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IT Onboarding Checklist for New Employees: A Small Business Guide
A practical IT onboarding checklist for small businesses: accounts by role, encrypted devices, MFA, first-day training, the 30 day review and Massachusetts rules.
Brian Gagne
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IT Support Tiers Explained: L1, L2 and L3 for Business Owners
IT support tiers explained for business owners: what L1, L2 and L3 each fix, how escalation works, and what to ask a provider. With Worcester wage data.
Brian Gagne
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How to Switch IT Providers Without Losing Access or Data
How to switch IT providers in Central MA without losing access or data: contract, inventory, domain ownership, admin accounts, overlap, passwords, and a stalled handover.
Brian Gagne
Support
The SBA Proposed Calling a $531 Million Computer Company Small. What the New SBA Size Standards Mean for a 12-Person Shop
The proposed SBA size standards would make a $531 million computer firm small. What changes, who competes with you, and how to comment by November 20, 2026.
Brian Gagne
Support
Enterprise Quality Doesn't Require an Enterprise Invoice: What Small Business IT Should Include
What enterprise-quality small business IT includes, how to price it against downtime and a full-time hire, and the questions to ask any IT partner before you sign.
Brian Gagne
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Small Business Health Insurance in 2026: Similar Premiums, Thinner Cover, and the Real Cost of Your Next Hire
Small business health insurance in 2026: what KFF and BLS data show about premiums, deductibles and rate increases, and how to price your next hire at full cost.
Brian Gagne
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Selling Your Business in 2026? Buyers Pay for What Runs Without You
Selling your business in the next few years? Buyers now value clean books, documented systems and less founder dependence. What to fix first, and when to start.
Brian Gagne
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Small Business Labor Costs Just Hit a Record in NFIB's Survey. The Seat Costs More Than the Salary.
Labor costs hit a record 14% in NFIB's May 2026 survey. What a full time hire really costs, per BLS, and a two question test for which roles should be a hire.
Brian Gagne
Support
Your Software Stack Costs More at Every Renewal. Here Is How to Audit It
Why your software stack costs more each renewal, what changed in Microsoft 365 on July 1, 2026, and a one-afternoon audit to cut unused seats and overlap.
Brian Gagne
Support
Your Clients Want AI Services. Most MSPs Can't Deliver Them Yet.
Clients want AI services from their IT provider. What Census, GTIA, MIT and Gartner data show about the gap, and how an MSP can deliver AI services safely.
Brian Gagne
Support
Cloudflare Shipped a WordPress Replacement. Should Your WordPress Site Move?
Cloudflare's EmDash sandboxes plugins, but only on Cloudflare. What it means for your WordPress site, and the six checks worth doing this month instead.
Brian Gagne
Support
Your Next Hire Costs $140,000 or More. The Real Cost of Hiring, and What to Do When You Can't Find Them.
The cost of hiring a $100,000 employee is about $147,500 in year one with average benefits and recruiting. Latest NFIB, BLS and KFF data, and when to partner instead.
Brian Gagne
Support
How to Measure Technology ROI for a Small Business Before You Buy
How to measure technology ROI before you buy: full cost, real hourly cost of staff time, an honest gain, payback period and a 90-day check, with a worked example.
Brian Gagne