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Global Newsletter
- July 2011
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Computer Troubleshooters
New Plymouth
40 Omata Road
New Plymouth
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steveh@comptroub.com.nz
www.ctsnp.co.nz
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T: 06 753 7113
C: 027 312 2629
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My Home, My Office (Part 2)
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Some businesses don’t need the presence of a formal office
building to be successful. Last month we looked at computers, printers,
the Internet, email and file sharing in a home office. This month
we take a look at another 5 technology considerations for your
home-based business.
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Your backup strategy: Without your own I.T. department, you need to make sure that
your important files are backed up and that they can be restored from
those backups. A USB hard drive will provide a great second
storage location in addition to your computer, which can be accessed
fast to retrieve accidentally-deleted files. In case of fire, flood or
theft at your place, duplicate your information at another location
(e.g. the home or business of someone else you know well) or use an
internet-based backup service. Invest in backup software that
runs seamlessly and can be easily checked and tested.
Security: If you
are the only person who uses the computer in your home office, don’t
think that it doesn’t need a password. Passwords are an important
part of your defence against hacking
attempts, as well as helping to secure your information if your
computer is stolen. Also consider the physical security of your
home office and perhaps use window locks, security screens and a
burglar alarm. If your home office can be seen from the street,
use window blinds or curtains, especially if working at night as your
computers can easily be seen from the outside when your lights are
on.
Ongoing maintenance: Without an in-house expert to keep your computers
running, their performance will slowly degrade and their security will
be at risk if they are not maintained. It’s important to ensure that
software updates are installing correctly when they are released and
that tasks like temporary file removal, defragmentation and virus scans
are all occurring regularly. Talk to your Computer Troubleshooter about
how they can easily take care of this for you.
Comfort: You
may not have a big corporate budget for desks, but if you spend a long
time at your computer it’s important that you reduce your risk of
overuse injuries. Look at an ergonomic, adjustable chair, a foot
rest and a comfortable mouse and have your desk, keyboard and monitor
all at the correct height. Also consider the placement of your
desk in your office, to reduce any screen glare from your
windows.
The separation of home and business: Most home offices are also the place where the household
bills are paid and are sometimes where the kids play computer games or
do their homework. If your work computer is also your home computer,
separate user ‘profiles’ can be handy to restrict your children’s
access to your business files (e.g. to prevent accidental
deletion). You might also consider extra security software or
internet filtering software to prevent your children from introducing
nasty malware onto your computer. Use a separate paper filing
tray for the ‘paperwork of life’ to keep it away from your business
documents. And a second telephone line or a Voice over IP number is a
great way to stop business calls from coming through on your home
phone. Then you can also switch on the phone answering system
after-hours to enjoy some undisturbed family time.
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If you
are thinking of starting a business from home, or moving back home, or
if you’d just like some advice on your current home office setup, talk to
your local Computer Troubleshooter.
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Australia,
Austria, Bahrain, Botswana, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana,
Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Ireland, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kuwait,
Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Phillipines,
Saudi Arabia Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA
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All
contents of this website and associated materials © Copyright 2011 CT -
Global, LLC and/or Computer
Troubleshooters USA, Inc. The Computer Troubleshooters logo, slogan "Technology
Solved", tagline "Local Service - Global Strength",
and green/orange bar are trademarks of Computer Troubleshooters
and may not be used without written permission of the copyright holders.
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