A secondary work site doesn't always have a permanent
address. Today's entrepreneurs are more mobile than ever. Your
work doesn't stop when you're on the road or catching an
airplane. Technology is what keeps you in touch and keeps your
productivity up when you're traveling. What's the
number-one road technology? Wireless. That's a broad category
that covers everything from your cell phone to the Wi-Fi card in
your laptop.
We assume you have your cell phone all figured out, but
we'll look a little closer at Wi-Fi. It's hard to find a
business-class laptop that doesn't come with built-in Wi-Fi
these days. Those with older machines can easily upgrade with an
inexpensive Wi-Fi card. Both Cohen and Miller rely on their
wireless laptops when they're traveling. Miller even admits to
having run her business from a beach in Hawaii while on vacation.
Cohen often finds himself logging on from hot spots in less exotic
locales like Kinko's and Starbucks.
While hot spots abound across the nation, sometimes
entrepreneurs find themselves high and dry with nowhere to get
online. The most common problem is in airports. While many have hot
spots, just as many don't. Cohen found a way to deal with it:
He has a Bluetooth card in his laptop and a Bluetooth-equipped cell
phone. Getting online through a phone means the speeds are
comparable to dial-up, but it gets the job done. Says Cohen,
"It has a nice convenience factor."
Expert Advice
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Wilson has really seen it all. The technology he has installed
for businesses with multiple work sites runs the spectrum of
what's available. He has some tips for entrepreneurs who are
looking for higher-end solutions to connect things like branch
offices back to the main office. Depending on needs and budget,
Comnexia will set up either a private frame network or a public VPN
over the internet. "Sometimes the internet choice is a lot
more friendly on the budget," Wilson says.
When it comes to branch offices, Wilson recommends going with a
low-end Windows 2003 server at each branch. Using distributed file
systems, files can be automatically synchronized with the server
back at the main office. It's a low-hassle way to keep
everybody up-to-date and working with the latest versions of
documents and data. This method also works well across multiple
offices. The cost can vary quite a bit with the chosen hardware and
software, but expect to land in the $5,000 to $6,000 range.
No two businesses are the same when it comes to choosing and
setting up technology to handle multiple work sites. But some
advice applies to everybody. "Don't get carried away by
bells and whistles," Cohen suggests. "Simple solutions
are very often the best solutions. Figure out your baseline needs,
and start there." You may, like Cohen, be comfortable testing
and installing new technologies yourself. If not, do what Miller
Consultants does and find a trusty IT consultant to handle the nuts
and bolts.
There are solutions available for every challenge and every
budget level. Whether it's just you on the road, a branch
office or a whole slew of employees working from their own home
offices, your technology will hold you together. Look for ways to
boost collaboration and improve communication with your hardware
and software choices. It will pay off in a healthy, modern business
where traditional office walls are just remnants of the past.
VoIP Primer
VoIP is an increasingly popular tool that can help growing
businesses save on their communications bills. For entrepreneurs
dealing with multiple locations, it has some enticing features.
Find me/follow me services can forward phone calls to wherever the
user is. Employees located in home offices can be hooked up with
in-office extensions, so dialing is the same as if you're
calling somebody two doors down in the same building. For frequent
travelers, IP softphones can get you up and calling normally from
your hotel room.
Some companies may choose to go with an in-house IP PBX to
converge their data and communications networks. In that case, it
helps to have a trusty IT consultant to select and set up
equipment. Others will look to service providers like AT&T and Vonage. The basic
Vonage small-business plan starts around $40 per month, but
that's the bottom end of the scale. Multiple work sites may
call for more complex installations. Cost savings come in the form
of long-distance savings, productivity-boosting call features and
the ability to pull your various offices together as if they were
under one roof.
If you're just getting started or are looking to upgrade
your current phone system, VoIP is a tempting alternative
that's worth a good, long look. Choose a provider based on call
features, its experience with growing businesses, network quality
and price. Check in with your in-house IT person or IT consultant
about getting all your various offices onto the same VoIP page.
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