Are you a small business owner or manager who'd rather focus on running the business instead of dealing with technology? You're comfortable using a computer and an Internet connection to conduct business, but beyond that your eyes start glazing over.

Still, you've got a nagging feeling that investing in technology could boost your bottom line and help you grow your business. We get it, and we're here to help guide you. The Basics is our collection of articles to help demystify the jargon (well, as much as possible) and to explain the technology options available for small businesses just like yours.

Features
Business technologies evolve at a staggering pace, but we'll try to slow things down a bit and explain how they fit in the real world and whether they make sense for small business.

Storage
Small business doesn't mean small amounts of information. Storage products can hang from a keychain, sit on your desk or stack on a rack. If your data is growing out of control (and whose isn't?), let us tell you the best ways to store, share and protect your most important asset.

Networking
A network can save time, money and resources, and it can help you run your business more efficiently. Even better news—we can help you navigate those cryptic acronyms and protocols.

Security
If, like most businesses, you rely on the Internet, a host of sophisticated digital vermin threatens your data every day. If it takes down your computers and your connection, it could take your business along with it. Our Security section can help you keep your data safe.

Buyer's Guide
When it comes time to lay your money down, you need to know the difference between a feature that improves the bottom line and one that's just technology for technology's sake. Whether it's ink-jet printers, notebooks or smart phones, we'll help you make sense of what's out there.