If you use Microsoft Outlook on a regular basis, odds are that you most likely take it for granted. Outlook has been around for many years, helping us manage our email and our schedules. It may seem uncomplicated, but it is in fact a very dynamic and robust program. To be able to make the most of your experience with Outlook, let’s take a look at some of its unknown features.  Below we’ve discussed only 3 of the often-overlooked features that help you work more efficiently.

Eliminate the Clutter

You probably have “Conversation View” switched on in Outlook already.  This view helps keep conversations neatly arranged into one thread. You can find the desired email without having to search through days of backlogged emails. There is a possible downfall to this view however. More recent conversations can become very messy with repetitive quoted text. Turning off this quoted text is very simply with Outlook.  Right-click the conversation thread and choose “Clean Up Conversation.” All the unnecessary repeat copies will now be eradicated from the individual emails in the conversation thread.

Say it in a Picture

Using screenshots in your emails is always a great way to successfully help express your message, especially for IT support problems. Inserting a screenshot into your email is very easy with Outlook.  All you have to do is click the “Insert” tab and then select the “Screenshot” option. From here, Outlook will create images of all the windows open on your desktop.  Choose the correct one and it will be inserted into your email.

Take Out the Trash

Did you know that all of those old emails in your trash folder are taking up lots of precious space? It can be easy to forget to empty our email trash. Outlook has made that simple too! Select the “File” tab and then select “Options.” Go to the “Advanced” section and look for the “Start” and “Exit” options. By checking the box after “Empty Deleted Items” when exiting Outlook, this will enable Outlook to automatically get rid of your trash folder every time you exit the program.

It is easy to fall into the misguided idea that you already have enough safeguards in position to protect your small business. You probably stay up to date with the latest antivirus software, but is that sufficient? You also probably believe that since you’re not really a huge corporation, you don’t have to worry about cyber criminals hacking into your system. But here’s the unlucky reality: cyber criminals have upped their game and are beginning to target small businesses increasingly more. Let’s take a closer look to  give you a better understanding of the level of danger your business may be under.

Small firms: low-hanging fruit

The truth is, hackers have realized that small businesses are easier targets, and are increasingly preying upon them. They are able to infiltrate their systems at a considerably faster rate, and with a better percentage of success as well. This means a cyber criminal can assault multiple targets in the time it would take them to lay siege to a better-guarded system with a higher level of data security. How can it be worth their while to steal from a mom and pop operation? In today’s modern world, practically every business makes use of digital payment processing methods. When your customers pay using a credit card, this data must run through your system to be validated. This represents a goldmine of data for hackers, as they can lift this data without being noticed. With your customers’ credit card numbers, addresses and names, they are able to make counterfeit charges on their accounts.

How hackers gain access to your data

Even though you most likely have systems in place to safeguard your data, hackers will make use of several points of entry, so firewalls alone is probably not enough. Destructive email attachments are one of the biggest offenders. These attachments can leave your system wide open for data mining. This year alone in the first quarter, 6 million malware programs were found. Aside from these more high-tech tactics, cyber criminals also use low-tech means to steal information. Phone calls or even personal visits by someone pretending to be a network administrator or security firm can be harmful. We all hope our workers are smart enough not to fall for an obvious phishing scam, but it only takes one slip up to open yourself up for attack.

The buck stops with you

Many people assume that since credit card companies are usually accountable for any deceptive charges that occur from a hacking event, that data security isn’t crucial. While this may be true for a consumer, for a business owner the result may be very different. Consumers will hold you accountable personally should their information be stolen. Damage control after an attack can cost a company thousands of dollars and in some cases a single attack can spell the end of business in general.

An ounce of prevention…

Taking extra precautions when it comes to your business’ data security is a very wise move. Continue to update your programs and passwords on a regular basis. Teach your employees good security practices like setting up strong passwords and instructing them to never give out login information or open suspicious emails. Hiring an outside consultant is another great way to ensure your clients’ information. These measures not only give you peace of mind, they tell your clients that you care about keeping them safe.

Our last blog post looked into the reasons why developing a vibrant business culture is crucial for your brand. The positive effects of a healthy culture are extensive, while the consequence of letting the culture of your company decay can be very damaging indeed. In our earlier post, we touched on ways to measure the cultural health of your organization, but just how do you enrich that culture if needed?

If you have determined that the culture of your company needs some tweaking or refreshing, there are several questions you will want to consider first:

• What traits would you like your company’s environment to embody? Originality, respectfulness, acceptance, fun, etc.
• What are the primary values or focus of your company? How can you make that prominent in the culture?
• Who manages the flow of information? How and what’s distributed to the employees?
• How do you reward or inspire employees now, and how would you like to in the future?
• Does everyone feel heard in the company? Do people feel free to voice their ideas and give their opinions?

More questions than solutions may arise, so brainstorming with your colleagues is a good approach to finding creative answers. Below are a few suggestions to start with:

Suggestion/Thought box – This is an easy way to allow people to share opinions regarding the current events within the company. The employee could elect to make the suggestion anonymous or not, and any suggestions or concerns could be addressed in monthly company gatherings.

Empower employees – Let your staff make decisions. Treat your staff as peers; allow them to have a say and listen to their suggestions. Also be a transparent leader. Don’t just notify your employees when things are great, but also make them aware tactfully when things aren’t going very well.

Flexible hours – You hired your staff because you have confidence in them to do their job. Permitting them to have fairly flexible hours will show you trust them to get their work done well and on time. The respect you give them will be reflected in the respect they give you.

Dress code – Today it is unusual that individuals are required to wear suits and ties regularly.  Giving employees freedom to express themselves with their clothing is a simple strategy to make them feel accepted for who they are. To take this one step further, consider themed days: silly hat day, bright clothing day, 80’s day, etc. It’s astounding how important self-expression can be.

Celebrate – A business is composed of the people in it, so celebrate together. A monthly movie day, a catered lunch, or lunchtime board game days are just a few ways you can get your staff together to celebrate.

Below is a list of things that real companies have done to incorporate some fun to their culture:

• Spontaneous Nerf gun wars
• Painting inspirational quotes on the walls
• Hitting a loud gong when there is a success to let the whole company know
• Foosball tournaments
• Lunchtime Yoga
• Lunchtime Crafting Club
• Monday Mad Libs, whoever wishes to contribute, does, and then the completed Mad Lib is emailed to the company