More on Cloud Computing and File Backup

 
A recent – and apparently irreparable – crash of my Microsoft Outlook got me thinking about cloud computing and backing up files, again.

So, I went online and located a web-based calendar program with every intention of using it to replace Outlook. But, I couldn’t do it. As I began entering personal information into the program, I realized that – even though I know it’s protected – I didn’t want that stuff just floating around in cyberspace.

I know it’s irrational, but it’s not the first time I’ve been accused of that. I bought a paper calendar and am now using it instead.

All this led to a slightly different approach to using the Internet to run your business. Perhaps, if you’re irrationally paranoid, like me, you’re better off installing the programs you need on your computer and storing your files in a safe place online, instead of just being “out there” in cyberspace. Your files are always backed up and you have access to them from wherever you are.

There are many options for regular online file back up and I should mention now that I haven’t signed up for any of them – yet – so can’t make any specific recommendations. Here are a few that I researched:

Mozy (www.mozy.com) offers 2 GB free and unlimited back up starting at $4.34 a month.

Norton – from Symantec – (www.symantec.com/norton/) offers 25 GB for $49.99 a year.

Mediamax (www.mediamax.com) has an interesting twist, adding a sharing and collaboration option. This addresses one of my concerns, easily accessing, using, and updating files stored online, which essentially uses your online backup like another hard drive.

Filesanywhere (www.filesanywhere.com) is a little pricier, with cost is based on storage size. It also has file sharing options as well as backup.

Long story short, online file backup is easy and inexpensive, so do it. With a little research, you may also be able to use a modified version of cloud computing, keeping the more robust software you now have, and still have easy access to all your documents from wherever you are.

Business Plan Free Download

 
Slowly but surely, the free downloads are, well, being uploaded…

The latest is How To Use a Business Plan to Build Your Business which is a brief overview of what you should have in your business plan to make it an effective business and marketing tool.

Outsourcing: A Blessing for Small Business?

 
Depending on your situation, outsourcing can be a blessing or a curse.

But for businesses, it’s almost always a blessing, which is way so many jobs that used to be done in the U.S. are now being done in other countries. And, the determining factor is profitability.

This is true for small businesses as well as large. You may never have to worry about moving a call center to India or opening a manufacturing facility in South Korea, but the same principle of outsourcing still applies. Your concern is the continued profitability and success of your business and one of the best ways to ensure that is through cost management.

Employees are a huge expense for any business.  Especially in this economy, you can’t afford to have employees that aren’t producing at maximum efficiency – and sometimes you can’t even afford to keep those who are if you want to keep your doors open.

Enter the contract employee.

A recent article in Time magazine, titled The Way We’ll Work, predicts that approximately 40% of the workforce in 2019 will be independent contractors, compared to 26% today. This indicates that as companies become more and more efficient, they’ll trim employees and other expenses and use resources outside their company to meet their needs.

This is good news for small business owners – and for contractors as well. It’s much more efficient and profitable to hire someone for a specific project than to keep them permanently on staff, just as contractors can charge a premium for their services.

Business owners:

1. Can save on salary by hiring contractors for a specific project, although they may have to pay a relative premium for the service.
2.  ave on benefits, because they don’t have to pay any (that’s one reason contractors charge more).
3. Can shop around for the best person or company to handle the project, whether they’re local, national, or international.
4. Don’t have to deal with as many employee hassles.
5. Can be flexible to handle a changing business environment, increasing or decreasing staff to meet their needs.

It’s a win for contractors as well. They:

1. Don’t have to sit in an office just to collect a paycheck – even if there’s nothing to do.
2. Don’t have to worry about being laid off.
3. Can grow their own business to whatever size they’d like.
4. Can reduce the effect of economic fluctuations on their profitability by developing a broad client base.

The shift to a contractor-based economic model presents some challenges, but the change is already taking place. How often does a small business have an accounting or legal department, or ad agency on staff? It’s just a matter of time before many of the functions once thought to be indispensable will be outsourced, to the benefit of everyone involved.  

Wise business owners will evaluate their needs and transition to an outsourcing model to remain competitive and profitable. And the employees whose jobs are eliminated? Well, they could be excellent contractors. After all, they already understand your business and the job they’re contracting to perform.