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What are the biggest IT hurdles for small businesses today?

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Asked by Question Bot02/Oct/20111 answer

1 Answer

F

Faisal Khan

Answered 02/Oct/2011

....or in simple words:

  • Don't setup an email server on premises. Just get email from Gmail (US$ 40/user per year) and you will sleep easy. Alternatively, you can opt for the monthly payment which is US$ 5/month per user.
  • Don't get too overly involved in setting up a website. Start from a simple site (have presence) ... its better than nothing.
  • You don't need a US$ 2,000 Cisco entry level business router. A US$ 200 Access point will do just fine.
  • Likewise you don't need a hardware firewall
  • You most likely don't need a Layer 3 Switch. If someone comes to you selling one. Boot 'em out!
  • If budget is tight, just get some used laptops, they will work fine. Make sure they come with Wifi. Most of your business can be done off the web. You just might not know it.
  • If software licensing is an issue, download Jolicloud OS and you'll be up and running in no time on the web. http://www.jolicloud.com/. It has almost everything you need.
  • Do your accounting online. Give Xero a try: www.Xero.com
  • Just go wireless, its much easier. Make sure you enable a password on your Wifi. You'll be good. If you're too paranoid - make sure only the MAC addresses of the machines in your office can connect to them.
  • For data backup, don't invest in local hard disks, just go online, three recommended services are Dropbox (www.dropbox.com), CrashPlan (www.crashplan.com) and BackBlaze (www.backblaze.com)
  • Use Google Docs - its easy and chances are it will suffice (just log into your Gmail account and on the top bar, click on Documents, or alternatively, visithttps://docs.google.com)
  • If you really need to have a complete Word processing, spreadsheet, Presentation outfit, download OpenOffice (its free!) www.openoffice.org
  • For Invoicing - try Freshbooks www.Freshbooks.com
  • For contact management, sales leads, project management, etc. try 37Signals - www.37signals.com - Freshbooks and Xero integrate with 37Signals
  • Invest in a smart phone (Android or iPhone will do). You can be connected to your business on the go.
  • If you want the ability to run credit cards (physical swipe) - look at Square - can't get more simpler than that www.square.com
  • Setup PayPal, give your customers to have the flexibility to pay you via PayPal. See www.PayPal.com for more information.
  • Opt for Internet Banking
  • If you're going to run a mailing list - MailChimp is your friend. www.mailchimp.com
  • If you require a Help Desk / Online Customer Support ticketing software, give Hesk a shot - its free www.hesk.com
  • For hosting try: www.bluehost.com, www.hostgator.com, www.1and1.com, www.godaddy.com, www.networksolutions.com, www.iweb.com
  • If you need to get a website up, that is simple enough, install WordPress (www.wordpress.org). You can also look at Wordpress.com for hosting as well.
  • Invest in an All-in-One Printer (don't opt for color, unless you really need it). Try to opt for a wireless All-in-One printer (also known as multi-function printers). You should be able to get a very decent printer for under $400 if not much less.
  • Don't hire a full-time IT resource. Use Craigslist to find someone who will work with you on an hourly as and when needed basis.
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