Money-Saving Secrets Your Computer Consultant Doesn’t Want You To Know

This Free Business Advisory Report Will Show You How To Avoid Hiring The Wrong Computer Consultant, Shave Thousands of Dollars Off Your Computer Support Bill, and Make Smart Decisions About The Technology That Runs Your Company

Read this guide and you’ll discover:

ü  7 critical things you should know, research, or ask before signing any contract or inviting a consultant to work on your network.

ü  The one type of consulting contract you NEVER want to sign.

ü  The single best way to avoid misunderstandings that delay your project, frustrate you, and add to the overall costs.

ü  A little-known way to save thousands of dollars in ongoing support costs.

ü  Surefire ways to know if the consultant you are hiring is competent AND honest.

Introduction:

Finding an honest and capable computer consultant is a lot like finding an honest mechanic; they both operate in fields where the technician can easily rip-off a client because they play on their customer’s lack of technical knowledge. The problem is that you won’t know you’ve hired the wrong consultant until you are halfway into your project and have already invested a considerable amount of time and money.

 Sometimes it’s not even that obvious. A consultant may look like they are doing a good job, but unless you are technically savvy yourself, you simply have no way of knowing if they have over-billed you or recommended technology that you could have lived without just to pad the bill a little.

On the flip side, a good computer consultant will save your company a considerable amount of time, money, and frustration while increasing office productivity, lowering overall operation costs, improve customer service, and helping you avoid devastating data losses and viruses.

That is why I’ve decided to write this paper.

As a small business owner and consultant myself, I want to arm other business owners with a few good pointers to help them avoid getting the short end of the stick when outsourcing any IT project or support.

After all, your computer network is the nerve center of your business. It largely affects productivity, security, and even the competitive advantage of your organization. One bad decision can severely cripple an organization through lost productivity, data, or excessive costs.

Below are 7 critical things you should know, research, or ask before signing any contract or inviting a consultant to work on your network. By practicing or being aware of these 7 simple tips, you can:

·         Begin saving your organization a considerable amount of money.

·         Avoid making a bad decision by hiring the wrong consultant or firm.

·         Save yourself hours of frustration and time that come with making a bad decision.

#1: Ask computer consultant to let you or your staff to get involved with the project so you can learn to be more self-sufficient and shave off billable hours.

One of the easiest ways to save money on technical support is by learning how to handle the many basic, routine computer support problems that arise in-house. That is why you want to be involved with any project being rolled out.

Many consultants or firms will want to keep you in the dark because the less you know, the more billable hours they can rack up on mundane tasks that could be handled in-house.  We don’t think this is correct, and that’s why we always try and involve our clients.

Let me illustrate this point with a story: One client of ours needed to upgrade their network of 50 workstations to Windows XP. After installing and setting up the server, we needed to go through an upgrade on every PC.  Instead of having us configure every machine, we suggested that our consultant teach their own employees how to do it.

By doing this, we saved this client over $10,000 in billable hours, taught their own internal employees how to support the machines for free, and made their IT manager a hero.

We have been able to save several of our clients a considerable amount of money by teaching them how to solve and fix problems while we do it. Unless you just don’t want to get involved, we highly recommend this as a way to save a considerable amount of money on tech support.

#2: Always ask for fixed pricing.

This is one area where I see a lot of companies getting burned. When most consulting companies quote a project, they give you an estimated cost for completion with an hourly rate added in for “unexpected events” that may arise during the project. This is often called “time and materials”. Be very careful about signing these contracts.

A good consultant should be experienced enough to have thoroughly investigated your situation and thought through problems and issues that may arise before issuing a proposal. Adding on a clause where they can charge you for extra hours is a safety net for them. If their consultant screws up, takes longer than they should, or if they overlooked something when quoting the job, YOU end up paying the price. Next thing you know you’re well into the project and the bill ends up being twice as much as you expected.

#3: Make sure whoever you hire is certified or endorsed by the software vendor you are using.

If you are upgrading or installing new software, it’s always a good idea to work with a consultant or company that is certified or authorized by that vendor to support their software. This is a good idea for two main reasons:

1.      Certified consultants and companies are required to uphold higher standards in service and support than their non-certified counterparts because they are regulated by the vendors. You may be able to find a good, non-certified consultant, but you are gambling.

2.      Certified vendors usually have more in-depth knowledge about the products they support because they are required to (by the vendor), and because they work with it frequently.

However, a vendor’s seal of approval doesn’t excuse you from doing any of the necessary background checks on their consultants. 

Check the level of expertise and experience with the consultants that will be working on your project. Don’t assume that your tech support company will be providing you with top-notch consultants.

Find out exactly which individual consultants will be put on your project, and check their backgrounds, experience, and certification. If at all possible, get assurance in writing that at least one senior level consultant will be a key player in your project. This up-front homework will help you avoid making a bad (and expensive decision) when hiring a computer consultant or firm.

#4: Ask to speak to a few of their recent clients who have had similar problems or projects.

This seems obvious, but a lot of companies skip over this step.  Ideally, you want to speak to other clients who had a similar project or problem, but this isn’t always possible since every company’s network and computing needs are different.  You do want to speak to a few recent clients to find out:

• Did they deliver on what they promised?
• Were they responsive and easy to get hold of in times of emergency?
• Did they bill accurately?
• Did they stay within the projected budget?
• Would you use them again? Why or why not?

You might also ask if there were any problems that arose and how the consultant handled them. Not every project goes perfectly; that is why it’s important to find out how the consultant handles problems before you hire them. If your consultant seems hesitant to provide you with references, take that as a red flag.

#5: Make sure you’re completely clear on your end before signing any contract or spending a dime.

A lot of businesses are reluctant to outline a complete high-tech project because they lack confidence in the area of technology, but we can’t stress the importance of this enough.

Don’t be afraid to ask your consultant to explain the project in simple terms that are clear to you. Ask questions like, “Tell me why this is absolutely necessary?” or, “What does that mean exactly?”, or “Explain to me exactly how this will work, once it is done, on a user level.”

A good consultant will welcome these questions and be more than happy to answer them because it will eliminate a lot of disappointment and frustration for both of you. Doing this will help you avoid expensive misunderstandings that can pop up in the middle of a project and put you well over budget.

#6: Get everything in writing.

Once you are clear on the end result you want and how it is going to happen, get everything in writing to avoid confusion and disappointment further down the road. If your consultant feels that some goals are unachievable, then it is their responsibility to tell you so up-front. By getting them to put everything in writing you can hold them accountable for the promises they make and responsible for outcomes not achieved.

Here are the main details you want to agree to in writing:

• Confirm payment terms. This includes up-front deposits, fee structure, and payments on completion of project. Most consultants work with an up-front down payment, then percentages of the total cost to be paid as phases of the project are completed.
• Deliverables. What do you expect to be able to do when the project is done? How should the work flow? What does it look like? Don’t assume anything; if you expect it to happen, get it in writing as specifically as possible.
• Work schedule and pace. Make sure you outline a date for completion as well as the phases of delivery.

Again, any professional, experienced computer consultant will be more than happy to outline these items in writing prior to a project. If they hesitate or make excuses, it is a sign they are not confident in their ability to deliver on their promises.

#7: Do business with “one-man-bands” carefully.

One big mistake we see a lot of business owners make is hiring a very small one-man -band consulting firm, or relying on someone who is supporting your network on the side (moonlighting). By doing this they think they are saving a lot of money because these individuals typically charge less than established computer networking firms.

The challenge comes when they can’t respond to your emergencies or complete your projects on time because they have too many clients. Or, they simply go out of business because they can’t make enough money leaving you high and dry.

Basically, as with all things in life, you get what you pay for. If you have mission-critical applications and data that must be protected and working 24/7, then it makes sense to hire a well-established firm with a good track record and enough technicians on staff to quickly respond to any technical emergencies that arise.

From Your Computer Repair Guy or Shop

1. Demand that they have multiple technicians on staff. If you rely on a “one-man-band” operation, you might find yourself without any help when they go on vacation, get sick, or when they are simply too busy servicing other customers. Having multiple technicians on staff is not a guarantee of fast, reliable service, but you are far more likely to have someone to talk to when you have a problem.

   Another reason you want a shop that has multiple technicians is because no one computer guy – no matter how good – has infinite knowledge about every type of software, hardware, and platform. Multiple technicians mean multiple skill sets and a higher likelihood that your computer problem will get resolved faster.
   
   

2. Demand someone who has a long-standing reputation. Let’s face it; there are a lot of other computer repair technicians out there, but most are new or just getting started. You want to make sure you avoid hiring a fly-by-night technician between jobs that sets up shop one day, and is out of business within a month or a year. Only deal with computer technicians and repair shops that have a proven track record in your area.

3. Demand that they have specific knowledge or expertise on solving your particular problem. Do NOT let someone practice on your machine. If they have not worked on your problem before, they should TELL you that in advance. There is too much risk involved financially and in your data and equipment.
   
   
4. Demand that your technician backs up your system BEFORE working on it. This is just common sense. Don’t let them touch your machine before your entire system is securely backed up just in case something goes wrong.
   
   
5. Demand that your machine comes back with the same settings, look, preferences, and applications that you had on it prior to the work. There are a lot of second-rate shops with inexperienced technicians who will end up causing you more problems than you bargained for. Very frequently, these inexperienced technicians will recommend that you wipe out your hard drive and re-install Windows to fix a problem. This means you lose all of your settings and preferences, as well as losing all of the software programs you have installed. This should ONLY be done as a last resort.

   
   

WARNING: In addition to wiping out your hard drive, some of these shops will put illegal software on your machine using a stolen license. Not only is this illegal and putting you in a position to get fined, but most illegal software (especially Microsoft’s) is locked, which means you cannot download and update critical security patches. This leaves you unable to update your machine and protect it from deadly viruses, worms, and hackers.

Consumer Awareness Guide To Choosing An Honest, Reliable, and Competent Computer Repair Shop

Don’t Trust Your Computer or The

Irreplaceable Files On It To Just Anyone!

Hiring the wrong computer repair guy can not only be incredibly frustrating and expensive, but you could end up losing ALL of your irreplaceable files, photos, music, e-mails, and other important documents!

Read this guide and you’ll discover:

ü  Computer scams and rip-offs that you MUST be aware of.

ü  5 Costly misconceptions about computer maintenance and repair.

ü  Viruses, worms, spyware, and hackers: what you need to know to protect yourself.

ü  7 Questions you need to ask before buying any computer equipment.

ü  5 Critical characteristics you should demand from your computer repair technician.

ü  Why you need to avoid “cheap” or “bargain” computer repair shops.

ü  The one surefire sign that you should run – not walk – out of a computer repair shop.

Dear Fellow Computer User,

There are no shortages of horror stories about fly-by-night computer repair shops causing problems as a result of their unethical or incompetent behavior. I’m sure if you talk to your own friends and family you will get an ear-full of the unfortunate experiences they have encountered in this area.

You see, the computer industry, along with a lot of other industries, has its own share of unethical businesses who will always try to take advantage of uneducated buyers in their greed for easy money. Fortunately, businesses like these are the minority, but we know they exist because we have had a number of customers come to us to clean up the disasters they have caused.

Another big problem of the computer industry is that it is not regulated like many other industries. Automotive repair shops, electricians, plumbers, lawyers, realtors, dentists, doctors, accountants,  and even restaurants (to name a few) are heavily regulated to protect the consumer from receiving substandard work or getting ripped off. However, the computer industry is still very new and there aren’t any laws in existence to protect the consumer.

Anyone who can turn a computer on can market themselves as a computer repair technician or shop. Even if they are honestly trying to do a good job for you, their inexperience can cost you dearly in your machine’s performance or in lost or corrupt data files. That is why we decided to offer this report.

The information in this Guide is provided to help raise standards within the computer repair and support industry, and to give YOU useful information to help you guard against the unethical or incompetence of some companies and technicians.

The Five Most Costly Misconceptions About

Computer Maintenance and Repair

#1: If your computer is working fine right now, it does not need any maintenance.

This is probably one of the biggest and most deadly misconceptions that most computer users fall victim to. Computers are just like cars. If you don’t change the oil, change the filter, rotate the tires, flush the transmission, and perform other regular maintenance on your car, it will eventually break down and cost you FAR MORE to repair than the cost of the basic maintenance.

There are certain maintenance checks that need to be done daily (like virus updates and spam filtering), weekly (like system backups), and monthly or quarterly (like checking for and installing security patches and updates, disk defrag, spyware detection and removal, checking the surge suppressor and the integrity of the hard drive, and so on). Your computer repair technician should be adamant that you have regular maintenance done on your machine and should offer to set up automatic virus definition updates, spam filtering (to avoid viruses), and automatic system backups OFF-SITE.

If your technician does not press you to let him do this for you, then RUN – don’t walk – out of their office. Lack of system maintenance is the NUMBER ONE reason most people end up losing valuable files and incurring heavy computer repair bills. If your technician isn’t offering you these services, you need to find someone else to support your computer or network for two reasons:

1.                          Either they don’t know enough to make this recommendation, which is a sure sign they are horribly inexperienced, OR

2.                          They recognize that they are profiting from your computer problems and don’t want to recommend steps towards preventing you from needing their help on an ongoing basis.

Either reason is a good one to get as far away from that person as possible!

#2: The maintenance tools provided in the Microsoft Operating System and software are all the maintenance you need.

Again, this is a terrible misconception. Microsoft does NOT include ALL of the security features to protect your data from viruses, hackers, and data loss or prevent your PC from running slowly.

            Additionally, Microsoft (and other software vendors for that matter) are constantly providing critical patches and updates to their software to protect you from viruses and hackers. However, if you don’t know to look for them, or if you don’t know how to install them properly, you could easily end up getting burned.

#3: My nephew/neighbor’s kid/brother-in-law knows this computer stuff and can help me solve my problems.

            If only this were true. Obviously, not all technicians are created equal. Just because a person is good with computer applications (what we call a power user) does NOT mean they know how to install a critical security patch, detect and extract a deadly virus, or upgrade your machine.

            Most people look for a part time “guru” to help them save money, but this often comes back to haunt them. Every day we get new customers who walk into our shop needing us to clean up a mess that was caused by an inexperienced neighbor, friend, or relative who was just trying to help. If the person you have working on your machine does not do computer repair and support for a living, there is a good chance they won’t have the knowledge or experience to truly help you. Technology advances at lightening speed and it takes constant learning and practice to master it. If your part-time technician is not working on PCs and networks every day, they probably only know enough to be dangerous.

#4: You can always get a better deal on computer software, equipment, or services by shopping online.

The key word here is “deal”. Sure you can always find a cheaper price if you shop online, but you might actually end up getting the short end of the stick. As with anything in life, you get what you pay for. Companies simply cannot give you dirt cheap prices AND champagne service. 

If you are getting a cheap bargain, chances are you will get very little if NO service after the sale. If something goes wrong, or if you just have a question, you might find out that the customer service line only goes to a voice mail box that never gets checked, or that you have to submit questions via e-mail that takes DAYS to return.

Before you buy ANY computer equipment, make sure you know the answers to these questions:

1.       How long have they been in business? The last thing you want to do is buy a lemon of a computer from a fly-by-night organization. Thanks to the Internet, ANYONE can set up a website and start selling computer equipment, parts, and software. That is why you want to look for a company that has been in business for 10 years or more.

2.       What is their guarantee or warranty on the equipment or services you are buying?  As a standard rule, they should offer one year replacement warranty on all parts at a minimum.

3.       How do they handle returns and exchanges? Do you have to ship the defective item back to them on your dime or do they arrange to have it picked up? Do they send the replacement first? What is the guaranteed turnaround time for an item? This is why many people prefer to buy all equipment from a local vendor. If something goes wrong, you can drive to the store, speak to a real person, and get an instant replacement in most cases.

4.       What type of help desk support do you offer? If you are like me, you want to speak directly to a knowledgeable technician when you need help. However, many companies only offer e-mail and web-based support, and charge a hefty fee for anything outside of that. Which brings me to the next question…

5.       Is your support free or charged by the minute? Make sure you are very clear on what support is free and what is fee-based.

6.       Where is their help desk and customer service office located? Many of the big vendors are shipping their help desk support overseas to save money. While this works out great for them, it can be incredibly frustrating when you are trying to communicate with their customer support representatives.

7.       Do YOU really know how to install, configure and troubleshoot this new device? If not, you may want to consider hiring a qualified technician to install it. Quite often, drivers and software can conflict and cause problems and unless YOU have installed this device before, it might be worth the small fee to get someone else to do it for you.

#5: All computer repair shops are created equal. Your best option will be the one who offers the lowest price.

As we stated a moment ago, you get what you pay for.  A cheap price usually means a cheap job. Really good technicians do NOT work cheap because they are in high demand. The only technicians that will work cheap are those that are just starting and they are grossly inexperienced.

With your valuable data, precious family photos, favorite music files, and other irreplaceable documents at stake, do you REALLY want the cheapest technician working on your machine?

We take the view that most people want value for money and simply want the job done right. You will find that we are not the cheapest and we do not apologize for that. You will also find that we are not the most expensive. We simply feel that we should offer a good service at a fair price. That’s why we have been able to stay in business for over 10 solid years.

5 Things You Should Know

Before Buying a New Computer

   When you are ready to buy a new computer, one of the first questions you may ask yourself is, “Where can I get the best deal?” Obviously you don’t want to pay more than you have to, but there are other considerations besides price that you should consider before making your decision.

   If you shop the local electronics superstores for weekly specials, you can easily get a standard machine at a good price. This option would work best for you if you’re not too picky or if you don’t have any special requirements for gaming, graphics, or special software requirements.

   If you buy over the Internet from a major manufacturer such as Dell or Gateway, you’ll get more choice and customization on the components, chip speed, RAM, hard drive size, and video components, but you’ll pay a slightly higher price.

   The biggest downside to buying online is that you’ll have a hard time getting technical support if something goes wrong. Not a week goes by where I don’t get a customer who wants to pay me to fix a warranty-covered machine simply because the manufacturer is making it next to impossible to get the problem taken care of. In many cases, these companies have help desk people located in countries outside of the US, which means you might have a hard time communicating with them, or getting to a supervisor.

   Sometimes only a component (like the hard drive) will go bad. When this happens, you’ll have to ship the entire machine back to the manufacturer and wait a couple of weeks for them to repair it and ship it back. You also run the risk of losing all your data and configurations unless you have a reliable backup.

   If you have special requirements, need help in selecting a machine, or if service before, during, and AFTER the sale is important, then you’ll want to buy from a local shop.

   The bottom line is this: if you are shopping solely on price and aren’t too picky, then watch the weekend papers for sales at your local electronic superstore. They can offer a great price on a standard machine. Usually you can save anywhere from $100—$200 buying this way.

   For semi-customization at a decent price, check the Internet. There are hundreds of online resellers offering PCs at competitive prices.

   For the best customization, service, and support after the sale, buy your computers from a local computer shop. You’ll pay a little bit more but we’ll make sure you get exactly what you need without any hassle or problems.

Free and Open-Source Software

Over the last several years, free and open-source software – which is available for everything from operating systems (Linux) and databases (mySQL) to Web servers, email clients, ERP systems, and CRM software (SugarCRM) – has matured enough to earn a sizeable share of the enterprise market.  Today’s open source software is stable, user-friendly, and most importantly, free.  You can even get free support for most issues via Internet forums and communities, or you can purchase a service/support plan from a software vendor. 

You can find out more about open source software and related technologies at The Open Source Initiative. 

Automation

Every business has manual, repetitive tasks that waste resources.  By identifying and automating these activities, which can include order processing, invoicing, email correspondence, collection letters, and other duties, you can save time and money, while freeing up your staff for more mission-critical work.  Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems from vendors like SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft provide the most comprehensive automation for company-wide processes. 

Project Management & Collaboration Tools

Most major, mission-critical projects involve multiple staff members in different departments.  You may even have projects that require resources to be managed across several companies.  There are solutions available to help enhance workflow and coordinate activities and tasks, while giving all stakeholders instantaneous access to critical project-related documents and information.  For small to mid-sized project teams, check out Microsoft SharePoint, a robust software package that combines collaboration capabilities with document and project management functionality.  SharePoint will allow you to share information, project status and history reports, and calendars among team members.  It can be installed on a Windows server, or rented through many third-party hosting companies. 

Another solution worth a look is Web Office, which was developed by the creators of WebEx and Groove (Groove is now part of Microsoft). 

If you don’t need anything more than the most basic collaboration capabilities, you can use e-mail, Internet messaging tools like MSN and Yahoo, or shared file storage – all of which are free.  Or, try using Microsoft Outlook with Microsoft Exchange Server configured for shared security to link documents and calendars. 

New online meeting tools also enable more effective collaboration and increased productivity by allowing companies to host sales meetings, remote support sessions, and Web seminars.  The most popular solutions in this market include Microsoft Live Meeting, WebEx, and Citrix GoToMeeting.  There is even free online meeting software available (check out Vyew).     

Remote Access

Telecommuters, remote offices or branch locations, and frequent travelers are quite common in today’s business environment. In fact, 9.3 million people telecommute at least one day a week, and that number is expected to grow at a rate of 15% annually over the next several years.  In order to keep everyone linked together, you’ll need to set up remote computer access for mobile or off-site workers.   Remote access capabilities can be obtained through software like RealVNC or pcAnywhere, or via services such as Logmein, GoToMyPC, or WebEx Now.  Some solutions, like RealVNC or LogMeIn, are free.  Others will charge a few dollars per month, or $100 to $200 per computer. 

Network Faxing

If you send and receive a high volume of faxes, you can increase efficiency by setting up a centralized fax server.  This will allow your employees to print to a fax from any Windows application.  A free fax server comes bundled with the Small Business Edition of Microsoft Windows 2003 Server.  Or, you can purchase and download fax software from companies such as Symantec or WinFax.  You can also try eFax, which is an affordable service for Internet-based faxing. 

Hooking up your fax line through your VoIP service (fax services are available through any VoIP provider) will eliminate the need for you to pay to send long distance faxes to North American numbers, and can save you a significant amount of money on International faxes.  You can also set up your fax server to email all faxes to a designated person or list of people, or to print them out automatically. 

I recommend delivery of faxes via email.  Products on the market include the GFI Fax Server, or you can opt for services from TrustFax, eFax and other providers.  These services provide you with a fax line that is either free, or very inexpensive.  All faxes coming into the line will be automatically forwarded to you as an email attachment.  I also suggest printing and filing hard copies for archiving and record-keeping purposes. 

Unified Messaging

A few years ago, someone came up with a brilliant idea.  Link all communication mechanisms into one complete, fully-integrated system.  So, voice mail, email, faxes, pagers, and other communication mediums were all tied seamlessly together to become unified messaging.  Since then, many providers have come and gone.  But, unified messaging still plays a vital role in today’s work environments.   Most modern office systems come with this feature already enabled.  Telephony equipment companies like Cisco, Nortel, or BizPhone, or third-party unified messaging providers like Onebox, GotVMail, or Innoport offer this service to both companies and individuals.  

Unified messaging works via a single dedicated phone number or extension. All voice mail messages and faxes that come in to this number are automatically forwarded to an email address as an attachment.  Users then open and listen to their messages or view their faxes through their email client.  Unified messaging makes busy professionals more accessible and easier to reach, while helping the companies they work for to better organize their communications. 

Video Security

If your company employs more than five people, or if valuable items are stored in your offices, then it’s wise to install a computer video security system.  Video security systems can boost staff productivity, minimize wasted time, and reduce internal theft by at least 50 percent.  They will also reduce your insurance fees (contact your insurance company for more specific information about rate reductions). 

Most video security systems provide secure Internet access to cameras.  Users who want to see what’s happening at any point in time simply log in to the monitoring software through any Web browser.  Captured images are usually stored for a period of six weeks to six months, so video footage be viewed at a later date, if needed. 

You can “build-it-yourself” by purchasing all cameras, DVRs (digital video recorder servers), and software separately.  But, I recommend bringing in a specialist, who has experience installing similar systems, and can ensure that your solution is deployed in the best and most cost-effective manner. 

Biometrics in Time & Attendance

Many companies retain a large number of employees who work on an hourly basis.  For those businesses, installing a biometric-based time and attendance system can dramatically increase efficiency and accuracy, while cutting payroll expenses by up to eight percent. 

Biometrics are designed to replace manual time cards.  Instead of punching a paper card, employees insert their hand or finger into a reader and enter their employee ID number.  The system then verifies their access level (and authorizes or denies access as appropriate), tracks all punch-ins and punch-outs, and automatically calculates hours worked and overtime (using rounding rules).  With biometrics, companies have a complete record of who logged in, where they logged in, and at what time.  This can help accelerate payroll processing and eliminate data errors and re-work, while putting a stop to the unwanted “buddy punching” (where co-workers fraudulently clock each other in) that can cost companies up to 5 percent of their annual payroll. 

Over the past few years, the cost of biometric-based solutions has come down significantly.  Small companies with 50 people or less can now purchase a fully-functional fingerprint system, complete with all hardware and software, for less than $1000.  More information about biometrics can be found through PayPunch.com.

Small Business Advisory Guide:

The 7 Most Costly Mistakes Companies Make When Choosing A New Phone System…

And How To Avoid Them

This exclusive insider’s report will reveal:

§  Eight critical questions you should ask any phone vendor before signing a contract.

§  How to avoid getting talked into unnecessary bells and whistles and expensive maintenance contracts.

§  How to avoid getting locked into a complicated system that you can’t support in-house, or expand without significant upgrade costs.

§  What features and support to demand in the basic package.

§  Why it’s so important to purchase an “open system”.

§  The single most important feature in a voice mail system; overlook this feature and you’ll regret it forever.

The 7 Most Expensive Mistakes Companies Make When Choosing A New Phone System… And How To Avoid Them

No matter which way you look at it, buying a new phone system can be a significant investment for any business.

      It can be an even more expensive and frustrating process if you end up making many of the costly mistakes that trap buyers into:

• Paying too much for unnecessary bells and whistles and ongoing maintenance.
  
  
• Getting locked into a complicated system that you can’t support in-house or expand without significant upgrade costs.
  
  
• Not getting the features you need in the base package.

Worse yet, once you’ve spent the time and money to install a new system, you’re pretty much stuck with it and the last thing you want is an overpriced, complicated system that requires a lot of outside maintenance.

Who I Am And How I Can Help You Avoid Making A

Bad Decision On Your Next Phone System

My name is Andrei Parabellum. Over the last 10 years we’ve installed and maintained tens of different phone systems for a variety of different companies.

I am also intimately familiar with most types of corporate phone systems, including everyone from the big vendors to the smaller, lesser known systems. I specialize in helping companies with 25 to 100 users make smart, cost-saving decisions when buying a new phone system.

Unfortunately, a lot of companies get suckered into buying an overpriced, complicated phone system simply because they didn’t know all of the options available to them, or simply because they didn’t know how to ask the right questions when interviewing phone vendors.

           With so many choices, it can be very difficult to make an educated decision without spending days or weeks researching all of the vendors and options you have. That’s why I created this report; I wanted to arm buyers with a quick reference to help them make the absolute best decision when buying a new phone system.

Buyer Mistake #1:

Not planning for future needs

Before you buy a system, make sure you have answers to the following questions to plan ahead for future needs:

• How many new employees do you think you will hire over the next 5 years?
• Will you have remote offices or employees working from home?
• Do you think you will open other branches in the future?
• Do you need the ability to do call reporting / call accounting?

Look for a system that will allow you to add new features and expand your system later on at virtually no additional cost.  A good question to ask your vendor is, “If we decide to add these features later on, what will it cost us in total hardware, software, and services?”

Buyer Mistake #2:

Not buying an open system

A truly open system is one that will work with the equipment you already own or plan to purchase later on including phone headsets, toll fraud equipment, or tabletop conferencing equipment. How do you know if the system you are buying is truly an open system? Make sure it:

• Works with off-the-shelf, standard telephones

• Runs on an industry standard operating system (such as Microsoft Windows or Linux) if it’s computer based
  
  
• Can easily be maintained in-house (change extensions, add or delete users, change features) by end-users with a graphical user interface software.
  
  
• Can interface seamlessly with off-the-shelf software applications such as customer management and sales force automation without the need for complex programming.
  
  
• Will work with any other phone equipment you purchase.

Buyer Mistake #3:

Not getting enough voice mail

Don’t underestimate the value of voice mail.  The last thing you want a customer to hear is, “Sorry, you cannot leave a voice mail message because this user’s box is full.” To avoid this all together, make sure your system has unlimited ports of voice mail.  Also, your system should have the ability to set up an unlimited number of voice mailboxes.

Buyer Mistake #4:

Not buying a system that can be easily maintained in-house

Anyone who has ever owned a traditional PBX or legacy telephone system knows the incredible costs for maintenance, support, and upgrades. In fact, because all maintenance activities on these types of phone systems requires vendor involvement at $150 or more per visit, lifetime maintenance costs on a legacy PBX typically run as high as 40% of the system cost.

In other words, that $50,000 phone system will really cost you $70,000 before you’re done. If you want to add, delete, or change a user’s extension, can you do it in house or do you need to call the vendor, wait 2 days for the guy to come out, and pay $150? This is a no-brainer; make sure your system can easily be supported in-house by end-users and you’ll save a lot of time and money.

Buyer Mistake #5:

Paying for technical support

With any new system, you are bound to run into a few snags and have questions. Make sure the vendor provides free, unlimited phone and e-mail support at a minimum.

Buyer Mistake #6:

Not buying next generation features

While you might not think you want or need next generation features such as Voice Over IP (the ability to run voice calls over your computer network to save on phone bills), web interactions, and e-mail integration, the system you buy should allow you to implement these features very inexpensively some time in the future.

Look for a system that imbeds:

• Voicemail
• Messaging
• Automatic call distribution
• Operator console
• Call forwarding
• Call detail reporting
• Follow-me dialing
• Web based click-to-talk

These embedded features will eliminate the need to purchase these applications separately down the road. If the system you are considering requires complex infrastructures, implementations, or pricing schemes to add these features on, look for another system.

Buyer Mistake #7:

Not choosing the right vendor

A telephone system is the lifeblood of most businesses.  A system failure that lasts only minutes can cost thousands of dollars in lost business.  You must be sure that your vendor is capable of properly supporting your business.  Ask potential vendors:

• Do you offer a money back guarantee?
• How long have you been selling this system?
• What is your relationship with the manufacturer?
• Do you have references?
• Can I visit the site of an installation you’ve done?
• Do you have support available 24×7x365?
• Can I have access to cell phone numbers for your technicians?
• What do you charge for support?

A good vendor will guarantee your satisfaction and have a long, close history with the manufacturer they represent.  They won’t be afraid to allow you to talk to their existing clients, or take you on a site visit. If the vendor doesn’t have good answers to these questions, chances are they could leave you high and dry. 

You can quickly and easily replace your existing service by transferring your phone number to a VoIP provider like Vonage.  You’ll get all the features you need, plus unlimited calling throughout North America and five European countries (note: please check with each service provider for current rates and plans).  And, International rates may be as much as 50 percent lower than what you’re paying now. 

Corporations can leverage the many VoIP services available through most major phone companies, or purchase the systems offered by telephony solution providers such as Cisco, Nortel, and Alcatel-Lucent.  Companies looking for a smaller-scale solution can look at packages provided by BizPhone and other manufacturers.  You can get complete VoIP with fully-integrated voice mail, greetings, auto attendant, and other advanced features for as little as $2000 (for eight extensions and four phone lines). 

One of the most affordable solutions on the market today is offered by Project Asterisk.  This Linux-based software provides many of the same features as the larger, more expensive VoIP systems, but without the hefty price tag.  In fact, it has no price tag at all.  Many hardware providers sell their systems with Asterisk software pre-installed and ready-to-go. 

Or, if you prefer a standard office PBX model, Packet8 can integrate all of your existing employee phones as extensions.  Staff around the globe – in the US, Canada, Mexico, Russia, or any other location – can be seamlessly linked together through one PBX system for as low as just $40 a month for each extension.  No more long distance fees, no missed calls, and no lost voice mail. 

Long before there were VoIP systems, there were computer-to-computer communication systems. This type of software has been around for quite a while, can be downloaded directly from the Web, and is, in most cases, free.  Once this software has been installed on your desktop computer, it will enable you to talk to anyone, anywhere – in another room, or even another country – as long as they have the same software installed.

The most famous computer-to-computer communication software is Skype.  Millions of people have signed up for, and are actively using this service.   All major Internet Messaging solutions – such as AOL, MSN, Yahoo, and ICQ – have free talk features as well.  Many of them even offer free Web or video conferencing. 

There are also computer-to-phone and phone-to-computer systems to consider.  These allow you to make calls to anyone in the world at discounted rates.  You can receive calls as well, as long as you have speakers, a microphone, and a special service enabled.  Skype, for example, offers Skype In and Skype Out.  For a small monthly fee, Skype In will provide you with a local number in any available city (the complete list of available cities can be found on the Skype Web site).  People that dial this number will be automatically forwarded to your computer.  Caller ID, voice mail, and other features are also available through this type of service.  And, for a low per-minute rate, you can use Skype Out to call any phone, in any country, right from your computer.  You can even make calls from Windows Pocket PCs and other handheld devices. 

Other solutions worth mentioning include VBuzzer, Packet8, and Gizmo Project. With VBuzzer, you can obtain a North American phone number for just $2 per month.  Gizmo Project uses a standard data transfer protocol known as SIP to provide a free phone line to your computer.  The company has recently formed an alliance with Google to offer one-cent per minute calling to all US phones. 

More advanced users can purchase a USB or WiFi phone to connect to their computer and VoIP service, so they can make and receive calls through the device. 

   While it’s impossible to plan for every potential computer problem or emergency, a little proactive monitoring and maintenance of your network will help you avoid or greatly reduce the impact of the vast majority of computer disasters you could experience.

   Unfortunately, I have found that most small business owners are NOT conducting any type of proactive monitoring or maintaining their network, which leaves them completely vulnerable to the types of disasters you just read about. This is primarily for three reasons:

#1. They don’t understand the importance of regular maintenance.

#2. Even if they DID understand its importance, they simply do not know what maintenance is required or how to do it.

#3. They are already swamped with more immediate day-to-day fires demanding their attention. If their network is working fine today, it goes to the bottom of the pile of things to worry about. That means no one is watching to make sure the backups are working properly, the virus protection is up-to-date, that critical security patches are being applied, or that the network is “healthy” overall.

   While there are over 37 critical checks and maintenance tasks that need to be performed on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, I’m going to share with you the 6 that are most important for protecting your company.

Step#1: Make Sure You Are Backing Up Your Files Every Day

   It just amazes me how many businesses never back up their computer network. Imagine this: you write the most important piece of information you could ever write on a chalkboard and I come along and erase it. How are you going to get it back? You’re not. Unless you can remember it, or if YOU MADE A COPY OF IT, you can’t recover the data. It’s gone. That is why it is so important to back up your network. There are a number of things that could cause you to lose data files. If the information on the disk is important to you, make sure you have more than one copy of it.

Step #2: Check Your Backups On A Regular Basis To Make Sure They Are Working Properly

   This is another big mistake I see. Many business owners set up some type of backup system, but then never check to make sure it’s working properly. It’s not uncommon for a system to APPEAR to be backing up when in reality, it’s not. There are dozens of things that can go wrong and cause your backup to become corrupt and useless. That is why it’s not enough to simply back up your system; you have to check it on a regular basis to make sure the data is recoverable in the event of an emergency. Remember the Health Products Company that shelled out $40,000 to recover data they THOUGHT they backed up? Don’t let that happen to you.

Step #3: Keep An Offsite Copy Of Your Backups

   What happens if a fire or flood destroys your server AND the backup tapes or drive? This is how hurricane Katrina devastated many businesses that have now been forced into bankruptcy. What happens if your office gets robbed and they take EVERYTHING? Having an offsite backup is simply a smart way to make sure you can get your business back up and running in a relatively short period of time.

Step #4: Make Sure Your Virus Protection Is ALWAYS On AND Up-To-Date

   You would have to be living under a rock to not know how devastating a virus can be to your network. With virus attacks coming from spam, downloaded data and music files, instant messages, web sites, and e-mails from friends and clients, you cannot afford to be without up-to-date virus protection.

   Not only can a virus corrupt your files and bring down your network, but it can also hurt your reputation. If you or one of your employees unknowingly spreads a virus to a customer, or if the virus hijacks your e-mail address book, you’re going to make a lot of people very angry.

Step #5: Set Up A Firewall

   Small business owners tend to think that because they are “just a small business”, no one would waste time trying to hack in to their network, when nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve conducted experiments where I connected a single computer to the Internet with no firewall. Within hours, over 13 gigabytes of space was taken over by malicious code and files that I could not delete. The simple fact is that there are thousands of unscrupulous individuals out there who think it’s fun to disable your computer just because they can.

   These individuals strike randomly by searching the Internet for open, unprotected ports. As soon as they find one, they will delete files or download huge files that cannot be deleted, shutting down your hard drive. They can also use your computer as a zombie for storing pirated software or sending spam, which will cause your ISP to shut YOU down and prevent you from accessing the Internet or sending and receiving e-mail.

   If the malicious programs can’t be deleted, you’ll have to re-format the entire hard drive causing you to lose every piece of information you’ve ever owned UNLESS you were backing up your files properly (see 1 to 3 above).

Step #6: Update Your System With Critical Security Patches As They Become Available

   If you do not have the most up-to-date security patches and virus definitions installed on your network, hackers can access your computer through a simple banner ad or through an e-mail attachment.

   Not too long ago Microsoft released a security bulletin about three newly discovered vulnerabilities that could allow an attacker to gain control of your computer by tricking users into downloading and opening a maliciously crafted picture. At the same time, Microsoft released a Windows update to correct the vulnerabilities; but if you didn’t have a process to ensure you were applying critical updates as soon as they become available, you were completely vulnerable to this attack.

   Here’s another compelling reason to ensure your network stays up-to-date with the latest security patches…

   Most hackers do not discover these security loopholes on their own. Instead, they learn about them when Microsoft (or any other software vendor for that matter) announces the vulnerability and issues an update. That is their cue to spring into action and they immediately go to work to analyze the update and craft an exploit (like a virus) that allows them access to any computer or network that has not yet installed the security patch.

   In essence, the time between the release of the update and the release of the exploit that targets the underlying vulnerability is getting shorter every day.

   When the “nimda” worm was first discovered back in the fall of 2001, Microsoft had already released the patch that protected against that vulnerability almost a year before (331 days). So network administrators had plenty of time to apply the update. Of course, many still hadn’t done so, and the “nimda” worm caused lots of damage. But in the summer of 2003 there were only 25 days between the release of the Microsoft update that would have protected against the “blaster” worm and the detection of the worm itself! 

   Clearly, someone needs to be paying close attention to your systems to ensure that critical updates are applied as soon as possible. That is why we highly recommend small business owners without a full-time IT staff allow their consultant to monitor and maintain their network.

What Every Small Business Owner Must Know About Protecting And Preserving Their Company’s Critical Data And Computer Systems

If You Depend On Your Computer Network To Run Your Business, This Is One Report You DON’T Want To Overlook!

   This report will outline in plain, non-technical English common mistakes that many small business owners make with their computer network that cost them thousands in lost sales, productivity, and computer repair bills, as well as providing an easy, proven way to reduce or completely eliminate the financial expense and frustration of these oversights.

You’ll Discover:

§  The single most expensive mistake most small business owners make when it comes to protecting their company data.

§  The universal misconception business owners have about their computer networks, and how it can end up costing between $9,000 to as much as $60,000 in damages.

§  6 Critical security measures every small business should have in place.

§  How to greatly reduce – or even completely eliminate – frustrating crashes, slow performance, and other annoying computer problems.

§  How to avoid expensive computer repair bills and get all the computer support you need for a low, fixed monthly rate.

Dear Colleague,

   Have you ever lost an hour of work on your computer?

   Now imagine if you lost days or weeks of work – or imagine losing your client database, financial records, and all of the work files your company has ever produced or compiled.

   Imagine what would happen if your network went down for days, where you couldn’t access e-mail or the information on your PC. How frustrating would that be?

   Or, what if a major storm, flood, or fire destroyed your office and all of your files? Or if a virus wiped out your server…do you have an emergency recovery plan in place that you feel confident in?

   How quickly do you think you could recover, if at all?

   Many small business owners tend to ignore or forget about taking steps to secure their company’s network from these types of catastrophes until disaster strikes. By then it’s too late and the damage is done.

But That Could Never Happen To Me!
(And Other Lies Business Owners Like To Believe About Their Businesses…)

   After working with over a 100 of small and mid-size businesses in the Greater Toronto Area, we found that 6 out of 10 businesses will experience some type of major network or technology disaster that will end up costing them between $9,000 and $60,000 in repairs and restoration costs on average. 

   That doesn’t even include lost productivity, sales, and client goodwill that can be damaged when a company can’t operate or fulfill on its promises due to technical problems.

   While it may be difficult to determine the actual financial impact computer problems have on your business, you can’t deny the fact that they do have a negative effect. If you’ve ever had your business grind to a screeching halt because you and your employees could not access the data or systems necessary for operations, you must have some idea of the frustration and financial loss to your business even if you haven’t put a pencil to figuring out the exact cost.

Take a look at these statistics:

• Companies experience an average of 501 hours of network downtime every year, and the overall downtime costs an average of 3.6% of annual revenue.  (Source: The Costs of Enterprise Downtime, Infonetics Research)
  
  
• 93% of companies that lost their data center for 10 days or more due to a disaster filed for bankruptcy within one year of the disaster, and 50% filed for bankruptcy immediately. (Source: National Archives & Records Administration in Washington.)
  
  
• 20% of small to medium businesses will suffer a major disaster causing loss of critical data every 5 years. (Source: Richmond House Group)
  
  
• This year, 40% of small to medium businesses that manage their own network and use the Internet for more than e-mail will have their network accessed by a hacker, and more than 50% won’t even know they were attacked. (Source: Gartner Group)
  
  
• Of those companies participating in the Contingency Planning & Management Cost of Downtime Survey: 46% said each hour of downtime would cost their companies up to $50,000, 28% said each hour would cost between $51,000 and $250,000, 18% said each hour would cost between $251,000 and $1 million, and 8% said it would cost their companies more than $1million per hour. (Source: Cost of Downtime Survey Results, 2001.)
  
  
• Cyber-criminals stole an average of $900 from each of 3 million Americans in the past year, and that doesn’t include the hundreds of thousands of PCs rendered useless by spyware. (Source: Gartner Group)

What These Failures Are REALLY Costing Your Business

   Even if you don’t factor in the soft costs of lost productivity, there is a hard cost of repairing and restoring your network. Most major network repairs will require a minimum of four to eight hours on average to get the network back up and running. Plus, most consultants cannot get on-site to resolve the problem for 24 to 48 hours. That means your network could be down for one to two days.

   Since the average computer consultant charges over $100 per hour plus a trip fee and a surcharge if it’s an emergency, the average cost of these repairs is $600 to $1,000; and that doesn’t even include any software or hardware costs that may also be required. Over a year, this results in $1,800 to $3,000 in costs without even considering hardware and software costs, or other soft costs of lost sales and work hours. Of course, those numbers quickly multiply with larger, more complex networks.

   What’s most exasperating about this situation is that 100% of these disasters and restoration costs could have been completely avoided or greatly mitigated easily and inexpensively with a little planning and proactive maintenance.

Start your plan by calculating the cost of down time, then determine how much down time you can afford.  For example, if your company brings in revenues of $10 million a year, and follows a 9 to 5/Monday through Friday working schedule, then one hour of down time would cost you about $480.  That means that for every hour your business is idle due to unforeseen computer problems, almost $500 of your hard earned cash goes down the drain. 

If you cannot afford any downtime at all, then you’ll need to implement 24×7 computer monitoring, and make sure that technicians are always on call to immediately resolve any issues that may arise.  Although there are expenses associated with this approach, it will still cost you far less than losing hours, or even days of productivity while you wait for someone to fix your computers. 

There are many basic monitoring software packages available, from vendors such as Uptime Software, IP Monitor, Chevin Software, and NetScout.  These solutions can be set up to page you, or your technicians, in the event of a problem.  You can even set up the paging system to alert your technicians first, then page you if the problem is not resolved within a few hours.