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When setting up a small business there can be many areas of uncertainty, but getting your IT or computer systems right and connected does not need to be one of them.
If your company is either home-based or running from a small office it is possible to find the systems you need and install them quickly, whilst minimising the risks associated with information security.
Advice for getting started with a new IT system can be found in this section, which includes:
If your company is involved in online trading you might also find our online trading section useful or, if you are concerned about physical security issues, you may wish to check our physical security and remote working section.
When purchasing computers one of the most important things to keep in mind is to buy only what you need - don't be talked into purchasing larger, more complicated systems if you don't need them and are unlikely to do so in the future.
If you need a computer for administrative work (for example, word processing, spreadsheets, financial packages, accessing the Internet and e-mail) you do not necessarily need a state-of-the-art system.
However, you DO need:
Many people are daunted by the prospect of installing these, however it is often just a question of inserting a CD and answering a series of questions.
If you think that some of the software you might need is expensive (and if it wasn't supplied with your computer(s)) there may be free versions available on the Internet.
For example, if you can't afford to buy Microsoft Office there is an alternative called OpenOffice that can be downloaded free of charge (although it is a very large file so you would need a broadband connection to do so).
Even if you have a limited budget, anti-virus software is essential for any business that is connected to the Internet and/or exchanges data with other companies (e.g. by e-mail).
Many computers are pre-programmed with some form of anti-virus package. However, you should always check the default settings - never assume that the standard configuration will meet your requirements.
If your computer is not supplied with anti-virus software it is essential that you buy a package and install it. Anti-virus software is relatively inexpensive for a small system and deciding not to buy it is likely to be a false economy in the long (or short) term. Any computer system without virus protection is a vulnerable system, irrespective of size.
You should also think about some form of personal firewall software to protect computer systems from attempts to gain unauthorised access (hacking).
It is advisable to have some means of backing up important data - e.g. letters, spreadsheets, e-mails, reports, invoices, images/drawings, etc. You can buy specialist backup software, or use a CD/DVD burner.
CD/DVD writer drives need special software which normally comes with the drive. If you are buying a new PC with a CD/DVD writer drive installed, check to see if it comes with suitable software (it probably will) and then you can use this to write important data to discs at appropriate intervals.
Connecting to the Internet using a modem and telephone line (i.e. a narrowband/ dial-up connection) can be sufficient for a new business that requires e-mail and occasional use of the Internet.
If your use of the Internet is likely to be on a greater scale (for example, if your business involves some form of online trading) or the number of staff grows significantly, you should probably invest in a broadband connection for greater speed and reliability with its 'always-on' technology.
Beyond this there are options for leased lines, but these tend only to be worthwhile for larger organisations.
There are security risks associated with broadband connections but these can be minimised with some fairly simple measures such as ensuring that you have up-to-date anti-virus software and a personal firewall.
As staffing levels grow and people require shared access to common resources, you should certainly think about linking computers and other devices (for example, printers) via a Local Area Network (LAN).
A LAN consists of two or more computers that are linked (i.e. networked) using network cables (or sometimes a wireless connection). This means that one person can access data and resources on another person's computer, and vice versa.
For example:
If your company employs three people who all require access to the Internet and a printer, one option would be to install a modem, dial-up software and a printer on each of the three PCs. However, a more efficient (and probably cheaper) option would be to buy one broadband link and one printer and then use a LAN to set up a network.
Setting up a basic LAN can seem a complex task but actually you should not need to complete any technical configuration. For a small LAN, all you should need is:
If you have broadband connections then you can also buy an integrated broadband router, firewall and hub from your local supplier. These are normally pre-configured, and will not require you to carry out any additional work. Having completed the physical setup there is some network setup to complete using Windows. If you have a reasonable grasp of networks and Windows operating systems it is possible to complete this yourself - this type of configuration is becoming much easier via newer operating systems such as Windows XP. Alternatively, your hardware supplier may know someone who can install the network for you, or they may even do it themselves.
As your company grows you may need to improve or expand your IT setup to meet new requirements. For example, you might consider:
If you use a file server, you might also consider installing software to control access to files. For example, you may need to prevent anyone other than the accounts department from accessing payroll information, and anyone other than Human Resources from accessing personnel records.
You should be aware that if a file server develops a fault it is possible that people will not be able to access important data. For this reason it is imperative that backups are carried out on a daily basis and that company plans and policies detail contingency measures for such an eventuality.
A print server is a computer on the network that is used to handle all printing. Printers are attached to this computer so that they can be accessed by all networked PCs The print server (which could be the same machine as the file server) is not used as a workstation and is always left running. This means that all printers are available to everyone at all times.
You should be aware that if a dedicated print server develops a fault, the only way that people could print files would be to link a printer to another machine and make this a shared resource on the network.
Note: If a domain controller develops a fault, users may not be able to login to the network (although they may still be able to access their own computers). As a contingency measure it is advisable to have two domain controllers. Certainly, any company plans and policies should detail contingency measures for such an eventuality.
All company e-mail can be directed to the designated server and network users would connect to this to access their e-mail. One advantage of using an e-mail server is that it can run anti-virus software to check all incoming and outgoing messages. Combined with anti-virus software on desktop computers, this provides a much greater level of security.
If the idea of different servers for designated tasks sounds expensive, remember that you can combine roles on single devices if your business is still relatively small. For example, you might only have two servers, each acting as a contingent domain controller. One would be used as a file/print server and the other for e-mail. This setup could service four to five users up to a maximum of forty or fifty.
A number of good housekeeping tasks should be completed for any IT setup within a company, irrespective of how basic or sophisticated that setup is. The checklist below details tasks that every business should complete, at least on a weekly basis, for desktop computers and servers:
1. Right-click on the Internet Explorer icon on your desktop
2. Select Properties from the shortcut menu
3. Click on the Delete Files button
The following pages may also provide sources of further information: