| Small and medium businesses tend to use | | | | greatly from haveing an accounting package. |
| information technnology for what they | | | | Quickbooks is the old standard and still one |
| percieve as being absolute necessities. | | | | of the best around. Your accountant will |
| That's not a bad approach but it can cause | | | | appreciate it too.5. Computers less than |
| you to miss opportunities to grow your | | | | three years old.I know it may be running just |
| business and save money Without a budget that | | | | fine but with the cost of new computers well |
| will support a chief technology office or | | | | below $1000 and the speed increases over the |
| experienced director of I.T. how do you know | | | | last few years you can't cost justify keeping |
| what you really need? We're here to help!1. A | | | | around an old computer.6. A document |
| reliable backup of your dataWhile it may seem | | | | management processThis doesn't have to be a |
| obvious to most of the small and medium | | | | software application that costs thousands of |
| businesses we visit this is just not the | | | | dollars. But you should have a standard |
| case. Just having a tape drive and backup | | | | process for keeping critical or often used |
| software is not enough. You should test your | | | | company documents in any easy to access |
| backup on at least a monthly basis. It | | | | location on your computer or preferably file |
| doesn't need to be a complete restore all of | | | | server. It's one of the easiest ways there is |
| the time, just pick out a few files and see | | | | to boost productivity and the bottom line. |
| if your I.T. staff can restore them. If you | | | | How many times have you spend searching for |
| use outside consultants it's worth the money | | | | that old proposal to use as a template?7. ERP |
| to have them come in and test your backup on | | | | SoftwareERP is an acronym for Enterprise |
| a quarterly basis. It shouldn't take more | | | | Resource Planning. What that really means is |
| than two or three hours and you'll sleep | | | | anybodies guess. For our purposes we're going |
| better.2. Sales automation softwareNot only | | | | to define it as software that is specific to |
| does it allow your sales people to stay on | | | | your business and helps you to create and |
| top of potential leads, it helps you to stay | | | | deliver your product or service. The reality |
| on top of your sales people. For the SMB | | | | of the situation is that it can be inventory |
| market there are dozens of applications that | | | | management software, or a spreadsheet that |
| you can run locally on your network or you | | | | shows the number of units shipped, or lawns |
| can use one of the on-line providers like 3. | | | | cut. Be prepared to customize anything you |
| A decent web siteIt really doesn't matter if | | | | buy off the shelf because it can be an |
| your business cuts grass or makes | | | | aggravating process. But when you have it the |
| transmissions for tractors you should have a | | | | amount of data available to you makes |
| website. And don't let the secatary's sixteen | | | | planning for the future a whole lot |
| year old son do it, get it done right. It | | | | easier.Eric Gurr |
| doesn't have to be expensive. Sites like have | | | | |
| hundreds of templates specific to just about | | | | Senior Editor SMBresource |
| any business. They look great and they're | | | | |
| easy to use.4. Accouting softwareOk this is | | | | |
| pretty much a no-brainer for any medium sized | | | | |
| business and most small busineses. But even | | | | To reach Mr. |
| the really small businesses will benefit | | | | |