Capstone Works Blog

Do you feel like your business could be doing better? Does it feel like things move slowly, as if there were bottlenecks somewhere in your bottom line, or that something is just holding you back?

Even if it’s not all bad, do you ever get the sense that things could be going a little better for your company?

Let me tell you about a conversation I had the other day.

Experts are sounding the alarm about potential challenges on the horizon.

While we’re not economists, nor are we financial advisors, we do make it our business to keep our finger on the pulse when it comes to the technology industry. Computer hardware has always been dragged along by a tide that ebbs and flows based on a lot of external factors, but experts are chiming in to warn businesses that there is a good chance that IT hardware prices will increase substantially throughout 2025, and it isn’t clear when things might go back down. Let’s take a look at what’s going on.

AI is transforming the business landscape. One tool leading this revolution is ChatGPT.

But what is ChatGPT? The AI chatbot is essentially a virtual assistant that can automate tasks, enhance customer service, and even assist in content creation. In broad terms, ChatGPT can perform some tasks that would normally require human intelligence. Like a human, it’s far from perfect, but there are a lot of interesting ways the AI can help you.

This guide will show you how to use ChatGPT for your business, offering practical tips and strategies to leverage this powerful AI tool for business growth.

With 2024 ending and 2025 rapidly approaching, it’s time to reflect on the past year and start planning out your objectives for the next. While there are likely going to be a lot of things business owners won’t be able to predict over the next year, business IT can be pretty formulaic as long as you are proactive.

In this guide, we’re going to go over the basics so your business doesn’t end up being blindsided by some of these critical IT budgeting situations.

The clock is ticking for Windows 10.

In just 12 months, this widely-used operating system will reach its end of life (EOL).

Sometimes, you can save a lot of money by doing something yourself. I had to replace a gutter on my roof the other day. I figured hey, I have a ladder, a hammer, and a free afternoon… I can do that! Maybe I’ll learn something from it too!

Several hours and a trip to the hardware store later, I wasn’t feeling as good about it, but I got the job done!

The reason I bring this up is because every so often when talking to a business owner about managing their IT for them, they hit me with “I can do that! Updates? Antivirus scans? That’s not that big of a deal.” 

So let’s take a look at what goes into a comprehensive IT maintenance package, for business owners who are willing to roll up their sleeves.

It’s time to have a hard conversation.

As a business owner, manager, or even as an employee taking the reins on their career; there are things you can do to make significant improvements to your business.

But you don’t.

It’s holding you back. Let’s fix that, today.

It was essentially what everyone expected Y2K to be, over 24 years ago.

The world’s biggest (so far) IT catastrophe forced hospitals to cancel surgeries, shuttered 911 call centers, crippled banks, and left travelers stranded at airports.

It wasn’t a cyberattack, and it didn’t come with a warning, but it had a massive impact on the world and is causing business owners and decision makers to think a little differently about their technology. Let’s talk about the CrowdStrike outage and what we all need to take away from this disaster.

In the Lone Star State, businesses are always looking for ways to stay ahead of the curve, and implementing artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a competitive necessity. However, before Texas businesses dive into the world of AI, there are critical steps that must be taken to ensure a successful integration. From cybersecurity audits to setting clear expectations, this guide outlines 14 essential steps your Texas business should consider before pulling the trigger on AI.

Technology has been moving fast over the last few years… or has it? 

It depends on who you ask, and how they interact with it every day. This post is for those of us who are frankly too busy to really dive into the waters of cutting-edge technology, but want to make sure we’re not leaving money on the table when it comes to operating our businesses.

AI is here. It’s no longer a futuristic concept, and it is transformative. At the same time, it’s also a little bit of a marketing buzzword. Let’s clear up this very complex topic—hopefully by the end of this article, you’ll be able to make some actionable decisions on AI and your business.

In the heart of Texas, Austin law firms are facing a new era. The legal landscape is changing rapidly, driven by the rise of modern technology. Lawyers are now leveraging technology to streamline their operations. From eSignature to cloud document storage, the digital revolution is here. It's transforming the way law firms work, enhancing efficiency and ensuring compliance.

But how exactly is technology reshaping the legal sector in Austin? What are the key technology solutions that Austin law firms should adopt?

Austin, Texas is a thriving tech hub, sometimes called Silicon Hills. With an active tech scene and a growing number of tech companies, there is a lot of opportunity for a small business to grow and thrive. To stay competitive in this tech-savvy environment, businesses in Austin need to embrace technology and ensure they have reliable IT support. A good IT consultant can help businesses in Austin navigate the complex world of technology, providing expertise and support to keep their operations running smoothly and securely.

By choosing the best Austin-based managed IT consultant for their needs, businesses can benefit from specialized services tailored to their requirements. Whether it's network security, data backup and recovery, or cloud services, a reputable IT consultant can help businesses in Austin optimize their technology infrastructure and stay ahead of the competition.

Just about every business owner finds themselves searching for a trusted IT consulting service at some point. Establishing and maintaining a complex business network is essentially a full-time job, and even the smallest businesses start to run into some pretty tough hurdles when it comes to this process. Once you mix in the modern-day line of business applications, user management/active directory, and cybersecurity best practices, even the most technical users are going to fall short of the knowledge and skill required to keep the gears turning.

As your business grows, or as you invest in expensive technology solutions to assist your business growth, you may need significantly more help managing, maintaining, and supporting the technology within your organization.

This usually happens when you outgrow your current computer support provider or get too busy to research, learn, and take care of everything yourself. Either way, you must focus on your business and need someone else to handle your IT.

Sure, you can hire internal IT staff; in some cases, that’s a pretty good call. We will discuss some pros and cons and alternative options before you spend a ton of money you don’t need to.

With the ever-changing landscape of technology and the increasing presence of cybersecurity threats, it's crucial to have a well-planned and strategic IT budget in place. Let’s discuss the steps you can take to plan your organization's 2024 IT budget to prevent excess costs and get the most out of your IT investment.

When it comes to managing IT issues, some companies still rely on the older way of doing things. In our industry, we call this the break-fix model. This approach involves waiting for something to break and then paying someone to fix it. While this may seem like a cost-effective solution, it can actually lead to more problems and inefficiencies in the long run.

In this article, we'll explore the break-fix model and why it's an inefficient solution to IT problems. We'll also discuss alternative approaches that can help your business save time, money, and headaches.

When it comes to disaster recovery and business continuity planning, one of the most important metrics to consider is the Recovery Time Objective (RTO).

But what exactly is RTO, and why is it crucial for your organization? In this article, we’ll dive into the definition of RTO, its importance, and how to determine the right RTO for your business.

Are you a business owner in Austin, Texas looking for a reliable and efficient way to handle all of your IT-related needs? Look no further than managed IT services. In today’s digital age, technology plays a crucial role in the success of any business. From communication and collaboration to security and compliance, IT covers a very wide area within any organization, and as a business grows, it becomes harder to manage with in-house staff. That’s where managed IT services come in. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of managed IT services in Austin  and why they are essential for your business.

Central Texas, particularly around Austin, is a pretty populous area, with lots of businesses functioning there. Just about all of these businesses will need to use IT, and will therefore benefit from a relationship with a trustworthy consultant who can help them both avoid risk and optimize their operations. Let’s go into what business owners and leaders in and around Cedar Park can do to find the best IT consultants for their needs.

If you're a business owner in Austin, Texas, you know how important it is to have reliable IT support. After all, your company's technology is what keeps you connected to your clients, your employees, and the rest of the world. Without it, everything grinds to a halt.