Computer and network technology thoughts from a Greenville small business owner

As a financial officer of a small business in Greenville, I get frustrated when I see other small business owners struggling with technology, or lack thereof.  I understand the need to squeeze the most out of every dime in your business and the thought of not buying something that you can just as well do yourself.  John and I got to know each other years ago over the set-up of a computer network at McAbee’s Carpet.  Now, I’m not suggesting a relationship that develops into a marriage, but you might consider what benefits Homeland Secure IT can offer you to improve your productivity and overall business function.

What part does technology play in your small business?

McAbee’s Carpet, as many people know, is a business that my parents started in the 1960’s.  My mother handled all of the accounting by hand with perfectly documented ledgers that I watched her slave over into the wee hours of the morning most every week night.  Over ten years ago, I convinced her to begin putting the accounting on computer.  She did not trust any computer to match her expertise and continued her manual ledgers for at least three more years until I was able to convince her that both were equal.  Today, of course, all of the accounting is handled through Intuit’s Quickbooks and I’m able to file all the necessary Federal and State Forms from that software.

I now look back and can see the importance of having a soundly structured computer network to work with on a daily basis.  Working off of a network offers me the ability to delegate accounting tasks such as Accounts Receivable entry and invoicing to a co-worker so I don’t have to handle every aspect of daily tasks.  We also have the ability to keep scanned documents and various other important customer information securely on our network.  We have all grown very accustomed to the email and calendar sharing… I don’t know what we did before!

Putting all of our confidence into this computer system now brings up a new worry… backup!  We have a tape drive that is used for daily back-ups, but what if that fails and I do not notice for days or weeks?  What if we had a fire and the tapes were destroyed?  I am certainly not mindful enough to take a tape with me every night.  The new solution that has offered me so much peace of mind is having an online backup system through Servosity.  I get an email in my Inbox every morning that I know to look for which reports that my successful nightly backup is tucked away safely online should I need to retrieve it.  For literally a few dollars every month, I can go home knowing that my data is secure should anything unforeseen occur and I don’t have to do anything!

McAbee’s Carpet is certainly not up to speed with technology today.  But I do find myself getting aggravated when a vendor does not offer online payment now.  I do have a goal of installing a Voice over IP phone system soon.  But for now, I think we are in a place where I have a secure network with a working backup system and an IT company with Homeland Secure IT that I know I can call at anytime for any concerns or problems and they are there the same day to assist me.   I am a supporter and investor of Homeland Secure IT not just as an attempt to keep a husband happy, but because I believe strongly in his passion and ability to provide great service and support to businesses in the Upstate area.