We use cookies to give you the best online experience. By using our website you agree to our use of cookies in accordance with our cookie policy.

croom new

Preferred Blog

Preferred has been serving the Tinley Park area since 1991, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

What Does Compliance Look Like? (It’s Not Easy)

What Does Compliance Look Like? (It’s Not Easy)

For businesses, one of the scariest threats out there is that of compliance fines for not holding up your end of the bargain with your customers’ data. But what goes into compliance, and what does it look like? We won’t be digging into the nitty-gritty of what these specific regulations require; rather, we’re performing a broad analysis of what businesses should be doing to ensure compliance, regardless of the protocol or the industry.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Is Your Business Stuck in the 20th Century? Here’s How to Successfully Modernize

Is Your Business Stuck in the 20th Century? Here’s How to Successfully Modernize

The modern business is more technologically driven than ever before, but there are some out there who haven’t embraced the benefits of technology and have alternatively chosen to stick with their more analog, tried and true methods. In today’s blog, we’ll discuss why technology is important and how to get started if your business is stuck in the 20th century.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Tools that Promote Collaboration are a Big Boost to Organizational Productivity

Tools that Promote Collaboration are a Big Boost to Organizational Productivity

Businesses run on collaboration, and thanks to technology, working together has never been easier. The right tools can make all the difference, helping teams communicate better, stay organized, and keep projects moving forward. Let’s go into the aspects that make some of the key collaboration tools businesses are using today work.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Break/Fix Technology Strategies Set Businesses Back

Break/Fix Technology Strategies Set Businesses Back

Imagine owning an elevator that you would only service if it broke down? Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, that’s exactly what businesses do when they rely on a break/fix IT strategy.

Break/fix IT means waiting until something goes wrong before calling in the experts. While this might seem like a cost-saving move, in reality, it’s a fast track to frustration, downtime, and lost revenue. Let’s break down why this approach makes no sense in today’s business world.

0 Comments
Continue reading

3 Applications of Modern IT and How Today’s Businesses Can Benefit

3 Applications of Modern IT and How Today’s Businesses Can Benefit

The entire purpose of modern IT is to improve the processes that work requires us to do. Today, we wanted to address a few business priorities—productivity, cybersecurity, and accessibility—that the right tech can help you accomplish, explicitly exploring how different tools can contribute to your success.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Three Innovative Technologies that Can Solve Some of Your Business Problems

Three Innovative Technologies that Can Solve Some of Your Business Problems

New technology is always a bit intriguing. It can also be scary for some. Business owners typically only see the cost, even if it presents solutions to their organizational problems and can err on the side of caution as to not too much strain on their budget. There are a couple of really cutting-edge technologies businesses can use today that can help them confront problems they have. Let’s take a look at them in today’s blog. 

0 Comments
Continue reading

How Your Business Must Conduct Business with the Internet of Things

How Your Business Must Conduct Business with the Internet of Things

With so many devices connecting to the Internet, it’s natural that a term would emerge for devices that don’t typically have Internet connection, but nowadays do anyway: the Internet of Things. Businesses can leverage the IoT to take advantage of incredible benefits, but these devices come with an inherent security risk. Why does the IoT matter for businesses, and what can you do to keep your organization secure?

0 Comments
Continue reading

3 Productivity Tips to Streamline Your Workday

3 Productivity Tips to Streamline Your Workday

Do you want superhuman productivity? Thankfully, it doesn’t take much to be more productive than the majority of workers out there, and a couple of small tweaks to your day can make a world of difference. Today, we’ll cover some strategies you can use for prioritization, time management, and focus, allowing you to get more work done.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Five Password Practices for More Secure Accounts

Five Password Practices for More Secure Accounts

Passwords are one of the best ways to protect your online accounts and information. Strong passwords are especially important for small businesses because weak ones can cause significant problems, like security breaches. Let’s break down how to create and manage passwords the right way.

0 Comments
Continue reading

The Pros and Cons of Current AI Tools

The Pros and Cons of Current AI Tools

Using AI is all the rage these days. Seemingly every opportunity software developers have to add some type of AI or machine learning technology into their offerings is being taken; not only for the benefits that it gives their customers, but also for the marketing clout it immediately provides. This month, we thought we’d go into some of the ways AI is helping create more dynamic software and if it really provides end user value or if it’s kind of a red herring used by developers to position their products better in a more competitive market.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Good Vendor Relationships Can Boost Your Business

Good Vendor Relationships Can Boost Your Business

Your business requires you to make certain compromises. Still, when it comes to building a network of vendors that can help you realize your goals, you have to take some time and carefully select the people you want to have long-lasting relationships with because constantly changing vendors can cause plenty of problems for you. In this month’s newsletter, we discuss how to get the most out of your vendor relationships.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Six Ways to Improve Your Operations

Six Ways to Improve Your Operations

Successful businesses need to adjust to changes in the market, what customers want, and new industry trends. This means they have to know their business well and be willing to try new things. Let’s look at six key areas where businesses often make changes to stay successful.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Staying Productive is Crucial for Everyone

Staying Productive is Crucial for Everyone

It can be difficult staying productive with all the things that happen day-in and day-out around your business. When your team is productive, it helps you stay focused and organized, and it can make a big difference in how successful you are. This week we break down just how keeping productivity levels high can make or break a business.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Two Common Issues that Create Inefficiency and What to Do About Them

Two Common Issues that Create Inefficiency and What to Do About Them

Efficiency is extremely important for any business to maintain consistent revenue generation. Technology is a big part of that. Today, we’ll discuss two ways that technology can help build a more efficient business. 

0 Comments
Continue reading

The Right Way to Address IT Issues

The Right Way to Address IT Issues

Technology allows businesses to leverage high-impact practices, but only if that technology works the way it’s supposed to. Even simple issues with network connectivity problems, outdated technology, and cybersecurity can impact operations. The key to a successful technology deployment is understanding where potential disruptions could occur and taking measures to proactively address them ahead of time.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Save Time with Vendor Management

Save Time with Vendor Management

Your business works with a lot of vendors. Each of these vendors requires your time, energy, and resources. Do you have the assets to handle all of them yourself, or would it all be better spent elsewhere on more profitable tasks and projects? Today, we’ll highlight your business’ vendor management options.

0 Comments
Continue reading

The Main Benefits of Using a Private Cloud

The Main Benefits of Using a Private Cloud

Many organizations have become reliant on cloud computing due to its cost efficiency and accessibility to computing resources. However, complications with data security often arise. One way to gain control and maintain accessibility is to use a private cloud. This article explores why a business might choose a private cloud over more affordable public cloud platforms.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Small Businesses Should Keep Technology Simple

Small Businesses Should Keep Technology Simple

A business has to have people who know how to balance its spending to cover its bases and keep the company healthy. For the small business it is often a matter of choices. In this month’s newsletter, let’s go through some of the ways that keeping it simple might just be the best strategy in terms of their technology.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Data is a Great Thing to Have (Assuming It’s Well-Managed)

Data is a Great Thing to Have (Assuming It’s Well-Managed)

There’s no doubt that data is valuable. It can improve many different aspects of a business, most notably operations, customer relations, and marketing. The more data you have, the more specific actions you can take to improve your business. But it can also be a real problem if you don’t have a plan for managing it. Let’s discuss some problems your data can present and how to avoid them.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Six Types of Management Software You Need to Know About

Six Types of Management Software You Need to Know About

Effective management is crucial for success. One way to achieve this is by using management software. With so many options available, how do you choose the right one? Today’s article explores the different types of management software to help you make an informed decision.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

  • First Name *
  • Last Name *

      Mobile? Grab this Article!

      Qr Code

      Blog Archive

      Latest Blog Entry

      There you are, working on the most important project of your career. You’ve worked through the initial problems and are making progress, and then your computer crashes. Panic sets in. You reboot, hoping that will fix the problem. It doesn’t. This is the nightmare scenario th...

      Latest News

      Best Places to Work - 5 YEARS STRONG!!

      Preferred is once again, honored for being a Best Place to Work for the fifth straight year!  Our team is what makes Preferred a Best Place to Work.  

      Daily Herald Suburban Business 2024 Best Places to Work Honorees The Daily Herald Suburban Business has announced the names of 51 companies, in 5 categories of competition, that are honored as the 2024 Best Places to Work in Illinois. This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Illinois, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses.