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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 1)
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Some businesses don’t need the presence of a formal office
building to be successful. If your services are primarily delivered
at your client’s place (e.g. for trades like electricians, plumbers or
even professional services like bookkeeping) or if you are a sole
trader or small family partnership, there are benefits and
disadvantages to running your business from home. This month we
take a look at 5 technology considerations for home-based
businesses.
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The computer:
We’ll ignore comparing brands and the Apple versus PC debate, but
let’s look at ‘workstation versus laptop’. If your computer
really doesn’t need to move from your home office, you’ll get more
computing power for your money with a workstation. Consider investing
those savings in a dual-monitor setup if your work involves a lot of
data entry, writing or graphic design. But remember, there’s nothing
stopping you using a laptop if you want to sit outside in the sun
occasionally!
The printer:
As with any office, the key consideration for a printer is how
much do you print and how often, and is that printing primarily text or
pictures? Home offices also may have to consider how much space they
have, so a printer with a smaller ‘footprint’ would be better. It’s
also handy to have the ability to send faxes, especially when dealing
with signed documents, so either look at software for faxing and a
document scanner, or consider a multi-function printer with a built in
fax. If you occasionally need to print large volumes, it may be
cheaper to use a printing service at a store for large volumes, instead
of buying a fast, high-volume laser printer that hardly ever prints
more than 5 pages at a time. Remember to also compare replacement
ink costs before you commit to a printer purchase.
The Internet:
A home office can feel quite isolated, so your internet
connection is an important gateway to the outside world. Out of
all of your technology components, this one will drive you the craziest
if it’s slow or if it drops out. Use a reputable internet
provider and invest in the fastest internet speed you can afford with a
monthly data limit that matches your needs.
Email:
Without a corporate email system, you still have a few choices
for email services. Don’t think that you have to resort to using
@hotmail.com or @gmail.com for your business email communication, when
you can have @yourbusinessname.com without the expense of your own
email server.
File sharing:
Do you need to share files with anyone outside
of your home office? Instead of just emailing attachments, consider other
file sharing methods if you collaborate with others on large documents
or if you regularly need to send large picture files. Your
options vary from USB storage with security mechanisms (e.g. encryption
& passwords) to secure internet file sharing services or even
direct file transfer between computers.
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Next
month, we’ll look at backups, security and other considerations for
your home office. 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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