Dr. Nichole Kingham, Speaker, Audiologist, Coach

Small Business Network Guide

Every business needs computers and a stable network. Most business owners need a little help to get this vital system to work the way they need it to for their particular business needs. This guide will help you to understand the terminology that is common in the Information Technology (IT) field. Its goal is to allow you to communicate your needs clearly and concisely with your IT specialist. 

Being able to communicate your needs effectively is important. You might have an understanding of the issue at hand, but without a basic understanding of the terminology and systems, you may find it difficult to easily communicate it to your IT specialist. A good IT specialist will continue to ask questions until clarification is reached and your needs are completely understood. But, not all IT specialists are created equal. Being prepared with a basic knowledge will make sure you have the tools you need to keep the lines of communication open.

This free guide will help you save time and money.

Additionally, this guide will help protect you from making the costly mistake of purchasing products, equipment or services you might not need. Outsourced IT companys are notorious for suggesting products that are neither necessary nor good, long-term investments for solving your business needs. You don't need a $1,700 VPN Firewall or a $7,000 Small Business Server for your company, for example. Trust me, they will try to sell you something. Arm yourself with the basic knowledge of what a small business needs to conduct business on a day-to-day basis and you'll save yourself from a potentially costly mistake.

After reading this guide, you will understand the difference between the two common networks used in small business offices. You should understand them both so that you can see why and when you might switch between the two. By studying this guide, you will also understand the pro's and cons of each network set-up so that you can make an educated choice for which will work best in your office. This will help you make a guided decision of what is best for the current and future growth of your company network. 

And, in this guide you will find step-by-step instructions on how to setup a simple Peer-To-Peer network: a very simple network to set up when you're first starting out or are adding computers to your office. This information will help you get started with very little external IT help.