Computer Tip: Learn How To Keep Your Outlook Inbox Clean

computer tip learn how to keep your outlook inbox clean

An Outlook inbox that is constantly full is frustrating, and can make it more difficult to notice important emails. How do you maintain your Outlook inbox without spending hours each day? Microsoft Outlook has a couple of built-in features that help you quickly and continually keep your inbox clutter-free.

Outlook inbox

Folders

Perhaps the easiest and quickest way to begin cleaning up your inbox is by using folders. This will help you separate each topic in your inbox and make them easier to access. Right-click on your main email account folder in the sidebar and click “New folder.”

Rules

OK, so now you’ve created all your necessary folders, but you are still required to drag each email into their respective folders; this is not ideal. You need to set up some rules. Perhaps you get plenty of unimportant emails from a specific address every day. You can set up a rule that automatically pushes these new emails into the folder you specify. You can accomplish this by clicking on the “Rules” tab of the Outlook menu, and clicking “New rule” and following the instructions (directions are very similar for most email applications).

Search

Now that you have your folders and rules set up you need a way to access these emails quickly, other than simply clicking on each folder. In your inbox, you can input a search term in the search box and select “Search All Folders,” that way your search will include all of your folders. You can also set Outlook to search all folders by default by going to the Search section of the Option menu, and in the Results tab check “All Folders” under the heading “Include Results Only From.”

Now you are all set! Enjoy your clean and efficient email inbox. Contact us if you have any additional questions about Microsoft Outlook.

Three Reasons You Should Backup Programs To An External Hard Drive

three reasons you should backup programs to an external hard drive

We have no doubt in our minds that you can backup programs to an external hard drive . You, on the other hand, might need a bit more convincing, so here are three reasons on why this is a good idea.

external hard drive

Backing up files to an external hard drive.

A simple way to back up files is to copy it to an external hard drive. Keep your device away from the computer. Place it in a safe location. This will prevent any damage, fire, or taking a risk of having someone steal the device (let along your computer). You should consider storing the external hard drive in a fireproof safe for safe keeping.

You can manually back up specific files.

The important documents (especially a school or work-related project), you can transfer files to an external hard drive.

  •  Attach the device to your computer system
  •  Click and drag those files towards the external drive

At this point, you can see a copy of the data on the external drive and the computer system.

You can back up documents automatically.

You should backup data on a regular basis because you will never know when you might need to access those files.

If your computer is Windows, then you should use windows backup (also known as file history in Windows 8). Next, you will create a system image to back up all important documents, software applications or maybe the entire hard drive. To talk more about this, or anything else, please Contact Us. Thanks.

 

To Boost Productivity, Have You Tried Automation Apps For Multitasking?

to boost productivity have you tried automation apps for multitasking

Companies regularly aim to boost productivity among employees. Employees themselves often look for ways to achieve more in a shorter amount of time, free up time for other activities, and avoid getting bogged down in costly errors and inefficiencies. There’s no shortage of articles advising people on how to become more productive.

One strategy is to rely on automation apps for multitasking.

Automation apps help employees handle a variety of work-related tasks by creating automated processes that make each workflow more smooth and rapid. As employees tackle multiple projects, field phone calls and emails, write up reports, attend meetings, and complete other assignments, an automation app will help them improve their efficiency, use their time wisely, and make their workload easier.

The following are a few examples of these kinds of apps:

Zapier: This can create automated processes between a wide variety of apps (you can use Zapier with hundreds of apps). One example of an automated process is whenever people subscribe to your blog, they automatically get added as contacts to your CRM software; you don’t have to remember to do this and waste time manually transferring the relevant information.

IFTTT: One of the best-known automation apps, this one is also easy to use and involves a variety of time-savers. For instance, you can have texts on an Android phone backed up automatically to a Google spreadsheet and immediately save attachments from your Gmail account in Dropbox. IFTTT works with hundreds of different web services.

Launch Center Pro: This app helps you create shortcuts for tasks you frequently perform – such as emailing certain files to a supervisor or checking particular websites important to your work. Launch Center reduces the number of steps you need to take to complete these tasks.

These are only a few examples of automation apps that can streamline your workflows. Don’t hesitate to contact us for further advice about the kinds of apps that could prove most useful to you and your employees.

What’s The Key To Cloud Migration Success? Flexibility!

what the key to cloud migration success flexibility

Cloud computing has exploded in popularity, with an increasing number of businesses turning to the cloud to meet their IT infrastructure needs. And the key to cloud migration is flexibility!

When selected wisely, cloud services are cost-effective and reliable. They increase your ability to work productively and take on more complex tasks and larger stores of data. They can also help your business become more resilient to IT disasters.

Making a good choice in cloud services, however, will work well for you only if you migrate successfully to the new platform.

key to cloud migration

What’s the Primary Key to Cloud Migration Success?

Flexibility is one of the most important qualities in cloud migration. The following are some examples:

  • Modifying plans when necessary. For example, let’s say your business comes up with a plan to migrate a certain number of applications to the cloud. You find on testing them that some of the applications won’t be sufficiently supported and will experience problems functioning. Are you flexible enough to change your plans – maybe choosing another cloud-based solution or refraining for the time being from migrating the subset of problematic applications?
  • Devising both strategic plans and last-minute quick solutions. Migrating to the cloud requires strategic planning and careful thought in advance. It also demand thinking on your feet. When problems come up during cloud migration, you need to quickly come up with alternatives, working as a team to brainstorm, think creatively, and implement solutions.
  • Migrating readily between platforms. A recent article from InfoWorld mentions how hybrid cloud solutions are often popular because they give businesses flexibility in combining both cloud-based and on-premises solutions for different components of their IT infrastructure. The article also emphasizes how businesses often like to migrate between cloud platforms “seamlessly,” depending on their needs. Cloud migration isn’t a one-time process; it’s something you should always be prepared to do to best work towards your business objectives.

Flexible cloud migration is essential for your business’s success. Please contact us for advice and for assistance with migrating to the cloud.

IT Service Management Companies: Help Your Business Run More Efficiently

it service management companies help your business run more efficiently

How efficient is your company? You probably have plenty of systems and procedures in place to maximize productivity but it’s possible that you are overlooking one vital aspect of managing a business: IT service management companies. Having strong IT service management in place can significantly increase efficiency and boost productivity. Let’s take a look at why that is.

IT Service Management Companies

IT service management companies free up your time for bigger picture concerns

Let’s face it, you can never have enough time to do everything that running a business demands. However, there are ways to free up your time to do more. One of the greatest benefits of having good IT service management in place is that it frees up your time to worry about bigger picture concerns because you are leaving the technology issues to the professionals. Let’s be honest, you don’t want to have to think about that stuff anyway.

IT service management companies will help with cost savings

Hiring a competent IT service management company will provide you with significant cost savings due to the consolidating of your technology systems. A good IT service company will be able to identify problems with your current arrangement and will help you find a more efficient and cost-effective way of running things.

IT service management companies will provide you with unparalleled support

If you have good IT service management in place you can spend less time trying to troubleshoot technology issues and more time focusing on big picture issues. This will free up your time and help you become more efficient and productive in the day-to-day aspects of your company.

If you have any questions about other ways we can help your business, contact us.