In this present generation, businesses cannot function effectively without computers. Computers are essential tools for carrying out various business tasks. However, choosing the right computer for your business may not be as easy as choosing other tools. Two critical factors makes the decision critical.

The first factor is that computer equipments can be so expensive and investment on them is usually considered as a long time investment. Often, you won’t be able to recoup the investment in the first twelve months after your purchase. That to an entrepreneur calls for caution when making a decision on what computer to purchase.

Business Computers

Secondly, computer technology changes so fast that a state of the art computer equipment purchased with so much fund can be rendered outdated in a matter of six months or less. That makes the issue quite complicated, isn’t it? An equipment going outdated before its payback period sounds like a bad idea! Well, that is the reality that you need to face when deciding on the computer to choose for your business.

Even though it is difficult to choose, there are some guidelines that if carefully followed can reduce the possibility of making a wrong choice. We shall consider the most important ones in this post.They are mostly questions you need to ask and answer sincerely before parting with your hard-earned money.

What will the Computer be used for?

There is need to sit down and ask yourself sincerely what the computer is meant to do for you. Why is this critical? There are too many models with different specifications and performances been offered in the market that it is easy to get confused on which one to choose. It would have been okay to base your choice on the best performing equipment, however, those factors explained above show that it is foolish to do such. The best performing business computer today may become outdated in few months. Also, best performing machines don’t come cheap, so you need to consider your purse too.

The safe thing to do is to sit down and jot done all the task you need the computer to perform for you. The tasks should then be rearrange in order of priority so that you will easily know those that are indispensable and those you can let go. Often time, it is those extra features that you can actually do without that may unnecessarily add to the cost of purchasing a computer.

Laptops or Desktop Computers

Laptop or Desktop Computers?

Computers come in two major packages. Desktop computers, ie those meant to be kept at one location and laptops or notebooks ie. those meant for mobile computing. If the nature of your business is such that you need a computer in a particular location all the time, then you are better off getting a desktop computer. Usually, desktops are easier to work with because they are large while laptops, notebooks and netbooks have miniaturized parts that don’t make them conducive for long time computing work.

However, laptops are better for mobile computing. Laptop are quite portable, you can take your laptop almost anywhere so your files will always be with you. It is important to remember that both options have their own advantages and disadvantages, you need to know which one is better suited for your business needs.

The Right Computer Specification For Your Business

While every computer have some common basic features, there are some features that actually differentiate the function each can perform well. As an entrepreneur, you should consider the following features when deciding on the computer to choose for your business.

• Memory RAM – What you need the computer for will determine how much RAM you need on the machine. Using the example above. A graphic designer will need nothing less than 2GB RAM to drive its memory consuming graphic software while a secretary can actually make use of a simple machine runing with just 128MB RAM.

• Hard-Drive – The storage capacity of the computer should also be determined by your business need. Graphic files are usually large and consume much space. While the whole Bible can be placed on less than 3mb hard-disk space as a text file, a single photo can occupy as much as 11mb hard-disk space.

• Processor – There are several kinds of computer processors with different speed. It is good to get a processor that is appropriate for your need. AMD Turion X2 processors and Intel Core Duo range are good choices to choose from. Just like the RAM memory, the high end performer are meant for heavy work and are not needed for text processing or basic computations. For example, a computer with a processor that is rated at around 2GHz (Gigahertz) is fast enough to handle all basic office applications.

• Monitor – The screen size of the computer should be determined by the kind of task to be performed. Usually, the larger the screen size the better. However, this is only true for desktop computers. Laptops with larger screen size actually tend to be heavier and less portable, so it may not be desirable to go for larger screen if you opt for a laptop. However, for desktop computers a 19-inch monitor is desirable especially if you intend to work long hours on the machine. Also, for graphic design activities, you are better off with a large screen so that you won’t need to strain your eyes as you work. LCD screens have basically replaced the CRT monitors. They tend to be more portable, consume less space and less electricity.

• Other basic features – Your computer should have at minimum a cd-drive (DVD drive is actually better, but cost more). Also, you should ensure that it has slots for attaching USB peripherals. Most peripherals now come with USB cables to attach them to the computer. Diskettes, Zip Drives etc are no longer in vogue and are hardly in use, so you may not bother about them.

Example of Different business needs for a computer

Let’s use an example to explain these features. A computer that will be use basically for accounting purpose will need features that are quite different from one that will be used in a music studio. Also, a computer that is to be employed for heavy graphic design will be quite different from one that is just meant for writing letters or corresponding with clients via emails. If you are going to use the computer for graphic intensive activities, you will need to place as priority the memory capacity, a large hard-disk and also fast video cards.

Upgrading the computer and cost of part replacement

Well, having said all that, it is necessary to note that whatever package you decide on, you should carefully find out if it be easily upgraded when you need to. Also, find out the cost of servicing and replacing parts if need be. Some branded computer system tends to be quite expensive in terms of upgrading as their parts are unnecessarily expensive. Don’t overlook this issue because computers are machines and they do break down.

Ask For Help, Don’t be Shy!

If you are in doubt of your ability to pick the right computer for your business even after going through the list. Then your best bet is to take a friend or relative that is knowledgeable (about computers) with you when you go shopping. Never base your purchase decision on the advise of  sales-persons no matter how friendly they are. It is your business and money we are talking about here. Also, don’t be in haste to settle for a deal because it looks cheap. Take time to go around the stores.

Ask for permission to test-run the machine right there in the store and ask as much question as you feel like. Remember, if the store won’t give you their attention now that you have not parted with your money, they most likely will not give you a better attention when you come back calling for assistance.

I wish you great success in choosing the best computer for your business. In my subsequent posts, I will be discussing on how to choose the perfect computer peripherals for your business. If you enjoyed this post how to choose the right computer for your business, say so in a comment. Cheers.

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Computers are nothing more than tools to enhance your productivity. As an entrepreneur, it is necessary to employ recent technology in reducing the cost and time spent in carrying out business operations. However, the cost of introducing and maintaining such must be weighed against the benefit.

In the past, businesses owners carry out their tasks manually. They simply rely on the use of a pen, a paper and of course their mind.Some entrepreneurs still insist that that is the best way to do business. They don’t trust the funny looking machine. WEll that is a ridiculous way to reason. The truth is that the same entrepreneur that is skeptical about the usefulness of a computer is already using a smartphone to do video call. I guess he is not aware that a smartphone is just another computer in a minaturize form.

Really, it is almost impossible to run a business in this generation without employing the use of computers. If you don’t need a computer to do your documentation, you may need it to keep record. Often times the need to receive and send emails or making research online is another reason to get a computer for your business.Attempting to carry out your business tasks without employing the use of computer will simply make the tasks tedious and time consuming.

Can you imagine what it will look like if a MacDonald store in busy commercial spot decide to compute the number of sales, the expenses, the returns on investments, the salary for employees and many other activity that needs computations with a paper and pen. The record can hardly be accurate nor presented on time to management for strategic business decisions. If you get even a basic computer desktop, will no longer have to exhaust your brain in computing or your hand in recording anything. Computers have made running a business operation less stressful to the entrepreneur.

The most important area that computer has added value to business operation is in communication. Unlike before when  the fastest way to communicate with clients and customer was through telephone, now you can use the power of the internet to handle your communication. Voice calls, video calls, online conferencing, Instant Messages and the latest Twitter are some of the wonderful resources that computer and technology has made available for the use of both the big and small business owners.

The beauty of all these is that you don’t need a fortune to own a computer that can get this things done. In my next post, I will be sharing tips on how to choose the right computer for your business! You can get a free update to this post Computers As Tools For Running Your Business by subscribing to my RSS feed.

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If you are an entrepreneur and you need tips on how computers can add value to your business, this is the right place to look.

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• Technology Support For Your Small Business (1)
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