Lean and Mean in Michigan

Michigan's economy flat out sucks and in times like these it is more important than ever to run your business lean. Lean - cut the fat. Lean has no fat and fat is waste. Small businesses that have too much waste end up out of business. Waste (fat) equates to time, money, and loss of business. In a hostile economic environment, too much fat will make you sink.

Being lean doesn't mean not spending money. The name of the game is quality and efficiency and if your company can provide great service while maintaining both quality and efficiency then you are lean. I prefer to let my company's service speak for itself versus dumping resources in to aggressive mass-marketing. As a matter of fact, Vision's biggest source of new business is referrals and that is marketing you can't beat.

A lean business hires the best people and pays them what they are worth while maintaining high expectations. Being lean means wearing multiple hats and wearing them well. Lean companies will put the customer first and do what it takes to make them happy. Lean companies will also identify and fire "problem customers."

If you are a small business in Michigan and rely on other Michigan businesses; if you are still in business today then you are doing something right. I prefer to think of this as "survival of the fittest." Let all the marginal companies fall by the wayside - more business for us to serve and when the economy swings I will be ready to hold on for the ride.

Small Business Technology Consultants

Technology for small businesses has managed to become both more simple and more complex at the same time. A well done technology solution from the beginning may be complex, but the payoff to you as the business owner manifests itself in a solution that is simple to use - allowing you and your user to become more efficient in their day to day activities.

A good technology consultant will take all the complexity out of the technology setup. A good technology consultant will sit with you and listen to what your wants are, then tell you what you need to make that happen. You should have your expectations fully set by the time you make your investment in your technology solution.

Good technology consultants do exist for the small businesses. If you need an example - please have a look!

There's a Time and Place For a Server

Purchasing a server can be a scary proposition for some small business owners. Sometimes I will meet with a client and he or she will outline what their expectation of a technology plan for their company is and just throw the term "server" into the mix. The question is typically "how will I know when I need one?"

If you have a small business that runs five or more computers on a peer to peer network, chances are you are a great candidate for a server. As a matter of fact, if you fall under this category, if you have not already budgeted for a small, business-class server then you should begin this process soon.

A good technology provider can help you with this process. Although the cost of the actual hardware can be moderate, the actual implementation of a server has more costs than just the purchase of hardware. Your IT infrastructure will experience a paradigm shift in the way it functions and operates on a daily basis. Your users will experience a change in how they do things and require simple training. Moving to a server environment will bring you many conveniences and open up a lot of doors for expansion and capability down the road, but it most be planned and designed accordingly. Never expect a technology company to just drop a quote in your lap for a server without doing their homework ahead of time!

Remote Connectivity Options for the Small Business

A common discussion I have with small business owners is how to provide remote access to their office network for them or their staff. Most people think this is a difficult capability to provide, but the reality is with a little know-how and proper design, there are different ways to provide this access.

I. VPN - Virtual Private Networking (VPN) can be established in many different ways. My preferred method is to use an actual appliance such as the Cisco ASA5505 firewall as the VPN concentrator (the point that you connect to). I prefer this over using the actual server as the point of contact, although this feature is built in to many Microsoft server operating systems. With VPN access and proper configuration, you have full access to all of the resources on your network as if you were sitting in the office. The downside is you are not sitting in your office, thus everything happens over the Internet and consequently speed becomes a factor.

II. Remote Web Workplace (RWW) - This is a feature built in to Microsoft Small Business Server. It allows for connecting directly to your computer at work from a remote computer right through Internet Explorer. You essentially control your office computer remotely and this enables you to perform all the usual functions that you are used to on your office computer over the Internet through the browser.

III. Outlook over the Internet - Most people think you need a VPN setup in order to access email remotely, but in truth the latest version of Exchange and Outlook provide for what is known as Outlook over the Internet. This basically allows you to open Outlook and use it on any remote computer and have it connected to your office Exchange email server.

IV. Freebies! - Logmein.com has a great free piece of remote control software that once you install it on your computer, you can connect to it from virutally anywhere through their website using a password. This is a nice solution because it is free and it requires to firewall or router configuration. There are many providers out there now of software like this.

V. Hosted Network Drives - A service we provide at Vision provides software that you can install that will allow all users to access the same data via a mapped drive (i.e. F:) right through the "My Computer" shortcut. This requires a small software installation but gives users access to the same data without having to purchase or design a server.

The list goes on. There are quite a few ways to provide for remote access and they do not require a lot of time or money. The payback, however, can be great for those who want to work from home or define a vacation as "working from a tropical location."

Small Business Networks Platform Diving

Watching the commercial for the new Macbook Air for the 400th time is not what necessarily bothered me. This new system is cool, very lightweight, and let's face it Mac computers are pretty. I have had firsthand experience with the new Macbook Air and they are nice! No, I think what bothers me is the music on the Macbook Air commercial, New Soul (the name of the song). If there is one thing I have learned about any Mac commercial is that they have the uncanny ability to make me dislike certain songs - songs that I may have found myself liking if only I had been exposed to them in a different manner. Once I hear the same clip from the same song for the 400th time I can effectively say I will never like that song. Unfortunately, due to Apple's repetitve mass marketing efforts, pretty much any song from any Apple commercial I would now rather not hear.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised then when I walked into a client's office to find him with his freshly unpacked Macbook Air, whistling that tune - asking me to connect it to his Windows network. Don't get me wrong, I love Mac computers. I am not a fanatical Windows user who hates any other system. Actually, I think most people fall into Pro-Microsoft or Anti-Microsoft but I couldn't really care one way or another. What I do care about is the fact that this business owner who wanted me to connect up his new Macbook Air now expected to be able to access everything on his company network seemlessly as if he had a Windows XP computer sitting in front of him. Well without getting into the gory details, let's just say it took much more training and time then he wanted to spend on it and eventually he just took it home to use as a home computer; effectively replacing it with a new Dell laptop.

Does Mac have a place in the business networking environment? I get asked this a lot because more people are starting to see the value and steadiness (and simplicity!) of the Mac. My answer is typically "no" to these people. Can it be done? Absolutely. Is it seemless? Nope! Most (above 80%) small businesses that run at least one server do so on a Microsoft operating system. Mac and Windows, althought competitors, can talk to each other but it isn't seemless. The next natural question then is "Well can't I run an Apple server?" Sure, and this practice is becoming a little more common, but for simplicity, support, and familiarity most people want to stick with Windows.

In a business, I tell people that if you are going to purchase and use a Mac then it should be for graphics and multimedia purposes (even though a PC can handle these functions just fine). Other than that, until Mac makes more of a footprint in the market share then my clients will not be the pioneers who are forging ahead with this effort. Simply put: for small business networks, use Microsoft products. Cost is relatively low, and provided the design is sound you will have a network that hums along with no problems.

Mac is beautiful, but it's not curtains for Windows. Not just yet.

Michigan IT Consulting Firms: Choosing the Right Partner for your Business

Your business relies on technology and computing systems that are becoming more complex by the second. Trusting mission-critical systems to simple backups and upgrades is no longer enough Many small to medium-sized businesses are finding themselves in need of a solid IT firm to manage their technology needs rather than relying on their “friend of a friend”, or part-time computer technician. Here are some tips to greatly increase the odds you choose the right IT consulting firm for your business.

1. Determine your company’s high-level technology needs. Do you have any specific wants or needs, such as email, a website, or a server? Are you concerned about data security or disaster recovery plan? What is it about your significant business processes that can be improved on by technology? What kind of growth do you expect in the next 1-3 years and how will your current technology solution handle it? Is someone even helping you plan for this growth? These are the types of overarching questions you should consider before you consult with an IT firm. Having a list created is key to relating your desires to the IT firm and also provides good basis for a conversation that can be elaborated on. You may not be familiar with your technical options that exist so let your IT firm help you. The IT firm with which you contract should provide a technical assessment that identifies the current state of your technology and learns how it interacts with your day-to-day business functions. How can an IT firm support you in a cost effective manner if they are not familiar with your specific setup?

2. Make sure the IT firm you select has adequate resources. Your business probably needs 24/7, 365 day support. What does the IT firm have in place to accommodate this level of service? Do they proactively monitor? Do they have offer expedited service? Computers crash at the most inopportune times and your computing needs often do not take holidays. If you contract with a sole proprietor you will be putting your business operations and data at risk by relying on a single individual that can become ill, be out of town, etc. Making sure they are an established firm with a good track record of service to numerous clients is an invaluable, mandatory step in choosing your IT service provider.

3. Ask IT firms about their processes. Like any business, an IT firm should have established business processes and procedures on how they operate on a daily basis. If these core processes are non-existent then how will the IT firm bring any type of order to your chaos? During the initial meeting, a IT firm should be able to quickly describe their maintenance, repair, service, and support processes and show examples of documentation. Ask about their company’s philosophy, mission statement, and examples on how they practice that mission statement every day.

4. Check references and certifications. Ask potential IT companies for at least 3 corporate references and speak to them. Trust is a difficult asset to hand out to a new IT firm, so speak with someone who has already made the leap. You can also ask for a list of certifications such as Microsoft’s Gold-Certified program which assure the company has been through intensive training and quality control programs.

5. Evaluate the personalities. Ask to meet the folks in the company with whom you will have the most interaction. Are they condescending tech geeks or friendly and approachable professionals in whom you can trust. Remember these folks will have access to all your company data – choose carefully. You are looking to create a trusting relationship so make sure you like them!

Peter Marsack is the Director of Technology for Vision Computer Solutions – a Michigan IT consulting firm based in Northville, MI. Founded in 1995, Vision Computer Solutions offers computer and technology services to businesses and residential customers in southeast Michigan. Headquartered in Northville, Michigan, Vision Computer Solutions is a Microsoft Gold-Certified Partner and Microsoft Small Business Specialist.