We talked about the huge volumes of eWaste out there and the things you can do to help reduce it in an earlier post.   But the reality is that eWaste will still exist as we need to upgrade our computers, cell phones and copiers.  So what else do you need to think about when getting rid of this equipment.  How about the fact that your confidential company data may be on it for the taking?!?!

Most people consider deleting their files from the hard drive of a computer they replace, but did you know you how easily that information can be retrieved unless it is deleted with a special program that restricts recovery?  How about the emails that are on your cell phone when you turn it in that may include your customer’s credit card information on it from the last big sale you made?  And your fax/copier/network printer?!  This unit probably contains more confidential information than your kitchen sponge has bacteria after being used for several years.  Scared?  Good.

Several studies have been done recently that determined that confidential information is being recklessly discarded to the great peril of the companies that discarded it.  CBS news did a piece on copiers that revealed medical records, criminal records, and bank statements.  Kessler International did a study of hard drives purchased on eBay and found that over 40% of them had confidential data such as corporate financial data.  For some organizations, this is a breach of corporate conduct,  Sarbanes-Oxley regulations and other  state and federal privacy laws.

Don’t worry though, you don’t need to rent a storage shed for all of your old equipment or have a huge backyard bonfire.  There are ways to ensure that your data is safe and that you are protected.  To help, we have compiled this list of 5 things you should consider when disposing of old equipment.  While following these will not guarantee that your data will never fall into the wrong hands, you can at least be assured that you have made a good effort to protect it.

You probably have a handle on how much you rely on your email, internet connection, certainly the data about your clients and financials.  Maybe you even recognize how powerful a tool your website can be.  What else should you be thinking about?  Here are 5 key questions for reflection:

1. Do you rely on an individual person to support your technologies? Whether this is an internal staff member or outside consultant, this is a single point of failure that can hurt you if they become unavailable without warning, or simply don’t have the experience or expertise needed to solve a problem in your environment.
2. Does your idea of support mean calling someone AFTER something breaks? While not every issue can be prevented, many can.  Some basic preventative maintenance of your network and even your website is a best practices that can prevent embarrassing and costly downtime.
3. Are any upcoming projects or changes in the works? Are you planning to move, expand or downsize, replace a server, target a new market, put on a major fundraiser?  While some of these things may not be directly related to technology, change is a perfect time to review what’s in place and make sure it is effectively achieving your goals.
4. Are you leveraging social media marketing to increase traffic to your website and convert the traffic into leads?  Are your competitors? We recently posted a series of articles by guest blogger Thomas Clifford “Social Media Isn’t for Business.  Yeah, Right“.  If you think it can’t help your business, school or nonprofit, this is highly recommended reading.
5. Is there anything you wish you could change about your technology, be it your network, website support (or lack thereof)? Think of this as the old “magic wand” question.  If you could wave it over your technology, what would that look like?  What would the benefits be from these changes?  What is the status quo costing you?

It’s not unusual to realize that you aren’t thrilled with what you have in place, but you’re also not sure what to do about it.  Reputable technology firms offer basic reviews with recommendations that can make a big difference for little or no cost to you as an introduction to their expertise.  Take advantage of them, and this reflection will have been time well spent to help you achieve your goals.

It is so un-”PC” to be wasteful in any way these days.  We bring our own bags to the grocery store and turn down a bag if we have just a handful of items.  We wash and separate our trash and even take the bus if we can to save harmful emissions into the air.  So would it surprise you to know that despite all of your efforts, you are probably still being wasteful in ways that are putting lead and mercury into our landfills growing at a rate of 2-3 times that of other types of waste?

eWaste is being generated by all of us as we replace our cell phones, upgrade our computers and install 50″ flat screens in place of our old 19″ CRT televisions. With the rapid changes in technology, this is happening at a faster rate than ever before as we just have to have the latest gadgets (think - iPhone 4). According to sources on the Internet, an estimated 50 million tons of eWaste is produced each year. To make matters worse, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that only 15-20% of eWaste is recycled and the rest goes directly into landfills and incinerators.

While the problem sounds overwhelming, there are things you can do to help control the effects.   Here are a few:

• Refurbish and Reuse - The old saying that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure certainly holds true here.  Schools, non-profits, and organizations that ship refurbished goods to less privileged areas can take your “worthless” technology and help someone who is not able to have the latest and greatest.  One partner we have worked with is mysbk.org.
• Recycle - Sometimes pieces of the equipment can be salvaged for the precious metals that it is composed of and the usable parts removed so the net eWaste effect is lessened.
• Dispose Properly - If a device can’t be reused or recycled, there are proper ways to dispose of them.  Depending upon the device, some towns have special drop off days and others will take them at a dump or transfer station.  There are even companies designed specifically to take this type of waste for a small fee.  If you are going to use one of these be sure that they are a reputable operation who is not simply going to take the fee and then dispose of them improperly after you leave.

eWaste is a large and growing problem, but every little bit of controlling the issue can help.  Think about that when you open up the box to your shiny new iPhone and are about toss your Motorola StarTAC into the kitchen trashcan.

This three part series is written by ForeSite Insight guest blogger, Thomas Clifford…

Thomas Clifford is a Fast Company “Expert Blogger,” speaker, three-time co-author for the “Age of Conversation” book series and an award-winning multimedia producer. Tom is passionate about speaking, writing and helping organizations use digital media to communicate with a personal touch.

In 2010 and 2009, Tom was awarded Hartford Business Journal’s Strateg-e Award for “Best Use of Blogs.” Many of Tom’s articles and his highly popular LinkedIn article can be found on his blog. You can follow Tom on Twitter at @ThomasClifford.

Social Media Isn’t for Business. Yeah, Right. Pt 3

Let’s say your heart wants to dive into social media.
But then your brain steps in and says, “Whoa Nellie! Not so fast!”

Your heart is saying one thing.
Your brain is saying something else.

Your brain is telling you people don’t care what you have to say.

Hmmm.

Ever send out a proposal solving a client’s headache?
Check.
Ever give some helpful advice to someone on the phone?
Check.
Ever tell your colleagues over lunch how you’ve solved certain challenges over lunch?
Check.
Ever share your ideas in a presentation?
Check.

Well, then, look what we have here
Two things:
1.    Looks like you do have something to share with others, and;
2.    There are people eager to hear what you have to say.

We learned in the first article how an egg timer and nine minutes a day empowers you to understand how the social media landscape works. And in article two, we debunked the idea that social media doesn’t work.

So what’s the third social media misconception?
The third misconception is thinking that you have nothing valuable to say. And if you think that you have nothing valuable to say, then it’s only natural to think that no one would care about what you say.

Misconception #3: “No one cares about what I say”
Hang on, partner! You really think no one cares about your ideas? Um, how about your customers? You have customers for a reason, right? And what about the times you spoke to a group? Or were interviewed by a newspaper or trade journal?

Fact: You, and only you, have a unique perspective. You see, do and hear things like no one else.

That brings us to a turning point.

Why do we think we have nothing to say?
Fear. That’s right, fear. What kinds of fear?
1.    Fear of writing.
2.    Fear of feedback.
3.    Fear of trying something new.

Let’s tackle these fears one at a time
1. Fear of writing.
Ever email a client with ideas? Ever write a proposal? Ever write a brief presentation?
If you answered yes to even one of these, guess what? You can write. Heck, Twitter only allows 140 characters. You certainly can share some neat ideas in a sentence or two, right?

Have a Linkedin profile? Great, you can share your ideas in a Group you belong to or update your status in approximately 140 characters, just like Twitter. And if you expand into blogging, you can share lengthier articles where you can really dig into an idea.

2. Fear of negative feedback
Fear of negative feedback is a natural feeling, too. Positive feedback, of course, isn’t usually an issue. But negative feedback? That’s our real fear. We wonder: What will someone think? What will they say? Trust me– you want feedback in social media. Why? Because you can turn that feedback into new ideas or new insights to share. Think of it this way. If everyone contributes ideas that are one-way ideas, um, how boring will that be? So welcome feedback. Most feedback isn’t negative. It’s more likely to be ideas we missed or angles we didn’t cover; the feedback actually expands the conversation into new areas. Feedback is the fuel to keep your fires going.

3. Fear of trying something new.
Remember first using email? Now it’s a no-brainer. Remember first using your new cell phone? Yup. Now it’s a no-brainer, too. The same is true with getting your ideas out to people through social media. That’s why the first article stressed starting out in social media by closely watching others. Observe what works, what you like and don’t like. Observing others erases the “newness” factor so you feel more comfortable starting off.

But even when the newness factor is erased, you might still have a voice in your head.

What’s that voice in your head telling you?
You might have that little voice in your head wondering how to get started.
Try this little experiment. It’s part of your 9-minute social media routine, anyway.

Start a conversation somewhere. Get on Twitter, search for your area of interest and comment. If Twitter isn’t for you, try LinkedIn. Just share one small idea on a topic you’re passionate about, then see what happens. Do it again the next day. And the next day. Don’t be too surprised to find people hungry for more of what you have to share.

Here are a few more easy-as-pie ideas:
•    Begin commenting on blogs in your industry
•    Ask to write a short article for someone in your industry
•    Answer industry-related questions on LinkedIn’s “Answers” forum
•    Open a free Twitter account and start tweeting

Bottom line?
•    People do care about your ideas.
•    Fear of sharing your ideas is a natural feeling but once examined, quickly falls apart.
•    If you have customers, you have an audience.
•    Don’t have customers yet because you’re just starting out? Your ideas and insights can turn passive readers into paying customers.

Now it’s your turn
So go ahead and turn that helping phone call into a short status update on your LinkedIn profile. Your audience is waiting, remember?

To read guest blogger Thomas Clifford’s first part of this three part series, click here.  To read the second part of this three part series, click here.

This three part series is written by ForeSite Insight guest blogger, Thomas Clifford…

Thomas Clifford is a Fast Company “Expert Blogger,” speaker, three-time co-author for the “Age of Conversation” book series and an award-winning multimedia producer. Tom is passionate about speaking, writing and helping organizations use digital media to communicate with a personal touch.

In 2010 and 2009, Tom was awarded Hartford Business Journal’s Strateg-e Award for “Best Use of Blogs.” Many of Tom’s articles and his highly popular LinkedIn article can be found on his blog. You can follow Tom on Twitter at @ThomasClifford.

Social Media Isn’t for Business. Yeah, Right. Pt 1

Ever feel totally out of it?
Like when everyone sees the latest blockbuster- except you?
You figure, hey, it’s not for you.

Is that how you’re feeling about this social media thing, too?
That it’s not for you? Or your business?
You figure, hey, it’s just a fad.

Um, your competition doesn’t think it’s a fad.

There are three misconceptions about social media:
1) You don’t have the time for it;
2) It doesn’t work; and
3) You think you have nothing to say.

Um, guess what?
1) You do have time for it.
2) Social media does work.
3) You have an audience eagerly waiting to hear from you.

Think I’m crazy?
Hang on. In this article we’ll cover #1: you think you have no time for social media. The next two articles will cover #2 and #3. I’m going to show you why these are misconceptions. Not only that, you’re going to see how you can get started with social media in just a few minutes a day.

OK, ready? Let’s start crushing these pesky misconceptions.

But first…

Why is holding on to misconceptions a problem?
Holding on to misconceptions is a problem because they can prevent us from growing and reaching our personal and professional goals. Perceptions give us direction. Perceptions are like our personal GPS system.

Sometimes our personal GPS system goes “ka-put!”
And a GPS system that goes “ka-put” won’t lead you to your destination.
Holding onto your “misconceptions” won’t lead you to your destination, either.

How can we begin correcting these misconceptions, especially with social media?
We begin by educating ourselves.

How do we educate ourselves about social media without buying books and spending gobs of time on-line? Simple. Begin by watching what others do. Learn by observation.

Let’s talk about the first misconception.

Misconception #1: “I don’t have time”
I know what you’re thinking: “If I’m going to do this social media thing, it’ll take me hours a day. It’s just not worth it.” With everyone talking about LinkedIn , Twitter, blogging, Facebook and yada, yada, yada, it’s no wonder we think we don’t have the time!

Fact: All you need is nine minutes a day (um, getting an egg-timer helps).
You read that right. Nine minutes a day.

Assuming you’re registered on at least one social media site, set your timer for nine minutes and just begin exploring. You don’t have to participate and get all crazy posting things here and there- just look. Observe what others are doing. Spend a few minutes studying how things are happening. Don’t judge– just observe.

We can learn to use social media just by watching how others use social media
When you’re on LinkedIn, Twitter or looking at professional blogs, ask yourself:

• What do you see that resonates with you?
• What works?
• What doesn’t?
• Can you strike up a conversation with someone by leaving comments?
• How are people in your industry using these tools?
• Can you see any patterns?
• How would you do it differently?

You’ll learn what you need to become an active participant in social media just by spending nine minutes a day and observing how things work. After a few weeks of just observing, you’ll have more confidence when you’re ready to dive in the pool.

It’s easy to spend all day with social media
Of course, that’s not really practical, is it? If you’re really interested in learning how social media works in general and for your business, the best way to start learning is by watching.

Nine minutes a day. That’s it.

So it’s time to find that egg timer. You do have an egg timer, right?

Next up? Misconception #2: Social Media Doesn’t Work

If you work with  businesses in Massachusetts, there is another aspect of the new identity theft regulations that you need to be aware of.  As part of the regulations, Massachusetts organizations must also confirm that their service providers are taking appropriate security measures when handling personal information by requiring them to complete a “201 CMR 17 Third Party Compliance Contract”.

Personal information includes social security numbers, credit card or bank account numbers, PIN numbers and/or passwords to access financial accounts.  Law firms, insurance agencies, realtors, financial services brokers and IT firms are just a few of the many businesses  who will be receiving the contracts as their Massachusetts clients complete the checklist for 201 CMR 17.

In order to be compliant themselves, companies must select and oversee third-party service providers that are capable of maintaining safeguards for personal information and contractually require that they adhere to them.  Compliance is a process that takes time to implement.  Don’t jeopardize lucrative client relationships - use the 201 CMR checklist to create a Written Information Security Program (WISP) for your company BEFORE you are asked to sign off on a Third Party Compliance Contract.

The bottom-line with LinkedIn is that people would much rather work with people who their friends and colleagues know and trust. To truly realize a return on the investment of time required by LinkedIn you need to increase your number of viable connections and thus increase your chances of getting more business. In order to make your profile more appealing you need to nurture it by being committed to completing at least one or two LinkedIn tasks every single day. Make a connection, join a group, or just enhance your profile. Be sure to track the traffic to your website and what percentage of it comes from LinkedIn.

If you’re interested in learning about some good LinkedIn practices that help you make the most of your profile, find great contacts quickly, and network to get work, download parts one, two and three of our three part series.

I’m having an interesting experience this week.  A gentleman named Wilson who runs a computer network support and software development firm in Kenya is shadowing folks from ForeSite to see what is similar and what is different between the two markets.  He is looking to expand his business beyond his hometown so we have been discussing our expansion in both the network support and web development service lines from Hartford, CT to the Worcester, MA market and the lessons we have learned.

Wilson is a very bright and energetic business person with many ideas about how to take advantage of a growing economy in Kenya, specifically in that the wave of outsourcing from the US and Europe seems to be headed their way.  We discussed the challenges such as communication, web development coding consistency, time differences and language barriers that US companies have with outsourcing software development and network support as well as the possible benefits from doing the same. He hopes to be able to overcome some of those hurdles someday with his company.

Wilson comes to us from the Kenya Young Entrepreneur Program sponsored by the University of Connecticut and the CBIA.  I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from Wilson over the years and I for one look forward to seeing his organization grow and flourish.

Let me start by saying that we strive to go beyond being “vendors” for our clients by combining our expertise and experience in technology with their expertise and experience in their industry and their organization.  That combined approach allows us to be a “technology partner”.  Be careful of the “technology vendor” who is more focused on their quotas and sales spiffs than they are on listening to your needs.  I don’t mean to get off topic here, but this is an important distinction to us!

As far as the relationship goes, there are some keys to it being successful and they all start with trust.  You need to trust that we are truly working on your behalf without some hidden agenda and we need to trust that you have given us all of the information necessary to make our engagement a successful one.  Nothing is worse than getting halfway through a project to find out that there were requirements that we hadn’t considered.  All we really want is to have the project go flawlessly so we can call it a success and you can go on improving your business.

Unfortunately, a flawless technology project really only exists in a utopia so I have written this short 5 point download about ways to mitigate those things that will go wrong.  I hope this helps you manage your future relationships with your technology partner.  If they don’t want to work in this framework, maybe they should be called a vendor.

ForeSite’s network consultants are often asked about email safety by our computer support clients in Connecticut and Massachusetts.  Our team put together these 5 tips for email safety:

1.  Never click a link to a web site that’s inside an email and then enter personal information. The link may bring you to a site that looks like your bank, a trusted vendor, or a government agency site, but the internet is rampant with scam emails containing links to sites that look legitimate, but are created to mislead you into providing information that can be used to steal your identity (known as “phishing”).

2.  No legitimate source will EVER ask you to email a password! This includes your IT department or outside technology firm, bank, or trusted vendor.

3.  Internet email is not usually encrypted, so think before you email information that should be kept private. It is possible for information within an unencrypted email to be intercepted.  It is also possible for emails to show a fake return address to solicit private information from you, and this is a common tactic for spam email.  If you are emailing from within your workplace, your email may be monitored and can be retrieved even if you delete it.

4.  Never open attachments from unknown sources. They may contain viruses which can corrupt files on your PC.

5.  Don’t email a reply to spam emails. By responding, you only confirm that your email address is active and encourage more unwanted emails.