Robert O'Dell
E-Information Strategies

What basic technology would you recommend for a home based business?

Well my business expertise actually is in the area of business of Information Technology and system architect. And asking me a little bit of how to set up the IT of a company I do feel I have some expertise in that area. Later if you take a look around this room you're going to see lots of computers you're going to see two servers, two main machines, a desk top. You won't see the laptop that I have. It's set up with the cable, a high end cable, there ups's and so forth. You don't need to have that level of technology for your company. What you do need for a simple company, where you have information needs is you need to make a decision; are you totally home based? When you leave your office are you going to need to take a laptop with you? If you don't, buy a desktop, set it up. Buy a nice printer; an all-in-one that does your faxing scanning and handles that is a good thing to have. Make sure that your computer has a UPS battery backup so that if that power does go out you don't lose that. And make sure that it's backed up. I can't emphasize backing up enough. But there are so many easy ways of handling that. Yes you can use the backup systems back up to a hard disk, the small drives that you can carry with you and put in your safety deposit box. But there are services online such as a Mozy Pro or an IDrive that you can link in and these will in the background, unattended they will pick up all your change files and take them off site. Now here in California where I live we have little things where the ground occasionally shakes. That can cause havoc with the drive. You can have damaged equipment and all of that. If I had everything here in the house I might not even be able to get to it. So having it in a Mozy Pro or IDrive where you can get to it from another location is ideal. If you're going to go out a lot with a laptop with today's smaller netbooks and the smaller laptops it makes a lot of sense; get a laptop but not put a lot on it so if the laptop gets lost you have not lost your company. Keep that on your desktop in your office and then use a web pc or a pc now or some service like that. That's a little bit more money because you have a desktop and a small laptop but if you set that up correctly that's a great way to go.