Basic IT Setup For Small Businesses

Gone are the days when you needed an IT guy or team to run the operations of even a small business. Thanks to advances in technology and the internet the IT setup of a small business is easy and can be done by anyone. Here is a sample approach that a small business can take:

Internet access

The easiest option here is to ask the ISP to install the internet connection and any additional access point if you require access in areas beyond the initial coverage. For most small outfits, the coverage from the router that comes from the ISP will be enough. This is ideal for laptops and if you need to use a desktop, then buy one with a built-in wireless adaptor or place it close to the router for network cable access.

Shared storage

Even small teams need to share documents and access common folders. This used to be where a file server was setup. That is costly and requires someone to maintain it. Services like SharePoint are ideal for cloud-based teams to share files and operate shared workspaces. The benefit here is that in the event of a computer failure, all data that is within these folders is safely on the cloud.

Communication

Mobile phones take care of the telephony component. Other communication within the office can be done using a chat service like Skype for Business or Google Hangouts. These can also be used for video conferencing.