10 tech tips for homeworkers
15/10/2008
San Sharma, technology editor and resident geek here at Staymove, shares his top 10 technology tips for home business owners.
- Download and install (and remember to use!) Firefox
If I sit down at a computer and see that Internet Explorer is set as the default browser I simply close my eyes, count to ten and then quickly download and install Mozilla Firefox. It's hands down the best browser available for Windows (I personally prefer Safari on the Mac); it's free, less of a hog on your system resources and far more secure. It's goodbye pop-up windows, hello webpage: loading times are much faster and dodgy websites are well filtered. It's also customisable via themes and extensions, so you can have it looking and working just the way you want. - Don't bother getting a second line
The old adage that you should install a second phone line when running a home business is getting particularly old now that cheaper more effective solutions are available. A technology called VoIP allows you to make and receive calls using your computer, so you only really need one phone line to run your broadband connection (or none at all if you've a cable connection). You can choose your own number, route it to your mobile when you're out and keep your number if you move house, home or abroad. We recommend VoIP software, Skype - and getting a decent USB handset, so you're not yapping into a head mic or barking at your screen! - Get e-mail on your phone
Getting e-mail on your phone means you won't feel so tethered to your home office desk nor afraid you might miss the memo when you pop to Saino's or pick up the kids. The easiest way is to get a smartphone, like a BlackBerry, an iPhone or something running Windows Mobile; or else check your handset's instruction manual to see if it's already possible. You'll usually need your incoming mail server address (sometimes described as your 'POP settings') and the outgoing mail server address (SMTP) of your mobile phone network, who should be able to help. Be carefully you don't get too hooked though... There are plenty of CrackBerry sufferers out there! - Don't get carried away with your e-mail
Another e-mail tip here, probably in some contradiction with the last, but I've got to say it: don't get too carried away with your e-mail! Think of how many e-mails you send and receive now. There are only going to be more when your home business grows. How will you cope?! My advice is to manage expectations. Don't reply immediately. Doing so sets a precedent (that we'll all suffer to meet) and will allow you to focus on your actual work. Consider batch processing your e-mails, checking them two or three times a day and setting aside time to reply to them properly. You can even set-up an autoresponder that acknowledges receipt and offers realist timings for a full reply. Of course, this shouldn't apply for urgent messages or potential new business, but it's worth thinking about or reading into (on the link below). - Backup! Backup! Backup!
Seriously. Backup. It's really important. Backing up to CDs and DVD can be a bit of a pain, because you'll end up running out of shelf space and, no doubt, time. So consider getting a USB external hard drive and good software (there's some bundled with Windows Vista and Mac OS X Leopard) that can keep your important documents and files backed up weekly or constantly in the background. - Dock your laptop
If you use a laptop, like me, consider docking it when you're at home, connecting it to a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Doing so means I sit upright at a desk when I'm in my home office and working on my lap becomes a bit of a treat when I can't get out of bed, fancy working in the garden or in a coffee shop. If you don't have a monitor at least get a laptop stand so your screen is at eye level. You'll thank me when you escape RSI and a creaky neck! - Don't pay for software if you don't have to
This is particularly true if you're just starting out, as you'll save so much money that you can spend elsewhere in your business, like on marketing. And I'm not suggesting piracy as a legitimate way of saving money (you wouldn't steal a handbag after all, would you?). But there are lots of free alternatives to expensive software. For example, the Professional Edition of Microsoft Office 2007 retails at £349.98 on Amazon.co.uk - and that's a good price! OpenOffice.org is, in my opinion, as good as Microsoft Office - in no way lacking features or compatibility - and a steal at... free! It's made by Sun Microsystems, so it's credible too. Do a search for free software on Staymove and find lots more. - Start a blog
Blogging is one of the best ways to market yourself online and manage your home business's message and reputation. You can start one for free, using tools like Wordpress and Blogger, and if you don't have a website you can kind of use these tools to build your own and manage it yourself. Be imaginative and use existing tools wherever you can. Don't try to reinvent the wheel! If you need to show videos on your website, host them on YouTube and embed them on your webpages. If you need to display a photo gallery, upload your photos to Flickr and install a slideshow. Potential customers will be impressed with your cunning and resourcefulness! - Work in the cloud
Though it might be a bit too soon to completely replace all of your applications with web based alternatives (online office suites just aren't response enough just yet), you can make a start with your e-mail. The most common type of e-mail uses a system called POP, where messages are stored on a server - or in 'the cloud' - until you check for new messages and download them to your computer. And then they sit on your computer and nowhere else. But what happens when you want to refer to a archived e-mail but you're away from your computer, at a colleague's desk, an internet cafe or on your mobile phone? If the message has been downloaded to your computer it can only be read there. That's where web based e-mail shines! It keeps all of your messages in 'the cloud' so it's available wherever you can get online and synchronised between your computers and devices. Google Mail's the leader in this field and now you can use its technology with your own domain. - Find support
As the long suffering geek next door, I'll say this: don't pester your IT literate friend with your technology woes. Google your dilemma and you'll no doubt find someone in some forum with the same problem and usually, if you keep scrolling, a solution. If not, post your question online and you might be surprised how soon you get a response. Try our forums and the content in our Technology channnel.
Photo credit: Flickr user, Yoppy
San Sharma is a creative thinker, blogger and designer, as well as a writer on popular culture, technology and business.