Entrepreneurship Unfiltered: Embracing Failure, Fear, and Resilience - a discussion with Delcie Bean, the Founder and CEO of Paragus IT.

Everybody’s talking about A.I. But how does it work? And more specifically, how can it work for your business? Does it really save that much time and money? What kind of changes will you have to make to your current systems? Is it easy to use?

There are no stupid questions. On Wednesday, November 1, join us for an informative webinar designed to demystify this new technology and help you better understand the simplicity and effectiveness of integrating A.I. into your daily operations, including:

- Real-time demonstrations on how A.I. can effortlessly automate tasks like crafting emails, designing
engaging PowerPoints, and conducting analysis.

- Insightful discussions on how various industries are embracing A.I. to save time and spur creativity.

- Simple steps on how you can kickstart your A.I. journey right away without breaking the bank.

Put A.I. to work for you. Sign up today.

Every two seconds, a small business in the United States is the victim of a cyberattack. You don’t need an I.T. company or insurance agency to tell you how disastrous these attacks can be—but together we can help to protect and defend you.

On Wednesday, October 25, join Paragus I.T. and Sullivan Group for a breakfast session on current developments in cybersecurity and cyber-liability insurance—from risk assessment and management for your business to the latest coverage packages and software programs. 

Paragus I.T. and Sullivan Group help businesses all over New England navigate the complicated world of cyberattacks and network/data protection. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from their combined expertise.

A networking session with coffee and delicious doughnuts from local favorite Doughnut Homies will begin at 8am, followed by the presentation and Q&A from 8:30am-9:30am.

You've probably seen the term "pen testing" appear on an insurance renewal, vendor/customer questionnaire, or compliance checklist. But, like most small businesses, you may not fully understand what it is - let alone if you need it.

In broad terms, a penetration (pen) test is a simulated cyberattack designed to challenge your security system and identify potential weaknesses and vulnerabilities. But that means different things to different businesses and can vary widely in terms of cost, scale, and necessity.

On Tuesday, September 26 at 2pm EST, join us for an informative webinar where we will explore the world of pen testing and answer the most frequent questions we get from small businesses.

We will be joined by Convergence Networks, one of our go-to security partners who are experts in this space. Together we will help you understand the spectrum of tests, how the process works, and whether it's something you should consider. 

It seems like every week there's yet another new program designed to help keep your business safe from cyberattacks. Everybody wants the best protection, but nobody can afford to keep up with every new tool. As a small business, how do you know what you need and what you can do without?

On Tuesday, August 29, join us for an informative webinar where we will help small businesses navigate the complicated and overwhelming cybersecurity market. We will demonstrate how to find programs that address your specific risks and give you the protection you need - and how to avoid the ones that don't.

Protect your business - and your bottom line. 

Say goodbye to time-consuming orientation sessions and frustrating packets of paperwork. Now you can leverage technology to streamline the training process and set your employees—and your business—up to succeed.

Join us for an engaging and informative webinar where we will demonstrate the latest tools and strategies to optimize your training efforts and maximize employee potential.

These easy-to-use programs are designed to automate your training process and improve productivity, competence, and retention across the board—with features including:

• Engaging, interactive training methods

• Real-time tracking and progress monitoring 

• Centralized training management

Start your employees on the right track. Sign up today.

As AI becomes increasingly accessible, more small businesses are using it to cut costs, streamline operations, and gain a competitive edge. But there are also some big questions when it comes to how to implement this rapidly evolving technology in a practical and ethical way.

On Friday, June 16, join us for an informative webinar where we will demonstrate how AI can work for small businesses—as well as the potential impact of AI on employment, the workforce, and small businesses overall.

Whether you're a small business owner or just interested in the intersection of AI and business, this webinar is for you. 

The future is here. Sign up today.

With hybrid work environments, flexible schedules, and endless communication options, it's harder than ever to keep everyone on the same page.

With Microsoft Teams Phone, you can save time, reduce costs, and improve productivity by bringing together calling, chat, and meetings - in one simple application.

Watch our pre-recorded, informative webinar on how Microsoft Teams Phone can streamline your communication process while eliminating the expenses and hassles of multiple phone lines. Benefits of switching to Teams Phone include:

- Increased team collaboration/productivity

- Improved protection & security

- Ease-of-use across multiple devices (computer, tablet, cell) from anywhere in the world

- Designated work numbers for all communications- no more personal cell phone number sharing

In part one of our VDI webinar series, we showed you how VDI provider ComputerVault can save your business time and money. In part two, we tackle making remote work more efficient with Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop.

While many people have returned to the office, there's no denying remote work, or some hybrid of remote and in-office, is here to stay. So how can we make it as seamless and productive as possible?

Watch our informative webinar on Azure VDI. With built-in intelligent security and smooth integration across all platforms, it is a great tool to provide consistent and secure desktop experience for remote workers - and help you manage them with the least hassle and the best results.

With Azure Virtual Desktop, you can:

- Enable remote work by securely equipping remote employees with the right technology - on any device.

- Reduce the time and expense associated with onboarding new workers or managing a fluctuating workforce.

- Lower hardware costs by eliminating the need to equip every employee with company-issued laptops.

Properly onboarding and offboarding employees is an important part of keeping your business running efficiently. It also takes a lot of time and energy. This informative webinar demonstrates how to automate the employee onboarding and offboarding processes - ensuring simplicity and consistency every time.

During this webinar, we explore the various options and technologies available to improve the way employees are onboarded and offboarded.

With high business turnover in the last 3 years, automation can help save time, avoid mistakes, and ensure that things get done according to procedure.

Here is the link to our webinar recording: Paragus IT Webinar: VDI Part 1 Featuring ComputerVault

To learn more about ComputerVault, visit computervault.com

If you are a current Paragus client and have any questions about the webinar or any other I.T. related topic, please don't hesitate to reach out to your Account Relationship Manager.

Inquiries from non-clients can be directed to Paragus Ambassador, Nick Brady at nbrady@paragusit.com or by calling 413-419-0040.

When you’re running a business, one of the most frustrating parts of keeping everything on track is having to wait until the end of the month to access your data reports. It’s 2022. Haven’t they figured out a better way to do this yet?

Microsoft Power BI gives you real-time visual intelligence on what’s happening in your business and streamlines the information you need to make important decisions on the fly. The Power BI dashboard pulls from the cloud, Excel, SQL, and all your sources, organizing your data in an intuitive, easy-to-understand way— with maximum accuracy, consistency, and security.

Join us for an informative webinar with guest speaker Drew Sadowsky, former owner of Williams Distributing. We’ll walk you through how you can use Power BI to understand what’s happening right now in your business and get immediate answers to any questions you have.

Today, lawyers are increasingly targeted in cyberattacks—putting both your and your clients’ data at serious risk. It can also impact your credibility and reputation. In many cases, cyberattacks have put entire law firms completely out of business. With more people working remote, our networks and data have become even more vulnerable.

Join us for an in-depth webinar that will provide an overview of the current state of cybersecurity in this increasingly unstable environment for lawyers.

This webinar is being exclusively offered to members of the Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, and Worcester County Bar Associations. We will share information on the latest threats, demonstrate real-world examples of how these hacks play out, show you how to navigate compliance regulations, and offer strategic advice on the latest tools and technologies to protect yourself and your clients.

By now you have heard of Microsoft Teams and odds are, you are using it to some extent within your business. However, we are willing to bet that you are only scratching the surface of what Teams can do. Join us for another informative webinar where we talk about the advantages of switching to Teams.  With Teams, your company will see a multitude of benefits over your current provider including but not limited to:

• Increased team communication and collaboration  

• Increased protection and security when set-up effectively

• Ease of use across multiple devices (computer, tablet, cell) from anywhere in the world

• Designated work numbers for all communications—no more personal cell phone number sharing

• A more streamlined communication process along with eliminating expenses and hassles of multiple lines

See why we switched and how your company can get started by registering today  to attend the webinar on Friday November 19th at 12:00pm.  

Data loss is a major threat to the livelihood of your business—and many businesses think they are more protected than they are. Your data is under attack on all fronts and you must be on high alert at all times for threats including:

• Rogue employees

• Natural disasters

• Human error

• Corruption

• Ransom attacks

Register for our webinar to learn more about the best solutions for securing your data, whether it is stored in the cloud or on-premises.

All webinar attendees will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a YETI TUNDRA 35 HARD COOLER!*

space is limited

*Must have a valid business email address to be entered into the giveaway

In our current labor market, it is more important than ever to be able to train employees quickly and effectively. 

A Learning Management System (LMS) allows you to curate content from several sources—or create your own—and distribute it to employees in a way that is easy, convenient and trackable.

In this webinar, you will learn about the benefits of implementing an LMS, including:

• Organizing training materials in one location—accessible from any device anytime, anywhere

• Tracking progress and performance

• Reducing cost and time for learning/development

• Keeping up to date with compliance regulations

• Integrating social learning experiences

• Ensuring knowledge retention through easy-to-build quizzes

We will have a live demo and answer any questions you have about an LMS being a fit for your business.

We’re Here To Help You Pull Off The Impossible

We know as well as you do that keeping I.T. running smoothly takes superhuman strength. And we know it’s a big ask for you to carve out some time in your busy schedule to sit through a webinar. But we promise you this one is worth it.

These days, with labor shortages, fewer resources, people working remote and the constant threat of cyberattacks, the stakes are higher than ever.

In this webinar, we can show you how we can help you bridge the gap, manage the impossible and make your job—and your life—a lot easier.

Register for the webinar on Wednesday, July 21 at 2:00pm.

Q&A will follow.

Space is limited.

Even before the pandemic, landlines in our homes had become a thing of the past.

In the past year, as people have gotten more comfortable with Zoom and Teams, people are realizing that traditional phone lines have become unnecessary in our offices.

Join us for a webinar on Teams As A Phone System and learn how your business can save money while increasing efficiency and convenience by moving away from the traditional office phone system.

By migrating to Teams As A Phone System, you can:

• Make calls on a variety of devices (computer, tablet, cell) from anywhere in the world

• Use your designated work number for all communications—no more personal cellphone number sharing

• Enjoy all the same features you're used to like auto attendant, hunt groups, and call routing

• Eliminate the expense and hassle of multiple phone lines and voicemail inboxes

• Have all voicemails automatically transmitted to texts

• Streamline all communications on one convenient system with no downtime

Register for the webinar on Thursday, June 24 at 12:30pm to see a live demo.

Q&A will follow.

Space is limited.

In the past two years, cybercrimes have increased by 69%. The upward trajectory is expected to continue, which means it’s more important than ever to take measures to secure your network and data from criminals who want access to it.

More than 80% of hacking-related breaches were linked to weak, reused or stolen passwords. In this webinar, we will discuss three important password tools you can use to secure your business:

     - Multi-Factor Authentication

     - Password Managers

     - Single Sign-On Technology

Space is limited.

Register now to attend the one-hour webinar on Wednesday, May 19th at 11:30am ET.

Many people have heard about the ability of Microsoft 365 to automate business processes, but few people know where to start. Microsoft’s automation tools can help your company save time and boost its productivity.

In this webinar, you will:

• Get an overview of what is possible with Microsoft’s automation tools, including Power Automate, Power BI, Power Apps, and Power Visual Agents.

• See examples of workflows that improve efficiency.

• Learn how to set up a simple automation so that you can get your feet wet in the world of automation.

Space is limited.

Register now to attend the one-hour webinar on April 15th at 1:00pm ET.

Document imaging software has been growing in popularity. Document management solutions enable you to capture, extract and classify information, transforming it into usable intelligence that lets you work smarter and faster while being more productive—both in the office and working remote.

 In this webinar, you will:

       • Learn about the capabilities of document management
           software
       • View an example of how document management can increase
           efficiency in accounts payable

Register now to attend the one-hour webinar on March 17 at 11:00am ET.

As the world changes, your ability to adapt as an organization becomes more and more essential. You need to be able to make strategic technological decisions, rethink existing programs and make changes that advance your organization forward.

 In this webinar, you will:

       • Learn about tech advances on the horizon and how they can
           support your work
       • Gain a better understanding of the role of executive leadership
           in technological decisions that impact the organization
       • Establish next steps for implementing new technology

Register now to attend the one-hour webinar on February 18 at 1:00pm ET.

MICROSOFT TEAMS

What Is It And Should We Be Using It?

You have probably heard of Microsoft Teams, but did you know that it has a few advantages over Zoom?

Join us for an informative webinar where we will walk you through the advantages of Teams, including: 

       • Increased team communication and collaboration  
       • Increased protection and security when set-up effectively 
       • Ease of use across multiple devices

Register now to attend the webinar on January 21 at 11:00am ET.

As if the topic of manufacturing compliance wasn’t confusing or overwhelming enough, on September 29, the Department of Defense issued an interim rule amending Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). Contractors must now be self-certified through the NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Methodology by November 30, 2020. Got all that? No? That’s what this webinar is for.

Small manufacturers are increasingly victims of cybersecurity attacks, putting financial data and intellectual property at risk. Since manufacturers are often seen as an easy entry point into larger businesses and government agencies, the government is quickly increasing the regulations and requirements of these businesses. 

Keeping up with all these changes and requirements isn't easy. Especially for small businesses with a lot on their plate—and who don’t want to shell out an obscene amount of money to a big company to take care of this stuff. 

This webinar will offer practical advice to protect your business and ensure you are in compliance with this new interim requirement and other changes on the horizon.

Register now to attend the webinar on December 10 at 11:00am EST. 

Curious about employee ownership?

Join three Massachusetts experts for a panel discussion on the topic.

How Exposed is Your Business to Cybercrime?

Hackers have taken to locking down computer networks until their demands are met, paralyzing small businesses to government entities. These attacks can cause costly disruptions to operations and the loss of critical information and data.

The F.B.I. warns that attacks are becoming 'more targeted, sophisticated, and costly.' Security experts state that ransomware has evolved into a lucrative industry and anticipate a continual increase in attacks.

Often a business is not aware that their system has been compromised until it is too late, and they see the hacker's demands displayed.

Has your business taken all measures to prevent such an attack and have a plan to respond if needed?

Delcie Bean, the owner of Paragus Strategic I.T., will be joining us to:

• assess cybersecurity risks for small and medium-sized businesses, including the newest threat of ransomware facing business owners - it is no longer just quietly paying funds for the data release.

• share real-life examples of businesses hacked, identifying the root cause, and how the situations resolved.

• provide some practical tips for how organizations can strengthen their defenses to minimize their ransomware threat.

• take a look at insurance protection available

Understanding the threat is the first step to taking action against Cybercrime. Join us to protect your business from hackers' operations!