How to Choose the Right IT Support for Your Small Business

In order for your company's technology to function smoothly, it needs steady support. Support costs money and it should be figured into your budget, but is not always budgeted when it comes to small businesses. I am amazed at the number of small business owners that invest thousands of dollars into equipment and then expect it to never cost anything for maintenance or support. These are the same people who invest tens of thousands in a motor vehicle and have no problem paying hundreds, or even thousands of dollars per year in keeping it maintained and running smoothly. If you think of your office equipment the same way, then it might make more sense when it comes to budgeting for IT support.

While it might seem like a good deal to purchase a phone or on-site support contract from your PC vendor (e.g., Dell, HP, etc.), you will likely be disappointed by the quality and limitations of such a contract that will only cover the equipment it was purchased for. Whereas finding the right IT professional can result in technology support for everything related to your business; including phones, fax machines, printers, scanners, wireless, interoperability, power protection, software support, ergonomic improvements, purchasing decisions, etc.

So, how do you choose the right IT support consultant? First, setup a phone interview with whomever you are considering. Tell them what your long- and short-term goals are. Look for a professional who asks questions about your overall business operations and not just the technologies it uses. Look for a consultant who is concerned with security and preservation of your data. Try to find a consultant who is local to you (within 30 miles) and therefore more readily available in an emergency. Expect questions about what type of PCs and operating systems are on your network, and what software and anti-virus tools are currently in use. Plus questions like: Do your employees use laptops or connect from home? Do your employees carry smart phones? Where is your email and website hosted?

Ideally, the right professional will be able to help with your short- and long-term goals, and will recommend tools that fit the size and type of your business while keeping it as simple as possible for you and your employees to implement.

Some people are impressed by certifications. The truth is that certifications are an indicator that the consultant is smart and knows their business well in theory. However, be sure to ask how long they have been providing IT support. Eight or more years of experience is a good number and significantly more important than certifications.

There are several warning signs to watch out for when dealing with an IT consultant. If the IT professional overwhelms you with computer industry buzzwords and acronyms without explanation, be prepared to say goodbye. Efforts to bewilder you with industry jargon comes from lack of expertise, fear, or arrogance. Either they don't really know what they are doing, or they will be too arrogant to work with. Also, steer clear of crisis-based services that focus on emergency on-site repairs. You want your IT professional to be your partner in technology, not just to put out the occasional fire or apply a bandage to the problem. Be wary of the consultant who claims to know it all. It is not possible for anyone to know it all because there is way too much for anyone to know. A knowledgeable consultant will be the first to admit that she doesn't know everything, but can and will find the solution.

Most of my small business clients consider me their business partner. They don't just ask for IT help, but also for assistance with web marketing, payroll options, newsletters, brochures and other small business endeavors. I don't think you can expect all IT consultants to be this versatile, but finding one with interpersonal skills as well as IT skills can be very advantageous to your small business.

Sandy Coulter
A+ Certified Computer Tech
SEO & Web Marketing Specialist
http://www.geekmeup.com/

Google search is not working properly, what could be wrong?

It has recently come to my attention that there are numerous variants of malware known as TDSS, (the family name of simialr rootkits) that will subtly take over your computer. I have so far seen 2 infected computers. As a result, I have done extensive research and want to alert you to the earliest and most common signs of this type of infection. So far, the exact origins of infections are unknown, but it is probably getting in as a drive-by download from an infected website that the victim visits. Once infected, the files and services installed by TDSS will be hidden, but there are early symptoms that the TDSS infection may display. These symptoms include:

1. Google or other search engine result links will be redirected to unrelated sites. When you search through Google or other search engines and click on one of the search results, instead of going to the correct page you will instead be redirected to an advertisement or a page containing additional drive-by download viruses and malware. Some of the domains you are redirected to may be legitimate companies, but also may contain affiliate links that are dangerous. This is usually the earliest sign of infection.
2. The inability to run various programs including but not limited to: updates to your anti-virus program, Windows or Microsoft Updates, anti-malware programs, etc. When you attempt to run certain programs, you will not receive an error, but they simply will not start. It does this so that you cannot launch anti-virus and anti-malware programs that may help you remove this infection.
3. The inability to access various sites. TDSS is known to block access to many computer help and security sites.
4. Web browsing may be slower than normal.
   

These TDSS rootkit variants are intrusive infections that eventually take over your machine and it is very difficult to remove. The reason it is so difficult to remove is that it runs resident in normal Windows AND in safe mode. Also, the variants keep changing daily or even more often, so that what worked yesterday to remove it on one machine may not work today on another machine. Another issue is that the available tools for removing rootkits often come without instructions or have such complex instructions that the average user is unable to use them, or may use them incorrectly causing permanent damage to the system that could be unrecoverable and lead to data loss. If victims continue to follow the re-directed search engine results, additional malware infections will occur that may result in not being able to do anything on the computer.

Keep in mind that there is no single product that is guaranteed to be able to identify and resolve every case of malware infection that exists, as each version or variant can change several times a day. This email is not intended to alarm you but to raise your awareness so that you will know as early as possible that your machine has been infected and can seek help. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions.


Sandy Coulter

http://www.geekmeup.com/

Do I really need to buy a UPS to protect my equipment?

A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) has internal batteries to ensure that continuous power is provided to your equipment even during a power outage. Of course the UPS can only provide power for a short while, typically a few minutes, but that is often enough to ride out power company glitches or brief outages. Even if the outage is longer than the battery life of the UPS, it provides the opportunity to shutdown your equipment properly.

Rural areas are particularly susceptible to power issues but problems can occur anywhere at anytime. Spikes occur when lightning strikes a transformer. Surges occur when high-powered electrical motors are turned off, releasing extra voltage into the line. Spikes and surges can damage many components including the monitor, motherboard, hard drives or processor. Blackouts and brownouts can also ruin data saved on the hard drive; of course, any work in progress is lost if the lights blink for a moment and you are not connected to a UPS.

Everyone should have a battery back-up or Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for their computer systems, modem/router, and even for laptop computers. Having a laptop that runs on AC with battery removed and plugged in a UPS is considered a best practice. I consider this to be essential especially in areas where there are frequent spikes and surges. I lost a system (motherboard) once because my UPS was too old and no longer functioning. If you don't have a UPS or you have one that is over 3 years old, it is time to get a new one or replace the battery in the old one. Prices are very reasonable now for a decent UPS, and many come with automatic shutdown software in case you are unavailable to shut it down manually. It is also very important to get a UPS that is strong enough to carry the load of your system for a few minutes. Avoid buying unknown brands as they often fail early or are not truly as strong as they claim. If you can not afford a UPS, consider unplugging the computer when not in use. These actions will minimize the chance of major system failure and insure that if the worst does happen, and the computer dies, your valuable data doesn't go down with the system.

Feel free to contact me here if you need help with purchasing a new UPS

What to do with an old working computer?

Another frequently asked question I get is "what should I do with my old working computer now that I have a new one?" Without knowing all the facts, my answer is usually "it depends".

If the machine is less than 6 or 7 years old and your expectations are not on the HD level, it can likely be used to stream Internet video to your TV. This includes streaming from Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Fancast, and others. Now some people may be thinking "why can't I just get that Netflix streaming device for $89.00?" Actually, you can, but this device is primarily designed for use with Netflix and a few other services such as Pandora radio.

If you want to be able to get anything and everything from your PC to your TV, the only way is to connect your PC or laptop to your TV. You may need a PC to TV converter device costing around $50.00 or perhaps a video card with a TV output added to your PC. You will also need a wire that has a headphone jack on one end and RCA left and right channel jacks on the other to bring sound from the PC to the TV. The actual parts required will depend upon your TV's inputs, and this can be accomplished with an older "square screen" TV or a newer widescreen HDTV.

I stream video from my Lenovo netbook using a PC to TV converter, the sound wire described above and an inexpensive handheld remote mouse. The process is nearly seamless and once it gets going, nobody can tell I am streaming off the Internet. I can also run powerpoint presentations on my 32 inch TV, or almost any TV for that matter. Then when I travel, I simply unhook the netbook, put it in my handbag and go.

If streaming from your PC to your TV is not possible or desirable, there are other things you can do with an old PC. You may be able to donate your old PC to a local PC Users Group and receive a tax deduction while ensuring that the data on the hard drive will be totally erased. Please see the Green Computing page of my website for more information.

Sometimes, even broken computer equipment can be recycled, especially laptops. Feel free to contact me if you need help setting up a computer to stream to your TV, or if you have an old or broken laptop that you would like to have recycled.

Stay tuned for answers to more frequently asked questions such as: Can I still get Windows XP on my new computer? and... Will my new computer be compatible with my older computers? and...Do I need to purchase new software for my new computer or can I use my old software?

If you have a general question that you would like to have addressed in a subsequent email, please feel free to submit it to me.

When is the best time to purchase a new computer or laptop?

The answer to this is easy...after the new models are introduced and after the December holiday season is over, the prior models will take a price drop for the sake of clearance. So, from January until the end of the summer is probably a good time to buy. Feel free to contact me if you need assistance with purchasing or would like to have your next machine custom built or configured.

What brand of computer or laptop should I buy?

As we are nearing the end of winter I am reflecting on some of the frequently asked questions I get from my clients and associates.

The number one question I get is "What brand of computer (or laptop) should I buy?" My answer is usually "none". This may seem disappointing, but the truth is that it does not matter much what brand label is on the outside...it is the parts inside that matter and also how they are arranged and connected.

That being said, there are some brands that are notoriously poor in quality, one being HP consumer grade (low end) PCs and laptops. To be fair to HP, I must also say that they make excellent printers and excellent enterprise (business) level computers and servers. Furthermore, my opinion is based on the percentage of HPs presented to me that are not repairable for a reasonable cost. I have also compared my data with that of other consultants and technicians in order to determine that my opinion is valid.

The problem that most consumers face when purchasing is the lack of complete and meaningful specifications provided by the manufacturers, and even if provided, the ability to understand them. You may be looking at a machine that boasts oodles of RAM memory and Hard drive space, but what you won't see is that the power supply is inadequate, the onboard video is poor, or the speed (RPMs and cache) of the hard drive is lower than average.

This is why I always recommend a custom configured or custom built computer where you will have control over the quality of the parts inside. (Unfortunately, it is not practical to custom build a laptop, but it can be custom configured in some cases.)

Another argument for a custom build has to do with warranty. When you purchase a system it generally comes with a 1-year parts warranty, even if the individual parts would normally have a longer warranty. For example, when memory is purchased separately, it usually has a lifetime warranty, for hard drives it can be as long as 5 years, for power supplies up to 5 years, for video cards up to 3 years or more, and for LCD monitors it is also usually 3 years. Its almost criminal that you get cheated out of the parts manufacturer's true warranty because you bought a system with a name brand on it and did not elect to extend the basic warranty by spending considerably more money.

If you have a general question that you would like to have addressed in a subsequent post, please feel free to submit it to me here.

Stay tuned for tips about what to do with your old machine, working or not.