Managed IT Services in Des Moines, Iowa - PC Central

pc Central adds Internal Instant Messaging to its Private Cloud Solutions

doug — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:42:43 +0000

I’m happy to report that if you need it, we can deliver private chat in your own virtual computing environment. Many companies have decided that instant messaging saves time and increases productivity…and can even increase the awesomeness of the customer experience.
We can add this functionality into your virtual desktop environment in a snap. Once you double click on the chat icon, a small window appears showing your internal office contacts. Simply make yourself available and you can connect with other customer support or managers across the room or in another office.
Remember this IM solution is private to you and isn’t archiving sensitive customer conversations on your local hard drive. The chat client is in your private cloud and will give your small business the edge in speed and agility it needs to compete it today’s economy.
Learn more about this solution on the Instant Messaging information page.

Get Found Online Lunch and Learn – March 9 – 1130a-1p in Des Moines

doug — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:16:17 +0000

When: March 9, 2012 – 1130a-130P
Where: Dewaay Capital in Clive
Why: FREE LUNCH and really good content that will make you smarter.

full details on the registration site – click here or register below

Getting found online is harder and easier than ever. Did you get that? When it comes right down to it, there are tactics that you can execute on in the next 60 minutes – that can dramatically affect your ranking on the search results page (SERP).

As business owners, we don’t have time for gobbly gook or nerdery. We need actionable information and things we can try, measure, and learn from. That’s what this upcoming Lunch and Learn is all about. Please join us on March 9 for GET FOUND!

You’ll learn at least 10 key takeaways that you or someone in your office can do when you can get back to tweak and improve your search results. Where do you look for EVERYTHING? (did you whisper google?) me too.

Come learn:

How search has changed and what that means to your findability.

The top 10 key items most businesses don’t do that make a massive difference in your search relevance.

How to OWN the first page but attacking multiple streams.

How search term research may be your ticket to search stardom.

Join us won’t you?

Event Registration Online for GET FOUND! – How to Land at the Top of the Search Results Page powered by Eventbrite

Another Business Execution Series session powered by

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Ignishun.com

pcCentral.us

Secure email now a simple add-on for pc Central virtual environment

doug — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:16:39 +0000

pc Central has added the secure email option for all of its private cloud computing customers. After configuration, you simply add “secure:” as a prefix ahead of the actual email address like secure:dmitchell@pccentral.us.
What I receive is a LINK to view the message via the secure email server (not the actual email content itself.) That content is additionally secured with 128 bit encryption and will only be visible to the recipient(s) you indicated. The hardware and software behind the scenes manage the “handshake” to ensure you’re communication is 100% locked down.
Learn more on the Secure email product page. This option is available within a few days of your request and simply ads $4/mo per user to each secure email user in your environment. We handle all the rest.

Demystifying the Small Business Cloud Webinar & Podcast with Andy Brudtkuhl of 48Web

doug — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:33:31 +0000

Today I chatted with my WordPress and SEO master Andy Brudtkuhl of 48 Web today on a brief 20 minute webinar (the video is us simply staring at the single slide below) but audio is portable and on iTunes. I think we did good job of giving you some plain talk about what the cloud is, what it means to the small business, and the situations that just might push you to move into the virtual world. Talk a look or a listen and let us know what you think.

Click here to watch the video of Transform your I.T. Hairball into a smooth running Utility with the Cloud Webinar

pc Central adds 2-way paperless faxing into its small business virtual desktop solution

doug — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:23:01 +0000

At pc Central, our goal is to remove pain and suffering from you the small business hero. We tend to integrate complimentary offerings that can extend the pain relief even further and give you more reason to take a vacation.
Next on that list for us is integrated 2-way fax capabilities. Faxing isn’t a big part of my life, but occasionally, I need to send one, and that sends me scrambling on a quest for “free fax services” or whatever I can find. Most often, I can’t find my way through the clutter and I end up driving to the UPS Store and using his for $2. (Captain technology here has a real problem with that mentally but when your’e in a pinch…)
So, pc Central decided to end the pain and integrated 2-way faxing capabilities into our solution. Now, our small business cloud customers can send a fax from the computer (i.e. this word doc on my machine needs to be faxed to a number) as simply as they can print.
Also, we provide a 515 phone number so you can receive inbound faxes. So now, you can remain paperless and fax as little or as much as you need to.
Of course, if you need to physically sign something (our mortgage and financial services sector clients typically need this functionality), you’ll need a scanner that works in the virtual world, but most small businesses have a scanner these days. If you don’t, we can probably recommend a $100 option (or a multi-function machine) that will help you achieve clutterless paperless bliss.
This option for 2-way faxing can be added into your pc Central virtual environment for only $5/month. Yep. Problem solved. (Again)

Biometric Security Adds New Layer of Protection to pc Central Small Business Private Cloud with Privaris Plus I.D.

doug — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:07:50 +0000

Some businesses desire the kind of data security that’s mostly found in movies. So unless you know someone who’s able to pull off Mission Impossible like “Thumb Print Grafting” or body part theft (steer clear of Las Vegas), pc Central’s biometric security option for its small business cloud computing environment is just the ticket.
pc Central uses the Privaris Plus I.D. unit which is very affordable and packs extreme security that your business may very well demand. Besides the fact that only the printed/configured user can activate the thumbprint recognition, a unique password is created in that instant. There are many more key features you can read about on the Privaris page, but pc Central can plop these units into your environment ahead of your deployment. Or, we can retro-fit current customer environments.
So just give us a call or fill out the contact form and let me know that you’re interested.
The pricing is straightforward and adds $129/unit upfront for the hardware and $9/month per unit (there’s server side connectivity and configuration that must be maintained.)
If you’re in financial services, medical fields, accounting, or in any business that desires the kind of security that will stop data theft in its tracks, ask us about adding Privaris to your environment.

Will You Be My Small Business Valentine?

doug — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:24:26 +0000

Ah Valentine’s Day. For the small business owner it’s typically just like any other day. Run around like crazy, put out fires, pull out some hair (if you have any left), and collapse in a heap at home – only to do it all over again the next day. Well I’d like you to be my Valentine. If you agree, I’ll lavish you with time saving, money saving, innovative ideas and actionable information so we can break the reactive fire putter outter mode that doesn’t exactly make you feel so hot. I’ll personally remove the I.T. hassles from your small business life and bring a bench of resources to the table that can address all the other things which vex you daily.

Much better than flowers and chocolates don’t you agree? Happy Valentine’s Day.

5 Ways to Recruit the Best Talent

doug — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:31:46 +0000

I know you feel it. It’s getting harder and harder to find the talent you need to succeed in your business. And if you’re in the skilled trades, engineering, or I.T. sectors, you feel an acute sense of worry about the future. It seems odd doesn’t it with millions of people out of work complaining there are simply no jobs available, that there’s such a massive disconnect between potential future employees and the companies who so desperately need them? Why is recruiting so problematic today? How can 2 groups of people (employers and potential employees) be so close…yet so far apart? How can my company hire the best people in the market..and retain them over the long term so the business will thrive?

The answers to these questions may appear at first to be new technologies, social media, or outsourcing to recruiters or agencies. I warn you – do not be distracted by shiny objects and rabbit holes that avoid the root causes of recruiting woes. The facts are that:

The rate of change in our economy is staggering and continues to accelerate well beyond the rate of systems to adapt to new realities.

Recruiting strategies and execution are typically driven by leaders who are distinctly removed from the realities of the young people they wish to bring into their organization.
Leadership, values, and purpose or “inner work life” are far more important to future employees than money, benefits, and a nice office.
Most companies use the same “submit your credentials and we’ll cull a top candidate list” system used for the last 100 years.
Most companies still hire in an “oh crap” reactive mode leading to panic hires, turnover, and internal culture damage.

I delivered a talk on this topic recently and the TOP 5 Strategies are contained in a downloadable PDF. You can download this PDF with NO OPT IN whatsoever by clicking this link.

If you REALLY like what you read, I’d encourage you to subscribe to our weekly digest of news, tips, and other awesomeness AFTER you click the link.

Succeeding in Business – It’s a Numbers Game – Lunch & Learn – February 10 – 11:30A-1:00P

doug — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:35:38 +0000

Do you know the numbers of your business well enough to grow it? Do you know what you should be looking for?

To help you know your marketing stats and business growth numbers better, let the award winning team of Doug Mitchell and Monte Wyatt host a lunch and learn just for business owners like you. Doug will show you how to conduct rapid market testing using the web. Monte will teach you 5 ways to grow your business; specific tac- tics and strategies you can implement today.

Download the event flyer here

Come connect with like minded business superheroes out to blow the doors off in 2012.

Date & Location:
Friday, February 10th
11:30a—1:00p DeWaay Conference Center Board Room
13001 University Avenue Clive, IA

To RSVP Phone: (515) 222-9193 (515) 974-4244

Or Email: montewyatt@actioncoach.com OR dmitchell@pccentral.us

Please RSVP early, seating is limited to 15. Reserve your seat by February 3rd and receive the book “Instant Cash Flow.”

Lunch provided by pc Central and ActionCOACH Business Coaching.

Lunch & Learn: How to Hire & Keep the Best – Top Strategies for Winning the Talent Wars – January 31 – 1130AM

doug — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:03:28 +0000

Innovative and Actionable information sponsored by…

Small and Medium Sized Business Owners & Leaders in Central Iowa – Lend Me Thine Ears (and Stomach)

Topic: How to Hire & Keep the Best – Top Strategies for Winning the Talent Wars
Time-Date: January 31 – 1130AM-1PM
Location: DeWaay Capital Management Board Room - 13001 University Avenue, Clive, IA 50325
Capacity: 16 attendees - Lunch is provided so you’ll be focused and energized
Who Should Attend: Business owners and CEO’s of companies from 1-50 employees who “just can’t find qualified people today,” or who’ve conducted searches for months with zero success.
Questions – call Doug at 515.974.4244.
____________________________
In this session, Doug Mitchell, CEO of pc Central will unpack 5 key hiring and retention strategies that will give you an edge in recruiting and retaining the best people for your business. Many companies complain of a talent shortage. At the same time amazing talent sits idle on the market lamenting a lack of jobs. Eliminating this disconnect is the focus of this session. We’ll spend 30 focused minutes in lively exploration leaving plenty of time for open QA and lunch is on us.
Doug has successfully hired, developed and mentored team members ranging from Millennials to Boomers and is CEO of pc Central in Urbandale.
About pc Central - pc Central delivers pain relief to business owners and CEO’s of companies with 1-50 employees. We deliver relief by promising to make you smarter, free you to succeed, and provide cloud computing services that just work like eletricity and plumbing.
About InFocus Partners - InFocus Partners is a Professional Employer Organization (PEO). We offer full-service Human Resource support. We specialize in Payroll, Employee Benefits, Human Resource Administration and Risk Management. We operate on the principles of flexibility, simplicity & savings.

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