Identifying Your Small-Business Computing Needs
Today’s businesses won’t get far with dial-up Internet and a couple of old computers. Learn what you need to do business in the new millennium.
Setting up a small business is a time-consuming task, even if it’s a labor of love. With so much to do, you want to focus on your product or service, not on the kinds of computing tools you’ll need. Still, the modern company can’t do much without the latest technology.
Here, to your rescue, is this handy guide. Use it to outfit your business with the technology and software you require to do business in the new millennium.
The Home Office
Most businesses have a home base, whether it’s a central office used by you and your employees or a room in your home set up to run a one-person operation. Either way, a few basic tools are required:
- Your computer(s). The computer station is the basic unit of productivity in most modern businesses, should you employ one person or 20. The rise in popularity of laptops has prompted some businesses to give each employee a laptop they can use both in the office and out. However, there’s much to be said for the comfort and ease of use of large monitors and full keyboards. Consider a mix of mobile and stationary computers for your office setup. If you go with a more mobile route, be sure to define your mobile security policy.
- Your network. You’ll want to tie your computer stations together into a network, so everybody can communicate and have access to the necessary data. Smaller businesses might get away with a high-speed Internet connection and a router that gives you wireless connections and email options, but companies with lots of data or more employees will probably need a server or should investigate network attached storage (NAS).
- Your server. The server in a business acts as a central hub where your company website is housed, as well as the critical data needed to run your business. All communications among employees and between your business and your customers flow through the server. The server also lets employees on the road stay in touch and have access to data.
- Your software. In addition to the software necessary for business tasks like word processing and accounting, you’ll need applications that will keep your network safe. Antivirus packages for computer stations are a must-have, as are firewalls and permissions software that guard entrance to your server. Not everyone needs the same access to your server as you, and these tools will allow you to specify who gets in and who doesn’t. (Read more: Don’t make these antivirus security installation mistakes)
Going Mobile
More and more, companies are doing business away from the home office as employees travel and work from home. A few tools have made such mobility easier than ever.
- Tablets and smartphones. With handheld devices, you and your employees can stay in touch from almost anywhere. Email and data access can be set up to run through secure “tunnels” traveling from these mobile devices to your server. Laptops can work as well, although the large, bright screens of the tablets and their relatively small size have made them popular among business folks. If you’re still having trouble managing mobile devices, well, there’s a top-ten article for that!(You thought we were going to say “app” huh?)
- Security software. One mistake some businesses make is to outfit their home computers with the latest security software but fail to do the same for mobile workstations. However, clever cybercriminals have figured out how to hack into an unprotected mobile device and gain access to the company server. Comprehensive security across all workstations is mandatory.
We completely understand this is a complex topic, and that every small business is a unique operation with challenges all their own. For additional help with your small-business computing needs, please contact your local Staples technology experts.