PARTY! RAFFLE! WIN!

           We're throwing a party to celebrate YOU - our clients, colleagues, friends and families! Please join us on Friday, September 14 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Brunswick Greens on Hoosick Road in Troy for an afternoon of food, folks and fun. Register at: groffnetworks.com/events (if you're bringing your child/ren, please register them, too, and just put "child" as the title upon registration). It's free! (There will be a cash bar.)

We will also have a 50/50 raffle; proceeds will benefit Missing Link Street Ministry in North Central Troy (its founder, Pastor Willie Bacote, was just in the news for his efforts to combat violence in the neighborhood).

And, remember, one lucky winner will go home with a 40-inch, flat-screen TV that night! To enter the contest, refer the most prospective clients to us. Get details at: groffnetworks.com/referral. See you there!

Five Easy Things You Should Do To Protect Your Business Now

   Let's face it; no one likes to think about bad things happening to them, much less plan for them. But since September is National Disaster Preparedness month, we wanted to give you a quick "brush up" on some simple things you can (and should!) be doing to protect your business:

1. Review Your Business Insurance Carefully. Most businesses carry some type of general liability insurance that would pay them if their building and the things in it were damaged. However, many businesses do not have enough coverage to replace all the computer equipment and devices, desks, art, supplies and other things they've accumulated over the years that are housed in their office. Make sure you review your policy every year and keep in mind new additions and assets you've accumulated during that year.

2. Consider Cloud Computing. One of the biggest advantages of cloud computing is that your data and assets are stored off-site in a highly secure, high-availability data center, with failover and redundancy built in. That means that if your building was destroyedand you had to evacuate, or if your server melted down due to an unexpected hardware failure, everything you've worked so hard to create over the years is safe and not a sitting duck in your unsecured closet or server room.

3.Secure Your Data. Making sure that your data is protected from theft is a never-ending battle you don't want to lose. Companies that get hacked and expose sensitive client and employee data can face severe penalties, lawsuits and massive loss of credibility in the marketplace. Make sure you never have to send an e-mail to your customers, explaining the bad news that a hacker accessed their information through you. Furthermore, if you keep any sensitive information (even passwords to portals, containing sensitive information) on portable laptops, phones and other devices, make sure you have a way of controlling and safeguarding that information.

4.  Write A Simple Disaster Recovery Plan. The key word here is "simple." If your plan gets too complicated or difficult, you won't do it. But at a minimum, think of the disaster that is most likely to happen and that would have a severe and negative impact on your company's survival.

5.  Review Your Employee Internet Policy. With so many people addicted to Facebook and Twitter, it's important that your employees know where the line is in what they can and can't post online. We also recommend content filtering software to block content and websites you don't want employees visiting during work hours.

   Remember: we can help you with all of the above items; just give us a call at: 518-320-8906, and the consultation is FREE!

Win Movie Tickets!

Congratulations to Victoria Baecker, director of fund development at the YWCA in Troy. She was the first to correctly answer last month's trivia quiz:

What began its association with sports in 1927 through advertising on a wall of a minor league baseball park?

a) Gatorade

b) Wheaties

c) Ball Park hot dogs

d) Budweiser

The correct answer is:(b) Wheaties.

Would you like to win a pair of movie tickets? Be the first to answer this month's trivia question:

What fall tradition began when Henry VIII was king?

a) Raking leaves

b) Carving vegetables for decorations

c) Bobbing for apples

E-mail us right now with your answer at: trivia@groffnetworks.com

Please note: One prize per entrant per year. Entrants who have won a trivia contest in the last 12 months are ineligible to compete for prizes.

Two Smart Apps
You Should Be Using Now

     Since the launch of Apple's App Store in 2008, the number of smartphone apps has proliferated to the point where the catchphrase, "There's an app for that", has been overheard in conversations everywhere as a joke answer to any question or problem.

     But the reality is there actually has been a flood of smartphone apps designed to make our lives easier. Here are the top two apps we've found that we like the most:

Notability: Notability is an app to help keep your organized; what makes this app special is its ability to integrate handwriting, voice recording, PDF annotation, and media into a single app.

You can even enhance your notes by adding pictures from your photo library or from other mobile devices' camera. Insert web clips, figures, and drawings to complement your notes. Crop, resize, and draw on images to make them perfect. Cost: $0.99

Robin For Android Phones: A Driver-Friendly Siri

In case you're not familiar, Siri is a very popular application for iPhones that is, essentially, an intelligent personal assistant turned into a cool voice-driven tool. But now Android users have their own Siri named "Robin," built for drivers.  

You can ask Robin for directions, local places, real-time parking, traffic info, gas prices, weather, your Twitter news and much more. Best of all, you can keep your eyes on the road and off your phone. Cost: Free

Shiny New Gadget

Of The Month

Disaster Supplies Kit

Although this isn't a "gadget," we wanted to give you a resource for preparing your home and family for any emergency; after all, it IS National Disaster Preparedness month.

Beprepared.com offers ready-to-go kits you can purchase that give you basic survival essentials for food, water, heat, sanitation, basic shelter, light and communication, all packed into a convenient, easy-to-grab backpack. The site also offers links to articles and other websites that would be useful in an emergency situation.

Kits range from $16.95 to over $100: not a bad price to pay for a little peace of mind. And although it's a bit early to start thinking about the holidays (!!!), this may be the perfect gift for the guy or gal who has everything.

Lauren's Corner

Last month, I enjoyed the last days of summer! We went on a family vacation to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor in Maine.

 We took in a few Tri-City Valley Cats games at The Joe in Troy.

And, we closed the office one afternoon and headed up to the racetrack at Saratoga.

The Lighter Side:  

Back To School Edition

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Dewey.

Dewey who?

Dewey have to go to school today?

Have you heard about the teacher who was cross-eyed?

She couldn't control her pupils!

What school supply is always tired?

A knapsack!

Teacher: Why is your homework in your father's handwriting?

Pupil: I used his pen!

Teacher: You've got your shoes on the wrong feet.

Pupil: But these are the only feet I've got!

What is white when it's dirty and black when its clean?

A blackboard!