Inside Small Business | Small Business & Home Business Marketing

Computer Problems

David Grenda, Founder, Grenda Computer Consulting

This last month has reminded me of an important issue that I seem to run into with increasing frequency. Namely, companies whose decision makers are very uncomfortable with computers and therefore make it difficult to deal with in establishing a working relationship to resolve their computing problems.

I can always tell when I’ve encountered such a business owner when the first question they ask me before I even have a look at their situation is, “How much is this going to cost me?” These individuals are also the most likely to have neglected their computing environment and have the most serious problems. This is not a good combination for a successful resolution.

Whomever you bring in to assist you will have to spend some time simply looking around at various areas of your environment. They will assess the situation and only then make a recommendation regarding cost or effort. If this step does not take place, then you are dealing with an incompetent consultant.

I know this can be nerve wracking for a business owner who doesn’t understand what the consultant is doing to begin with, so be prepared perhaps to pay for an assessment of the problem and recommendation of what to do before any work is actually done.

The lesson is to remember that your computers are much like a work vehicle you depend on to get your job done. You can drive it all day and never think twice about maintenance until it dies on you at the worst time. If you don’t have a trusted source of technical help to watch over things before they become problems, I’d suggest getting one.

If you would like further guidance in considering the options, feel free to drop me an email at david@grenda.com.

Related Topics: Business, Computers, Entrepreneurship, Internet, Money/Finance    1 Comment    

Remote Support Software

David Grenda, Founder, Grenda Computer Consulting

With the internet being just about everywhere we are all working, being able to access any computer from almost any place has become much more common. There are a growing number of products and services out there that allow such flexibility. Covering all the possibilities here isn’t feasible, but I’ll give you a few of the basics to consider as you contemplate an implementation.

VNC or Virtual Network Computing is a term associated with a (generally) freeware product that comes in various flavors. If you Google VNC, you’ll be able to see them all. UltraVNC is an example of a VNC product. It involves loading a “host” on the computer to which you will connect. A “remote” or “viewer” is then loaded on the computer initiating the remote connection to the “host”. The upside of VNC products is they are inexpensive or free, work well, and give you total control over the host/remote programs. The downside is setting them up usually requires some network configuration changes and they are not as flexible in where the host/remote are located.

The next group involves internet based services that allow you to log into their website and connect to your “host” via their site. GoToMyPC, LogMeIn, WebEx are example of well developed services. Be careful to consider cost/term commitment and the flexibility to add/subtract licenses with these. Some have free versions of their service that provide basic but adequate functionality, with added features if you upgrade products.

The internet based services are great because they generally remove the configuration hassles involved in where the host and remote computer are connected to the internet (like a traveling laptop in a different hotel each night).

If you would like further guidance in considering the options, feel free to drop me an email at david@grenda.com. I find a lot of clients who would benefit greatly from providing a flexible work location paradigm for their employees but just aren’t sure how to get started.

Related Topics: Business, Computers, Technology    2 Comments