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Cybersecurity for Small Businesses

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Cybersecurity for Small Businesses: Conducting business online runs the risk of being a target of hacking. Cybersecurity is the protection of data from becoming compromised through unauthorised access and provides the security as it relates to the risks of being online. A businesses assets and information, stored on smart phones, computers and hard drives, are all potientially at risk. Small businesses have to be cost-effective and operate within strict budgets to cover expenses such as salaries, utilities, equipment costs, and advertising. This can restrict the needed investment in cybersecurity software and staff, which leaves businesses open to vulnerable attacks that larger businesss might resist more easily. One common bugeting method used by busineses is the 50/30/20 rule: The 50/30/20 Rule 1. Expenses 2. Growth 3. Profit Salaries Innovation Eme...
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SEO for Small Businesses: How to Compete with Big Brands Online

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Search Engine Optimisation is the method businesses use to align their website content with a search engines ranking algorithm so that it can be located as high as possible in a Search Engine Results Page ( SERP ). The higher up on the SERP a website is, the more traffic it will get. In most instances search engine users will only peruse the first one or two pages of their result searches. Site architecture is the layout of navigation,  breadcrumbs , URLs, and sitemaps that form groups and connections throughout a website.  It consists of the proper arrangement of information and designing so that users can readily access all options and features offered by the website.  A well-defined structure creates relationships between webpages and allows search engines to crawl and understand website content.  Examples of webpage results appearing on a SERP are pages the search engine has indexed; pages that have been manually added to the search engine directory; and ...
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Evolution of Internet Technologies: From Web 1.0 to Web 3.0

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The first iteration of the world wide web, known as Web 1.0 or the Static read-only Web , was  created in 1990 by computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee to meet the demand for information-sharing between institutes around the world and became a library of online brochures and information. Three technologies introduced under Web 1.0 were HyperText Markup Language (HTML) - The formatting language used to structure a website; Uniform Resource Locator (URL) - A unique address to identify websites; and HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) - A machine-to-machine protocol to load websites using Hypertext links. As the first websites were read-only, with no other way of interacting with the content, users were passive observers rather than active participants. The limitations were evident in the one-way flow of information as websites posted as Digital Billboards   presenting information without encouraging or inviting feedback.   With the arrival of  Web 2.0,  the S...
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Cloud-Based Analytics for Small Businesses

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Data analytics is the process where a business analyses its raw data to make conclusions and implement actions based on the information provided. In cloud computing the data processing and storage operations are hosted on a platform by a third party that manages the flow of information and provides access to powerful analytics tools. Cloud-based analytics provide small businesses with a cost-effective platform to transfer, manage and interpret their data, the service also eliminates the traditional overheads required for a business to host data on its own hardware infrastructure.   Google Analytics,Tableau  and   Microsoft Power BI  are affordable cloud-based platforms where a small business can integrate data, optimise operations and scale the use of the platforms as the business expands and grows. Google Analytics is a ser...
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SaaS ERP for SMEs

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Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) integrates the management of business activities  through software systems which store and interpret the data provided from such areas as financial processing, human resources, manufacturing and procurement, unifying all this information on to a single system. Even in SMEs data is abundant, the majority of companies today now use an ERP system to manage their operations. An ERP system serves as a central database, it is able to  analyse  and organise  data thus improving overall performance. Some of the key benefits are: v   Increased Efficiency; v   Sharing of Information; v   Data Protection; v   Error-Free Accounting;​ v   Reduced Operational Costs.  Without such a system in place data is often separated far and wide across an organisation in various applications like emails and spreadsheets. Data on an ERP system is stored in one place making it easy for employees to track down and updat...
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The Rise of Digital Payment Systems

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A long time ago, in a place before the internet existed, cash was king, we as consumers now progress to making cashless payments via cards, mobile phones and applications, the transition is both familiar and mindboggling. Online payments go back to the mid-1990s, with Stanford Federal Credit Union credited as the first ever to offer online banking. There is much debate regarding the first Ecommerce transaction with the fun fact of Sting getting the award. With the creation of PayPal in 1998, the digital payment platform expanded, offering more efficient ways to send and receive money around the world. Digital payments enhance business transactions by streamlining the process and eliminate cash handling risks. Amazon established its presence in 1994 creating an online marketplace for books and quickly expanded to include a variety of other products utilising the use of online payment technology. The transition from cash was accelerated during Covid 19. Through bank transfers, mo...
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South East of Ireland a good place to invest for a tech firm?

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Industry leaders and indigenous companies choose the South East of Ireland as a prime regional location to operate in, it affords them a competitive advantage with access to a  pro-enterprise, business driven, environment. The entire location is ideally situated to offer unique opportunities, with a strong technology ecosystem in place, supported by educational institutions and industrial partnerships, the area continues to be a base where market leaders and trendsetters thrive and grow their businesses. With a population of circa 600,000 the South East region of Ireland encompasses the five counties of Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford, and Wexford. Some of the most entrepreneurial tech firms operating in these areas include Swiss Financial Services Ireland (Waterford),  Infosys BPM (Tipperary and Wexford)   and Ciphertechs Ireland, CyberMaxx (Kilkenny).  These firms have chosen to invest in the South East on the basis of the available skills pool, strong br...
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