November 2008   
In this issue       

 Reflexion Total Control
 RADAR
 Financial Yardsticks
 Avoid Data Disaster
 Holiday Hours
 Moving Your Office
 Protecting Your Back at Work
 

Wednesday November 26 – Closing at 3pm

Thursday November 27 –
closed

Friday November 28 –
closed

Monday December 1
Normal Business Hours

Moving your office? 5 tips for Staying Productive
by Christopher Elliott
Reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center

Even if you are only moving to another floor in your building, the thought of relocating probably sounds about as appealing as going totally without carbs for a week.

After all, moving your business or home is widely considered one of the single-most stressful life events for an individual. Add to that the prospect of losing valuable work time, and you can understand why small-business owners like Michael Hirschfeld try to get out of town when the business remodels, relocates or redecorates.

"I have always been scheduled to be out of town for the day before, day of, and day after moving day," says Hirschfeld, the managing partner of a real-estate company in Westport, Conn. "Simply put, less is more."

Leaving the office entirely is, of course, the best way of handling any relocation. Step aside and let the movers do their thing. But how do you keep your business productive even when your office is in pieces?

At this point in many articles, I'd turn to experts on the subject. But I am the expert on moving. I've moved an average of once every two years -- about 18 times altogether, counting my home and my small business -- and I've done it all. I've moved within cities, counties, states. I've moved coast-to-coast and continent-to-continent.

In fact, even as I write this piece, I'm sitting in a hotel room in Orlando, Fla., while I wait for the paperwork to wrap up on my new office.

So here are the key things I have learned about how to make a move with a minimum of down time:

Reflexion Total Control (RTC) is a hosted email security service that blocks unwanted email before it reaches the corporate network. Reflexion’s unique technology also identifies address-sharing and the sources of spam, and provides concrete tools for preserving the integrity of one’s primary email address. Automatic inbound email queuing assures email continuity in the event of a local server outage, and outbound email filtering protects one’s reputation and helps to avoid the business disruption of IP address blacklisting. Reflexion’s service provides the configurability that IT Solution Providers need to address a wide range of customer requirements, with the automation and simplicity that ISPs require for their subscribers. Implementation simply requires an MX record change.

The following diagram describes the various stages in RTC’s defense-in-depth. With its bredth of capabilities, Reflexion’s defense is also uniquely configurable, providing the versatility that email administrators and solution providers require to address the widest range of end-user requirements. Mail for a specific user will only be subjected to the tests dictated by their configuration. Additionally, the architecture is extensible, so that new defenses can be added as they become available or desirable.

Contact ARRC Technology today at 866-544-2772 to speak with one of our Corporate Technology Consultants to see if Reflexions is what your company needs to eliminate spam problems.

RADAR is a hosted email archiving service that operates in conjunction with your existing IT network to ensure the protection, preservation and continuous operation of email communication for your business. With RADAR, users have on-demand email access anywhere and anytime.

Today, email is the core business communication channel. Since its inception, email has evolved from a simple intra-office messaging tool to the information and communication backbone for companies of all sizes.

As reliance on email grows, so does the need to ensure its uninterrupted operation and to preserve the information it contains. Excessive data loads, the constant pounding of spam and viruses, unplanned service interruptions, and ad hoc needs to locate pertinent information within the flood of content present constant challenges for business owners and their staff.

RADAR solves these problems. It is easily deployed for any size business to ensure that electronic communication is automatically preserved for intelligent discovery, rapid recovery and continuous access from any location.

Contact ARRC Technology today at 866-544-2772 to speak with one of our Corporate Technology Consultants about RADAR and the benefits it can provide for your business.

10 Financial Yardsticks for Your Business
by Joseph Anthony
reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center

Recently I've been doing some work with a nonprofit organization. Somewhat to my surprise, I'm discovering that many of the money issues confronting this nonprofit are similar to those faced by small, for-profit businesses. Things like:

• Understanding and keeping track of how much is really spent on various programs.
• Connecting expenditures to the revenues that result.
• Coping with basic cash issues (in its early years, the organization relied on loans from the people who started the group to carry it until money actually started to come in).
• Determining whether fundraising efforts actually cost more money than they generate.

Read more

Avoid a Data Disaster on the Road: 5 Tips
by Christopher Elliott
reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center

Reliable information can make or break your next trip, whether it's the ability to cultivate a business contact, ensure accurate company records or keep you safe.

In other words, your PC data is priceless. You just can't afford to be without it. Consider:

Travelers are relying on accurate information to ensure their security, according to a survey by American Express. In an age when terrorism is a persistent threat to air travel, who can blame them?

Most companies have strict policies regarding the use of a corporate travel agent and company charge card, according to a Runzheimer International poll. In other words, meticulous record-keeping is now more essential than ever.

Read more

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the United States. The cause is often poor posture and body mechanics in the workplace.

A supervised program of back protection and exercise may be the key to alleviating and even preventing such problems.

Correct posture and body mechanics play a vital role in preventing back pain because pressure on the discs and strain of the muscles, ligaments and back joints is aggravated by incorrect posture and body mechanics. At the same time, when your posture is good and you move your body correctly, you reduce the strain on your back.

Sitting down on the job
Sitting is often the greatest cause of back pain. When sitting either in a relaxed position, driving, or while at work, support your lower back. Use a rolled towel, small pillow, or a specially designed seat support, available at medical supply stores.

Remove this low back support every half hour for five minutes to give your lower back a change of position. Your head should be positioned so that your ear is in a line with your shoulder and your chin is parallel with the floor.

Avoid leaning to one side when you are sitting, and avoid overstuffed furniture as it does not offer adequate support.

When working at a desk, your chair should be pulled close to the desk. An office chair with short arm rests will allow this. Office chairs should also have adjustable height, back rests and seats. The back rest spring should be adjusted so that the back rest moves with you. A seat that tilts forward is a particularly useful feature.

Use a swivel chair to enable you to work without twisting your back. Place objects such as adding machines and computers as close to you as possible to minimize the amount of twisting and turning you need to do.

When you lean forward at your desk, bend forward at the hips instead of rounding your lower back. This will allow you to keep your back straight and in good alignment.

Talking on the phone can be a pain in the neck
Holding the phone between your ear and shoulder is a common cause of neck pain. Use a clipboard to hold your papers down so that your hands are free. Special phone adapters also are available.

After sitting for a prolonged period, it is helpful to straighten your back to an upright position and, if possible, stand and walk for awhile.

Read more