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June
2009
In this issue
√
Business Continuity
Workshop
√
Value of Social Media
√
Excel on the Road
√
Software Piracy
√ Employee
Spotlight
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Rid Your Business of
Software Piracy: 7 Tips
by Monte Enbysk
reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business
Center
Pirates still roam freely in the ocean of software out
there, but if your business is among the pirates, it could
end up costing you literally and figuratively.
You may very
well be a smart, community-minded business owner. But if
your company is using pirated software - and you condone it,
you aren't aware of it or you don't really give a rip -
you're not a responsible business owner. And you are taking
unnecessary risks.
No, you're not
alone. In the United States, about one-fourth of the
software programs used today by businesses are illegal
copies, according to the statistics from the Business
Software Alliance (BSA), an active industry group. For U.S.
small businesses, those with 100 or fewer employees, the
piracy rate is even higher: about 40%. While those numbers
are bad enough, the piracy problem worldwide is worse -
although software piracy worldwide has decreased since 1994,
some $13.08 billion was still lost in 2002 due to pirated
software.
Read more |
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Seats Still
Available for this
Week’s Workshop
A few seats remain open for
this Thursday’s Business Continuity Workshop. The
event will be held at the new Hub Meeting space in the
Cira Centre Building adjacent to 30th Street Station
(2929 Arch Street) from 8:45 am to 5 pm.
We will provide a comprehensive overview on how to plan
and prepare for any type of disaster that could impact
your business. From something seemingly benign like a
snow storm that prevents staff from getting to the
office, to something physically damaging like flood or
fire, this workshop will provide everything you need to
know to get your plan off the ground. Included is a
detailed introduction to
Survivor or Statistic, a user-friendly web-based
disaster planning tool. Survivor or Statistic founder
Pete Heles will be joining certified SOS IT Solutions
representatives for this highly informative workshop
presentation. Lunch will be provided.
The June 4th workshop is
FREE to attendees of April’s Surviving and Thriving
Event. For those registrants not affiliated
with Surviving and Thriving, we’re offering $100
off of the standard price of $495 per company (up to 3
attendees). CPAs wanting CPE credit must pay $495.
To register or for more
information, email
joylyn.williamson@
itsolutions-inc.com or call 215-886-7428. We hope
you can join us!
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Business Value of Social
Media Part 1:
Online Networking
reprinted with permission
from the HP Small Business Center
 If you could
connect to the world’s business professionals, in the time
it takes to check your email, wouldn’t you? Welcome to the
world of online networking, where valuable business
connections are made every day on social and professional
networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.
Social and
professional networking simply refers to the interaction
between a community of people who share a common interest.
Through these personal connections you make with an
otherwise impersonal medium, you can give your business a
personality, build brand awareness, and equally importantly,
tune in to what people are saying about you.
The ability to
create your own online networks through sites like Ning, has
made it difficult to distinguish which online communities
will help you reach your business goals. We did the leg work
for you, by exploring the difference between social and
professional networking and the business value of both,
analyzing which sites work best, and providing tips to help
you make the most of the free networking resources that
already exist.
Social or
Professional: What’s the difference? |
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Excel Tip: Excel on
the Road
reprinted with permission
from the HP Small Business Center
We all know Excel
is a powerful application. But what about
Excel Mobile? Does Excel’s functionality translate to
the spreadsheet’s mobile version for use on your
smartphone?
The answer is
yes and no. Excel Mobile can only offer a subset of Excel’s
features. This is, however, enough for viewing and editing
spreadsheets so that you can stay productive on the road,
even with a non-touch screen phone.
Read more
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Employee
Spotlight
Rizwan Sheikh
Name: Rizwan
Sheikh
Title: Consultant/Engineer
Education: Pursuing B.S. in IT at Drexel University
Home: Northeast Philadelphia
First job: Server administration at a church-sponsored
afterschool program
Little known fact about you: I like working on muscle
cars.
Super-power I want and why: Being able to slow down time
for myself. Any broad super power would take away the sense of
accomplishment. Being able to have more time in the day would
keep the challenge there but make me able to pursue more goals
at the same time.
Word that best describes you: Determined
Like best about your job: Learning new things
The most important lesson you’ve learned: Always have a
backup plan
Life motto: I make my own luck.
Person most interested in meeting: Author Dan Brown
Most influential book: The Art of Deception
Favorite movie: Transformers
Favorite restaurant: Olive Garden
Favorite vacation spot: La Jolla
Favorite way to spend free time: Hanging out with friends
Please forward this newsletter to
anyone else in your organization
who
might be interested! |
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