Smartphones for Small Business Entrepreneurs
When it comes to running your own business, the likelihood is it’s not going to be a 9-5 job. A business is like having a baby; you’re either going to be with it all the time or at least have a baby monitor to keep you updated. A smartphone is the baby monitor of your business - whenever you’re out of the office, that phone will be your assistant, updating you on everything that’s going on.
All-in-One Desktop PCs: Are They a Good fit for Your Small Business?
all-in-one computer – n – A desktop computer that houses all of its components (except for the keyboard and mouse) in the same case as the monitor.
In the last few years, all-in-one desktop PCs have made a huge comeback. I say a comeback because the all-in-one concept really isn’t new. Some of the earliest personal computers combined the computer, monitor, and speakers into a single case— the Compaq Portable (circa 1983) and the original Macintosh (circa 1984), to name a couple. But in recent years, with the advent of slim LCD screens, the all-in-one concept has taken off once again.
9 Holiday Packaging & Shipping Tips for Small Businesses
Editor's Note: This guest post is written by Shayna Burns for Pitney Bowes, a leading supplier of mail meters, online postage tools, and mailing equipment.
There are a number of ways small businesses can overpay for postage throughout the year. If the holidays bring in more sales for your business, now is the time to become a more cost-efficient mailer. Follow the holiday packaging and shipping tips below to save time and money.
Which Office 365 Plan is the Best for Small Businesses? (Hint: It’s not the “Small Business Plan”)
We recently finished our migration to the new Office 365 service from Microsoft, and we’re very, very excited to offer it to our clients. Very briefly, Office 365 is a cloud-based suite of services comprised of Exchange Online (for e-mail, calendaring, and tasks), SharePoint Online (for document sharing and collaboration), and Lync Online (for instant messaging, voice calls, and more). It’s a monthly subscription service, meaning that companies no longer need to pay for costly on-premise servers. Read my past post We Switched to Microsoft Exchange Online and Your Small Business Should, Too to see why we’re big advocates of Exchange Online, which is a huge part of Office 365.
Should Your Small Business Be Using Windows 7 64bit?
Two questions that our small business clients often ask us are: “What is Microsoft Windows 7 64-bit?” and “Should my business be using it?” In this post, I’ll answer the first question and help you make an informed decision about the second, because it’s not an obvious answer.
What’s the difference between a 32-bit operating system (OS) and a 64-bit operating system?
Simply put, a 64-bit computer (comprised of 64-bit-capable hardware components and a 64-bit operating system) that is running 64-bit-aware application software provides greater processing ability and allows the use of considerably more random access memory (RAM) than does a computer running a 32-bit OS with 32-bit-aware software.
We Switched to Microsoft Exchange Online and Your Small Business Should, Too
We’re longtime proponents of the enormous value of using Microsoft Exchange Server, but the major drawback has always been that Exchange required an on-site file server and often considerable time and attention. The short of it is that it wasn’t cheap and it wasn’t easy to setup or maintain. Nevertheless, the costs, the complexities, and the hassle of running an in-house Exchange server were justified because Exchange simply was (and still is, in my opinion) the best platform for centralized and shared e-mail, contacts, calendars, and tasks. But, now there’s a better way.
Hosted Exchange: The Basics
6 Easy Ways to Make Your Small Business Technology Last Longer
I cringe at the thought of a computer or a printer or any tech item in our office suddenly failing. We all know that this occurs from time to time, so around here we do everything that we can to make sure that it rarely happens. We strive to get the longest life that we can out of every single tech product that we buy—and so should you.
Here are 6 easy ways to keep your critical office technology products—your work tools—alive and kicking for many years:
Why I Ditched the Desktop & Switched to a Laptop to Help Me Run My Small Business
As a small business owner, I manage many of our day-to-day activities, and for the last few years, I’ve used a business-grade laptop as my only work computer. My old T-series IBM ThinkPad (yes, pre-Lenovo) was retired from active duty last year, although it’s still used frequently here as a test machine, and I moved on to a newer laptop, an HP EliteBook 6930p. At the office, I keep the laptop on a docking station; connected to it are a full-size keyboard, an optical mouse, a wired high-speed network cable, and most importantly, a glorious 24’’ widescreen LCD monitor. Here’s the point: I don’t need a separate desktop computer for the office, and I’m part of a growing number of business people who are realizing that they don’t, either.
Buying Business-Grade Technology: Where to Buy, What to Look For, and Exceptions to the Rule
In 5 Reasons Why Your Small Business Should Buy Only Business-Grade Technology, I outlined a handful of reasons why it’s a big mistake to buy anything but business-grade technology for your business. In this post, I’ll talk about where to buy, what to look for, and exceptions to the rule when it comes to business-grade tech.
Where to buy business-grade tech products
As a general rule, it’s unlikely that you’ll find any true business-grade equipment at your local office supply stores (Staples/Office Depot/Best Buy, etc.) or big box stores (Costco, Sam’s, etc.). Fortunately, the Internet makes it easy. Any number of online retailers, including sellers on eBay, Amazon.com, and Jackrabbit.com (that’s us!), sell these items direct. In some cases, you can also buy directly from the manufacturer.
Why is Buying Factory-Refurbished Technology for Your Business a Smart Move?
Simple answer—they’re a great value! You'll save a bunch of money and get a product that’s as good, if not better, than you would get if you bought a brand new one!
What’s a refurb? Throughout the year, high-end office-grade products such as computers and printers from HP, Xerox, and many others are returned to their respective manufacturers for any number of reasons—some were dealer or distributor demo units, some might have been sent out as “seeds” to major corporations, some came back from customers because they were dead-on-arrival. For whatever the reason, when a unit comes back, the manufacturer runs it through a very special, very rigorous, factory process where it is, essentially, remanufactured.
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- Smartphones for Small Business Entrepreneurs
- All-in-One Desktop PCs: Are They a Good fit for Your Small Business?
- 9 Holiday Packaging & Shipping Tips for Small Businesses
- Which Office 365 Plan is the Best for Small Businesses? (Hint: It’s not the “Small Business Plan”)
- Should Your Small Business Be Using Windows 7 64bit?
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