Why Cloud Storage is a Better Idea for Small Businesses

Like big businesses, small businesses have varied requirements from infrastructure, IT deployment, daily operation, and manpower to data management. However unlike big businesses, small businesses have budget constraints that often limit their scope of expansion and expenditures in the needful projects. Despite the limitations it doesn’t mean that small businesses do not have options. In fact there is a plethora of options available for small businesses to fulfill their wide-ranging business requirements.One of such options is cloud storage, also called as online storage, for data management, which is the biggest need of small businesses. Cloud storage is an answer to all the prayers related to data backup and restore of small businesses which are more prone to data loss/damage as compared to large businesses. According to a survey, 70% of the small businesses shut down within one year of their operations after they suffer major data. According to a survey conducted by Sage North America, about 62% small companies do not have a proper disaster recovery plan in place for safety from catastrophic disasters, man-made debacles, accidental deletions, thefts, power outages, hardware failure. In the same survey, it was concluded that around 33% of the businesses do not have data backup and recovery plans in place because there hasn’t been observed any catastrophic disasters or emergencies in their areas while around 30% said that “have never thought about it”. Around 28% of the participants said that they regularly back up their data because they have major data losses in the past.This is the poorest scenario for any small business that needs to be able to run properly without facing operational hitches which may occur and recue in the absence of a proper data backup and recovery plan. If you run a small business from your home or office, you can understand how vital it is to keep your data organized and safe to be able to meet the tailor-made demands to your clients, protect your business ideas and information from competitors, and from employees who might take advantage of your personal or professional information for monetary purposes among other things.The question that arises here is ‘why small businesses do not pay attention to data backup and recovery plans when they cannot prevent a tornado or other such catastrophic disasters, accidental deletions, thefts, power outages, or hardware failure for that matter from occurring’? Small businesses may be taking this risk because data management is not affordable for them. Besides, regular data backups and recoveries on several devices involve lots of hassles that put them off from maintaining proper data management plans. However with the onset of cloud storage, it has become extremely convenient and affordable for small businesses to maintain data. Businesses can back up their data as many times as they want and access it anytime, anywhere from their computers, Smartphones, tablets, servers, and networks etc. connected to the Internet.Since your data is stored in a cloud server, which is the only place for all your digital possessions viz. emails, contacts, documents, images, family videos, music numbers, social network updates, and bank details etc., the cost of regularly data backups and recoveries drastically come down. It’s is because you don’t have to use multiple hard disks and/or USB devices to store your data. In the cloud server, your data is stored once and forever. You can access, add, delete, edit, re-edit, backup and restore your business data as many times as you want without going through the lengthy and cumbersome procedure.In fact the data stored in a cloud server remains protected and safe from the tactics of hackers. Besides, cloud storage services are scalable as you can store higher volumes of data according to your needs. With cloud storage, it only takes a computer, server or mobile device with an active Internet connection or Wi-Fi to be able to manage the data. Such a flexibility and convenience is absent from the external storage media on which the cost of backing up and recovering data is also very high, in fact the highest.Considering that cloud storage is the only contemporary, affordable, and viable solution for small businesses and users, several major tech giants including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Netgear, and McAfee among others have come up with integrated cloud storage. Cloud storage is around 1,000 times more affordable than the external backup media whose reliability and safety are always at risk due to environment, physical conditions, catastrophic emergencies, accidental deletions, thefts, and other contingencies. Thus, if you own a small business, make sure that you cloud-power your data. It’s your choice to keep spending big money on the external storage media or spend only once and forever with a cloud storage services. It’s your choice if you want peace of mind or want to constantly run around losing business, clients, and money.

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Learn and Speak French – You Can Start Learning Today

There are many people who would love to speak French and there are countless methods you can use to learn to speak this beautiful language. It is one of the romance languages which explain why the interest to learn and speak French is so popular, but it is also one of the principle languages of business and international politics. It is spoken in many countries around the world and especially countries throughout Europe.For those who wish to learn and speak French can do so more efficiently if they have already taken up Italian or Spanish since there is a huge similarity when it comes to languages that are descended from Latin; particularly in grammar and the words used.There are numerous ways available to you when you want to learn a foreign language. Due to these numerous avenues, one does not have to limit one’s self in simply taking French lessons in institutions; although if this is their first choice, one must do their research and ensure that they go to a reputable French school.Since there are several institutions and universities that offer French programs, one needs to know which place would best suit them while taking into consideration things such as the time and dates to make sure that it works well with the person’s schedule. One must also be aware of their objectives in learning French and to verify the school’s credentials. You should check out the classes and the curriculum to see if the program will be useful to you. It is also recommended to acquire references as well as considering other factors such as methods wherein the person can learn the language at a faster pace while being cost-friendly, convenient, fun and educational.If you are learning French for when you travel your best course is to learn conversational French – especially with regards to their basic and everyday needs. Basic French grammar will come in handy since there are formal tense and less formal tense in speaking French. Basic French courses covers adjectives, articles, gender, plurals, pronunciation guidelines, verb tenses, verbs and sentence structure.One of the best and quickest ways to learn and speak French would be to immerse one’s self in a completely foreign language and culture. You can join a language exchange program when you participate in this organization you are required to learn the language so you can communicate with the other members. This is also a good way to learn conversational French since the person will discover and apply French slangs and sayings which is often not taught in conventional French courses.If an individual is planning to live in France or in any country that considers French as an official language; or you could live in a country that has a very large French speaking population, you should keep in mind that you not only want to learn to speak the language you really should learn to read and write the language. This is also useful if one does business transactions with French companies.A more fun approach to learn and speak French would be to engage in an online French audio and video lesson. This is ideal for those who cannot commit to a specific schedule such as attending French classes. Another good thing about this is that one does not even have to spend a dime in doing this because the internet has countless resources that are made accessible when one goes online.Some tips in finding useful sites would be to choose those that have translational services especially in grammar, vocabulary and important phrases. One should also prioritize sites that conduct tests and exercises to note one’s progress and their fluency in the language. For more advance learning, one can opt to choose sites that offer intermediate vocabulary lessons which include interactive videos and audio clips.There are so many choices but you should try and learn just one type of learning system. A person can learn French in several ways. They simply need to choose the best method that suits them the most. Bottom line is, as long as the individual learns, enjoys and shows progress, then that is all that really matters.

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Home Business Online – How to Choose the Right Company

Home Business Online. It’s a big subject, and requires careful consideration when deciding which company is right for you.There are thousands of companies out there for you to pick from. If you’ve been on-line at all to do your research, you’ve probably ran across zillions of them – all claiming to have the best opportunity. Who do you believe? How do you sort it all out?Or maybe you’ve had friends approach you with their businesses, wanting you to join them.Whether you are considering network marketing or direct selling, it’s a good thing to be aware of what to think about in deciding which company to put your future in. You’ll be spending a lot of time and energy on your business, so it’s important to seriously consider the company you’ll we working with.Hundreds of companies come and go every year. Some fail after they’ve barely started. Why do they fail? Many reasons like poor financial backing, bad management, or weak products.So keep these important things in mind when looking at a company for your home-based business on-line.o Have your goal in mind. Are you just interested in making money now, or do you want to build a long-term business? Are you interested in developing a residual in addition to cash flow? It’s important to have this goal clearly defined. For example, if your goal was to build a business that would eventually provide you with residual income, you should look into network marketing companies for your home-based business. In some instances, the business you build through a network marketing company can be a willed asset you can actually leave to your heirs!o Research the industry you’re considering, to be sure it is growing and expanding. You’ll want to be involved in an industry that’s going to be strong years from now.o Is the company you are considering is approved by the Direct Selling Association? They hold the companies they approve to a strict code of ethics. Many companies have tried to get this approval, and have been turned down. It is not so easy to get, so if you find a company with this approval, you can begin to feel good about your choice.o Financial Backing. How strong financially is the company. Who’s behind it? The company should be strong financially and running in the black. Does it have a parent company behind it?o Good quality products or services. Make sure your company offers quality products. Check to see how they are produced, what the claims are, and who stands behind them.o Innovative products or services. It’s much easier to sell something that isn’t in every store. If the company offers products that are original, inventive, or even ground-breaking, this will help keep the business strong. Once a product or service saturates the marketplace, it’s much harder for companies to maintain their market share. And this could spell trouble for a company that doesn’t offer something different.o How long has the company been around? Over 2 years is generally the safe rule to go by. If you are tempted by jumping into a new exciting start-up company, proceed with caution. Do your research and make sure it is strong in all categories above. We’ve known people who have been very successful in new companies- and are still going strong. But we do know others who jumped into one of these new companies, only to see the whole thing fall apart in 6 months.o Some people think older companies no longer offer the opportunity that the newer ones do. True, there may be a lot of people who have worked their way to the top of the organization, but this does not necessarily mean that there is no money to be made in one of these older, established companies. Just research the other points we talk about here, and you’ll be able to see if it is a good bet for you.o How are the sales? Look at the history of the company. Are they still growing, or are sales flattening. Obviously, if sales are going down, you’ll probably want to look somewhere else.o Continuing research and production of new products. Companies that stay around a long time are constantly updating, improving, creating new products or services. They seek to grow and improve with the market and changing needs and wants of the consumers. They stay on top of the latest scientific research and innovations in their industry.o Are they on-line? Since you are going to be doing a home-business online, make sure the company you pick is too! You’d be surprised at the number of businesses that are not yet on-line. You or your customers should be able to place orders on-line. If you are in network marketing, you should be able to do all of your distributor paperwork on-line. The company should provide you with a website – though eventually you’ll want to develop your own.o Analyze the compensation plan. Especially important if you are considering a network marketing company. There are many types so make sure you understand the ones you are considering.o Your sponsor. This is almost as important as picking the company. Your sponsor will be the one training you, coaching you, and helping you build your business. Since you are going to be doing your home business on-line, it’s crucial that you choose a sponsor who is not only familiar with internet marketing, but that is good at it. Internet marketing is a different way to approach a business, and takes skill and experience. Someone who is good at the traditional ways to build a business i.e.; home parties, hotel meetings, person-to-person meetings- might not know the first thing about how to build a team online.

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