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Posts from 2012
My Weight Loss Journey: Celebrating the Successes
Posted by: Crystal Christy
on: November 12, 2012
in: Life , Rfx
In the past several months I have received an outpouring of response to the first blog entry I penned regarding my weight loss journey. The e-mails and phone calls have been overwhelmingly positive; and I really can’t thank each of you enough for all of the support and encouragement...
Read MoreMicrosoft is Coming to a Mall Near You
Posted by: RFX Staff
on: September 21, 2012
in: Life
Wondering who's moving in to your city's abandoned Circuit City? It might be the Microsoft Store. While you've always been able to find Microsoft's products in any retail store with a technology department, now you can visit one of their tailored stores...
Read MoreThe Importance of Customer Satisfaction
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: September 20, 2012
in: Business
Feel free to disagree with me, but customer satisfaction is probably the most important thing for your business. No matter how well your product works, no matter how many degrees your CEO has, no matter how nice your office is, if your customers don’t feel respected and appreciated, they’ll probably be heading somewhere else. A Harvard Business Review study found that a 5% increase in customer loyalty can increase profits from 25% to 85%. Going the extra mile to impress your clients doesn’t have to cost a lot, but it’s clear the extra effort is worth it. Here are some tips to keep your customers smiling...
Read MoreCutting the Electronic Dead Weight
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: September 4, 2012
in: Productivity
Sometimes when you’re in a good routine, you might not be able to objectively see some of the unnecessary habits and products you’re clinging to. Let me help. You may be able to get rid of some office equipment to reduce office clutter. Or you may be able to cut down on the hassle of repairing and replacing old equipment. Here’s a roundup of some traditional office equipment that you should probably recycle...
Read MoreGrammatically Speaking
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: August 8, 2012
in: Life
I am a big fan of the stance taken in a recent Harvard Business Review blog that employers should avoid candidates with bad grammar, regardless of how much writing the job involves. The author of the post goes so far as to deliver a grammar test to all applicants. Nobody is perfect, even us English majors. But if you're careful enough to use proper grammar and spelling, you're likely to be careful in other areas of your life...
Read MoreBranching Out
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: July 24, 2012
in: Rfx
RFX is on the hunt for some new cities to locate satellite offices in. This is something we've been contemplating for several years, but during the 2009 recession we had to move the idea to a back burner. Now that our growth is back on track, it's time to check out our options. Expanding to a new branch (or branches!) is a daunting task, but it's also something we've been helping our clients, with 5 to 100+ employees, do for years...
Read MoreThe Importance of Company Culture
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: July 10, 2012
in: Life , Rfx
When brainstorming on how to improve business and profits, we first tend to look outward to the customer or client: how to attract them, care for them, and keep them. But maybe we need to start by looking inward at our employees. Are your employees “engaged”? Not just happy employees, but employees who are actively engaged in the mission of your company and won't hesitate to go the extra mile. Having engaged employees is not something that can simply be bought or created with a couple rounds of free donuts. Employee engagement grows out of an excellent company culture...
Read MoreMicrosoft Joins the Tablet Scene
Posted by: RFX Staff
on: June 26, 2012
in: Life , Productivity
Christmas came early for Microsoft fans last week with the announcement of two Microsoft tablets. Of course, with a few months to go before the tablets' release, Christmas might be right on time. The Surface for Windows 8 RT, similar to the iPad, should hit the shelves with Windows 8 in a couple months. You'll have to wait a little longer for Windows Pro, which is more comparable to an Ultrabook. Only time will tell if the Microsoft Surface can loosen the iPad's grip on the tablet market, but in the meantime, let's check out some of its great features...
Read MoreContinuing Education
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: June 12, 2012
in: Life
Staying educated on what's happening in your industry is essential to being a valuable employee and strong leader. Here are some of my favorite places to get technology and business news with a sample article to get you started...
Read MoreStaying Organized with Apps
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: May 29, 2012
in: Productivity
Lately I’ve been choosing to procrastinate by downloading and setting up to-do apps. Once I get one organized with my priorities for the upcoming week, I decide to put off those priorities another hour by researching, downloading and organizing a new app. I tend to have a short attention span for apps, so here’s what has caught my eye lately...
Read MoreMaking the Most of Your Time with Podcasts
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: May 8, 2012
in: Productivity
Stop and think about how much time you spend in the car each day: on the way to work, stopping at the drive-through to get coffee, going to lunch, creeping home through traffic. The time can add up and start to feel like time wasted. Thankfully, there are all kinds of free podcasts available so you can be entertained and educated while waiting at the stop light. Here are some recommendations for business-related podcasts...
Read MoreCollaborating with Microsoft SharePoint 2010
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: April 24, 2012
in: Productivity
With busy schedules and more employees working remotely, it seems increasingly difficult to have a one-on-one discussion with your coworkers and keep everyone up-to-date on important company information. One of our favorite collaboration tools to keep everyone on the same track is Microsoft SharePoint 2010. SharePoint has six primary features that can be customized to fit your business’ needs...
Read MoreSmall Businesses Are Often Easy Prey for Hackers
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: April 10, 2012
in: Business , Security
Sometimes being a small business can give you an illusion of safety. You may think hackers won't concern themselves with small businesses. But according to a PC World article, small businesses can be very appealing to hackers...
Read MoreWebsite Update
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: March 20, 2012
in: Rfx
You know the saying about the cobbler's kids not having shoes? The same can often be said about IT companies and their websites. We've been so preoccupied keeping our clients' websites up-to-date that our own website has been sadly neglected. But we finally managed to carve out some time to take care of our own slice of the web and we're proud to show it to you. Nick Morris, our web designer, designed the new site with some guidance from Senior Partner Bart Bushong. They put a lot of time and thought into creating a website that is both attractive and functional...
Read MoreKeeping Up With New Technology
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: March 6, 2012
in: Productivity , Technology
A couple weeks ago my mom purchased an iPad 2. She called me a few days later, sighing, “They're about to release an iPad 3.” (Sadly, she did not seem interested in my offer to take the iPad 2 off her hands so she could go get herself the iPad 3.) One of the more frustrating aspects of technology is that as soon as you make the financial investment in a new product, it can take only hours before it's outdated. Here are some tips to keep you from getting left behind in the technology arms race...
Read MoreGet Out of Your Chair
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: February 21, 2012
in: Life
There's nothing quite like opening the website of your favorite news source and learning that your job is slowly killing you, but I've read a lot of articles lately about the dangers of desk jobs. The main threat seems to be the ill effects of sitting. Even if you work out regularly, if you spend the bulk of your day sitting, you will likely still struggle with slower metabolism and weight problems. It might seem like a hopeless cause, unless you're interested in a career change, but there are several alternatives to sitting from 9 to 5...
Read MoreIT Support: Why Be Proactive?
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: February 20, 2012
in: Security
Today in The Wall Street Journal, there was an interesting article about Nortel Networks, who recently discovered Chinese hackers had been downloading confidential documents from their computers for nearly a decade...
Read MorePresentation Matters
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: February 7, 2012
in: Life
Whether it's for a new client, old client, potential client, or for internal use, speaking in front of an audience isn't the easiest thing to do. Even after years in the field, many still find it to be a nerve-racking chore. Especially if you don't have a professional designer on your staff, there can be a lot of pressure to craft an impressive digital show. But you don't need to worry. Here are some helpful tips to guide you through your next presentation...
Read MoreVirtual Meeting Rundown
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: January 25, 2012
in: Productivity
As our communication options continue to expand, gathering together in the same room to have a meeting is becoming increasingly unnecessary. A variety of online options are now available to join conference rooms across the street and around the world. Here are some of the most popular options for video conferencing today...
Read More4 Ways to Keep Smart Phones from Compromising Business Security
Posted by: Bart Bushong
on: January 4, 2012
in: Business , Security
Malicious software for smartphones is on the rise, especially during the holidays. As mobile users increasingly use one smartphone for personal and business use, smartphone security is becoming an important business concern. Once compromised, hackers can use a smartphone to get behind corporate firewalls and wreak havoc on your business's Wi-Fi. With more and more consumers shopping on their smartphone, the smartphone becomes an increasingly lucrative prey...
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