Fast Computers

One of the first computers I worked with was the Commodore VIC 20. It had only 5KB (that 5,120 total bytes) of RAM. By comparison a typical PC today has about 1GB (thats 1,073,741,824 total bytes) of RAM. My VIC 20 was quickly replaced by the TRS80 from Radio Shack. This model sported 16KB of ram and a 1.77 MHz processor. We would stay up late, spending hours entering long programs to play simple games that were ripoffs of the day's arcade smash hits.

Ah, the memories, but what does this have to do with your business? I am often asked about computer speeds. How much is enough and how much is too much. Business consumers can easily become inundated with GHz, GB, HDD and Video RAM. The alphabet soup of computer hardware purchases can leave you bewildered to say the least. The problem is that to a large extent, PC hardware has become a commodity of sorts. It started when the first clones of IBM's Personal Computer appeared. Since then, literally thousands of different choices of personal computers have appeared.

The acronyms are one of the ways to compare PC's in the sea of choices. Which has more of this or that kind of memory, the faster processor clock or better display adapter. However, some of these metrics can be misleading to say the least. Take for example, processor speed, I would rather have one of the 2 GHz dual core processors of today than a 3 GHz Pentium 4 of a previous generation.

So, how do you know what to buy. First, look a the software you are planning on using. The hardware should be purchased to be adequate for the software that will run your business. Second, get some input from an tech-savvy consultant or friend. After determining you hardware needs you can look at what options are available that will fit your needs.

The Eight Track Tape

When I ten years old my father had an old pickup truck that had an eight track tape player in the dash. We ran his battery down more than once listening to the three or four tapes he kept in that old truck. One day the eight track player broke and that was the last of listening to John Denver switching songs in the middle of the chorus.

I find it interesting that in a world with Zune, the iPod, TIVO and DVR that so many small businesses are still relegating their most valuable non-human asset to tapes. Don't get me wrong, in massive data centers and enterprise computing, tape backup still has its place. I just don't see it being a major asset to the small business owner. Cheap tapes, drives and software being used to safeguard the information that is so crucial to operating your business. If you are not prepared to pay at least $9,000 on your tape solution, then just don't bother.

There is an alternative. If you are one of the overwhelming majority of internet connected businesses, you can use an online backup service to store your data. The most difficult part of these services is not the cost its just remembering your password. The price has become so reasonable lately that it just doesn't make sense not to. For less than you are probably spending on liability insurance you can get data insurance.

About five months ago, a folder with some custom code was deleted from my server. The code represented a significant investment. I jumped online and had the files restored to my server within 15 minutes. I didn't have to go anywhere to retrieve the tape from the last full week, index the tapes or wait for the seek operation. It was instant recovery gratification! I have worked with similar situations where the backup was on a tape and it took hours of toil only to find the tapes were too old and no longer readable.

If you haven't already, you need to do yourself a favor and seriously consider an online backup solution. If you are reluctant, at least do a recovery audit on your existing solution.

Just DON'T do IT!

Jack of all Trades, Master of None

Like many small bootstrapped businesses, I started the company like a one man band. I was trying to play all the instruments of my business at once. However, I found that while I was a great computer consultant, I wasn't very good at taxes, or graphic design, (or matching my clothing). I figured that if I could keep my checkbook balanced at home, maybe I could be an expert at business bookkeeping, tax law and business entity creation. When I finally called in an outside expert, I found I had made several mistakes in my bookkeeping. In the modern business world, as skills are becoming more diversified, you can not afford to be a Jack of all trades but the master of none.

The Master Florist

IT is no different. The master florist is eating his competitor's lunch because he is doing new and innovative things with flowers instead of wasting his time figuring out IT problems.

I have worked with many small business owners that know a great deal about computers and networking. They are successful because they realize their success lies in spending their time on what they do best. Learning that just because you own the business doesn't mean you have to be the one who washes the windows, does the tax return, designs the logo or manages the network is an important epiphany that every business owner needs to have.