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How to use the technology business as your first employee

You've probably heard many times the phrase: "We will level the playing field." In a small business, the most regularly used the technique to do this is to install and use regular computer.

In fact, for many companies in your new employee's first and only, at least for the first few years, is often your computer system and its rational use. IT is an area where the size of your competitors can not usually get ahead of you. You can buy the same equipment as they can, often at a reduced price, and chances are very good that you will learn software to use your computer much more efficient than the transmission type of business will be.

We are in an advantageous time since the acquisition of computer power at very attractive prices. Over the past four years, IBM and Apple have set up computer systems cheaply by mass merchants such as Sears. Competition from mail order vendors like Dell and Gateway, has raised retail prices of computer as technology evolves quickly. For example, it will soon be rare to find a system that does not offer a CD-ROM. But there are still thousands of models in stock sitting without this feature.

If your daily work does not require a CD-ROM, and most do not, you may be able to obtain particularly good prices on slightly older systems without this feature. There is an increasing amount of technical assistance to learn buy and use software. Many programs come with sophisticated programs tutorial built in. The biggest software companies like Microsoft, even offer technical assistance on the Internet. One of the fastest business magazines more and more all the time, Home Office Computing, abounds monthly advice on how to evaluate software programs, hardware systems and accessories. If you can read and learn, you soon also be proficient in the use of your computer as your competitor Fortune 500.

What to ask before Computerize

Buying a computer system complete with software and printer can easily cost you over $ 4,000. Purchasing this magnitude demands careful consideration before proceeding.

The first question to ask is: Why? What is the advantage you expect computer automation to deliver? This is no more logical than hire an employee without first determining what tasks they perform.

Remember: Only computers do not increase your productivity. If you do not learn to use what we call "leverage Computer, "you little gain. That sentence indicates the power of the computer for everyday tasks faster and with more precision and, in some cases more individually than you can do manually. But it takes more than just a superficial knowledge of the software to get this benefit. A common example of food computer with a routine task of business is to store different versions of bills of sale, the recipients name when inserting you're ready to send. Going further, you can use the software to connect your customer name and address list with the sales letters to individualize both the opening and the body of the letter. Using a technique called direct mail it.

Computer Jobs are usually

What business owners do not use computers for? There are eight functional areas where desktops can make a real difference

Communication. You can not afford a secretary. So how does something as simple as a creating a letter of response a view to sale is? word processing programs like Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, and Ami Pro, you may, that may not be able to type so, to create a professional presentation of your ideas in writing.

Customer Service. In dealing with customers, it pays provide a personal touch, like the memory of their birthday, or even be able to quickly recall what they have ordered. Version your electronic workbook is known as a program database. Of course, you can store this information on cards. But the trend is does not update the maps as often as you should. database programs also provide the information needed to create labels when you want to mail promotional material to your customers.

Accounting. It is essential that you can tell your cash position a given time. And it is often useful to know that you were buying and how often. computerized accounting programs like Quicken, Money, and Peachtree, organize all the financial details of your business. All you have to do is enter the money earned and money spent, like you do in your checkbook register. These programs can also track inventory, receivables and employee records.

Advertisement. Small business marketing requires that you be able to switch directions quickly, with new pieces of promotional literature, a new Yellow Pages ad or a brochure attractive news. desktop publishing software lets you design graphs, select the type, pages nicely space, from your desktop. It is like having your own printing shop!

Projects Manager. When you run your business, you seem to go from project to project. Time management is essential to maximize your production, especially if you're the only employee. A new category software, personal information managers (PIMs), came on the market to help you organize your time. Programs such as Lotus Organizer and act like Borland Sidekick electronic daily, offering the ability to print personalized schedules, lists of tasks and reminders.

Establish contacts. It's great to be able to connect to someone else when you have a question about your business or if you want to discuss an idea terrible news. Often the quickest way to do it today, thanks to a service online, such as Compuserve, America Online or Prodigy. Compuserve and America Online bulletin boards feature a small business where information can be exchanged quickly by typing in your computer keyboard. Even the U.S. administration of small businesses has taken the act with its electronic Free SBA Online.

Sharing of information. In addition to talking to others on bulletin board services, you can exchange a proposal that you created in your computer with a partner on the West Coast. This can be done at nearly the speed of light using a modem and its accompanying software to link your computer with a second computer via telephone lines. The modems can be programmed to transmit night, long after you have left for the day or to send the same message to several dozens of people simultaneously.

Sales presentations. If you have worked in a typical company in marketing, you probably remember the three or four weeks, he took your promotion department to establish a professional slideshow. With new software, like Microsoft Power Point, Harvard Graphics, WordPerfect Presentations gather an eye-catching slide show is surprisingly simple to do.

Getting Started

Preparation the purchase of a computer is a domain where it is really useful to ask lots of questions first. The wide variety of prices and features offered ads in Sunday newspaper can be very confusing if you do not have a basic education first.

Probably the first question you want to ask is: Should I buy a GM or an IBM compatible PC or an Apple Computer? There is no single characteristic operating permanently separates these two, but both types of software run differently.

Basically, the online Apple controls the use Maclntosh software through a series of pictures called "icons". When you turn the computer on a main screen, called the office, you shows all the programs loaded on your computer. To activate one of them on requires only that you click the mouse twice above the symbol. It is very easy to move from one program to another.

Several years ago, in an attempt to make IBM-style as easy to use Maclntosh that a new program called Windows was introduced. You probably know that the latest version, Windows 95, was just released.

I'm a serious bias in favor of Maclntosh. When I started my company seven years ago, I knew almost nothing about personal computers. And I never liked to read instruction manuals. A former Apple employee, who sounded like he was running, I was introduced to the Maclntosh. Well, not quite, but rather very narrow. I rarely had to read much of the instruction manual to get the software to work.

I'd say you go to a neighborhood computer store sells computers competent MMstyle and ask them to review the basic operating requirements. Then make visit a dealership Maclntosh – a major in the Chicago area is Computize – and ask the same analysis. Go home and think to what a typical day is like for you and how aggravating or not these are the main features.

It should be noted that Apple has only a 10% share of the market, so there are many more computers IBM-style there. This means that the variety of software available for the types MM is much more important than Maclntosh. Something to think about.

Once you have decided what type of computer – IBM or Apple-style – then you need to bone on the keywords used by computer vendors. Go to a bookstore and ask for a good piece of basic computer, which describes elements of a computer. Armed with this knowledge you are ready to go shopping! Just a word of advice, write down all the characteristics of each machine and the price.

Mistakes to avoid

Do not do too many things at once. Try to computerize processing your first word and become familiar with the basic keyboard commands before you try to install your accounts on the computer.

Remember that the computer is a tool, not a toy! Do not spend endless hours trying to make something work. Get a teacher to show you or how to farm the work to a contractor outside.

Always buy the maximum speed and power you can afford.

If you have employees, consider their personality when purchasing a new system of new software. How long will they learn? Do not expect the impossible to happen!

When hiring, it is very clear in the listing if the employee working primarily with computers. Do not shock them later.

Keep your computer clean.

Always copy important files on a disk at least once a week and put the disk in a safe place.

There are few opportunities in a small company feel as an overwhelming sense of achievement when you've got your program desktop publishing to print a brochure absolutely upscale for your Business – alone.

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About the Author

Jeff Williams

Jeff is the founder and CEO of Chicago-based Bizstarters.com, selected as “The Top Entrepreneurial Website For People Over 50″ by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.

Jeff started his first entrepreneurial training company at age 40 and has since launched two additional businesses, both after age 50.

He is the author of eight workbooks, guides and DVDs on business start-up including his latest workbook – “The Ultimate Boomer Business Start-Up Guide”.
Jeff also serves as Featured Expert for Boomer Entrepreneurs for SBTV.Com, the #1 Video Source For Smart Small Business Information.
He can be reached at jeff@bizstarters.com.

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