Small Business Computing Staff

by Steve Bennett & Stacy Miller Options For Financing Copmuter PurchasesSo where to get the moolah? Bank loans have always been one traditional means of funding office equipment, but given the pace at which technology changes, an increasing number of businesses are turning to leasing as a hedge against obsolescence. Leasing also generally offers more […]

by David G. Propson Technology is driving Tom Peters crazy. It’s changing how people communicate. It’s changing how they behave. Most of all, his new series of books informs us, it’s changing how people work. Peters can’t stand that, because it’s what he wants to do. In an example of what psychologists call “graphomania” (excessive […]

by David G. Propson On the Web, a bank isn’t always a bank. Instead of keeping cash safe, they may just keep it. And when the rightful owners can get at it, sometimes so can everybody else. Since 1996 at least 10 warnings about bogus online banks have been issued by the Office of the […]

by Amy H. Blankstein Loud cloud. Beam dream. Deep canyon. Brown truck. This isn’t a free-association psychology test, it’s a new Web-centric way of building a business. A string of Silicon Valley start-ups, along with some of the nation’s biggest and oldest corporations, are creating online products for small companies to automate almost every routine […]

by Chuck Gajeway Before shopping for the best package of ISP services and support, first decide the best way to connect your business to the Internet. There are several different “connection types” to choose from, which range in speeds and performance levels. Prices also vary and availability of certain connections depends on location. Faster communications […]

by Steve Bennett Rating 92 Given a choice of a root canal or attempting to connect to the Internet from a hotel room, most business travelers would opt for the dental procedure. The good news is that you can have your e-mail and travel too, without the hassle or exorbitant phone bill. The answer lies […]

by Charles H. Gajeway WordPerfect Office 2000 Small Business EditionRating 90 When choosing an office productivity suite, it’s easy to go for the obvious choice (we won’t say who). But since it’s one of the most important software purchases a business can make, it’s no time to buy blind. WordPerfect Office 2000 Small Business Edition […]

by Matthew Klare Rating 91 Does your business need a web presence, but you haven’t the faintest idea how or where to start? Surf over to www.wizmo.com and check out their offerings. Wizmo, a subscription based service, can create a site, host it, provide an e-commerce storefront, and even set up a company intranet, all […]

by Daniel Grotta & Sally Wiener Grotta No question, apple’s $1,599 ibook notebook is cute. Its fruit-colored, transparent case gives it more personality than typical gray or beige laptops. With its one-configuration-fits-all approach, the iBook will appeal to iMac aficionados looking for a compatible laptop, but its limitations and relatively high price will probably keep […]

by David Schloss Sitting in front of an accounting package with the company checkbook, a pen, envelopes, a pile of bills, and a book of stamps is a ritual repeated countless times in the life of a business. Checks can languish in the mail resulting in late charges or ruined credit. Even small errors in […]

by David Schloss When Barfield, Murphy, Shank, & Smith, PC, an accounting firm in Birmingham, Ala., opened its doors eight years ago, it employed just 10 full-time professionals. As of three years ago, the company had swelled to 25, and now a staff of 50 serves more than 1,200 clients and generates enough business to […]

by Cathy Brower Recently, our publisher gave me an interesting assignment. He asked me to list the ways we differ from our competition. It got me thinking, and I’d like to share some of those thoughts with you. First of all, who is our competition? It’s hard to say. We’re not a business magazine, but […]