Big Business Computer System on a Small Business Budget

Many people are with the mind that they have to get a professional company to install or design their system. This myth is very untrue. There are several ways to accomplish this feat. From do-it-yourselfers to hiring a freelance computer specialist, many different avenues await you.

The first thing that you need to do is sit down and figure out exactly what it is that you need to make your business a success. Is it just a computer, or do you need a database and website? Do you need to be set up for e-commerce? One big hint is to look at your competition. What services do they have or offer? Can you offer more or better services to your customers? Once you have that figured out, then you can figure out how to get it done.

There are many people that just can not seem to grasp computers and how to make them do exactly what you want. You will seriously need to evaluate yourself and determine whether you can do it or not. The library has volumes and volumes on everything computers. I would suggest scanning through some of these and see if you can follow along and grasp the concepts. If so, then the DIY route is for you. IF not then keep reading.

There are hundreds of freelance computer people out there just dying to get the experience that designing or implementing your system has to offer them. Every semester, colleges across the country are graduating students with degrees in computer science. These same graduates float around in a jobless limbo because they have no real experience. That is where many new websites are coming in. If you are on a budget, you can actually tell these groups how much you can spend and they will fight over who can do it cheapest. But that is not the only alternative. Many of these sites are pay to post, so for an even cheaper alternative, contact your local community college and university. Their job placement office will post the jobs for free and you will get many qualified applicants. Then you can go through and pick who you want. Hiring someone does not have to be expensive.

When it comes to hardware (i.e. computers, monitors, scanners, etc.), shop around. Many times you can piece together a computer for far less than a bundle at one store. I was able to purchase a complete desktop for $200 cheaper than the bundle because the monitor was on clearance at a different store. Some places also put whole systems on clearance. I was able to buy 2 touch screen computer systems with the monitor, hard drive, keyboard, mouse, and barcode scanners for $950 each because a store in another state was having a sale. Shipping was free for orders over $500 so I wasted nothing there and got the systems for a savings of $500 on each system. By being frugal and shopping around, not only locally, you can save a fortune. There is also the option of GSA. These are used government computers that are sold for next to nothing. Many times the hard drive is removed but those are still a lot cheaper than a whole system.

Regardless of how you decide to do it, there are many different alternatives than to flip open the phone book and take out a second mortgage to finance a computer installation. I wish you the best of luck in all you do.

Here are some links to some freelance sites and the GSA site:

www.getafreelancer.com

www.ifreelance.com

www.craigslist.com

www.gsaauctions.gov