6 Ways To Ensure
Your Email Gets Read
by Sally McGhee
used with permission from the
Microsoft At Work Site
 

If you're like a lot of us, you get so much email every day that you might spend as little as 15 seconds scanning a message to determine how it applies to you. Now, imagine that other people are reading your email the same way. If they can't quickly identify the purpose of your message, they'll probably delete it or leave it in the Inbox for "later" -  if later ever comes.

In this article, I give 6 tips to ensure that your email messages are read and get the attention they deserve.

1. Make the purpose of the message clear
When recipients receive your email message, they should be able to see at a quick glance how the message relates to them and why it's important. They may be looking at a preview of your message in Microsoft Outlook or on a Windows phone or Windows Mobile device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA). Or they may see only Subject lines in their Inbox. If your Subject line is confusing and irrelevant, your email will surely get deleted in a hurry. Here are some examples of what can be included in Subject lines to make sure the reader opens your mail:

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Strengthen your plan via testing.

Testing annually is the crux to creating and preserving a viable recovery plan. Test every aspect of your recovery plan, from internal and external communications to regaining power to rebuilding networks.

Take the insight gained during this exercise to make your plan stronger, so that when an event does occur your business will recover smoothly and as efficiently as possible.

You learn something every
day if you pay attention.

Ray LeBlond
 

Every minute counts in a small company and wireless networks are a powerful tool for boosting productivity and encouraging information sharing. With untethered access to documents, emails, applications and other network resources, employees can roam where they need to and have constant access to the tools required to do their jobs.

Here are some of the ways businesses are taking advantage of wireless LANs:

Increased mobility and collaboration
�Roam without losing your connection
�Work together more effectively

Employees who use your wireless LAN can roam around your office or to different floors without losing their connection. Imagine everyone in a team meeting or in small conferences having access to up-to-the minute communications, and all documents and applications on your network. Similarly, using Voice over Wireless LAN technology, they can have roaming capabilities in their voice communications.

Improved responsiveness
�Connect to the information you need when you need it
�Provide better customer service

Customers want quick response to queries and concerns. A wireless network can improve customer service by connecting staff to the information they need.

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One of the most challenging areas of the workplace is communication. It can often make or break your career. What you say to your superiors shapes their impressions of you, and, in turn, can mean the difference between being promoted  -  or being overlooked. While not all bosses are the same when it comes to communication, there are some general dos and don'ts to keep in mind. Here are five of them:

1. Do share your ideas
If you have a suggestion for a process change or potential improvement, don't be afraid to share it. Bosses appreciate employees with initiative and imagination, and they are almost always open to ways to help the business run better. You'll stand out from the crowd as someone, who's innovative and committed to the company's success, two qualities that can significantly boost your career and your professional reputation.

2. Don't wait until the last minute
In business, surprises are generally not appreciated. So when you have important news to share, whether it's good or bad, don't delay  -  let your boss know as soon as possible. Although it can be difficult to share unpleasant news, you can bet your boss would rather hear it sooner rather than later.  Alerting your boss to potential problems gives them a chance to react and hopefully defuse a situation before it escalates.

3. Do ask for what you want
It's easy to grumble and complain about things you're unhappy about without taking any action. But rather than suffer in silence, speak up! Bosses are people, too, and they generally want to have happy and satisfied employees -- because happy, satisfied employees are more productive. If you're interested in taking on a different assignment, or changing your work schedule to better meet deadlines, you have everything to gain by simply asking. Of course, to increase your chances of getting what you want, try to frame your request in terms that relate to the business -- "I think changing my schedule would allow me better to coordinate my work with our Chicago office -- would that be possible?"

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Servers can do a lot of heavy lifting for a growing business, from securing data to enabling better sharing of company resources.  But it's sometimes difficult to know when, and if they're a smart investment. There are a few common scenarios in which a server can bring real benefits to a growing business -- read on and see if any of these apply to you.

You need networking capabilities to share files, printers or other resources
It is technically possible to set up a simple network without a dedicated server, with just a few PCs connected together. However, if you want to share databases, files, printers, or other resources, a server makes it much easier. In fact, servers are specifically designed for sharing, so you'll get better control, faster access, easier management and improved security. And who wouldn't want all that?

Your PCs are overloaded and you need more storage
If you've got a lot of files or multiple databases, it might be time to consider migrating some of these files to a server. Whether you want to replace your old computers or just improve their performance, a server will give sluggish, data-laden PCs a welcome respite by freeing up memory and storage.

You want to have in-house company email
While businesses with only a few employees can get by with using an external service for its email, such as Gmail, there comes a time when these services aren't ideal. Adding a server allows you to bring your e-mail in-house, with the dual benefits of making users' e-mail access faster and keeping sensitive business information within the company -- not on another company's servers. Plus, you can benefit from shared email productivity tools like Microsoft Outlook.

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