climb safely on permanent fixed stairs and includes the best practice techniques that regulate this type of operation.
  • Tower Rescue – The course is designed to provide an understanding of the skills needed to perform the rescue of a person on a communication tower or pole.
  • Cabloc Installer & User Training – The course covers the theoretical and practical knowledge for installing and using the CABLOC vertical lifeline system.
  • Cabloc Maintenance & Inspection – The course covers the theoretical and practical knowledge for the periodic verification of the vertical system of the CABLOC lifeline.
  • Other modules, depending on the specifics of your activity.

In order to obtain your fall protection certification Colorado documentation, you must also take into account the fact that age often becomes a limiting factor, as the risk of an accident while working at height is higher in the case of underage and older workers. Additionally, the current health level of workers also matters a lot, which is why, in order to obtain a certificate, you will have to bring proof of a general clinical examination to certify that you do not have any health problem (vertigo, visual acuity etc.) that could put you in danger while doing your job.

Why Look at Executive Search Firms for Help?

executive search firms

Hiring suitable people is important regardless the position, but the higher the position, the higher the responsibility involved and the bigger the damage caused by employing someone who is not a good match for a key position.

The process of searching for executive-level positions is very sensitive and very special in many ways. Executive positions are rarely advertised on job boards and the perfect candidate is also more difficult to find. The best way to handle the process is through outsourcing to tasks to experts in the field – to executive search firms. Here are the benefits offered by these companies.

Money Savings by Avoiding Bad Decisions

Hiring an executive who does not fit in with your corporate goals, culture or environment can be costly in many ways. A bad choice can increase turnover, making important employees leave and it might also decrease productivity and harm employee loyalty, all of which can have grave financial consequences. Hiring an executive recruiter for the process can decrease all those risks significantly through the recruiter’s knowledge and experience with hiring top-level employees for your specific industry segment.

Access to a Large Network of High-Quality Executive Candidates and Solid Data Bases

Executive recruiters use multiple channels and methods to identify suitable candidates. Most recruiters have their own databases of active and passive candidates that they can approach and they will also use their personal network in the targeted industry to identify key people looking for new challenges.

Thorough Screening

Recruiters not only request resumes from candidates – they will also perform background checks to verify the accuracy of the information in the resumes. As a result, the client can be sure that the candidates who pass that verification process are as qualified and experienced in their field as they say they are.

Reliable, Specialized Knowledge

Most recruiters specialize in certain industries, in segments that they know well. This also means that your recruiter will have a thorough, in-depth knowledge of the companies and the opportunities in your business environment.

Assistance All the Way

Most executive search firms provide comprehensive services that will also include assisting their client during the final phase of interviewing, when the candidates talk to the potential employer’s key decision makers. Your recruiter will also participate in the final evaluation of the candidates and in the final selection as well.

More Successful Employment Relationships

The thorough screening and the multi-round interviewing processes used by executive recruiters ensures that the candidate selected by the employer is a good fit for the employer company’s environment and culture, therefore turning to an executive recruiter is the best way to ensure long-term employees.

Maximum Confidentiality

Any recruiter, including the recruiters that specialize in finding top talent, are committed to protecting the sensitive data of their clients as well as of the candidates that they work with. Recruiters are bound by confidentiality, which also means that your company’s relationship with your competitors will not suffer any harm even if your new executive has been previously employed with a competitor of yours.

What to Look for in Pet Diapers

pet diapers

Adopting a pet is, in many ways, like welcoming a baby into your house. They need to be litter trained. And until they learn where their toilet is, or signal that they want to go outside to do their business, accidents may happen.

In this situation, until your pet is fully trained, you do what you do with babies: you put a diaper on them. Yes, there are diapers for pets, especially dogs and cats. And they are useful during various moments in their life.

When Should You Put Diapers on Your Pet?

There are special diapers for puppies and kittens. They are properly sized to fit their tiny bodies and will save you a lot of scrubbing the carpets and floors while you litter train them.

However, pets may need diapers when they grow up as well. For instance:

  • Adult males who are not neutered and leave their scent around the house
  • Adult females who are not spayed and bleed when they are in heat
  • Old pets that have become incontinent.

Thus, if you want to keep your house smelling pleasantly with a pet living in it, then pet diapers are life savers. Now, let us show you how to find the right type of diaper for your pet.

  1. Type of Diaper Depending on the Gender

When it comes to dogs, there are different models of diapers for males and females. The male version is designed to be wrapped around their middle and help them urinate comfortably. They are larger than diapers for females.

Diapers for females are useful in many ways. Apart from keeping your house clean, it absorbs the specific smell of a female in heat, so that it does not attract the unwanted attention of males when you are taking your pet out for a walk.

  1. Type of Lining

Although they have furs, pets have sensitive skins, just like us. And they can suffer from diaper rashes, too. This is why you should always pay attention to the lining of the diaper. It must be soft, especially on the edges going around the legs of the pet.

Also, just like with babies, once the diaper is wet, it must be changed immediately. Dogs and cats are very careful about their cleanliness and will not tolerate a dirty diaper on their body.

  1. Size

When we refer to size, we do not mean only in terms of age. There are, indeed, diapers for puppies and kittens and diapers for adult pets. But dogs, for instance, can vary in size from breed to breed.

This is why you need to buy the right size for your pet, using this list as guidance:

  • Size X-Small: puppies and small breeds, such as Chihuahua – 4-8 lbs weight
  • Size Small: Maltese, Pekingese, Jack Russell – 8-15 lbs weight
  • Size Medium: Beagle, Pug, Cocker Spaniel – 15-35 lbs weight
  • Size Large: Bull Terrier, Bulldog, Dalmatian, Collie – 35-55 lbs weight
  • Size X-Large: Doberman, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Boxer – 55-90 lbs weight.

Just like with diapers for babies, make sure you dispose of your pet diapers in a responsible and environmentally friendly manner.

How do Business Brokers Help You Sell Your Company?

Selling your business or finding the right investor is a complex and time-consuming process, which in many cases, gets on the nerves of interested business owners to explore the exit from the company. Consulting with a Business Broker specialized in selling business shortens the selling time and brings material benefits.

A Business Broker can help in this way with advice on how to sell your business

  • setting the price for the business is a real challenge for sellers, and a Business Broker connected to the market pulse, with experience and a network of business contacts can provide a valuable indication in this regard;
  • conducting a thorough analysis of the business, to know what adds value to the business and what could be the selling issues, from the perspective of the buyer – investor;
  • maintaining the confidentiality of the intention to sell the business and represent you before disclosing the details of the business and the owners, to those who are interested;
  • making important decisions during discussions with potential buyers;
  • promoting the selling in relevant business environments, taking over the requests from the interested parties and checking the veracity of the interest for the acquisition (qualification/ sorting the buyers and eliminating those who only ask out of curiosity or worse – the competitors who try to gather information in their own interest.

M&A advisors

You should interview several business brokers, in order to choose the one which is the most qualified and has the necessary experience for your needs.

  1. Check the broker’s credentials, experience and client recommendations

To determine if he or she will be able to devote the time needed to your business, ask how many businesses he or she has sold in the past year and how many businesses he or she currently lists. Ideally, the broker you choose will have experience in business sales in your field, the knowledge and contacts needed to promote your business. In addition, the broker should have good relations with professionals in the field, accountants, lawyers and bank representatives.

  1. Find a business broker that prioritizes your interests and listens to your needs

The more comfortable you feel with a broker, the easier it will be to communicate with them. You want a partner you can trust and with whom you can establish a good collaboration relationship. This will make the sales process easy and hassle-free. A good business broker will start by analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the business, your motives and goals in the sales process, and then create a marketing strategy that suits your business.

  1. Find a broker who has a well-developed sales strategy and a privacy plan

Ask the broker how he/ she plans to promote your business and how he/ she will find and select potential buyers. A good broker should be able to explain your strategy, advertising budget and the ways to keep it confidential. You will also want the broker to have a good strategy for selecting buyers, to save you time and maintain your privacy, making sure that you discuss sensitive business details with as few people as possible.

 

The Advantages of Having A Custom Business Sign

Whether you are just about to start a new business or you are looking for a way to strengthen your brand image, using custom business signs is an excellent tool to help you achieve your goals. A custom sign is a form of unique signage, created with your business profile and your mission in mind, an excellent tool to communicate your brand message at a glance and also an element that creates the link between your name and your products or services in an instant.

According to the statistics, about 80% of people decide whether or not to enter a shop based on how attractive they consider the company’s signage, so having a great sign designed for your business is something that you should consider. Here are some of the most important benefits that your custom business signs can offer.

Denver custom signs

Variety to Meet Your Exact Requirements

With Denver custom signs, you get to choose all the components of your signage design, from the colors, the textures and the graphic elements to the fonts and the text to be displayed. The endless options at your disposal make sure that with custom signs you will never be stuck with cookie-cutter solutions – the limit is your creativity or the creativity of the professional who creates the design for you.

If your business activity would benefit from seasonal signs, having a custom signs that can be modified freely is a great thing to have. Custom signs are designed on computers, which also means that you will have a template that you can freely modify to meet seasonal requirements. The best solution is to maintain the shapes of your design, changing only the colors or adding a few seasonal ornaments.

Efficient Branding

Branding is the process of building an identity for your company and creating a memorable sign that your customers can link with your products or services. The unique design of your custom business signs will distinguish your business from your competitors – a feature that is extremely important not only for new businesses, but for established, already successful brands as well.

Versatility

You can use your business signs across a number of materials – you can use channel letter signs in your shop, you can add your sign to your product packaging and your labels, you can use it on your promotional gifts as well as on your company website, your business profile on social media platforms as well as in your digital and printed ads. Once designed, your Denver custom signs will add value to all your marketing materials.

A Quick Return on a Great Investment

The best way to have a great and efficient sign created is to turn to a professional designer or to an agency. The process of working with professionals will increase the costs of your signage, but think of those costs as an investments into success. Having a professional business sign will inspire more trust among your potential customers and it will attract more people to turn to your business.

How Do I Find A Reliable Phoenix Water Damage Clean-up Company?

Water damage can be caused by many things – extreme storms and floods are becoming increasingly frequent, but natural disasters are not the only cause. Water damage can be caused by a burst sewage pipe, a leaking toilet, even by roof damage or as a result of a fire extinguishing process. If you home or your commercial property has sustained water damage, quick action is essential for keeping the damage to the minimum as well as for protecting your goods and the safety of everyone involved. The services that handle this type of mitigation and clean-up are water damage restoration companies – here are some tips to help you find a reliable service quickly.

Turn to Your Insurance Representative

Your insurance agent or the independent insurance broker that you purchased your property insurance from can provide you a list with the companies that you can contact or can take over the task of contacting a company from the list. The list will include only companies approved by your insurer, so they are likely to be reliable Phoenix water damage companies that have been verified by the insurer.

Phoenix water damage services

Carry Out Your Own Research

You don’t have to accept the recommendations made by your insurer – you can just as well choose to look for the right water damage clean-up company by yourself. If you choose this solution, be prepared that thorough research takes time. The quickest way to find a suitable service provider in a situation when every minute counts is by doing your research online – enter the query into your internet browser, identify three or four specialized companies in your area, check their websites to find out about their qualification, licenses, experience and about the technologies they use for damage mitigation and clean-up and check their reputation on review websites. Call the company that you consider the best – tell the person answering the phone about your problem, find out how the company handles the clean-up process, whether they can provide a long-term damage restoration plan and how long it will take the clean-up team to arrive at your property.

It is a good idea to inquire about the technologies used for extracting the water, for removing the remaining dirt and debris and for drying the affected spaces – you need a company that uses the latest, most efficient technologies available in the industry. If the timeframe seems too long, the technologies used are outdated or the company does not seem to have a clear and thorough mitigation plan for emergencies, call the next company on your list – a good and reliable water damage clean-up company responds fast (your ideal choice operates 24/7 customer service and can send you a team outside of working hours as well) and is able to quick relief for a dangerous situation.

Other Features that Make a Water Damage Clean-up Company a Good Choice

Ideally, the Phoenix water damage company that handles the clean-up should be able to provide assistance related to the insurance claims process, too. They should document the damage and the restoration process and they should provide you help with putting together your insurance claims file.

What Does General Liability Insurance Cover?

General liability insurances are policies that are mandatory for businesses in most states and provide coverage for third party liability claims, including bodily harm, property damage and advertising injury.

The Most Common Types of Claims Covered for by General Liability Policies

Liability claims filed by third parties are among the most common types of claims and also very expensive ones that can ruin an uninsured company. The most typical physical injury claims that general liability insurances cover for include slip and fall accidents suffered by one of the company’s customers during a visit at the company’s premises, while the other claims that belong to the range that general liability policies cover for include damage caused by you or by your team to your client’s property. Your liability insurance will also provide coverage for the administrative costs incurred by handling claims and for any costs related to court costs and settlements for covered claims.

general liability insurance Colorado

What General Liability Insurance Policies Do Not Cover for

Your general liability insurance will provide you coverage for a variety of claims made by third parties. For any damage suffered by your own business property, you will need a business property insurance, while in the case of injuries sustained by your own employees, you will need a workers’ comp insurance. The damage sustained by your corporate vehicles is also excluded from the coverage provided by general liability insurance policies – that type of events is covered by commercial auto insurance policies.

Making Sure that You Purchase the Best Possible Policy

Shopping for the right general liability insurance Colorado policy is not easy. First of all, you will need to familiarize yourself with the state-level requirements that determine the various aspects of the policy that you need, then you will need to actually start shopping for the right policy.

During the actual shopping phase, you have two choices: you can either turn directly to an insurance company and purchase your policy from them or you can turn to an independent broker or agent who work with multiple insurers and can recommend you various solutions that meet your needs and requirements. Working with an independent agent will give you the additional benefit of having an insurance specialist by your side, should you have any questions or should you need any help or advice in the future.

If you choose the first solution, you will need to start by evaluating insurance companies in terms of their specialties, their experience in handling general liability claims as well as their reputation in handling those claims. In the next phase, you should evaluate the coverage and the premiums – make sure that your policy is worded the right way and find out whether your business is eligible for discounts. Most insurance companies provide discounts for clients willing to make a more substantial upfront payment –insurers usually provide various payment plans that you can choose from. You might also be able to obtain discounts if you decide to buy multiple insurance policies in bundle – you might want to consider getting your other mandatory policies, such as the workers comp, the commercial property or the commercial auto insurance from the same insurer and benefit from discounted rates on all of them.