Horne & Benik Networks Blog

Are you constantly looking to improve your small business and stay ahead of the game? Let’s talk about some tech that can seriously boost how you operate: artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and cybersecurity.

Juggling everything in a small business is tough. Are you constantly dealing with IT issues when you barely have time to do your normal work? You're not alone. Many small businesses find IT more of a hassle than a help.

Are you making security a priority for your business? While it’s one thing to protect your network, it’s another to protect your business’ physical location. If you don’t implement processes and solutions to secure your office, you might be in a position where someone could steal equipment, data, or worse. Here are some ways to prioritize physical security for your business, too.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming one of the most exciting tech trends out there, but it is difficult to know where to start. It means using Internet-connected smart devices to help businesses run better. Some companies think IoT is too expensive or too complicated, but when done right, it can actually save a lot of money and make things work smoother. Let’s break down how businesses are using IoT and why it’s totally worth it.

Running a small business is already a juggling act. Now toss managing IT into the mix and watch the balls start to bounce in every direction. IT for small businesses isn’t just plugging in a few computers and setting up Wi-Fi. It’s an ever-growing web of systems, tools, security measures, and the occasional mysterious error message that nobody understands. Let’s take a look at some of the things that every small business owner needs to look at as far as their technology is concerned.

Modern cybersecurity requires you to lock down numerous access points to protect your business, using various tools to accomplish sufficient security precautions. The password manager is one such tool that can genuinely save your metaphorical bacon.

Let’s explore how this essential tool works and why it is valuable for your business to implement.

Imagine for a moment a world where you don’t have to distribute devices to your employees and can instead rely on your team to provide them. With Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, businesses can leverage employee-owned devices to their advantage for work-related purposes. There is a catch, though: you have to make sure they’re used safely.

Malware can be scary to talk about, but it’s a topic that you should be intimately familiar with, or at least aware of, if you want to keep your business running. These days, you can’t do much of anything online without potentially exposing yourself and your organization to a security risk. Today, we want to explore the different types of malware you might encounter and why it’s so important to take action today to limit their influence on your business.

Google has implemented Gemini, its latest AI model, into its free software strategy. Previously, it was only available to those on the Advanced plan, a $20/month service. The model can reference a user’s Search queries and other applications to personalize the user’s results, but is this a good thing, or even something you want in the first place?

For businesses, staying compliant with data regulations isn’t just about avoiding hefty fines; it’s about building trust with customers, protecting sensitive information, and keeping operations running smoothly. Ignoring compliance isn’t an option. A single slip-up can lead to legal trouble, financial losses, and serious damage to your company’s reputation.

Your business runs on data. You keep customer information, invoices, project files, inventory and much more. If you were to lose it, you face a myriad of problems from hits to your reputation to major downtime. Today is World Backup Day, so we thought it would be good to highlight just how important having a feature-rich and reliable backup strategy is.

How much does your business currently rely on the cloud? There are loads of ways to use it, but the best way is to find what works for your business, then double down on it according to your company’s specific needs. We’re looking at how the type of cloud can impact the way your business uses this flexible asset.

Google Chrome is everywhere. It’s one of the most popular web browsers for a reason, but most people don’t take full advantage of everything it can do. That means you’re probably missing out on some cool features that could save you time and make your life a whole lot easier.

Today, we’re diving into some Chrome tips you might not know about, plus a few hidden gems that can help you get even more out of your browsing experience, whether you’re using it for work or just everyday tasks.

We all know that person with an ancient laptop, a stubborn printer, or that phone they refuse to part with. At some point, however, that beloved device stops being the sidekick you need it to be and starts feeling more like dead weight. If your tech is making life harder instead of easier, it might be time for an upgrade. Here’s how to know when to let go.

Business is all about disaster mitigation and damage control. You never know exactly when something bad is going to happen, but you have to be ready for it when it does. Today, we want to discuss a couple ways that smart technology can help you in specific situations where your business might otherwise falter.

Long story short: it depends.

As unhelpful as that answer may seem on the surface, it really is the truth. There are just so many variables that different businesses will exhibit that ultimately impact how their budgets should be shaped. For instance, both a small mom-and-pop shop and a massive corporation need cybersecurity, but the scale of their respective investments will vastly differ.

Let’s go over how to budget appropriately for your cybersecurity protections and concerns. 

IT should be making your business work smarter, not harder. That’s what we want to discuss today: how IT impacts your business priorities, such as productivity, cybersecurity, and accessibility. Are you making the best choices possible, or are the options you’re selecting hindering your company’s operations?

It’s always good to know what kind of technological assets your business has at any given time, but some business owners don’t keep a detailed inventory. If you don’t know what you have, how will you know what you need? Let’s discuss some of the ways you can manage your IT inventory or make your current practices more effective.

Last month, we wrote about how Windows is not the only operating system out there and that new users may be coming to the OS for the first time. We want to continue this discussion by sharing how to navigate the many features of Windows 11, including one of the more useful ones: the Start menu. You’ll find the other articles in this series by checking the “Learning Windows” tag here on our blog.

Technology is deeply embedded in nearly every aspect of modern life. As society has become increasingly tech-driven, businesses have found ways to set themselves apart by meeting the growing demand for innovation. While technological dominance has been a recurring theme throughout the information age, today’s leading tech companies wield more power and influence than ever before.