Don R. Crawley, Professional Speaker: Help for Business

Login

Free Newsletter Subscription

Stuff you need to do

How to Hire an IT Consultant/Vendor

Insist on certification: Microsoft offers several levels of certification including the new Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) and Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) credentials, the former MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer), and the Microsoft Small Business Specialist. The MCSE was Microsoft's premiere certification requiring a very broad base of knowledge on systems and networks. The MCSE required the candidate to pass as many as seven tests. The newer credentials are even more rigorous and they allow an individual greater ability to specialize. The Small Business Specialist is a narrower certification focusing in a specific area. The Small Business Specialist certification requires the candidate to pass two tests. All certifications require extensive training. A Microsoft Small Business Specialist will be more attuned to the needs of small businesses (obviously), but may not have the breadth and depth of training of an MSTS, and MCITP, or an MCSE. When you ask about certification, make certain that the individual holds current certifications (such as Windows Server 2003). You should ask for a copy of their transcript. Also request certificates of completion of formal training. The people who don't have certifications do have lots of reasons why it's not necessary, but the reality is that the certification process requires a successful candidate to follow a structured course of study followed by one or perhaps several rigorous examinations. There are other certifications in addition to Microsoft such as those from Cisco or CompTIA (Computer Technology Industry Association) that can help you determine an individual's level of competence. There are also, in fact, competent individuals who do not carry professional certifications, but as a business professional you don't have the time or resources to sort them out. Insist on current certifications. You’ll find links to websites where you can learn more about I.T. certifications at the following sites:
Insist on experience: We've all heard the stories about the genius computer kids. While the stories may be true, your business requires someone who is not just a smart computer person, but someone who also understands your business and who has extensive "real-world" experience. I.T. consultants’ jobs are less about technology than about delivering creative solutions to workplace problems. When you’re interviewing a candidate, ask about the kinds of problems s/he has seen in businesses similar to yours and the kinds of solutions s/he recommended to the client. Ask how they incorporate scalability into their solutions. (Scalability is the ability of systems to grow and adapt as end-user needs change without the need for a major retrofit.) Insist on someone who is a legitimate business (ask to see their business license) with several years of experience (I'd say a minimum of five years.)
Insist on references: Get at least three references. Your computer network is your business's digital nervous system. Talk to at least three companies or sole proprietors who have had successful experiences with the prospective company or individual. Remember, the most important question to ask is, “Would you hire this individual or firm again?”
Here is an article with some great ideas about how to hire an IT consultant: Hiring an IT consultant: Check IT List

Virus Protection

The most important virus protection you can install is your attitude! Use common sense when surfing the Internet or using email.

Be skeptical of everything you see, hear, receive, or read on the Internet. The World Wide Web is filled with wonderful resources that can enhance your live and career. Just like the real world, it also has its share of bad guys who want to hurt you. Caveat emptor: Let the user be aware!
Keep your systems up-to-date by using Microsoft's or Apple's automatic update features. In the same way that you have a responsibility to maintain your car when you drive on public roads and highways, you also have a responsibility to maintain your computer when you use the public Internet.
Install and maintain virus protection software on all of your computers.

What virus protection software should you use? There are myriad brands available, but here's a list of some of the more common brands:

avast! (Free edition available for home/personal use.)
AVG (Free edition available for home/personal use.)
Avira
F-Prot
Kaspersky
McAfee
Norton/Symantec
Panda
TrendMicro (This is the one we use at soundtraining.net.)

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Links

Microsoft has invested heavily in developing solutions for small business. Whether you regard Microsoft as the devil incarnate or think Bill Gates walks on water, they have a lot of resources (technical and otherwise) for small business operators and sole proprietors at the Microsoft Small Business Center.

Speaking of Microsoft, if you've ever made a stupid mistake while working with Microsoft Office (Hey, we all have!), you'll get a kick out of Philip Su's article from inside Microsoft about the stupid mistakes made by Microsoft employees with Microsoft Office.

Telephony

We use a company called VirtualPBX to handle our incoming business calls and faxes. They're reasonably priced and have been very reliable. It adds a "big company" feel to our small company. They have a recorded voice answer the call, the caller then presses an extension number to route the call. Calls can be routed to any number you select (mine usually go to my cell phone) or voice mail. The service is very flexible and easy to use.

VoIP Providers

VoIP stands for "Voice over Internet Protocol". It is a technology that allows you to make telephone calls over the Internet instead of over traditional telephone networks. The way it works is this: You install a VoIP adapter (it's a very small box with two jacks: one that plugs into your Internet router and one that plugs into your phone line). You can use regular telephones to make calls and you can call anyone with a regular telephone. The VoIP adapter converts the electrical signals produced by your telephone into digital signals that can go across the Internet. VoIP providers are companies that act as an "in-between" between the Internet and the traditional telephone network.

How Does VoIP Work?

When you make a phone call using a VoIP phone, the call is first sent to the VoIP adapter in your house, the VoIP adapter, which converts your voice to digital signals, is connected to the Internet. The digital signals are then sent across the Internet to your VoIP provider. Your VoIP provider then sends your call to the traditional telephone network which routes it to the final destination. When someone calls you, the process is reversed. The benefits of using VoIP instead of traditional telephony include much lower costs and a plethora of features. The downside to using VoIP is that it is still a fairly new technology and, as such, is subject to service issues including occasional poor quality and dropped calls. Some people report no problems at all; others get so frustrated that they switch back to traditional providers. The other downside to VoIP is that your phone service is totally dependent upon the availability of the Internet. If your Internet service is down, perhaps due to a power outage, your telephone service is also down. Here are three of the more common VoIP providers:

Vonage
ViaTalk (This is the one we use for our home phone. Their service has improved considerably over the last year (this is being written in late 2008) and they're cheap.)
Packet8

Caution: VoIP services such as the three mentioned here deliver mixed performance. You'll find some people who love 'em and some subscribers who hate 'em. They are cheap and offer a ton of features, but buyer beware!

Here's a site where you can read reviews of various VoIP service providers: VoIPReview.org

Softphones are software you install on your computer that allows you to make telephone calls using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services. The most commonly recommended softphone is a free download at www.counterpath.com.

Office Suites

The most popular office suite is Microsoft Office, but there are alternatives. Here are links to several, including MS Office:

PDF Software

Full versions of Adobe Acrobat allow you to create and edit .pdf files, but this is expensive software. It's great if you really need it all of the advanced features, but if you just need to create simple .pdf documents you may want to consider PDF995 or Neevia software.

Microsoft, with the release of Office 2007, has created a "plug-in" that allows you to create .pdf files from within Microsoft Office documents. It's a free download here.

Wireless Stuff

Wireless networking has become more and more popular. There are four different standards that are used to describe common wireless networking technologies. I recommend 802.11G. 802.11N is widely available as a "pre-approval" version, but it's still not "officially" approved by the standards body (IEEE) who approves such things. As such, 802.11N could change significantly when it's finally approved and the devices you purchase today may end up being incompatible with the finally approved standards. A prudent approach is to stick with 802.11G because it's widely available and is an officially approved standard.

Standard	Speed	Frequency	Compatibility	Approved
801.11a	54 Mbps	5 GHz	A	Yes
802.11b	11 Mbps	2.4 GHz	G N	Yes
802.11g	54 Mbps	2.4 GHz	B N	Yes
802.11n	100+ Mbps	2.4 GHz	B G	Not yet

Bits and Bytes? What the...?!?

How much is a Gigabyte, a Megabyte, or a Kilobyte?

A byte is a unit of measure consisting of eight bits. Usually, computer storage is measured in bytes. Usually, network speed is measured in bits.

A kilobyte is approximately 1000 bytes. A kilobit is approximately 1000 bits.
A megabyte is approximately 1000 kilobytes. A megabit is approximately 1000 kilobits.
A gigabyte is approximately 1000 megabytes. A gigabit is approximately 1000 megabits.

Here are some examples of files:

An MP3 song of 2:30 in length consumes approximately three megabytes of storage. Three megabytes is approximately 3,000,000 bytes or 24,000,000 bits. If your Internet connection is rated at one megabit per second, it will take you approximately 24 seconds to download a two and a half minute song in the MP3 format.

A 100 gigabyte drive will store approximately 33,000 MP3 files of three megabytes in size.

How about text? It’s very hard to say, but in plain text (text with no formatting), one character equals one byte. Formatting, however, adds considerably to the amount of space used. For example, on a document I was writing recently, there were 16,343 characters. That would imply that it should be approximately 16.3 KB (kilobytes) in size. When I checked its size, however, I noticed that it was actually 2,024,943 bytes or approximately 2000 kilobytes! That’s a huge difference and it’s due to formatting (choosing different typefaces and fonts) and the addition of graphics.