Some Useful Tech for SMB/SOHO Companies (2/19/2007)

Just to make sure I’m not using too many  TLAs in this post, SMB stands for Small and Medium Business (more here, but not here), and SOHO is Small office/home office (again, more here, but not here or even here). Got it? Good!

These days, I work for myself, and mostly from home. My office is most often the blue couch in my living room, though occasionally I like to mix it up a little and head over to the green couch, also in the living room. I’m considering setting up a bit more of an ergonomic situation with a desk (and chair even), but I’m also considering getting or sharing some office space elsewhere in San Francisco. While looking for resources online about both SMB/SOHO (ah, there’s the tie-in) I realized there really aren’t many guides or useful sources that I can find. A little Googling got me to this “technology resources for SMBs” article, which reminded me to backup my hard drive about 4 times (not a bad tip, but not really the most useful one either).

I’ve decided to make my own Guide to Useful Technology for SMB/SOHO Companies. Now clearly there are just too many different types of companies to say this is all-encompassing, but hopefully there’s a useful piece or two that might just help you out. Also, I’m breaking it into categories for easier reading.

Computers

  • Buy Laptops for individuals. Every employee should have one, don’t bother with desktops. You’ll spend a few hundred extra per person (which is pennies per month if you are financing, which you probably should be doing), but you get much more flexibility. The only contradiction to this is if your company is working in security technology, graphic design or media production, or gaming – all three would warrant desktops instead. I’ve become a fan of Sony Vaios recently, although ThinkPads are always the workhorse laptop, and for the more inspired, you can grab a MacBook and throw Parallels on it.
  • Avoid servers. You probably want to have a hosted Exchange (or other) mail service and Web site. The only thing you really need in the office is for storage and security, which can either be done through dedicated servers or devices (such as a NAS like the NETGEAR Storage Central). Internally hosted servers mean IT needs, IT needs mean bigger staff/budget, etc. Again, this depends heavily on your specific business, but if you can skip it, I would.
  • Get Vista pre-installed! If your laptops have/run XP, leave them alone. If buying a new PC, double-check that Vista is installed. You don’t need to lose a full day upgrading your operating system.
  • Consider refurb laptops. Might sound crazy, but a friend of mine who used to work with Dell told me that 99% of the refurbished supply of laptops were never used! Once the box is opened, if the unit is returned, it must go into refurb. Two years ago my wife picked up a $2100 laptop for $1200 – it had never been touched.

Network

  • Get a router with Gigabit Ethernet and Pre-N. Obviously I’ll recommend the NETGEAR Rangemax, but no matter what brand you choose, buy for the future, not the past. Also, once you get it, turn on firewalls, turn off SSID broadcasting, enable WEP or WPA, and find some tech friend to help make sure you are secure!
  • Consider cellular Internet services. If you are a Sprint/Verizon customer (in the US), both companies have EVDO services that are beginning to rival DSL/cable connections. If you travel a lot, or have your meetings in cafés, being connected is a good thing (and bookmark JiWire while you are at it for a comprehensive WiFi resource directory).

Other equipment

  • NAS – There’s no such thing as too much storage or too much backup. Pick up a network attached storage device. I recommend this even moreso for individuals working from home than larger organizations – they can be used for both your business and your personal needs. By the way, if you need to buy the drive separately, don’t buy the absolute biggest drive possible, go one notch down and save a lot of money.
  • Printer – Get a networked printer/scanner combination, don’t consider anything else unless you also pick up a print server while you are at it. Sharing printers rarely works well via the operating system, plus you are burdened by the tethered computer needs. Also, whatever you buy, try to avoid installing the ridiculous amount of unnecessary software to monitor ink, it slows your PC down and can take hours to install – just do the drivers.
  • Digital camera – Not all businesses will need one, but you might be surprised how often they are helpful in the office. Grab a snapshot of the whiteboard. Take a team photo for the company blog (you are going to start a blog, right?). Now don’t get silly on me and rush out to buy a $1200 DSLR with a $1500 lens (unless you send me one too!), just pick up a simple point-and-click like the Canon SD800IS (or even consider last year’s version, the SD600 at a discount).
  • MP3 player – I don’t know how people get anything done in completely silent environments. Put music on and the hours fly by for me. Now I have a Sonos system in my apartment, which may be out of scope for many, in which case the next best solution is to pick up an iPod dock (I like the Kensington SX-2000) and even let the group rotate whose iPod you play on a given day or week.

Was this list useful to you? Don’t agree? Got some feedback? Share your thoughts with me, I’d like to hear them. By the way, I did find an interesting site from the World Bank on SMBs – I really am surprised at the seeming lack of resources in this arena. I do recommend subscribing to GigaOm’s offshoot, Web Worker Daily, especially for more “virtualized” organizations.

Jeremy Toeman
Consumer Technology and New Media Expert

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