Microsoft Teams Productivity Tips Every Growing Business Needs To Know

Every business needs the right tools to get the job done and to keep your team on track. But juggling multiple apps and software can be a nightmare when trying to keep information streamlined and easily accessible. That’s where Microsoft Teams comes into play, especially for small businesses.

Now I know – I hear the rumbling – some of you are Teams users, others are Zoom users, and others are deeply embedded in Google Meets.  And, truth be told, Teams had a rather rocky start.  Today, it has become a very capable collaborative meeting and messaging platform that has more features than most casual Teams meeting attendees realize.

In this article, we’ll explore 10 essential Microsoft Teams features so everyone in your company has everything they need at their fingertips.

The 10 Must-Know Microsoft Teams Uses For Small Businesses

1) Share And Co-Edit Files

The demand for co-working capabilities has risen in recent years. And while modern working conventions have dictated the need for more collaborative software, there are real statistics to back up the benefits of co-editing.

According to a study from Deloitte, “When workers collaborate, 73% do better work, 60% are more innovative, 56% feel more satisfied, and 15% work faster.”

Microsoft Teams understands this and has continued to develop its ability to share and co-edit files. With 10 GB of cloud storage per user, it’s easier than ever to work on documents with others no matter where you are.

You can also quickly share document files by attaching them to a chat within Microsoft Teams so there’s no need for extra emails to share information.

2) Filter Messages

Along with our previous point, running an efficient business often means having messaging software that can keep up. However, it can be overwhelming when you have a sea of messages and no way to mark or find what you’re looking for.

Not anymore. With Microsoft Teams, you’re able to filter messages and find exactly what you need. This replaces the need to use an additional messaging service, such as Slack, and keeps everything within one comprehensive platform.

This also eliminates the headache of switching back and forth between platforms and having to have multiple windows open all the time to get work done.

3) Host Meetings
Hosting meetings is another huge capability of Microsoft Teams. The software allows you to schedule virtual meetings with hundreds of participants at a time. That means you have everything you and your team need, no matter the size of your business.

Recent updates have also expanded the ability for co-hosting breakout rooms as well. More features mean more ways for your team to connect!

4) Live Translated Captions

The 2023 updates for Microsoft Teams have increased accessibility as well. For example, there’s a new setting you can toggle on and off that will allow for live translated captions to appear during meetings.  

The system will save your settings for every meeting, or you can simply toggle it off when you no longer need it. The choice is ultimately yours.

You can also get the meeting transcripts when done to quickly review just the one part you were looking for!

5) Chat Features

One of the best features of the Microsoft Teams experience is the chat. With unlimited chats and the ability to filter through them, as we mentioned earlier, your team can have important conversations while also getting work done in the same place.

New this year, the platform now allows you to delete chats on your end while leaving them open on the other person’s when you no longer need the information. In addition, you can easily add people to existing conversations, and AI technology can suggest who you might want to talk to next.

These features make it easier than ever to collaborate with others and keep everyone on the same page.

6) Picture-In-Picture Functionality

Not every meeting needs your full attention. Teams has picture-in-picture functionality that allows you to have a meeting playing while you are doing other things.

That means you don’t have to put down other work while you’re on less important calls and can multitask.

7) Do Not Disturb

In addition to picture-in-picture display options, there are other ways you can value your time with Microsoft Teams settings.

This platform allows you to toggle on “do not disturb” when you need to step away from your desk, are taking a vacation, or going home/logging off at the end of the day.

There are plenty of things that can wait until tomorrow, and you deserve to set healthy boundaries when it comes to getting work done and taking time for yourself and your family.

8) Data Encryption

When you’re using an all-in-one comprehensive platform, a lot of information is exchanged. Between attaching important documents to chat threads to day-to-day communications, you need to know that all your information and your clients’ information is safe.

Microsoft Teams has you covered. With data encryption, you don’t have to worry about private information leaking on the internet. That means peace of mind for you and everything you work with.

9) Multi-Question Polls

The last feature we’ll mention that’s new in 2023 is the ability to have multi-question polls within a meeting. This gives you more flexibility to ask the questions you need and gives you an easy place to collect that data.

It’s never been easier to run a meeting and gather information.

10) Save MONEY (Thousands a month!)

Most businesses already have Microsoft Teams included in their current software package and can save a lot of money by eliminating redundant services.

Paying for dozens (or hundreds) of employee licenses for Slack, Zoom, Monday, Basecamp and more may be a thing of the past using the features already included in Microsoft Teams.

Many companies we look at are needlessly spending tens of thousands or more on these other services and that money goes straight to the bottom line.

Microsoft Teams For The Win

Whether you’re looking for a solution to messaging, collaborative working, video calls, document sharing, or accessibility features within your organization, Microsoft Teams can help your small business accomplish exactly what you need.

With these 10 features — and many more — you will be better equipped to work together as a team and won’t have to waste time cobbling together multiple apps along the way.

NetWerks Strategic Services specializes in working with small businesses to make them more productive and profitable, while keeping their data and business protected. To see what we can do for you, click here to schedule a quick discovery call.

The Biggest Risk...

 

The Biggest Risk Is Not The One You Don’t Take, But The One You Don’t See

“The biggest risk is the one you don’t take” is a mantra you’ll hear motivational speakers deliver in their presentations to make the argument that you should throw all caution to the wind and go for it (whatever “it” is).

And while that may be a good piece of advice to get someone to take action on an idea (and get the speaker applause at the end of their presentation), truly smart, experienced entrepreneurs and business executives NEVER throw “caution to the wind” and take wild risks. They take calculated risks, weighing consequences and putting buffers, hedges, and checks in place to reduce the risk and potential losses. They look for the risk because they know unchecked optimism is not only foolish, but dangerous, and Murphy is always standing by with a big wrench in hand, ready to throw it into your best-laid plans.

If you follow Warren Buffett’s two rules of investing, you’ll see this same caution: Rule #1 – Never lose money. Rule #2 – Never forget Rule #1.

A good question to ask yourself is where are YOU putting your business and your money at undue risk? While you cannot prepare for and prevent EVERY risk in your business, one area where we see a lot of businesses taking huge, unmitigated risks is with their data and cyber security.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that the risk and the financial consequences of cyber-attacks are enormous, we still hear, “Nobody is going to hack us…we don’t have anything they want,” or “We can’t get hacked because _____,” with the blank being things like “we use cloud applications” or “we have a good firewall,” “our people are too smart to click on bad links in e-mails,” or other similar “reasons” for their false sense of security. They explain it away.

Candidly, it’s our belief that this is not founded in confidence and logical thought but based in a willful neglect and a desire to avoid spending the funds necessary to truly secure their data, their business, their finances. And while I completely understand that nobody wants to spend a lot of money on IT, the risk doesn’t cease to exist just because you choose to ignore it.

One of the smartest investors in the world, Howard Marks, CEO of Oaktree Financial, said, paraphrased, the less risk you perceive, the more risk there is. For example, if I don’t think there’s any chance I can die in a car wreck on my way to the store, I’ll fail to put on my seat belt, text while I drive and be a lot less cautious about paying attention to the road than if I thought there was a very high chance I could be in a fatal crash. The lower the risk perceived, the higher the risk actually is, because we lower our guard and don’t protect against it.

That’s exactly why small businesses are the #1 target for hackers. They’re EASY prey. Sure, they don’t get the bragging rights of bringing down a company like Dole or hacking into Microsoft Azure, but hacking millions of small businesses for a few thousand dollars each in ransomware pays. You just don’t hear about these attacks because they don’t make the evening news, just like you don’t hear about the 6 MILLION car wrecks that happen every year. Only the big ones – or the ones that seriously impact rush hour traffic – get noticed.

If you are not all that certain that you are truly and fully protected against such hacks, click here to schedule a brief discovery call with us. We can conduct a quick and easy cyber security risk assessment and tell you for sure if your current IT company is protecting you, and what level of risk you’re at for a cyber-attack. It’s free and comes with no expectations or cost.

Remember, not all successes are measured in gains secured. Sometimes success is defined as losses avoided. If you were given the chance to go back in time and unwind 2 or 3 financial, business or life decisions you’ve made, knowing what you know now, I’m sure everyone would take that opportunity. Most likely, you’d go back and warn yourself about dumb mistakes you made and put protections in place to avoid losses you incurred. Sadly, there’s no genie in a bottle to make that happen, so an ounce of prevention against cyber-attack IS, without a doubt, worth a pound of cure. Call us today at (413) 786-9675 for your FREE Cyber Security Risk Assessment.

Take the Shadow out of IT

When we talk about "Shadow IT" it is all about the end user who circumvents your security policies by downloading and installing utility apps, browser extensions, and surfing the web for crafty ways to get around your DNS filtering platforms.  Generally, they don't understand the risk into which they put not only you the business owner, but also themselves and their co-workers.  With cybercrime on the rise, it is imperative that businesses work towards reducing risk of compromise, especially the introduction of ransomware into their networks.  To help put that knowledge in play, this blog will hopefully shed light on this growing threat.

5 Seemingly Innocent Download Habits Your Employees Must STOP Now To Avoid A Ransomware Attack

Once upon a time, you could install antivirus software and go about your merry way online and in your inbox, opening, clicking and downloading files without a care.

Today, antivirus alone cannot and will not protect you, especially if you INVITE the hack by downloading a file that is infected with a piece of code designed to circumvent your security protocols. Whether it’s a personal computer, phone or a laptop you use for business, here are 5 things you need to STOP doing now to ensure you don’t get hacked.

1.       STOP downloading apps from unknown sources. There are thousands of free apps available online that are very tempting to download. Hackers are masters at curiosity and “clickbait” designed to nail you in a moment of weakness. To prevent rogue apps and programs from installing, configure your devices to disallow the installation of programs from unauthorized sources. On your phone, ONLY download apps from your device’s respective app store that are tested and forced to meet the store’s security and privacy requirements.

      Business owners: while I’m sure all of your employees are trusting souls, it IS possible (and recommended) to have business machines locked down, preventing your employees from downloading any applications (or files) that could harm you and compromise your security.

2.       STOP surfing the web unprotected, particularly when accessing downloads. This is particularly true if you are on public WiFi. Starbucks is not going to guarantee your Internet connection is safe, nor is any other business, restaurant or location offering free Internet access. Talk to your IT company (that’s US!) about installing more than just antivirus, but endpoint protection solutions, like a VPN, that will “hide” you from cybercriminals and filter out nefarious websites and attacks so you CAN use public WiFi without the fear of inviting a hack.

3.       STOP opening and downloading files e-mailed to you without extreme caution. Phishing attacks via e-mail are still the #1 way hackers gain access to a network. It’s very common for an attacker to hack into someone’s e-mail and get their list of friends, colleagues, coworkers and their boss to send e-mails that appear legitimate on “their” behalf, even using their actual e-mail – these are are highly sophisticated phishing attacks. So, before you open or download ANY file e-mailed to you, make sure it was one you were expecting. It’s far safer to use IT-managed file sharing like OnDrive, SharePoint or Citrix ShareFile to send attachements. But bottom line, if ANY file “feels” wrong or suspicious about a file download, including a weird extension or suspicious file name, CALL the person who sent it to verify. If it’s important, they can send it again.  

4.       STOP downloading “bloatware.” It’s common for legitimate, reputable apps to sneak in other applications or toolbars you don’t need. They sell this as a sponsorship to make more money every time one of their users downloads an app. The best way to spot these is to look for checkboxes when installing that automatically opt you into services by default. So, before you hit “Next” and keep rolling to get your app installed, take a second to really read and review what you’re agreeing to when installing that new app.

5.       STOP downloading music, software, games, movies and the like from websites like BitTorrent, RARBG, 1337x and similar peer-to-peer file-sharing sites. It’s very common for file-sharing networks to be breeding grounds for hackers who post files infected with malicious software for people to download. Some of the ads on these sites are malicious as well. Don’t feel “safe” just because you have antivirus – because you’re not.

Business owners: after showing this to your team for both their work and personal devices, click here to schedule a quick 10-minute call to find out how we can implement security systems that will give you stronger protections against hackers and against employees who accidentally click on or download a malicious file.

 

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