Small Business IT
If a Website Tells You to Paste Something Into Your Computer, Stop
Attackers have stopped trying to sneak malware past your defenses. Now they ask you to run it yourself, disguised as a CAPTCHA or a system update.
All posts
Every post on the blog, newest first. Looking for something specific? Browse by topic or search.
Does the FTC Safeguards Rule Apply to My CPA Firm? What a Small Firm Actually Has to Do
If you prepare tax returns, the FTC Safeguards Rule applies to you, even as a one-person firm. How to count toward the 5,000-consumer exemption, what it does and doesn't excuse, and a practical checklist for a small practice.
Fake Virus Warning Pop-Up? What to Do (and What Not to Click)
A red screen says your computer is infected and to call Microsoft. It's a scam page, not a virus. How to close it, stop it coming back, and what to do if you already called.
Small Business IT
How Can Small Businesses Use AI to Get Ready for Year-End Books?
The year-end books scramble starts in January because nobody prepared in October. Learn how AI can do the tedious parts of that prep now.
Can a Stranger Reach Your Office Computer? How to Lock Down Remote Access
Forgotten remote desktop rules, unpatched VPN boxes and vendor support tools are how a lot of ransomware gets in. Here's a 5-minute check to see what you're exposing, and how to close it.
SEO
Why Your Google Ads Show a Globe Icon Instead of Your Logo
If your Google Ads show a grey globe where a logo should be, you look less established than the competitor above you. Learn how to fix it.
SEO
Google Is Removing Language Targeting From Your Campaigns
Google is retiring campaign-level language targeting in Search and Performance Max. Learn what replaces it and whether your account needs any changes.
SEO
How Can Small Businesses Use AI to Revive Leads They Never Followed Up On?
Most small businesses are sitting on a list of people who asked for a quote and never heard back. Learn how to use AI to find them and restart the conversation.
Lost Phone or Angry Ex-Employee? Protecting Company Data on Personal Phones
When a phone with work email is lost or someone leaves on bad terms, can you remove the company data? Here's what to do today, and how app protection policies fix it without taking over anyone's phone.
SEO
Negative Keywords Are Your Steering Wheel Now
Google's AI decides which searches trigger your ads. Learn how to use negative keywords to steer it away from the traffic you never wanted to pay for.
Small Business IT
Should You Let AI Actually Do Things in Your Business, or Just Draft Them?
AI tools are moving from writing drafts to taking actions in your systems. Learn how small businesses can allow that safely without handing over the keys.
Why Does My Competitor's Blog Outrank Mine With the Same Advice?
Two posts give the same advice and one ranks on page one. Here's what Google's E-E-A-T guidelines actually say, and a worked fix for the gaps that usually separate them.
Cybersecurity
The Breach That Hurts You Probably Won't Be Yours
Nearly half of all breaches now involve a third party. Learn how to find out who is holding your business data and what to do before a vendor loses it.
Phone Buzzing With Login Requests You Didn't Make? MFA Fatigue Attacks and How Passkeys Stop Them
Endless sign-in approval prompts mean someone has your password and is trying to wear you down. Here's what to do right now, and how to set up passkeys so the attack stops working.
Your Flat Office Wi-Fi Is a Back Door: A Segmentation Guide
If your guests, cameras, card reader and accounting PC share one Wi-Fi network, one cheap gadget can open the door to all of them. Here's how to split it up without breaking printing.
Is My Slow Website Hurting My Google Rankings?
Google measures how fast and stable your site feels to real visitors. Here's what those Core Web Vitals scores mean, what to do when PageSpeed says 'no data', and the fixes that matter on Wix, Squarespace and WordPress.
Google Search Console for Small Business: Find Out Why You're Not on Google
Your site isn't on Google, or it's buried on page four. Here's how to find out which problem you have, using a site: search and Google's free Search Console, and what to do about each.
Scammers Sending Email From Your Address? How to Check and Fix SPF, DKIM and DMARC
If fake invoices are going out under your name, or your real mail lands in spam, your domain is missing its email security records. Here's a two-minute check and a step-by-step fix.