12 Signs Your Business is Ready for a Server
If you have two or more computers that are loosely connected to share information, printers, scanners, Internet access, or fax machines, then you could inject a great deal of simplicity, productivity, and security with a small business server.
At one time, servers only made sense for large organizations because of their high cost and complexity. But today, there are very affordable and easy-to-implement server systems designed specifically for a growing small business. If you’re not absolutely certain that installing a server could help your business enough to justify the cost, here are 12 surefire signs that your business could definitely benefit from an upgrade.
#1 You have two or more computers that need to share office equipment (printers, fax machines, scanners) and resources (Internet access).
#2 You have irreplaceable files and data residing on more than one computer that need to be secured from loss, corruption, or unauthorized access.
#3 You need (or would like to have) secure access to your computer files while traveling or working from home.
#4 You need to back up critical files on more than one computer, and you would like to be able to restore accidentally deleted files or previous versions of your files.
#5 You need CRM (customer relationship management) software and accounting programs to manage and communicate with your growing list of clients and vendors.
#6 You need to manage different versions of one file.
#7 You need a central communication system that makes it easy to schedule group meetings and share information with employees, vendors, and customers.
#8 You need to allow employees to share databases and other software tools.
#9 You would like to send group faxes and e-mail broadcasts to customers.
#10 You want to save money by hosting your own company website and e-mail.
#11 You want to control employees’ access to sensitive financial records and personnel information..
#12 You want a central access point for information instead of having to hunt down various files and data on various computers on your network.