Author: TSmidwest Admin

Author: TSmidwest Admin

How to Make Sure Your Business Owns Its Domain Name
November 10, 2026 Business TSmidwest Admin

Article Summary: Your business should control the account where its domain is registered. The registration details, recovery methods, billing information, renewal settings, and DNS access should not depend on one employee, contractor, web designer, or IT provider. Once your website and email are working, the domain name rarely needs day-to-day attention. Renewal may happen automatically,

Read More
How Hackers Keep Access to Your Email After You Change the Password
November 5, 2026 Cybersecurity TSmidwest Admin

Summary: Changing the password blocks someone from signing in with the old password. However, they may still have an active session, a forwarding rule, access through a connected app, mailbox permissions, or a recovery method they added. When someone gets into a business email account, changing the password should happen immediately. Once that is done,

Read More
How Long Business Computers Last and When to Replace Them
October 30, 2026 IT Management TSmidwest Admin

Summary: Three to five years is a practical replacement range for many business computers. The right time depends on security support, reliability, performance, warranty coverage, repair costs, and the employee’s work. Replace any computer that cannot run a supported operating system or the software your business requires. Most business computers do not fail all at

Read More
Small Business IT Budget: What to Include and How to Plan It
October 25, 2026 IT Management TSmidwest Admin

Summary: Your IT budget should include the technology you already use, the support required to maintain it, and the upgrades you expect to make during the year. It should also cover cybersecurity, backups, employee changes, planned projects, and a reserve for urgent repairs or replacements. If your IT budget only covers computers, Microsoft 365, and

Read More
Why Guest Wi-Fi Should Be Separate From Your Business Network
October 20, 2026 IT Management TSmidwest Admin

Summary: Guest Wi-Fi should provide internet access while blocking connections to your internal business network. A different Wi-Fi name and password do not confirm that the networks are separated. The router, access points, and firewall must also be configured to prevent guest devices from reaching internal systems. Offering Wi-Fi to customers, contractors, and visitors is

Read More
What Happens to Your Data When You Cancel a Cloud Service?
October 15, 2026 Cloud TSmidwest Admin

Summary: Before canceling a cloud service, export your data and confirm that the files can be opened or imported. Move any connected applications and sign-ins, then check the provider’s current rules for access, billing, retention, and deletion. A cloud service may hold years of customer records, documents, emails, invoices, project history, or staff activity. If

Read More
Should Employees Use Personal Devices for Work?
October 10, 2026 IT Management TSmidwest Admin

Summary: Allow personal devices only for approved work, through approved apps, and when the device meets your security requirements. Use company-owned devices for administration, sensitive work, or jobs that require large amounts of data to be stored locally. Employees often use personal devices for work before the business has made a decision about it. They

Read More
Why Your Employees Shouldn’t Have Administrator Access to Their Computers
October 5, 2026 IT Management TSmidwest Admin

Summary: Employees should use standard accounts for email, web browsing, and everyday work. Administrator access should be limited to approved IT tasks and protected with a separate account. Administrator access often starts with one request. An employee needs to install a printer, update a specialist program, or change a setting on their computer. Giving them

Read More
The 30-Minute IT Check Every Small Business Should Do Once a Month
September 30, 2026 IT Management TSmidwest Admin

Summary: Most IT problems don’t appear out of nowhere. Backups quietly stop running, updates sit unfinished for weeks, and old staff accounts stay switched on for months. A short check once a month catches these while they’re still cheap to fix. This post covers the six things to look at. Most owners only look at

Read More
How to Keep Your Business Running When Microsoft 365 Goes Down
September 25, 2026 Business Continuity TSmidwest Admin

Summary: The tools that run your business, like Microsoft 365, your accounting app, or your booking system, are reliable most of the time, but they do go down. When one does, work can stop for hours, and you often can’t do anything but wait for the provider to fix it. A simple plan keeps your

Read More