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Posts Tagged ‘business owners’

Businesses Going the ‘Green’ Way

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

If you have used, broken, or no longer needed I.T. equipment, you may be tempted to toss it in the trash bin outside and watch it be hauled away. But there are two important reasons to refrain from doing that: one, you’re throwing away money; and two, adding more lead-based equipment to a landfill isn’t good for the environment.

If you’re a company that wants to go green, here are some important steps to take to reduce your company’s carbon footprint.

First and foremost, don’t throw away I.T. equipment! There are reliable alternative hardware providers like MULTI-LINK Communications (MLCP) that will accept your old equipment (even if it’s broken) for a trade-in credit, or will even sell your used equipment (like a Cisco 7905 IP phone) on consignment whether or not your buy anything from them at all. Let MLCP refurbish and try to sell your equipment and all you have to do is cash the check once it sells. Not only will someone else struggling to afford the right I.T. equipment for their company benefit, but so will you financially, and so will generations to come with fewer landfills.

You can also remind staff, vendors, customers, etc. to reduce paper waste by simply adding “Please consider the environment before printing this email” to the bottom of every email sent internally and externally from your staff. Sometimes, people just need a reminder to think before hitting that print button and saving paper not only saves trees, but also reduces supply costs.

Offering a recycling program at work will encourage to bring recyclables from home and not only eliminate how much recyclable material goes into residential trash, but the money can be used to donate to a local school, buy a new microwave for the break room, or given away to the employee (or team) of the month who brings in the most recycling.

Going green doesn’t have to be expensive. It can actually save you money, encourage respect for the environment with your staff, and keep the planet healthy for generations to come.

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Quality Refurbished Equipment from a Source You Can Trust

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

If you’re one of the many business owners who needs to tighten your belt to adjust to the downturn in the economy, purchasing refurbished equipment for your upgrade instead of buying new, or purchasing used hardware to accommodate a downsize may be the most cost-efficient option for you.  Refurbished equipment is certainly less expensive for obvious reasons, but is it reliable?  The fear of buying anything used is the question of reliability and ultimately, if a product doesn’t last or work the way it’s supposed to, the savings is quickly offset by lost time and additional hardware.  So is it better to bite the bullet, pay significantly more, and buy new?  Or is it safe to assume that refurbished hardware is reliable enough to deliver on its promise of savings?

The simple answer is… it depends.  Like buying a ‘pre-owned’ car, some dealerships are much better than others.  While most of us wouldn’t think twice about buying a year old BMW from a reputable BMW dealer, we might not purchase one from the independent car lot that just opened up down the street.  The same logic applies to networking equipment and computer hardware for the same reasons.  Finding a reputable company that not only does a high volume of business, but tests and warrants refurbished equipment will definitely dictate whether your experience is a pleasant one or not. 

There are three things you should look for in the company you plan to buy refurbished equipment from:

First, find out how long they’ve been in business.  Longevity usually means more experience and solid business practices.

Second, look for specifics on the number of times a product is tested, and how long the used products remain under warranty.  Good companies will guarantee a used product for the same length of time that the manufacturer guarantees the same product new.  Some even offer better warranties than the manufacturer.

Third, ask the company if they have the product in stock or not.  If a company maintains a large inventory, and doesn’t have to hunt down, test, and refurbish a product after you’ve ordered it, that means faster lead times and you’ll end up with the product in your hand much more quickly.

If you follow those tips for finding the right company, you can feel much more comfortable in knowing that the hardware you’ve purchased will be delivered on time, in good condition, and will last at least as long as the manufacturer expected the same product would last if you purchased it new.  These companies exist, but so do the less reliable, fly-by-night companies.  Do your research.  It’ll pay off in the long run.

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Don’t Spend More than You Need when You’re Starting Up

Monday, January 5th, 2009

When we first set up the company, we really didn’t know what our needs were going to be.  Would we be wildly successful or would we fail in our first year?  Not knowing makes it difficult to plan and we didn’t want to buy a bunch of computer hardware and telephone systems that were way beyond our reach.  We didn’t have the money.  Luckily, we went with the Cisco Unified IP Phones 797XG/GE.  We thought it would be best to start small and then expand if the time ever came to do so.  Thank goodness it did.

Last week, we purchased the Cisco Unified IP Phone Expansion Module 7914 which extends the capabilities of the phone system we already had (apparently it also works with the Cisco Unified IP Phones 79GXG/G-GE) by adding fourteen buttons and an LCD display.  The best thing about adding the expansion module is that we could choose which phones actually needed it (our part-time bookkeeper didn’t need it at all), so we again, we had control over how much we spent and weren’t put in a position to buy a bunch of fancy stuff we didn’t need.

Long story short, my advice to new business owners is to look at IT hardware purchases realistically.  While it’s always nice to dream about where you want to be once you’ve increased sales and started to grow, the reality of now is more important.  And mistakes you make now (like wasting money on an architecture that handles way more than your current needs entail) can make or break you in your first year.  Be smart.  Upgrading later on isn’t as difficult as you’d imagine it is and some companies even offer refurbished equipment at huge discounts making the upgrade down the road easy and affordable—should you get there.  And I hope you do.

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Going Green at Work

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

‘Going green’ seems to be a hot-button phrase these days as experts continue to predict how consumption and manufacturing will affect the world in years to come.  As packaging and production of hardware comes under scrutiny, many responsible business owners are looking for a way to reduce their carbon footprint on the earth at work as well as at home.

What are some ways business owners can do this without reducing profit?  We came up with three:

1.  Create a recycling/reduction plan.

We don’t just mean putting a paper-only few recycling bins around the office.  We mean a real plan.  One that includes the recycling of paper, plastics, and office products like toner cartridges that can be sent back at no charge to companies like Dell who encourage recycling.  Establish a point person in the office who will take care of implementing a recycling plan.  Post a sign above the copy machine reminding staff to be sure the copier is set for the size of paper they need before running erroneous copies that will be thrown in the trash.

2.  Purchase refurbished IT equipment.

With technology now moving at lightning speed, many companies find themselves upgrading hardware including desktop computers, phones, switches and routers, more often than they ever did before. Buying these products refurbished means one less router that will end up in a land fill.  Find a reputable company like MULTI-LINK Communications Products that sells reliable refurbished equipment guaranteed by a warranty and you’ll be in as good of shape as if you’d purchased the product new from manufacturers like Cisco or 3Com.  You can also sell your used equipment back to MLCP.  They’ll refurbish and resell it (providing you with trade-in credit of course), which allows other companies to reduce their waste as well.

3.  Encourage employees to reduce personal waste.

Encourage your staff to use re-usable, washable Ziploc containers for lunches instead of disposable ones. Provide washable coffee cups, flatware, and water glasses instead of paper or plastic ones.  Devise a system where staff can take turns washing the cups at the end of the day or install a dishwasher in the employee lounge.  Include tips on ‘going green’ in company newsletters or in staff meetings.  Hold contests for employees who bring in the most recycling or challenge them to raise money through recycling and donate it to a local school or charity.

‘Going Green’ is a good idea not just because it’s the right thing to do.  But companies that make the effort to take these steps tend to be attractive to ecology-minded consumers who appreciate working with and purchasing from businesses who share their goals of preserving the environment for future generations.  Some consumers only buy from companies they know are like-minded in the green efforts. Why not be one of the growing number of businesses dedicated to reducing waste and consumption and making this planet a better place?

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Affordable Hardware Opens the Secrets of the Internet

Friday, November 21st, 2008

The internet is the most powerful tool a business can have today.  And you either use that tool correctly, or you don’t.  The second can be deadly.  In a day and age when it seems everyone has a website and is clamoring to be on Google’s first page, how do you know if the marketing dollars you’re spending online are equating to more sales and bigger profits?  Unless you’re using the proper system and IT hardware that supports that system, you don’t. 

According to William Gurley’s article on cnet news, “When analyzing an Internet business, there is a single metric, or tool, that represents a leveraged power similar to that of the lever or pulley. This metric, conversion rate, measures the number of visitors who come to a particular Web site within a particular period divided into the number of people who take action on that site (purchase, register and so on). Though this number may seem rudimentary or simplistic, a deeper analysis will reveal that conversion rate measures many aspects of a Web site, and that a strong conversion rate offers true leverage to the site owner.”

Most small, and large, businesses would benefit from higher-performing IT hardware but assume they can’t afford it.  After all, upgrading or installing a new hardware system can be expensive and most business owners put it off, choosing to settle with an underperforming system that no longer meets the business’ expanding needs.  But it doesn’t need to be this way.

Hardware can be surprisingly affordable if you buy it refurbished at discounted prices. The problem is knowing where to look for the great deals, and how to avoid the companies that are eager to sell you a lemon.  Finding a long-standing, reputable company that buys and sells used hardware is the key.  And honestly, it wasn’t that difficult.  Our online search quickly produced the leader of refurbished Cisco hardware – a company called MULTI-LINK Communications Products. MLCP caught our attention right off the bat for several reasons.  First, they offer quotes online and allow you to speak to a customer service rep over the phone. Beware of companies that discourage you from calling them either by making their phone number difficult to find, or suggesting you purchase a used piece of equipment in a single, online transaction.  Second, MLCP offers a one-year warranty on refurbished hardware.  For example, MLCP offers the 7606-AC-BUN, also known as the 7606 Chassis with a one-year warranty. Cisco’s website offered this product new with only a 90-day warranty.  Longer than the manufacturer’s warranty?  Nice, Multi-Link, nice.  Third, MLCP has an on-site inventory. Be careful about purchasing from companies that don’t.  They promise you equipment, then have to go search for it. Everything MLCP sells has already been tested upon receipt at their factory and refurbished to factory standards.

All in all, we suggest you listen to the experts.  It’s not enough to simply be ‘online.’  Seeing returns from marketing dollars spent on the internet is involved and unfortunately, complicated.  But with the right system and hardware – refurbished included – you can crack those secrets and make more of your online business than you thought possible.  And that’s a very good thing.

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