Most of us have a love-hate relationship with technology. We love technology when it works and are thankful for its presence, but if it doesn’t work – well, you will probably see computers and technology on the list of things that frustrate us!

However, I think it is time someone gave credit where credit is due. Here are seven reasons why we should be thankful for all the new (and constantly evolving) technology we have available to us:

1. It allows us all to be more “earth-friendly.” Thanks to e-mail and the Internet, as well as the ease in document imaging, we can all communicate with each other without having to waste paper and ink, not to mention stamps!

2. We can instantly access information on practically any topic we want, whenever we want. I remember when I was a kid, all research required a trip to the library and old-fashioned research with a set of encyclopedias. Now, if you need to find a Mexican restaurant within 1 mile of your location, you can not only find one, but you can check out the menu and order online so your food is waiting for you when you show up!

3. It keeps us in touch. Although it can easily be argued we’ve gone too far in this department, cell phones, Blackberries, and even online forums (blogs, Facebook, MySpace) have enabled us to find and stay in touch with more people more frequently.

4. It saves us time and money. Nothing has done more for the consumer than the Internet. In minutes, you can search on and compare various products and services without having to make a single phone call or (even better) getting in your car to drive about looking for what you want. Plus, you can order just about anything online and have it shipped to your door. Amazing!

5. It keeps us organized. Forget those post-it notes stuck all over your desk, slips of papers crammed in your pockets and daily planners. Electronic and online organizers and calendars keep our schedules organized and synchronize to our cell phones and other mobile devices so we are always organized.

6. It saves us gas money. Your office is as close as your nearest laptop and mobile phone. You can work from anywhere at any time, potentially eliminating a long commute to work.

7. It gives us a way out. Technology can be a great scapegoat for any number of mistakes we have made. Missed an appointment? Blame your system being down or not synchronizing properly. Want to end a phone conversation? Blame a week cell signal or flick the mute button on your moible phone while saying, “I can’t hear you.”

What are WE at Gaeltek most grateful for? Those of you that trust us to make all the computers and gadgets work the way they are supposed to so that you can focus on your business!

Happy Thanksgiving from our Gaeltek family to you and yours!

Amanda Harper, President, and Andrew Harper, Chief Executive Officer, of Gaeltek, LLC | Technology Solutions have co-authored their first book Business IT 101:  A Business Owner’s Guide to Finding Hassle-Free Computer Support. This book is the definitive small to medium-sized business owner’s guide for selecting a professional, competent, honest, fairly priced and dependable computer support company.  The book also gives insider tips on what to look for (and what to avoid) when outsourcing the support of your business’s computer network.

“Over the years, we’ve heard stories from business owners who are frustrated with their IT provider. Then, after hiring Gaeltek, these same business owners would wonder out loud why it was so hard to depend on their previous IT provider when Gaeltek makes it seem so easy. Frankly, we don’t know why good customer service is so hard to find.” says Gaeltek CEO Andrew Harper.  “So we thought it was time to publish a book on this topic to help small and medium sized business owners know how to select a great computer support company.”

Amanda and Andrew co-founded Gaeltek, LLC in 2004.  With over 35 years of combined experience in technology and operational management, they are dedicated to providing small to mid-sized companies with cost-effective, state-of-the-art IT solutions.

For a limited time, free copies of the book are available at www.gaeltek.com/free-book.

Is privacy in America dead? With all the camera phones, online tracking software and social media sites, you can pretty much bet on it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t protect yourself.

For starters, go to Google Maps and search on your name to see if they have a picture of your home mapped out. If so, you can request to be removed. Next, set up a Google alert for your name (and company name if you’re a business owner). Google will e-mail you any time something is posted about you with a link so you can keep an eye on reviews, photos, etc. Next, go to www.Spokeo.com and search on yourself – you might be shocked at how much information is posted about you, your home, your income and personal life. You can request to be removed from this site by going to www.spokeo.com/privacy.

At Gaeltek we believe that referrals are the greatest form of flattery. If you know someone who is worried about any aspect of their business technology, do them a favor and put them in touch with us. We want to help your partners, associates, business contacts and friends with their IT and networking needs.

We’ve established a new referral program that will reward both you and those who you refer to Gaeltek. Let me tell you about our new referral program and how it works. It’s quite simple really.

Here is how our new referral program works for YOU:

• Call, email us, or complete the form on our landing page to submit your referral information. We will call to schedule an appointment.
• We will send you (or your favorite charity) $25 for any referral that results in a scheduled appointment.
• If your friend becomes a client we will then send you (or your favorite charity) an additional $150.
• That’s a total of $175 – and there is no limit on how many referrals you make.

Here is how our referral program works for YOUR FRIEND:

• If your friend becomes a client of Gaeltek (and spends a minimum of $500), we will give them $175 off their first month of service because they are friends with you.

To kick off this new referral program, we’re giving away an iPad 2.

The person who submits the most referrals between June 1 and August 31 wins. It’s that simple. Call, email us or submit referrals online between June 1 and August 31 and we will personally deliver a new iPad 2 to thank you for referring your colleagues and friends to Gaeltek.

By recommending partners, associates, or professional contacts, you can help them enjoy worry-free IT and you can reap some rewards for yourself.

Enter your information to get started.

Are you swimming in paper contracts, forms, and other documents that you can’t throw away? Would you like a much faster and easier way to locate important documents in your office that doesn’t require sifting, sorting and digging through piles and piles of folders? Are you concerned about losing or misplacing important document originals? If so, you should consider going paperless.

Just 15 minutes a day of paper shuffling equates to a FULL work week of non-productive time per year. Thanks to incredible advancements in document imaging, even the small home office user can greatly benefit from new document management solutions that are both super easy to use and incredibly affordable. A few of the key benefits are:

• Find documents in seconds with a few short clicks of your mouse
• Never lose or misplace important documents
• Completely eliminate bulky file cabinets that take up office space
• Comply with government regulations for storing and securing sensitive information
• Protect your documents from fire, water, spilled coffee, tears, and destruction
• Streamline operational processes
• Eliminate the confusion of having multiple copies of the same document
• Easily share documents with remote employees, clients, and colleagues
• Save money on storage costs

With Gaeltek’s “Clear The Clutter” document management assessment we can help you clean up your act.  We’ll evaluate your current paper system and help you determine if document management is right for you. There is absolutely

no cost or obligation to buy anything when you request this assessment, and we guarantee zero sales pressure. Our meeting will purely be one of discovery and education for you.

Redeem your FREE assessment now.  Email us or call 703-652-4685 today.