Cyber Essentials is the UK government-backed cyber security certification scheme that helps organisations protect themselves against common cyber threats. The certification has been widely adopted by small businesses as a benchmark security standard. Over the years systematic Cyber Essentials changes have enabled the accreditation to evolve in line with new risks and stay relevant to the current security climate. On 23rd January this year, the NCSC published an updated set of requirements, version 3.1 for the Cyber Essentials scheme which will come into force on the 24th of April 2023.

Microsoft Teams has become an invaluable tool for small businesses, delivering collaboration and communication among team members. However, meetings can onerous, with tasks like taking notes and assigning follow-up tasks taking up valuable time and resources. This is where ChatGPT comes in.

The owner of your average small business is often spread too thin. When a business starts to scale, without an effective strategy the day-to-day running of IT operations will become onerous and problematic. If there is not enough work for a full-timer, then you cannot justify paying full price. But there is a creative solution that could potentially bridge that gap.

Asking the right questions can make selecting the right service provider for your business a much easier process. So, what are the important questions you should ask potential providers ahead of signing up? Don't worry, we've done all of the heavy lifting for you. See our Small Business checklist.

There are lots of measures that small businesses can undertake take to improve their cyber security. One of the major certification frameworks is the government-backed Cyber Essentials Scheme. Becoming certified demonstrates to your clients and suppliers that your business is taking cybersecurity seriously. But is it worth the effort and expense?

With the current economic climate looking particularly unstable, small businesses are looking to cut costs to protect themselves from the uncertainty ahead. What many small business owners do not realise is that there are a few simple actions that can be undertaken to identify monthly savings.

When deploying Microsoft 365 there are many costs that stack up beyond the initial licensing fees. Many of these are hidden or go unnoticed as your organisation grows. The result is the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) far exceeds the original forecast. However, there are some simple measures that can be taken to identify your hidden Microsoft 365 costs.

In today's modern working environment Small Businesses are cosying up to the idea of employees conducting company business on their personal computers. It sounds straightforward, but this is a technological can of worms with risks and policy issues to consider.

Any small business today, whether they are aware of it or not, needs information technology to help their business grow. Therefore, IT departments are now being asked to perform more complicated tasks that go beyond just installing new hardware. For some companies who cannot afford a dedicated department yet, outsourced managed IT support is a great option. IT support from an outsourced company can provide as much support as an in-house IT department at a fraction of the cost.

Is your organisation making use of all Microsoft Teams’ features and abilities? Our Small Businesses Microsoft Teams Training Program ensures that your users can get the most from Microsoft Teams. If you’ve started using Microsoft Teams more often and are worried if your users are getting the full benefits of this powerful application, we can help.

Microsoft announced it will officially end support for Windows Server 2012 on October 10, 2023. If your business runs on Windows Server 2012, it’s best to plan and prepare now. Although October 2023 seems far away, now is the time to plan your move from Windows Server 2012 as the upgrade can take up to a year. With the current supply shortages of hardware, price changes, and other factors, it’s best to prepare now and figure out your technology plan.

Microsoft has been working hard to make Teams the best collaboration solution for small businesses. Here's a round up of some of the best new features to check out this summer.