SMB

New Q3 SMB Survey Findings

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New Q3 SMB Survey Findings

Even though small and medium businesses (SMBs) are trying to save every penny in the current economic climate, a new survey from Spiceworks, Inc. – a developer of network and systems management software and market research company located in Austin, Texas – shows that a majority of businesses intend to purchase hardware and software within the next six months. The Q3 survey was designed to look at technology purchasing and staffing trends among SMBs all over the world. The survey took place over the months of July and August by Spiceworks’ Voice of ITTM market research program. Of the 1,130, the majority were IT professionals that support companies with fewer than 500 employees and with annual technology budgets of about $108,000.

Here are some of the findings from the survey:

  • SMBs are letting their desktops, laptops, and servers last them ten more months than normal before purchasing new ones
  • 68% of SMBs plan to add new hardware to their networks in the next six months; this includes 56% buying desktops, 55% buying laptops, 45% buying new servers, 31% buying new printers, 27% buying new network devices, and 13% buying notebooks
  • The average new order consists of 13 desktops, 10 laptops and two servers
  • At 37%, new hardware makes up the largest part of SMB IT budgets
  • 51% of businesses are planning to buy new software. 32% of that will go to security and anti-spam solutions software. Of those, about one third plan to buy cloud-based security and anti-spam offerings.
  • 44% of SMBs are using virtualization solutions. 21% of SMBs’ total server capacity is currently virtuatlized, but over the next six months, 30% plan to expand virtualization in their networks.
  • 25% plan to purchase backup and recovery items within the next six months. Of those, 75% plan to store date on-site and the remaining 25% plan to utilize cloud-based storage. 42% of date will be stored on network-attached storage or storage area network devices; 38% will be stored in local and direct-attached storage; 7% will be hosted off-site; and 13% on tape or other media.
  • 57% of SMBs currently use a cloud computing service. The three most popular include anti-spam, hosted email, and online back-up.
  • As expected, budgets shrank in 2009. 39% cut their budgets (averaging cuts of 22%), 31 kept their budgets the same, and 30% grew their budgets (averaging growths of 27%).
  • 60% of SMBs had to cancel at least one planned 2009 project due to the economy
  • As far as hiring goes, 22% of SMBs plan to hire additional full and part-time staff. Only 3% plan to reduce their staff size.

In a statement, Jay Hallberg, co-founder and vice president of Marketing for Spiceworks, said it’s good to see SMBs showing signs of growth and spending, “Most are clearly ready to buy and it will be interesting to watch how these plans play out among different geographies, industries and company sizes. We will track these and other technology trends of interest in future studies.”

New Cisco Products for SMB

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New Cisco Products for SMB

Cisco Systems recently launched a line of new products and services for small businesses. The company says these new products and services will help Sisco fit the needs of smaller companies and increase profitability. This comes after the networking company put $100 million into SMB initiatives, rebranded its Linksys products as “Cisco Small Business,” and wrapped its Linksys small business partners into the Cisco channel.

According to Andrew Sage, vice president of worldwide small business sales for Cisco, “Fiscal Year 2010 is the year of execution for sales and the channel, the product suite and services for the SMB. Last year we were as committed, but now it’s more concrete.”

At the Cisco Partner Summit, the company unveiled several new services for the SMB market, including ESW 500 Series Switches, switches that integrate with other Small Business Pro portfolio products to build solutions for small businesses. The product comes in 24 and 48 port models, has optional PoE, and a five year warranty and is available starting at $659 to $3,299. For transitioning SMB clients to VoIP, Cisco has launched the SPA8800 IP Telephony Gateway. The box allows small businesses to connect their open-source IP PBX to their current analog phones and fax machines. This product will cost around $600.

Cisco also launched the PVC300 IP Camera, an IP surveillance video camera that captures live video that can viewed anywhere, including on mobile phones. The camera includes software with the ability to manage up to sixteen cameras at once, has pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities, and sends alerts when any motion is detected, integrating with alarms, doors sensors, and security systems. The camera is available for $794.

Version 1.5 of the Cisco Smart Business Communications System was also debuted at the summit. The new version has WebEx Phone Connect for getting to an online meetings in one click, Cisco TimeCard View, and single-number reach and third party networking monitoring and management applications. This system starts at about $450 per user.

In addition to the products, Cisco added several new services as well, including the Small Business Pro Service – a three year technical support coverage plan with next-day hardware replacement and extended support center access. The company also offers community-based support via a virtual community. Rebates for Select certified partners that participate in the global Partner Development Funds program will offer up to $15,000 until July 25. Partners can also leverage extended channel financing for 90 days or six months. Cisco will also be adding a “Buy Now” button on their website for certain SMB products, new smart designs for small business. They are also offering more customer incentives including migration strategies from Linksys gear, discounts of five to seven percent and price reductions of up to 25 percent on the SBCS system.

Partners are encouraged about Cisco’s focus on SMB. “It’s going to make it easier for us to sell products,” Robert Betzel, president and CEO of Infinity Network Solutions told CRN.

Firing Bad Customers

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Sometimes, when customers are excessively rude, tell half truths and run up costs because of being a ‘high maintenance’ customer, we fire them.

Just fired a customer today. I thought he was going to jump through the phone and choke me. Good thing is was a phone firing.

I think in the long run we are better off because we will be able to dedicate resources to more productive clients and projects.

Still I struggle with any client loss. In these tough times, firing a customer is something that on the surface seems to fly in the face of logic.

Accounting Tips For SMB Owners

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Accounting Advice for SMB OwnersWhen running an SMB there are lots of pitfalls one should watch out for, and accounting practices are one major concern. Many SMBs employ an outside accounting firm to “keep their books”, and this can be a very good idea. However, it is also wise to learn accounting basics or tips yourself. Here are a few accounting tid-bits that an SMB owner may want to know:

1. Protect your company from check fraud – Ask that your bank never cash a check made out to an individual, with the exception of payroll checks.

2 Keep up to date on all tax rules and changes in accounting rules – Government tax rules change on a regular basis. It is a good idea to keep track of these changes yourself. You should never blindly depend on your accountant.

3. Review all cost and expenses – You should review your invoices often. Don’t play catch up with your records; use them to find ways to cut costs and also to find better and cheaper suppliers. Doing this will save you money in the long run

4. Keep your business and personal accountants separated – Many business owners keep one account for personal and business finances. This can cause problems when tax time comes. Keep things separated, it will make things much more simple when it comes time to track your business finances, moreover it will make creating a personal budget less of a problem.

5. Double and triple check your numbers – Many company’s pay the same bill twice due to accounting errors, costing them large amounts of money and many hours of labor to correct. If you check, check and recheck your numbers you will catch errors before it’s too late.

6. Keep records of bills paid – Your financial records and invoices serve two purposes. One, they can be used for cost control. But two is much more important, they can also be used when tax time comes around.

7. Basic is a good thing – An accounting system should be simple and easy for you to use. Having more than one checking account when one will do can make things much harder. So keep it simple.

8. Accounting software – Accounting software is easy to use and most packages are affordable. Many of these programs, such as Quickbooks, will turn your receipts into financial reports, making it a great tool for any SMB.

9. Hire someone to help at the office – It is best to be well versed in accounting, but having someone to help you is often the best way to keep things in line. Accountants are an invaluable extra set of eyes helping to watch your money.

By: Randy Lewis

Benefits of Business Projectors

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Business ProjectorsBusiness projectors are today are becoming more and more of an invaluable tool in promoting business growth for SMB’s. Projectors can be used to accomplish a wide number of tasks efficiently such as training new employees, giving market proposals, and displaying important fiscal data. Getting a business projector often times makes good financial sense, from large corporations to small home offices.

Projectors display information in a precise and clear and are perfect for presentations and conferences. Business projectors allow the speaker to create dynamic and unique presentations to draw the audience in. Using projection equipment will get your point across more effectively than simply talking. Visual aide will also help the speaker keep his place and not get sidetracked. With the information displaying on a screen in front of you, viewers can take notes easier and a speaker will be more effective on a topic.

If you are thinking about purchasing business class projector, you may want to consider renting a projector first. Projector rentals are great for short term business projects such as new employee training and offer great diversity throughout the work place. Renting a projector will also allow a business to evaluate the projector and determine if they want to spend a large amount of money on a permanent projector.

HSA Raises Contribution Limits for SMBs

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Great news for all those SMBs with employee HSA account holdders, the 2008 HSA Contribution and Out-of-Pocket Maximums and High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) Minimums have been raised.

The new Maximum Contribution for 2008:
* Increases the maximum contribution to $2,900 (individual coverage) $5,800 (family coverage) regardless of deductible and number of months in the high deductible health plan.

* Catch-up contribution (age 55 and over): $900 for 2008
As an FYI, funds contributed in excess of $6,700 ($5,800 + $900 catch-up) attributable to 2008 will be rejected for “over contribution.” The comparable level is $6,450 ($5,650 + $800 catch-up) for 2007.

Maximum out-of-pocket – increases to $5,600 for individual coverage (up from $5,500) and to $11,200 for family coverage (up from $11,000) for 2007
Minimum deductible for qualified high deductible health plans remains at $1,100 for individual coverage and at $2,200 for family coverage

Read the HSA Case Study

E-Mail Archiving For SMB’s

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E-mail ArchiverAlthough SMB’s have been slow to adopt e-mail archiving solutions, mainly because of the cost, the adoption rates of e-mail archiving solutions have been growing steadily over the past two years. The fact of the matter is, an e-mail archiving solution in todays market can save SMB’s money.

SMB’s today are finding that they have too many e-mail in their inboxes, too much e-mail overall, and many SMB’s want to get their data off of their email servers to a secondary storage device. An e-mail archiving solution will solve all three of these problems. Accompanied with a spam filter, an a-mail archiving solution would increase the performance of your e-mail servers and increase productivity.

The possibility of a lawsuit is yet another reason to get an e-mail archiving solution. E-mail is becoming to play a huge factor in court battles and many businesses are expected to produce relevant e-mails and electronic evidence. Businesses can be held liable if they do not take the proper steps to maintain e-mail records.

It is estimated that businesses can not only mitigate their risk of lawsuit, but also save up to $100,000 in related legal fees and labor costs in the event of a lawsuit. Your SMB will also save money from improved e-mail server performance and productivity, lower storage cost, and overall operational and maintenance cost of your e-mail servers.

Source: ComputerServiceNow

What’s not covered in an SMB HSA

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HSAs can make employee paychecks go further, but what are some of the downsides to HSA?
HSA stands for Health Savings Account. For more information on HSA’s visit the Wiki page on HSA

One downside is that many things are not covered. The following expenses are not eligible for reimbursement under a Health FSA, HRA or HSA:

Annual medical contract fees for exclusive provider care Arch supports, knee wrist braces (unless prescribed for a specific medical condition) Breast pumps (unless medically required to care for a premature infant) Blood pressure machines (unless prescribed by a physician as medically required for constant monitoring of blood pressure due to a
medical condition) Cosmetic surgery Dental bleaching or any other teeth whitening Domestic help fees (for services of a non-medical nature) Electric toothbrushes replacement brushes Electrolysis or hair removal Hair transplant Health club dues/memberships (unless part of a medically prescribed regimen to treat a specific condition) Humidifiers (unless prescribed by a physician to treat a specific medical condition) Insurance premiums of any kind (see below exceptions for HRA and HSA) Laetrile, even if prescribed by a doctor, is not reimbursable. Lens replacement insurance Marijuana, even if prescribed for medicinal purposes, is not reimbursable. Massage therapy (unless prescribed by a physician to treat an injury or trauma, or for rehabilitative purposes) Over the counter items which are items not categorized as a medicine or drug and may include, but are not limited to, hot pads, support
pillows, bandages, ACE wraps, nail clippers, pumice stones, feminine hygiene products, etc. are not reimbursable (unless used to treat
a specific medical condition). Over-the-counter toiletries or personal hygiene items which may include, but are not limited to shampoo,
toothpaste, conditioners, hand creams, deodorant, shaving cream, razors, dental floss, body powders, hair gels/sprays, make-up, nail
polish accessories, soap, mouthwash, etc. are not reimbursable. Physical therapy treatments for general well-being Supplements – The cost of supplements taken for general well-being are not reimbursable. However, the cost of supplements taken to
alleviate a specific medical condition is reimbursable. A physician should substantiate the diagnosis of a specific medical condition
and acknowledge that the supplement being used alleviates the medical condition diagnosed. Tuition for special schools (unless it is a special school to treat a specific condition such as blindness, speech, etc.) Union dues Vitamins – Daily multi-vitamins taken for general well-being are not reimbursable. Vitamins taken to treat a specific medical condition
are reimbursable. A diagnosis of the medical condition should accompany the vitamin claim. Prenatal vitamins obtained by prescription
are reimbursable. Weight loss machines
Source: Cigna

Here are some SMB employee and employer concerns we will review:
What are the excluded HSA Expenses?
What are the HSA Contribution Limits?
Is an HSA Taxable to the Employee or Employer?
What are some HSA things I should know?

Part 1 in 10 Year Case Study on an SMB

Utilizing Your Day To The Fullest

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Something I suffered from in the past was lack of an effective time management strategy for my work day. A good time management strategy will help you to accomplish what you want to accomplish in a day faster, and it will help you get more individual tasks completed daily. Here’s a list of some techniques to help you better utilize the time you have:

* Create a list of tasks to complete each day
Plan ahead and compile a list of things you want to get done every day. Throughout your day go through and consult your list, and check off tasks as you complete them.
* Put follow-up items on your list for the next day or two
If you have a task that you just can’t squeeze in today, go ahead and start an advance list and put it on tomorrow or the day after’s agenda.
* Bring forward unfinished work from the previous day
Items on your agenda that you haven’t completed can be added to the next day’s agenda and finish them then.
*Keep track of due dates
Use your list to keep track of when tasks need to be completed.
* Keep a list of monthly priorities
A list of things you need to do between one month and the next will be helpful in compiling your list of daily activities.
* Keep track of long-term commitments
Something so far in the future that it couldn’t be placed on your daily, tomorrow, or monthly list needs to be kept track of somehow as well.
* Keep your work area clean and organized
Lack of organization will lead to a lot of time wasted when you’re searching for something you need.
* Keep all your current work in a single area
Multitasking is a necessity, it happens. Make yours go smoother by keeping all your resources for your current projects in a single location.
* Get rid of old documents that you no longer need
Try to keep the amount of files you have on-hand to a bare minimum. Throw out the stuff from a few months ago that you will never need to reference again.

Not all of these strategies will work for everyone, but I think that if you give it some effort they can all have a positive impact on your work efficiency.

sources: Tom Mochal, Tech Republic

SMBs to IBM – We can’t hear you!

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In a recent blog post about IBM losing SMB computer resellers, it has become clear that IBM needs to step up the offerings and communication to SMBs.

Photo: IBM Chief, Sam Palmisano

According to a CRN poll, SMBs are jumping ship to board the HMS Dell and HP computer reseller programs.

IBM needs to overcome its long standing focus on large corporate customers and resellers and redouble its efforts in the SMB computer reseller community.

Read more about IBM SMB Computer Resellers