If you build a community, the residents will come. But what if you buy it, instead of build it? Will they still come?…

Recently, it was announced that Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) had been exploited and was extremely vulnerable. Here's what you can do about it.…

The latest ransomware bug is called Bad Rabbit, and it is, indeed, bad. Here's what it is and what to do about it.…

What makes great customer service? We explain and give tips you can implement in your organization to deliver the best customer service possible.…

One important business strategy that is often overlooked (and doesn't require millions of dollars) is intentionally hiring a diverse workforce. Here's how to do it. …

To have a reliable, secure, and fast wireless network, here are some best practices to follow. …

Providing quality customer service starts with understanding what good and bad customer service is, and evolves into practical ways to improve your service. …

Cybersecurity solutions are vital to keeping your bank and customers protected 24/7. Having a layered, defensive security approach is an effective way to do this and should include strategies focused on technology, people, and processes throughout your organization. Here are five more cybersecurity solutions that could benefit your organization. …

To help you identify how to budget for raises next year, we've provided you with several elements to factor into your planning.…

These days, everyone wants an experience. They want to be wowed and treated as though they're the most important customer. This interaction goes beyond customer service; it develops into the customer experience. What is customer experience? How is it different from customer service? Let's take a look. …

Aureon, a business solutions provider, announced they will have two of their human resources and talent recruitment experts speaking at the Greater Des Moines Partnership's Small Business Success Summit.…

Firewalls have evolved over the years. Looking back at how they began and where they are now helps you evaluate the right firewall solution. …

There are other long-term cyberattack effects you don't hear about in the news. Why? Because they develop after the news has died down. Here they are:…

While they were providing entertainment to the central Iowa area, the Playhouse realized the need for changes to be made to some critical back-office functions, including HR and technology. Instead of trying to find one partner for their HR functions and a different partner for their technology services, the Playhouse chose Aureon to handle both areas of their business. …

A few months ago, we defined 20 technology terms that can be confusing and complicated to non-IT professionals. Now, we're back with more words and phrases to help you navigate future technology discussions.…

Midwest Project Partners (MPP) has announced they are now Aureon Consulting.…

There is a great divide in the workplace that can be the root of workplace conflict and issues between leaders, managers, and their workforce: it's results-focused people vs. relationship-focused people. …

All it takes is one mistake, system failure, or unforeseen event to halt your operations. Read on for some practical steps to help reduce and/or recover from downtime and disasters. …

In today's ever-evolving world of technology, it's common for financial institutions to outsource many of their IT needs, such as banking software and systems, and day-to-day technical support for employees. In fact, utilizing a third-party provider can allow you to save time and enable you to focus on growing your business, instead of managing technology. When you're deciding on partners, you want to ensure that you're making the right choice and choosing an organization that is stable, trustworthy, and good at what they do. Here are some additional tips and questions you should use to help you select an IT service provider.…

Last year, we published a blog about the reasons why financial institutions are making the switch to the cloud. This year, we've seen that trend continue, and we want to expand upon our original blog. Here are five reasons our financial institution clients chose to make the transition to the cloud. …

What should your organization expect for health insurance rates this year? One insurance broker I spoke with this year said he is seeing health premium increases "all over the map". The ACA has affected many insurance carriers in many different ways. The only thing that seems certain is more change is on the way. …

Does your organization have an information security policy in place? If so, when was the last time you updated it? Whether you have one or not, this policy is an effective way to communicate what is acceptable in terms of how employees leverage corporate IT assets, including internet usage and web browsing. Here's how to write an effective policy. …

KidsTLC had been managing their own human resources department, but when the human resources leader left, they decided to see if there was an alternative solution to hiring a replacement. …

What happens when you aren't able to give your employees a raise or a bonus? What do you do? Do you give them nothing and say, "Maybe next year?" Believe it or not, there are ways to engage and motivate your employees without giving them a raise or a bonus. In fact, we've identified 10 effective ways you can do this without breaking the bank. …

Remote employees have come a long way. But, do they really feel like they are part of the team? Here's how to improve remote collaboration.…

What is an employer brand and how do you build it? Here are 10 steps to boost your reputation and online presence to candidates. …

Aureon, a business solutions provider, announced that they will be the security track sponsor of the Technology Association of Iowa's (TAI) Technology Summit on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at the Iowa Events Center in downtown Des Moines, Iowa.…

The last time you scrolled through your Facebook feed, how many videos did you see? I'm going to say "a lot!" as research shows that there are eight billion video views per day on Facebook. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that video recruiting is on the rise. In fact, organizations are relying on video recruiting more and more. Whether you're utilizing video for interviewing, posting about the company culture, or highlighting job descriptions, it demonstrates that you're on top of technology trends. …

Making generalizations about generations may benefit your organization, but not every millennial is going to act like a millennial, and not every baby boomer is going to fit into the baby boomer category. So, how do you make sure you're doing everything you can to attract and retain all three generations? Which attraction and retention strategies do you implement? To help you, here are three overall preferences that align with all of the generations.…

We are excited to share with you that our redesigned Aureon.com website is live! Here are some of the more noticeable changes of the new website.…

Aureon continues their expansion of business support services into the Colorado Mountain Region.…

What if you only used one technology provider for all of your on-premise and off-site IT and telecommunications needs? This could serve to eliminate the inefficiencies of using multiple providers for interconnected services. There are other benefits to using only one technology provider, and when it comes down to it, it can be very helpful to your organization in the long run. Here are a few... …

As more and more organizations adopt cloud strategies and move their physical environments into virtual cloud environments, the need for strong security increases. If you have data or applications in the cloud, ensuring you're using a secure service provider is vital and will minimize your data security risks. So, how do you ensure data security in cloud environments and remote data centers? Here are seven things to look for when identifying a cloud services provider. …

Recently, I had the opportunity to moderate panels at the InterFace Seniors Housing Midwest and Southeast conferences discussing one of the biggest challenges facing the industry: the workforce shortage. And while there is no silver bullet to this crisis, it was encouraging to see industry leaders come together and share their strategies. Here are four key takeaways from the conferences: …

There is a new, more malicious, variant of the original Locky Ransomware. It's spread by spam email that comes with a .zip attachment, containing a .js or .vsb file inside. According to reports, it's already been sent to tens of thousands of email addresses. Here are six tips to reduce the likelihood that your system would be infected with Locky Ransomware: …

It's a normal day of work, until all of a sudden, one of your employees gets injured on the job. What do you do first? What's the best way to handle the situation? If an accident ever takes place in your organization, utilize these best practices to handle the situation professionally and effectively. …

Aureon has announced the recipients of its 2017 Scholarship Program. This year, 50 highly qualified applicants competed for $5,000 in scholarship funds. Five deserving high school students were selected to receive varying amounts for demonstrating excellence in the classroom and in their community, along with their commitment to further their education in a STEM-related field.…

Employees are at the core of any business. The way we create an environment that allows for a positive employee experience can have a major impact on your bottom line. Looking at the "employee experience" the same way you look at your clients' experience gets to the core of this concept.…

By aligning your employees' goals with your business's strategic goals. You can increase your revenue and retention. Here's how to get started. …

Your employees are the lifeblood of your organization. For that reason, they should be the main focus of investment, because they are a significant component to creating greater revenue. Investing in your employees has many benefits, including increased customer loyalty and satisfaction, quality referrals, engaged employees, and, ultimately, increased revenue. …

Have you ever thought about your organization's human resources revenue strategy? Changing your current perspective on HR processes can create a real strategic advantage for your organization. HR industry research shows that organizations that use PEO services experience revenues that are eight to nine percent greater than organizations that don't. If done right, strategic HR processes can help you select the right people, develop talent, and produce the leaders of the future. …

Mentors are a powerful resource for every company. But how do you identify what employees would be good mentors? Here are a few things to look for in a mentor.…

Our world is constantly changing, evolving, and trying to level up to make daily life and business easier for everyone. This goes hand-in-hand with keeping pace with new technology. In the past few years, technology for all organizations has changed. The cloud is probably the most notable, as it has led to increased mobility, opportunity, collaboration, and security.…

Being secure and safe from breaches and cyberattacks is critical, and identifying your network's blind spots can prevent a breach from happening to your organization. Here are several network blind spots you need to be aware of to keep your organization secure. …

The Affordable Care Act (ACA, or what is also known as "Obamacare") has been in the news almost constantly over the past several weeks. Last week interest peaked when three separate bills were proposed to the Senate and all three were rejected. So, what now? …

The word "cloud" is thrown around a lot these days and is often used to describe the hosting of IT infrastructure, data, and applications within a data center. But, what's the real definition?…

The Internet of Things (IoT) and the cloud are terms and technologies that can be confusing and hard to fully understand. They've also both taken over the technology world and have drastically changed how organizations operate. However, this takeover comes with security concerns, specifically relating to securing IoT devices in the cloud. …

As your senior living organization grows, it's imperative to adhere to the increasing number of human resource compliance regulations. That means balancing all the roles within HR and ensuring the added stress of growth doesn't push important tasks to the side. So, how can your organization avoid HR mistakes? Here are six ways to help get you started. …

Has your business gone digital? The article below is from a Microsoft Business Blog that shows why businesses need to digitally transform their organization to increase productivity, engage customers, and enable growth. While there are many benefits with digital transformation, there are also increased concerns around cybersecurity and data risk.…

Have you ever been on a phone or video call and, suddenly, the audio became choppy or the picture was blurry, and you could only hear snippets of what the person on the other line was saying? Maybe your call was even dropped. These things can happen if Quality of Service (QoS) is not established on the network. QoS is a method for prioritizing network traffic, and can solve your network traffic issues and keep your bandwidth under control, which saves you money and headaches. …

Have you wanted to transition to a mobile workforce, but found the road teeming with challenges and complications? The following Microsoft Business Blog covers three main issues that keep organizations from taking the leap to a mobile workforce, and how to overcome those challenges. In addition, I've found a fourth issue that I see organizations struggling with, and practical steps to simplify the process of supporting a mobile workforce. …

According to a recent Kaspersky Lab Report, the most vulnerable area for an organization is the inappropriate usage or sharing of data with mobile devices. Even though organizations are often aware of this liability, they continue to struggle with solutions to minimize their risk. Here are some ways you can start forming a solid strategy and limiting inappropriate usage of sensitive data.…

Plaza Dental Group, a full-service oral and dental hygiene provider, needed a quick solution to an HR need, and as a result, Aureon HR acted quickly to onboard Plaza Dental and provide a wide variety of solutions including payroll, HR solutions, and employee benefits. …

Millennials and Gen Z use social media constantly, as it seems like they are always connecting, posting, and sharing their life experiences online. To reach this segment of social media job seekers, you need to be actively recruiting on social media by filling your pages with ads, videos, and more. Here are five ways to effectively start recruiting candidates on social media. …

Organizations accumulate large amounts of data just by doing business and having employees. From customer information to employees' social security numbers, payroll information, and passwords, your organization has more sensitive data than you may realize. Because your data is important, you need to protect it and keep it secure at all times. But how do you do this? The information below from a Microsoft Business Blog gives ten beneficial tips to help keep your data protected. We added an eleventh tip to provide additional information on mobile device security.…

Recently, we talked about several things you should know before upgrading your business to Windows 10. Since then, there have been additional changes to be aware of.…

Today, there are many different kinds of cyberattacks used by hackers to target susceptible organizations, and it can be difficult to keep track of them all and understand the intricacies of how they work. To help you immediately identify specific cyberattacks and keep your organization protected, we've provided the ultimate guide to cyberattacks, including tips and solutions your organization can implement to be secure and safe from harm. …

As you continue to open new communities and grow your senior living operation, you need solutions that will grow with you. Implementing scalable HR, technology, customer support, and staffing services keeps you prepared and ready for growth or change. Ultimately, preparation is key, and having scalable solutions in place will set you up for success now and in the future. …

These attacks are serious, and immediately impact your ability to do business and serve customers. To combat your organization from being a DDoS attack target or source, here is some advice to follow. …

Gen Z are slowly entering the workforce. Knowing how Gen Z thinks and operates, and what they're looking for in a job, can help your organization appeal to them as they infiltrate the workforce and apply for your open positions. …

Hiring people is one of the riskiest decisions in business, but we spend the least amount of time on it. To ensure that you are hiring the right candidate, go beyond the resume and dive deeper into how the candidate thinks by using these methods.…

With the recent Google Docs phishing attack, there's no question that everyone is at risk these days. As a result, it's becoming increasingly important to know how to identify a fake email without falling prey to its bait.…

As organizations grow and continue to leverage cloud services, the need for fast and reliable internet connectivity is imperative. Your organization can have the best software in the world, but if it's not accessed and used remotely (quickly and efficiently), then it may never produce the desired results. To ensure you have a fast and reliable connection, read these tips. …

The workforce shortage impacting the senior living industry is real. Why are millennials key to the solution? Because by 2020, millennials will be half of the global workforce. However, attracting and retaining millennials to your organization requires a better understanding of their motivations and drivers. …

Running an efficient operation that maximizes its opportunities and its employees is challenging, but it plays a critical part in the success of an organization. One key way to do this is to improve your operational efficiency, which is the process of streamlining several core functions to ensure that you're conducting business in the most efficient way possible. …

What can you do to be prepared and proactive about defending your organization? One way is to have a partner that understands data security from all facets of your business and network.…

In an increasingly competitive labor market, top talent is a hot commodity. Here are five tactics for differentiating your organization on the employment battleground.…

If you feel like IT professionals are speaking a different language when they discuss your information technology, then this guide is for you. It's hardly comprehensive, but hopefully it will give you some knowledge and insight to improve the next interaction with your technical advisor. …

Small businesses are making a bigger impact than you may realize. Here are some key statistics that show just how much of a difference small businesses are making today in the job market, economy, and more. …

The WannaCry ransomware attack has organizations across the globe looking for protection. Our partners Fortinet and Microsoft recommend.. …

With an increasing amount of data moving to the cloud, it's essential to evaluate your remote data security risks. These questions and answers can bolster your cloud security and show areas where your organization could improve.…

Have you avoided networking situations because you weren't sure how to approach them? Or does networking make you nervous, because you don't know anybody? That's okay! Networking is a learned skill. Here are some tips (in no particular order) to calm your nerves and make you a networking pro. …

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance sounds like a dry topic.until you find yourself in the middle of a sticky situation. The ADA is also one of the most challenging employment laws for organizations to navigate. That's why we've provided some tips to help you stay compliant. …

Choosing between a cloud solution or an on-premise is very difficult. Here is some quality advice and information about the various cloud platforms you can consider to meet the future demands of your business. …

The never-ending pile of resumes continues to grow, and it can seem like a monotonous and annoying process to go through them and sort out the good from the bad. To help you sort through that pile a little faster, here are some key things to look for in a resume that shows that the candidate may be a good fit for the position.  …

If you've logged on to Facebook at all recently, chances are you've seen one of your friends post about the concerts they've been to (and one they haven't been to), and that you should guess which concert they're lying about. This social media "game" started out as a fun activity, but as it's grown in popularity, it's turned into a hacker's gold mine. Social Engineering... …

Ransomware is a form of malware software that "kidnaps" access to your network, applications, or data until a certain amount of money is paid by the victim. All organizations, large and small, need to be prepared for ransomware attacks, and should have a comprehensive strategy to reduce their risk of being impacted. …

It's a Monday morning and you just got a nice white blanket of snow to trudge through on the way into the office. You know your employees are dealing with the same thing, and you know how delays impact productivity. So, how do you handle it? If you have a flexible IT infrastructure, you could allow your employees the flexibility of working offsite. Here's how... …

Regulatory fines. Doesn't that seem like something you only hear about in the news? According to research from the 2017 NSBA Small Business Regulations Survey one in 10 small businesses will be fined for regulatory noncompliance at some point. So, even though it may seem highly unlikely that you'll ever be issued a citation, it's actually quite possible.…

But there's another side of business mobility that we want to delve into: enterprise mobility. Here are six Citrix statistics that revealed key insights into today's enterprise mobility landscape. …