| |
| |
|
Small Business Information |
|
|
|
Computer Tips that Help Small Businesses Operate Profitably
When working properly, computers enable small businesses to make big business profits; however, get booted off your computer and you're suddenly starving. In most instances, computers usually act up due to lack of care by its owners. Here are four computer tips that'll keep you up and running smoothly. Tip #1 -- Back up your computer's data no less than once a month. Too often a small business is thrust back to infancy because it didn't take time to back up precious data; information that took hours upon hours to create. Information that's irreplaceable, such as customer databases or employment contracts. Keep in mind you'll want to back up your written data as well as check books such as Quicken and email address books. If your computer has a CD writer, it's simple and quick to back up your data. Simply select the files and folders you want to back up and copy them to the writer. Or if you have an older computer, copy your most important files to a floppy disk. Either way, don't stop there; now take the CD or disk and store it in a fire-safe box! To expedite the process, organize your files within folders so you can quickly grab and copy one or two folders. Tip #2 - Don't turn off your computer every evening. Too frequently computer users turn their computers off every evening. This is unnecessary and not recommended. A computer's components are at their most vulnerable when turned on and off. When a computer has to heat up [turn on] or cool down [turn off] it's at this precise moment components fail. It's recommended you turn your computer off once or twice a week or only when necessary, such as from a power outage. However, don't do the opposite and never turn your computer off, since many anti-virus programs require a computer reboot be performed before new virus patches take effect. Tip #3 -- Automate anti-virus software so it updates automatically no less than once a week. Depending on your software, you may need to prompt it to update. Unfortunately, there are people with too much time on their hands who desire to attack and make your computer unusable. A computer user is not ultimately protected from viruses and spyware [pop-ups, cookies, etc.] unless you're using a combination of anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a firewall, a piece of hardware that protects computers from being hacked. You must have all three pieces in order to ward off viruses, lurkers and attacks. What's more, most of the attacks are very quiet. You don't know someone is on your computer. Instead, they secretly store information, such as child pornography or music MP3s on your computer, since it's illegal, and redirect child-porno or MP3 seekers to your computer instead of theirs. Tip #4 -- Install a firewall if you keep your computer constantly on. Using a broadband or DSL connection dramatically increases your exposure to being hacked. It only takes an average of 15 minutes being online before a home-based computer is attacked. The only true way to protect a computer from a hacker is to install a hardware firewall. It's a misconception that software-based firewalls ultimately defend computers. This is simply not true. Computers must have a hardware firewall for ultimate protection, such as a SonicWall or Netscreen firewall, a component installed between a home user's cable or DSL connection and their computer. About The Author Sharron Senter is co-founder of VisitingGeeks.com - an on site computer repair, security and networking company that helps families, home power users and small businesses north of Boston, Southern NH and Maine. Visiting Geeks' technicians are crackerjacks at squashing viruses, pop-ups and securing and making computers perform faster. To reach Visiting Geeks call (978) 346-4087 or visit http://www.VisitingGeeks.com. Sharron's also the author of, "Make Money While Sleeping." Learn more at http://www.sharronsenter.com/fs_increase_seo.shtml
MORE RESOURCES:
Small-Business - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Your Business and the Story of a Tree; Part One This morning, I went to take a short walk outside. I've been feeling a little more flexible since this weekend, and I figured a stroll would help me keep that liquid feeling in my bones that I've missed so much. Small Business Server Business Tips Top 3 Ways to Maximize Your Small Business Server Consulting ProfitsOver the past 7 years, Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) has gained traction as a widely-respected Small Business Server networking suite.As a result, many small business computer consultants, systems integrators, and value-added resellers have jumped on-board the Microsoft Small Business Server bandwagon. Expand Your Professional Organizer Business Grow your Professional Organizer business by branching out into related areas. If you have been doing the same old thing for a while, and are comfortable with it, it may be time to stretch your capabilities and offer something new. A Day in the Life of a Self Employed Professional It's Monday morning and Connie the Consultant sits in her executive office chair overseeing her business empire. Her desk is strewn with half finished projects, several weeks worth of to do lists (none of them completed), scribbled post it notes, and a permission slip for her daughter's field trip to the Planetarium that should have been turned in last week. Your Babys Ugly..and Youve Got Bad Breath I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that 98% of businesses are small businesses. If You Want to Work from Home Here are some important points to take note of if you want to work from home. working from home is a dream occupation for many people, but only a few of us will dare to trudge that path. Home Based Franchise Case Study Here is an interesting case study of a company, which franchised mobile car wash units. It started with the humblest of beginnings indeed. Leveraging Business Relationships for more Profits When should you leverage the relationship?Leveraging sometimes brings a negative connotation to the mix. It does not have to be that way. A Business Tail: Veterinarian Foams at Mouth, Chases Tail, Learns New Tricks--Case Study Many self employed professionals find themselves overwhelmed, frustrated, and confused when it comes to running their businesses. The deep skills they have in their professional field do little to prepare them for the dog-eat-dog world of running a business. Hard Money Lenders -- No Money Down The Easy Way Would it help you as a real estate investor to be able to "Close For Cash in Days," even if you're tapped out financially?Hard money lenders are perhaps the best way to get 100% financing with easy qualifying, money for fix- up, and fast closings.So what can hard money lenders do for you? Hard money lenders make relatively short term (12-24 month) loans to real estate investors for the purposes of acquiring the property and rehabbing the property. Keeping Business Alive Who is responsible for maintaining the business relationship?Nurturing a business relationship will take effort on your part and effort on the part of the other person. If you feel the business is worth having, then you must take the time to make sure you are in touch on a regular basis. Get Out Of The Rut And Back On the Track Do you sometimes find yourself just going "through the motions" of your business from day to day? Has the excitement gone out of your daily routine?What happened? Remember way back when you began doing this? You were excited and enthusiastic about what you were going to do. What went wrong? Where did the excitement and enthusiasm go? More importantly, how do you get it back?Of course, this may be a signal that it is time for you to make some changes or to "move on. Setting Up as an Electronic Repair Authorized Service Center If you plan to upgrade your workshop into an Authorized Service Center, this should guarantee plenty of work and a secure future. Setting up from scratch as an Authorized Service Center is not an easy job. FFP vs. CPFF Contracts SBIR Corner: FFP vs. CPFF contracts:In the SBIR/STTR world, the single most important decision you need to make is whether you are going to bid a job as Firm Fixed Price (FFP) or as Cost plus Fixed Fee (CPFF). How to Prevent Home Business Burnout As a home business proprietor, you may already realize why avoiding "home business burnout" is so important. Even if you have only been working your home business venture for a relatively brief time, you may have already been aware of the need to maintain your energy levels and reduce your stress levels while you were involved in your other employment. Fleet Washing Expansion Considerations Many times small businesses want to expand their businesses and are not sure when the best time to do that might be. The key of course is cash flow. Why the Over Regulation on the Franchising Model? Franchising is the fastest way to build small businesses, provide jobs, create money flows. Currently the Federal Trade Commission wishes to increase the over regulation on the franchising sector. Mobile Truck Washing, Case Study Most folks in the pressure washing business are happier to do business cleaning concrete or flat work, because it appears to be easy. Some do both fleet truck washing and concrete, which makes sense. More Business Card Marketing If you are worried about how many different business cards you should carry, let me speak from experience, you need only ONE!The best way to confuse a potential customer is to present them with more than one business card. You may be doing a number of things and have cards for each one (even have several businesses where you do work) but you need to focus on what it is that you do best. Launching your Business with a Chamber of Commerce Why are Chambers a good launching pad?Chambers provide you with more ways to get to know the business community than most organizations. I was once elected President of a Chamber and the Board strived to get businesses involved with each other.
|
| Good Credit Loans | home | site map | School Bus Clothing | Florida Pool Heating |
| © 2006 |
