Small Business At The Speed of Gigahertz

As recently as ten years ago, it seemed that only computer programmers, graphic designers, and writers used technology to complete their jobs. But today's small and medium businesses use information technology (IT) for just about everything. Whether you are a mechanic using computer engine diagnostics or a retailer with a point-of-sale system, a bookkeeper working on backend financial systems or a sales manager using customer management software, the use of IT is no longer optional.

Of course, most businesses are using desktops and laptops, and now even many of the smallest businesses use servers, whether application or file servers, web and e-mail servers, or data servers. Many businesses know that storing your data on a server -- a computer that is designed to store, manage, distribute and process data -- can protect the data and help improve business results. In today's environment, servers are a must to protect your business information, operations and to help you compete effectively with the resources you have. The right server can also give you strategic advantage by helping you control operating costs and ramp sales.

It can seem daunting and difficult, especially given that only 20% of small businesses have dedicated IT staffs, to learn how technology can help your business succeed and accommodate future growth, while not overwhelming your capabilities. (If you are one of the few businesses that actually has an IT staff, they're likely consumed with keeping your systems and networks going, not focused on incorporating technology to help your business grow more successfully and easily.)

Reduced to its simplest terms, the question that must be answered is: what problems can technology solve for small business? Fortunately, the answers are fairly simple and straightforward as well.

1. Protect Your Business
Computer viruses and hackers can put your business at risk, especially with today's mobile workforce. Employees are using wireless notebooks and web-enabled cell phones and any one of these can introduce viruses or hackers into your system. It's important to have a strong policy in place that provides an overall framework for organizational security and details how you'll manage security incidents.

But protecting your business is about more than just securing it from viruses and hackers. You have to think about data loss or theft and recovery, as well. Having business information scattered across desktop PCs puts the business at risk. Vital contact, order, and financial information can be lost or compromised, and scattered data wastes time and leads to errors as employees operate from incomplete information. A server can help protect your business by storing your data in a centralized database where it can be protected from attacks and automatically backed up, so you have a spare copy in case of system failure.

2. Improve Productivity
Mobile devices boost productivity, connectivity, and convenience, allowing you to work anytime, anywhere and get the most out of the time you spend working. For instance, using Wi-Fi*-enabled notebooks brings your staff closer to customer requests and helps keep your business on a path to growth. For example, the sales manager who can enter customer order information into her laptop while still in the field has the advantage of confirming the order while still sitting with the customer -- reducing errors -- and initiating the order process sooner on the company end -- leading to revenues that are booked faster.

Servers can also help make your staff more productive by speeding communication, promoting collaboration, and giving your employees full-time access to information. If you have your own e-mail server that can be accessed from the office, while traveling, or while telecommuting, your employees can be that much more effective.

3. Streamline Operations
Efficient operations are good for your customers and your bottom line. And the success of your company depends not only on how well your various departments run, but also on how well these different areas interface with each other. Here's where a server can really help. A server lets you streamline your operations, consolidating business-wide information and putting answers at your employees' fingertips when they're working with customers or suppliers. When sales, order processing, technical support, finance and other operational areas share a common knowledge base, customers and suppliers get faster, more consistent answers to their questions, your internal processes can run more efficiently and profitably, and your team has more time to focus on customer needs and adding value to the business.