Blog
4 Ways to Work Smarter, Not Just Harder
While working hard will bring results over time, it’s a misconception that the more successful someone is, the more they work. If you work like a draft horse, you’ll wear out just as fast as one (10 to 12 years, by the way). Instead, you need to work hard—and smart. Smart working will guarantee you’ll […]
Invoice Payment Terms to Consider for Your Business
If you are a large business, you can afford 30 and 60 day net in most cases. It doesn’t affect your everyday overall picture. However, most small businesses are on a much tighter timeline, and even a single invoice unpaid can mean that payroll is late. How are you supposed to stop people from paying […]
Rethinking Your Emails to Customers
It’s true that social media and mobile marketing campaigns are, in fact, gaining tons of traction. However, email marketing is not only still relevant—it’s still effective and a popular channel to get the word out. In fact, it may still be the most effective way to acquire new customers—when you rethink the emails you’re sending. […]
New Apps Reduce Typing Frustration On Mobile Platforms
We’ve all been there. We fire off a text to someone before we realize we have either mistyped a word, or the built-in autocorrect features have decided we meant to say something entirely different without regard for how potentially embarrassing its changes may be. Entire sites have been built around these embarrassing, yet hilarious typos […]
Rebranding Your Business: More Than Just a Name Change
Hundreds of companies have rebranded successfully, and thousands more have not. However, a proper rebranding can make all the difference for a company. In some cases, it can mean more profit, or even company survival. However, it’s essential to know when it’s time to rebrand and when it may be a bad idea. Here are […]
Listen Your Way to A Successful Business
How well do you actually listen to your customers? It’s not enough in this day and age to make a decent product, pay for some advertising to attract eyeballs and ship the product out the door. If that’s where you are as a businessperson, then odds are you’ll be acquired by a competitor before long. […]
The Importance of a Strong Employee Handbook
Though many of us take the employee handbook for granted, a well-written and up-to-date handbook is a great tool for both a company and its employees and should be properly maintained and referred to on a regular basis to ensure that all company policies are being followed. Benefits of an Employee Handbook The employee handbook […]
Shadow Tech: The IT Professional’s Worst Nightmare
Nothing can make an IT manager cringe more than the mention of the phrase “Shadow Tech.” In an age when new software and hardware are released every day, it can be quite difficult for IT departments to maintain control of the business networks they have been charged with overseeing. Employees, in most cases, don’t understand […]
Three Ways to Make People Pay Attention On Twitter
From a business perspective, Twitter is all about gathering a following. The more people following your account, the larger your potential audience for business, which is what you need to be successful. Business-oriented Twitter accounts are becoming more and more popular every day, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t get started yourself. That said, a […]
Choosing the Best of Your “Best Ideas”
If you work in an environment with creative people and they have the room to think for more than ten minutes a day, you’re probably going to see more than your fair share of great ideas. Sometimes these ideas are so powerful that it can be hard to resist them. However, even excellent ideas can […]
A Visionary Approach to Your Security
The purpose of an IT partner isn’t just to fix something when it is broken, it is to keep your people working and your data secure. Astral moves beyond traditional managed services by addressing all the key areas of cybersecurity in today’s complex landscape.
