Business Owners Guide

To most business owners, IT is a necessary evil.  IT systems are needed to make the business run, but what actually comprises an effective IT system?  Is it just a PC on its own, or is a network and server needed?  What is a network and server?

Where to start?

  1. Forget about IT!  Yes really!  The most important place to start is your business, how it operates and what are the key drivers.  Computers must enhance the business; the business does not exist to run the computers!
  2. What do you need IT for?  Decide on what the IT is going to do in the business.  It may be just for email/Internet or you may need it for a lot more, but this is a key part of deciding what you need by way of IT.
  3. Decide on the software packages needed.
  4. Decide on hardware to support the software.
Answering the above questions is the first step, and the first two can only really be answered by the business owner.  To get the last two answered properly, speak to us, but here is a summary of what you may need:
  • Desktop PCs
  • Microsoft Office
  • Anti-virus software
  • Network cabling
  • Server
  • UPS
  • Firewall
  • Backup system
  • Support contract
  • Remote access
In summary, the choice of software is more important then the hardware initially.  Also, there is no point spending thousands of pounds on expensive computers if all you need is to write letters with Microsoft Word.  Equally, the reverse is true, and having underpowered PCs for demanding software will only lead to wasted time and frustration for the user.

Read our ‘10 Things you need to know about your IT’ (PDF document) to help you understand what you need to know.
Read our '10 Point Active Jargon Buster' (PDF document)
Read our '10 Tips For Disaster Recovery Planning' (PDF Document)