Comments for Small Business Resources

Comment on Starting a new business – what kind of computer do i need? by slowsmile

slowsmile — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:23:23 +0000

Yes you can do this. I was a software contractor in London and did this myself. You will need:

Hardware:

1. Laptop or computer of your choice.

2. External storage device for backing-up and storing all your important data. Try a Firelight – has 80 Gb of storage. You must have this in case your laptop is stolen or blows up and is useless. You will have important accountancy and scheduling data on your laptop.

3. Printer. You will have to submit your accounts to a bookeeper(or do them yourself – but you still need paper records).

Software:

1. A Windows Op system like XP or Vista.

2. Buy and install Microsoft Office – Home( should include Word, Excel and Access). You can write all your programmes in VB6 or VB Script with both I think. I wrote all my own Accountancy calculation and presentation spreadsheets in Access – but you can do it with Excel as well.

3. A good Anti-Virus like ‘Zone Alarm’ – if you use your computer on the internet.

Good Luck : )

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Comment on Starting a new business – what kind of computer do i need? by David Computer Guy

David Computer Guy — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:33:54 +0000

For what you want a minor laptop is a good move however the cheap ones are usually only just about capable of running Vista basic so it is worth looking into an XP disk.

Look up on http://www.ebuyer.com in their laptop section

As these cheaper ones don’t have large hard drives it is worth investing in an external hard drive a) for that extra storage room and b) so all you important information is safely backed up if either the machine or Windows goes bang.

As for software, if you use Open Office which is free after all and then Sunbird (also free) as you day planner that should start you off nicely.

If you have no experience at spreadsheets then you may want to get a small business package which does the hard work for you.

If you get BT business broadbandyou can get this free (or you pay for it as BT business is more expensive than domestic)
http://www.businessitonline.com/small-business-software.aspx

Just remember that with a laptop take out the extra warranty as long as it’s not too pricey and regularly backup your information and insure it.

Comment on Starting a new business – what kind of computer do i need? by Greg at MCAL

Greg at MCAL — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:26:14 +0000

Your requirements except for the VB6 are minimal, the VB6 will force you to a Pentium/Athlon rether than being able to use a Celeron/Sempron CPU. Speed is relatively a mote point as all current computers are overkill for your needs but if you deal with a mailorder such as Dell have them replace the Windows Vista with Wondows XP it is much faster and more reliable, and many custom ordered PCs and laptops can have Windowss XP installed (at a price of course). Also your RAM requirements will be
Windows XP 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 RAM
Windows Vista 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 RAM

And expect the Windows Vista to be slower even with the extra RAM

Comment on Starting a new business – what kind of computer do i need? by prsctboy

prsctboy — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:29:30 +0000

For on the go reliability and good pricing ( Sony VAIO VGN-NR160E )
Good laptop good price. It boasts a 1.5 ghz dual core intel, 1 gig ram, and a 160 gig drive. all for under 1000 dollars.
and its a Sony Vaio.
The laptop mentioned above would suit your needs very well
The ram can be brought up to 4 gig (2 gigs should work just fine) you probably wont be useing any heavy graphics for what you are doing. As far as a home based System.
You would probably want just a moderate size system to
do book keeping and hold client records and such. A small office server can be purchased for under 2000 and should probably have a raid setup (mirroring) which is 2 hard drives, one is only used to back up all info from the other in case of failure. So on that note.
2.4 ghz or better CPU ( i like amd) 2ghz ram Dual SATA drives in a mirror Array, DVD burner for backing up files
Always good to just keep a Bi weekly or monthly Disk backup
of all files. Take all of that and network your Laptop and desktop with a wireless router.What you end up with is the ability to seamlessly transfer information between systems
and an effective small office server. I had a custom system built from a gentleman in Prescott Az , He has a knack for building small office servers with only name brand parts.
and does it at a really nice price. drop him a note and tell him what you are looking for. http://www.pvazpc.com

Comment on Starting a new business – what kind of computer do i need? by Master Chu

Master Chu — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:00:38 +0000

Any entry level laptop will do what you need. Just make sure it has AT LEAST 1GB of RAM.

If you’re using it for business applications [and not gaming], you don’t need to spend a fortune.

Toshiba is selling a very, very good entry level laptop for only $499… it’s one of their A100 models. It’s a single core processor, running at 1.73GHz, 1GB RAM and 120GB HDD…. and it’s a 15.4″ widescreen — it also has a built-in webcam too!

You can’t go wrong at that price.

Comment on Starting a new business – what kind of computer do i need? by Angelus A

Angelus A — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:31:06 +0000

i suggest a desktop computer as more can be stored on there, a laptop is ok for your mobile appointments but laptops are very delicate and can be seen as a target to theft to some people, if you can afford it i say get both, keep on your desktop your internet and your accounting details but i suggest not doing any accounting or transferable credit over your wireless internet if your thinking of doing that, i mean you can get it secured but there are some nasty people out there who can hack through that, internet through cabling on your desktop is much safer and it can get you visual basic 6 up and running good

Comment on Starting a new business – what kind of computer do i need? by phate

phate — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:44:54 +0000

It doesnt matter which you use when it comes to speed as it will come down to how much you can afford.
Desktops are always cheaper than laptops and keep in mind that a laptop traveling around is NOT a good idea if you are going to have sensitive information it. Laptops can fall from the table, get stolen etc far easier than desktops.

Desktop wise;
Core2Duo CPU
2GB Ram
120GB Hard disk is more than enough unless you decide to store movies etc.

VB6 as programming language used to be heavy on system resources but with current technology in the Core2Duo you wont need to worry too much about compiling the code.

And don’t get Windows Vista but rather get XP as it is far more stable

Comment on Starting a new business – what kind of computer do i need? by Jemima

Jemima — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:00:51 +0000

I think most laptops fit that spec quite nicely. Especially nowadays, you can get laptops with about 120Gb average of memory, which is massive. Also there are quite a lot that have webcams in them, like the new Hp’s I think the dv2000, although its a bit pricey. But then Hp is reliable… I think all you really need is a good Microsoft Office package and a fair amount of hard drive space for what you need.

Comment on Starting a new business – what kind of computer do i need? by Daniel

Daniel — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:30:51 +0000

Your requirements actually only require a minimal computer. An inexpensive laptop would be fine. Maybe get something with a good warranty, though.

Comment on Starting a new business – what kind of computer do i need? by gojumpidareu

gojumpidareu — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:22:58 +0000

talk to dell they’ll tell you what type of computer you need and even customise to meet your needs