The September issue of Technology Times is here. This month we look at why most businesses have never actually tested whether their backups work, the four assumptions that quietly cost companies the most when something breaks, and a shift in how customers find local businesses that almost nobody saw coming.
Here's what's inside, plus the full issue below.
When a fire alarm goes off at a school, nobody stops to figure out what to do next. Students line up, teachers move them through the exits, and everyone knows where to go because they've done it before. Your backup strategy should work the same way — but most businesses have never practiced their recovery.
Having backups and being ready to recover are two different things. This article walks through what a real recovery test looks like, the five questions it answers before an outage forces you to answer them, and what it costs when nobody ran the drill.
Mike Tyson said it best: everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. In business, that punch usually comes as a disruption you assumed you were covered for.
“We're backed up.” “Someone would tell us if there was a problem.” “Our team knows what to do.” “It won't happen to us.” Four assumptions that feel like facts right up until they're tested — and what to check instead.
Think about the last time you needed a quick recommendation. A few years ago you would have Googled it and compared a page of links. Now more people are asking an AI tool the same way they'd ask a trusted friend — and when the answer comes back, many of them don't keep looking. They call the name they were given.
For businesses in Northwest Ohio and Northeast Indiana that have been carried for years by reputation and word of mouth, this matters more than it might seem. You can have the better reputation locally and still lose the introduction. This article covers what's actually changed, why AI doesn't rank businesses the way Google did, and four things you can do about it this month.
Shiny New Gadget of the Month: the BenQ RD280UG, a monitor with a taller 3:2 display that fits more on screen, plus built-in eye care and USB-C connectivity for long workdays.
Free Report: The Business Owner's Guide to IT Support Services and Fees — the three ways IT companies charge, the billing model that puts all the risk on you, and the “gotcha” clauses to watch for in a contract. Get your copy at www.TomTechToday.com/itbuyersguide.