Revit Workstations: The Goldilocks Principle ~ Peter Yackel

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Choosing the right hardware for a Revit workstation is usually approached in two distinct ways.  One, spend a lot of money on high performance components and a lot of RAM just to be sure it will handle any Revit task you throw at it, or two, spec the computer components based on the minimum or recommended system requirements for Revit as outlined by Autodesk.  While the first approach will certainly have the user grinning from ear to ear in pure performance bliss, it’s overkill.  The second approach will likely soon have the user pounding the keyboard or spending extra time chatting at the water cooler or coffee machine. Read more

The future of work lies in human cloud

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It’s an amazing time to start a business and take your ideas to the market more quickly, and at lower costs without the traditional barriers in hiring skilled workers. A world of talented contractors is now available in the “Human Cloud”, ready to help you do the heavy lifting of building your company. In this article, we’ll take a look at how this technology is paving new ways for outsourcing white-collar jobs and what benefits SMBs can gain from using it. Read more

A crash course on the Blue Screen of Death

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Everything seems fine at first, your PC is running normally but then a blue screen suddenly greets you. After restarting your computer you find that a lot of your unsaved work is gone. If this has happened to you before, rest assured, you’re not alone. What you’ve just encountered is the Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) and it appears when there is an issue with either your hardware or software. Fortunately, there are ways to troubleshoot these problems. Here are some of the common causes of a critical failure error and how you can fix them. Read more

Get more retweets with these Twitter tactics

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Are your tweets not getting enough exposure? With so many other social media campaigns out there, it can be tricky to get the attention of followers in Twitter. While posting regularly and writing bold headlines are important in grabbing the audience’s attention, there are other Twitter tactics that you should be employing in order to get the most retweets. Listed below are just a few ways to maximize your company’s reach over Twitter. Read more

6 Microsoft Word tricks you may not know

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Microsoft Word is used by over one billion users worldwide, and of those how many are using it to its full potential? Over the years Word has transformed into a complex design tool that allows it to move far beyond simple text editing. Most users know how to change a font or center their text, but how many know how to track changes on a collaborative document or remove formatting from pasted text? Staying up to date on the features listed in this article will drastically increase the efficiency and productivity of your document creation processes. Read more

Essential Server Management: Cooling

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Servers are the heart of most modern SMBs. They host intranetwork data, customer data, and facilitate product delivery. Like any piece of equipment in your workflow, servers need to be carefully cared for in order to keep you up and running. With the strain that most businesses put on their servers, one of the most important maintenance variables is temperature management. Understanding why keeping your servers cool is vitally important and could save you from an expensive crash, troubling data loss or reduced hardware reliability.

How does temperature affect my servers?

Extreme temperature in server hardware can result in different forms of damage. Most SMBs see total failure as the most concerning outcome. A server that completely crashes for any reason results in costly data loss and service interruptions, but the unbiased advisory organization Uptime Institute warns about overheating that doesn’t result in total failure. Every 18 degrees higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit, hardware reliability decreases by 50%. This decrease in reliability can be just as, if not more, expensive for your hardware budget in the long run.
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The age-old marketing tool you’ve forgotten

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From free information products such as ebooks to brochures and email campaigns, today’s marketers have a wealth of tools and tactics at their disposal. While content marketing and social media garner most of the attention in the marketing world, it’s easy to forget about tried and true techniques that are as effective today as they were twenty years ago. Recent data supports that one age-old sales tool in particular is still incredibly effective today, and even beats out some newer marketing tactics. What is it? Let’s take a look.

What is one thing every consumer has in common? They all love to save money. This is why the marketing technique of offering coupons is still as effective today as it was decades ago. Shocked? Don’t believe this is true? Well, let’s explore some statistics.
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Different types of hackers defined

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Know thy enemy. When it comes to hackers, most business owners get hung up on the technical and mechanical details of a cyber attack forgetting another important aspect: motive. Why are they attacking people and organizations in the first place? And who are they targeting? By answering these questions you’ll have a better understanding of what resources need the most protection in your business.

Script Kiddies

When it comes to skill level, Script Kiddies are at the bottom of the totem pole and often use scripts or other automated tools they did not write themselves – hence the name. With only an elementary level of technical knowhow, Script Kiddies usually don’t cause much damage…usually. The Script Kiddy virus known as the Love Bug which sent out an email with the subject-line “I LOVE YOU” fooled millions of people, including some in the Pentagon, in the early 2000’s. The virus reportedly caused around 10 billion in lost productivity and digital damage.
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Choosing the right mouse for work

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Have you been stuck using the same mouse for several years now? If you’re feeling a bit of pain in your mouse clicking hand, then it’s probably time to consider an upgrade. We don’t always pay attention to it, but a good mouse can make a big difference. The perfect mouse will let you work efficiently, be easy to wield, and is comfortable enough to save your wrists and fingers from injury. So the next time you’re in the market for new mice, keep these these tips in mind. Read more

How to get 500+ LinkedIn connections

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500+ LinkedIn connections can open doors. It can lead to more business, new clients, and provide social proof to yourself or organization. However, getting to 500+ connections can seem like a daunting task, especially if you have a business to run. So how can you break through and become a LinkedIn power networker? Here are a few tips to get you to 500+.

Network every day

If you’re struggling to grow your LinkedIn network, you may not be spending enough time on the platform. If you want to become a power player, you need to use the social network often. So dedicate 15-30 minutes a day to network on LinkedIn, and make it a goal to reach 500+ connections.

Join and participate in groups

Utilizing LinkedIn groups presents an opportunity to meet other professionals (and eventually add them as connections) as well as learn and share valuable advice. The point is not to just join a group, but actively participate in them. This requires a degree of focus and smart selection. Read more