2021 - FTC-I

Dec

28

2021

Business Technology Trends to Keep an Eye on in 2022

In the modern business world, technology is always evolving. And for businesses looking to get a leg up on the competition, this never-ending evolution offers an opportunity -- for those who act quickly -- to get ahead of the curve. As we move into 2022, here are four trends in business technology that appear likely to make waves in the new year and beyond: Remote videoconferencing remains relevant: As the pandemic forced enterprises everywhere to rethink the way they conduct business, the popularity of telecommuting and videoconferencing And moving forward, this new normal does not appear to be going anywhere....

Dec

14

2021

It Is National Write a Business Plan Month: Do You Have a Technology Plan?

Each year, National Write a Business Plan Month is staged in December. This monthlong observance is held to highlight the importance of having a business plan and to encourage those looking to start their own business to take this crucial step. Why all the fuss? The business plan is a critical asset for every upstart business. And for those thinking about launching one, a detailed, well-researched strategy can serve as a way to think through and outline the planned venture, an invaluable tool when seeking funding, and a road map to success when the business launch finally takes place. Common...

Dec

07

2021

5 Top Apps for Saving Money

Often attributed to American Founding Father and leading 18th century intellectual Benjamin Franklin, the saying “A penny saved is a penny earned” still holds sway today, even centuries later. And while Franklin might not have coined the phrase (that honor goes to British poet George Herbert nearly a century before Franklin published a variation of it), this does not make its lesson any less valid. No matter who first uttered it, the saying’s wisdom has stood the test of time and is certainly still worth heeding. In fact, in a time when modern technology can help consumers save both pennies...

3 Simple Ways to Reduce a Home’s Online Risks

According to a recent study, nearly half of all Americans experienced some sort of financial identity theft in 2020. The financial losses incurred were alarming, growing by 40% over 2019 to hit a total of more than $710 billion. Of course, in a world that is growing more digitally driven each day, many of these crimes were carried out online. Often, such cybercrimes begin with fraudsters using the internet to get the personal information needed to pose as the consumers they are attempting to victimize. But by taking the right steps to protect themselves in the digital realm, consumers can...

Nov

16

2021

Is Texting Customers OK? And If So, When? Consider These 4 Valuable Texting Tips

In the modern marketplace, nearly all consumers carry a smartphone with them most everywhere they go. And texts are highly reliable, almost always reaching their intended recipients. In fact, according to statistics, SMS messages enjoy a 98% open rate, which is markedly higher than the 20% reported for emails. But for businesses, utilizing texts for consumer communications can present both opportunities and risks. While consumers can be reached quickly and reliably via text, many tend to be much more guarded about sharing their SMS contact information than they do their email addresses. This is largely because, much like phone calls,...

Nov

10

2021

5 Best Websites for Previewing (and Navigating) the Black Friday Deals

With Thanksgiving coming up and the pre-Christmas advertising onslaught already ramping up, it has become abundantly clear: The holiday shopping season is nearly upon us. And as the most serious of holiday bargain hunters are well aware, some of the best deals of the year can be found on Black Friday, which marks the official kickoff to the Christmas shopping season. This much-anticipated consumer holiday offers a great opportunity for gift-givers to check some of the biggest items off their Christmas-present buying list, all while securing significant savings. And for consumers looking to get a sneak peek at some of...

Oct

21

2021

5 Apps That Can Help Hunters Hit the Mark

To boost their chances of filling a tag, most hunters will take any assistance they can get. And today’s smartphone technology can put a wide range of helpful digital tools in their quivers, some of which can even prove almost as critical to the success of a hunt as their rifles and bows. Among the most popular smartphone apps that can offer help on the hunt, the majority focus on navigation and mapping, hunter education, hunting-party communications and weather monitoring and forecasts. And these five (and mostly hunting-focused) apps are among the top choices in each of these categories: onX...

Oct

12

2021

8 Ways to Create a Better Mobile Experience for a Business Website’s Visitors

With each passing day, consumers are going increasingly more mobile with their web use. In fact, according to the latest statistics, mobile devices accounted for nearly 55% of worldwide web traffic in the first quarter of 2021. And the statistics demonstrating the power of mobile in today’s marketplace certainly do not stop there. Just to name a few: Mobile devices now account for nearly two-thirds of the total time consumers spend on the internet. 40% of consumers on mobile devices will move on to another search result if the one they initially choose is not mobile-friendly. More than 90% of...

Oct

05

2021

What Are Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft and Among Us? A Parent’s Guide to the Most Popular Online Games Kids Are Playing

In modern-day America, most of today’s consumers are living in a digitally dominated world. So it should come as no big surprise, especially to parents of tweens and teens, that many of today’s kids are regularly finding fun and fraternization via an internet connection. And while a majority of parents might have heard the names of popular online games such as Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft and Among Us, they might not know exactly what these kid-favorite titles are all about. For parents with concerns about whether these games are age-appropriate (or who might have other security-related concerns about their children playing...

Sep

23

2021

4 Great Smartphone Options for Teens

As kids grow up to become teenagers in today’s increasingly connected world, they are bound to start seeking more freedom. And before long, they will be asking for their own smartphones. Once the decision is made to give them a device, the ideal smartphone models for teens are not necessarily the same as the best choices for adults. In some cases, parents will want to give their teenage kids the means to keep in touch without as many of the distractions (and potential dangers) that come with the array of features found on most grown-ups’ smartphones. When parents decide that...