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Is your business
limping along using outdated computers or a
peer-to-peer network that is constantly giving
you problems?
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Are you planning on
adding employees, opening a remote location or
adding an additional office?
¨
Are you just sick and
tired of dealing with conflicts, error messages,
and breakdowns?
If
so, this report will reveal if a server is right
for your company!
Dear Fellow
Business Owner,
If you are like
most small businesses, you acquire desktop
computers, phone systems, and software in a
random, “buy-it-when-you-need-it” fashion as
your business operations demand it.
But at some
point, this patchwork of stopgap technology
you’ve acquired is going to end up costing you
more in downtime, system errors, breakdowns, and
other problems than it would to rip out and
replace everything.
If you’ve
suddenly become aware that you’re at that stage
of growth in your business, then you want to
stop purchasing more software and hardware in a
willy-nilly fashion and get serious about
planning for your future growth and business
operations so you don’t end up with a big pile
of expensive hardware and software spaghetti
that doesn’t meet your business needs.
One Big Secret
To Saving Money
One secret to
saving money on IT costs is to strive for as
much uniformity and connectivity as possible
across your business network - and the first
place to start achieving that is through the use
of a server.
If you have two
or more computers that are loosely connected to
share information, printers, scanners, Internet
access, or fax machines, then you could inject a
great deal of simplicity, productivity, and
security with a small business server.
A server simply
acts as a single specialized computer that
ensures all of the computer connected to it
(called “clients”) have access to the resources,
information, and systems they need, faster, and
with fewer problems. It also acts as a
centralized manager to make sure data is secure
and organized.
They’re Not
Just For Big Business Anymore
At one time,
servers only made sense for large organizations
because of their high cost and complexity. But
today, there are very affordable and
easy-to-implement server systems designed
specifically for a growing small business. If
you’re not absolutely certain that installing a
server could help your business enough to
justify the cost, here are 12 surefire signs
that your business could definitely benefit from
an upgrade.
12 Signs
That Your Business
Is Ready For A Server
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You have two
or more computers that need to share office
equipment (printers, fax machines, scanners)
and resources (Internet access).
-
You have
irreplaceable files and data residing on
more than one computer that need to be
secured from loss, corruption, or
unauthorized access.
-
You need (or
would like to have) secure access to your
computer files while traveling or working
from home.
-
You need to
back up critical files on more than one
computer, and you would like to be able to
restore accidentally deleted files or
previous versions of your files.
-
You need CRM
(customer relationship management) software
and accounting programs to manage and
communicate with your growing list of
clients and vendors.
-
You need to
manage different versions of one file.
-
You need a
central communication system that makes it
easy to schedule group meetings and share
information with employees, vendors, and
customers.
-
You need to
allow employees to share databases and other
software tools.
-
You would like
to send group faxes and e-mail broadcasts to
customers.
-
You want to
save money by hosting your own company
website and e-mail.
-
You want to
control employees’ access to sensitive
financial records and personnel information.
-
You want a
central access point for information instead
of having to hunt down various files and
data on various computers on your network.
The Concept of
the Slight Edge
All master craftsmen
demand excellent tools to complete their work.
They know that the best tools allow them to
focus on creating their next masterpiece rather
than being sidetracked, frustrated, or limited
by the tools they are using. The computers,
software, and office equipment you use are the
tools you use every day to create your greatest
masterpiece: your business.
If the
technology in your office is not simplifying
your business and making it easier for you to
get more done with fewer employees, it’s costing
you a lot more than the price of a server. While
there is no shortage of white papers on the
topic of ROI (return on investment) for
upgrading technology, you and I know that this
is truly a hard cost to quantify; however, there
certainly IS a cost, and depending on your
business operations and how you use the
computers and technology in your office, the
cost may be significant.
The “Latte”
Factor
In his book
Automatic Millionaire, author David Bach talks
about the “latte” factor. Simply put, most
people end up financially broke not because of
the big purchases they make, but because of the
small, seemingly innocent day-to-day spending of
small amounts of money over a long period of
time. For example, no one thinks twice of
spending $4 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks
every morning.
However, add
that up over the course of a year and they’ve
invested $1,460 into a daily cup of coffee. Why
am I telling you this? Because massive loss of
productivity in any business plays out exactly
the same way.
Think about
this: a faster processor and a faster hard
drive with greater capacity allow you to open
and use applications faster, saving a few
minutes every hour. Information is centralized,
which saves a few more minutes every hour in
finding files. There are fewer crashes and
hang-ups.
Each of these
little things adds up to significant employee
hours saved over the course of a year. Then
there’s the cost-savings of outsourced IT
support. A properly configured and maintained
client-server network is far easier to support
and troubleshoot than a patchwork of computers
that are loosely connected. All of this
translates into higher revenue from your
technology investment and should land on your
bottom line.
Learn How a
Network Can Give You
All of These Benefits and More!
If you’re
interested in discovering how upgrading to a
client-server network could help your business,
contact us for a free consultation. We can sit
down and discuss the pros and cons, the costs,
and how a server can help address specific
problems and productivity bottlenecks you are
experiencing in your business.
There is
absolutely no cost or obligation when you invite
us into your business. If we discover that your
network is just fine the way it is, we’ll tell
you that and not try to sell you something you
don’t need.
Your Customer
Bill Of Rights
Here is what I
promise to deliver if you choose us to upgrade
your network:
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We will
explain all of the costs associated with
your upgrade up front; you will not be
surprised by hidden fees or unexpected costs
later on (see #2 below).
-
We will
complete the upgrade on time and on budget
guaranteed. If the project
goes over budget because of something we
overlooked, we will incur those costs and
not pass them on to you. If we go over the
deadline promised due to a fault of ours, we
will reduce your bill by $100 for every day
we are over.
-
You will get
answers to your questions in PLAIN ENGLISH.
Our technicians will not talk down to you or
make you feel stupid because you don’t
understand their “geek speak”. After
reviewing your situation, budget, and wish
list, we’ll recommend several options for
upgrading your network and accomplishing
your objectives in terms that you can
understand. Our goal is to provide you with
the best information possible so you can
make an informed decision based on the
options available to you.
-
We guarantee
your new network will work the way you
expect it to. We’ll make sure your network
is working like a well-oiled machine and to
your complete satisfaction before we say the
project is done; no hassles, no problems,
and no excuses.
-
You should
EXPECT that no damage will be done to your
data. Before we start the upgrade, we will
fully back up your data before we start any
work on your network.
-
You should
EXPECT minimal downtime or interruption to
your business. Our technicians will prepare
your new server in advance and have it ready
to go before initiating the upgrade; this
will minimize the time required to complete
the installation. We can also perform your
upgrade after hours or on weekends if you
absolutely cannot tolerate a scheduled
period of downtime for the upgrade.
A large proportion
of our business comes from referrals from happy,
satisfied customers. We want you to recommend us
and we know that you will only do this if you
are happy with the services we provide. That is
why we work so hard to go above and beyond the
call of duty.