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Business Advice
Practical explanations for startups, business owners and smaller organisations.
46 articles
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Keeping up with Microsoft 365 changes without reading every noticeBusiness Advice
Microsoft announces many changes ahead of time, but the notices go to each admin's own mailbox, so they can easily go unread. Here's a short monthly routine, a change log and a way to test a change before your people meet it.
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Choosing a database platform for a line-of-business application: questions to ask firstBusiness Advice
The database behind a new business application is usually settled in a sentence of the proposal, yet it shapes cost, skills, hosting, recovery and how easily you can leave. Here are the questions worth asking before you agree to it.
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Cyber Essentials renewal: what to check before the new requirements startBusiness Advice
Version 3.3 of the Cyber Essentials requirements was due to apply to new assessment accounts from the end of April 2026. Here's what to check first, including two areas where a failure is automatic.
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The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025: what changed for data protection in practiceBusiness Advice
The Data (Use and Access) Act amends UK GDPR rather than replacing it. Here's what had taken effect by mid-March 2026, what was still to come and which routines are worth a look.
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Architecture decisions worth writing down: a one-page recordBusiness Advice
Months after a big technology choice, nobody remembers why it was made. A single page written at the time, with the options, the decision and a date to look again, fixes that.
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Microsoft Teams Messaging Safety: What’s Changing and What You Need to KnowBusiness Advice
Teams has three messaging safety settings in the Teams admin center: weaponizable file type protection, malicious URL protection and the option to report incorrect security detections. Microsoft’s documentation describes malicious URL protection…
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Starting 2026 Right: IT Priorities for Small BusinessesBusiness Advice
We’re a few days into 2026. If you’re like most small business owners, you’re probably thinking about what needs to happen this year. Growth plans, new projects, maybe some changes to how…
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2025 IT Trends and What to Expect in 2026Business Advice
As we wrap up 2025, it’s worth looking back at what happened in IT this year and thinking about what might be coming in 2026. For small businesses, keeping up with IT…
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Microsoft 365 Copilot Business: What It Is and How It HelpsBusiness Advice
We have experience of working with businesses that are exploring Microsoft 365 Copilot Business. There’s a lot of interest but also confusion about what it actually does and whether it’s worth the…
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Understanding Zero Trust Security for Small BusinessesBusiness Advice
“Zero Trust” sounds like one of those enterprise security concepts that only applies to big companies with massive IT budgets. But the core idea is actually pretty simple. Small businesses can apply…