Windows Small Business Server 2008
In big business it isn’t entirely difficult to create a computer atmosphere that is robust, serves its users well, and is not broken down more often than not. The trick is to hire the right people to build and maintain the network and deal with IT projects as they come up. OK, maybe it’s not quite THAT simple but it doesn’t need to be a nightmare, provided the right resources are in place.In the small business world, things often become entirely different. Many small businesses simply don’t have the resources to build – let alone maintain – a network that will adequately take care of business needs. Many small businesses wind up with a mismatch of different parts put together piece by piece by whichever technician was available at any given time and was offering the right price. Nobody’s really sure how the pieces fit together and why this was done or that was configured differently. Just finding a password for a router can be a gargantuan challenge in its own right.I doubt I’ve ever met a small business owner who wouldn’t do whatever it would take to make their network stable and more importantly, useful and to manageable, were the resources to do so in place. From a software vendor’s point of view, it’s great to charge lots for your product and have a niche base of large businesses who can afford it. We all know that small business is in many ways driving the economy. Is it really wise to target only those large businesses and leave a wealth of opportunity on the table?Sure, there are plenty of free and open source products out there that can take the edge off of ferocious software prices, and in fact I’ve bestowed their virtues here oh so many times. I am indeed a firm believer in the value of open source in business. My view of those benefits begin to fall apart however when we consider running an entire business on open source software when resources are limited.Open source products are typically more difficult to manage than their commercial counterparts and support can at times be hard to find. Even the best technician needs technical support from time to time and when it’s not available – especially when a critical system is down- things can get hairy.To me, it makes more sense for a small business to run critical servers etc. on mainstream software and leave open and source to the likes of non-critical desktop computers, web servers, and even some email servers. A small business can survive a day or two without email but is dead in the water without point of sale or accounting software.Windows servers can form the foundation of a Windows network and let’s face it; Windows is the most dominant operating system out there. Windows servers can also serve Mac, Linux, and UNIX computers as well, so all told they’re not a bad choice for a network foundation. The problem is, they are usually not all that inexpensive.Microsoft saw an opportunity to address the needs of small businesses, provide some higher end products that would help drive those businesses, and of course increase their own ‘[revenues. Small Business Server is a bundle of a number of products and is priced a great deal below what one would pay for the individual packages if they were bought separately. Small Business Server was first released in 1997and frankly the first couple of versions were – well, let’s just say “not so great”.It really wasn’t until Small Business Server 2003, released in (you guessed it!) 2003 that Small Business Server came into its own right. Small Business Server 2003 includes the standard Windows Server plus Microsoft Exchange Server, Windows SharePoint Server, and a plethora of “wizards” that make managing the server relatively easy for a small business owner. The Premium edition also includes Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft ISA Server It doesn’t much matter at this point what these things are except that they are excellent business tools.Taken together, these products provide a solid foundation for a network that includes shared calendar, contacts, and tasks. Also included is a team web site (also known as an Intranet) and with the Premium edition, a database server and a network firewall.If you consider the standard edition weighed against the individual software packages for 5 users, Small Business Server 2003 comes in at about $575 while the individual packages are priced at about $2100. That becomes roughly $1150 compared to about $2700 when you license 10 users. The savings go and on as users are added.So, what’s the catch? Small Business Server 2003 can handle a maximum of 75 users, domain trust relationships are not available, and only the Small Business Server 2003 can be a domain controller. It doesn’t matter a hoot what those things mean except that very few small businesses would ever know the difference.Microsoft is due to release Business Server 2008 in November 2008. If you own a small business and are in the market for a new server, Small Business Server 2008 will be one of those products you’d be remiss to overlook. If you need a server today you can buy the 2003 version with software assurance and get the upgrade for free. Just beware though, Small Business Server 2008 will be 64 bit only so be careful to buy the right hardware!
Online Payday Loans – Hidden Dangers For Consumers
If you are short on cash and need an emergency loan to pay off a bill, you are likely to need an online payday loan.Online payday loans are generally for someone who has low credit and is living paycheck to paycheck. Then an emergency comes up, their kid is sick or their car needs emergency repairs, or a bill comes up and it cannot wait until payday to get paid. So, why on earth would someone need to worry about taking out an online payday loan?What is a payday loan?These online loans are too readily available for quick cash. All a person needs is proof of employment, usually a few paycheck stubs, your boss’s phone number, and two forms of identification. That’s it. Normally your credit score doesn’t even come into play.The money is made available to you usually in 24 hours or less and is deposited directly into your checking account. Sounds easy right? Online payday loans usually come with enormous fees and potentially dangerous risks. Here is what you can look for to keep yourself safe and your identity in the clear.The Dangers of Online Payday LoansThe biggest danger is you. If you loose your job before payday, or your paycheck is not large enough to cover the “up to 60% fees” you could be owing money to the online payday loan creditor AND your banking institution. Associated fees, percentage rates, and payback percentages are big money making business for these companies.How do you think they can afford to take such a risk? Of course, the payout has to be great for them to take it. Other dangers may be hidden fees not covered by your next pay day or initially only covered in the fine print you might not have read. Even more surprising is if your check is a day late and the creditor takes the money out of your now empty banking account. You wind up paying both institutions and up to double the original payback amount.Other dangers aside from hidden fees could be identity theft, if the online pay day loan company is not FDIC (www.fdic.gov) insured and backed by a national institution.The simple fact that they have access to your bank account to withdraw funds is heart pounding scary enough in today’s insecure world. Simple clerical errors are made everyday; they could accidentally take the money from your bank on the wrong day or for the wrong amount and this might not be in your favor. You could wind up with a huge mess on your hands and in your wallet.You need to do a little research about your chosen online payday lender well in advance of the emergency. And you need to make sure that this is in fact, a real desperate emergency.Making online payday loans a habit can lead to larger and larger fees each time and destroy your credit entirely. They are not a quick fix, not a long term solution to a money shortage, and they can quickly leave you completely shortchanged and even more desperate than before.Finding a Reputable CompanyAs stated before, research lenders well in advance of your need and have one or two in mind before the crises hits. Make sure this is a real emergency and not something that can be postponed by a quick phone call or a couple days wait.Next look into the bank backing your lender, read the fine print and all updated material before signing anything. Make sure that the chosen lender is who they say they are and not a fly-by-night-company or a look-a-like fraud. If possible, ask around for other people’s opinions from among your friends or co-workers.
Employer Branding 101 – Four Fatal Errors When Building Your Employer Brand
As you develop you employer brand to attract and retain talent to deliver your business strategy, how confident are you that you are taking the appropriate measures to guarantee you build a compelling and magnetic employer brand?Here are four fatal errors when evaluating the effectives and strength of your employer brand. How well does your employer brand stack up against them?1. No clear, consistent and differentiating employment experienceHow many businesses are there who are looking to attract the same talent as you are in a 10 mile radius of where you are based?How well do you know who they are and what the employment experience is in their business?If you don’t know who you are competing against for talent and you don’t know how you are different from them, how will you be able to communicate this clearly and concisely in all your communications?2. Not leveraging every communication vehicleEngaging people behind your employer brand is a key to bringing it to life.How well do you communicate about your employer brand and what you stand for in all your communication from your corporate website to your intranet; from your internal newsletters to your external job adverts; from your appointment announcements to your employee handbook; from the minutes of executive meetings to the verbal messages delivered by your line managers?Are you sure that your message is consistent?And if your message is consistent does it also match your behaviours and the decisions you make about key appointments, reward decisions and how you recognise the contribution your people make to the business?3. Paying lip service to your employer brand valuesWhen the going gets tough, are you prepared to stand your ground in the decisions you make on appointments so that the people you hire are going to live your corporate and employer brand values?All too many times, especially in internal appointment decisions, many companies will appoint the person who is able to undertake the role based technical ability, not their ability to live the values of the organisation or their ability to demonstrate the leadership behaviours required in the organisation.Technical capability can be bought or taught. Behaviours and reputation are far more difficult to acquire. Hiring for technical ability above leadership behaviour and demonstrating living the values and culture you aspire may help you in delivering short term profit but does not build equity in your talent for the future.4. Not considering the employment brand through the total employment lifecycleMany organisations consider that the employment brand is only important at the time of recruitment and selection.However those organisations that are able to attract and retain high quality talent in a challenging market place recognise the importance of delivering on the employment brand proposition throughout the total employment life cycle.Understanding where you need to adapt your systems, processes, policies and ways of working will enable you to create a magnetic employment brand where employees are not only proud to work for you but they are also your biggest employer brand ambassadors and can themselves help you attract talent to the business.
Men Just Love Gadgets
If you are thinking of buying a man some gift and you can’t really think what you are going to present; you only need to consider some cool gift gadgets and you can be sure he will be truly impressed. While there are many things you can pick, there are some that appear to be among the favorite gadget gifts for men; men are practical and they will love something that will create a positive change in their lives or perhaps one that will bring fun back to their lives. There is no doubt that you only need to take a few moments and you will get something to suit every man.Some of the gizmos men truly long for include:A Small GPS: If you know someone who loves the outdoors and especially hiking, nothing will thrill them more than a GPS that can fit in their pocket. It does not matter how far such a man goes but as long as they have this tiny gadget, they will enjoy finding their way home and they can never get lost in the woods again.A pet camera: Do you know a man who loves pets? Then consider gifting them with a pet camera; this is a gadget that can be hung somewhere on their neck and you can know where your pet spends the entire day. The camera ensures that the images taken are streamed through a specialized company website and owners can watch their animals from any computer anywhere that can access the web. You can imagine what fun such a man can enjoy throughout the day.A mini cupcake maker: Unlike what popular theory dictates there are many men who love cooking and for them, a portable mini cupcake maker will definitely do. This one will allow them to make cupcakes within no time or perhaps you can also drop in some coffee warmer that simple plugs into a USB port and the man’s favorite drink can be kept warm for hours on end.Digital photo frame: Perhaps this is among the latest cool gadgets for me, especially those who love to display their families. These photo frames are very easy to set up and you can easily provide a slideshow to your guests as you let them enjoy watching as many family portraits as you possibly want. There are newer versions that come with a built in printer as well as sufficient storage to store thousands of pictures.Sports helmet camera: Give a man who loves outdoor physical activities this powerful action camera so that he can capture great moments while base jumping, biking, or even skateboarding.