A friend of mine is opening a new law office.  It’s an exciting time for him -especially since this will be his first business.
But as you can imagine, it’s also a risky time for him.  He’s not well funded and will need to bootstrap the startup every step of the way.
He asked me for advice about what to do for his IT systems.  For now, his office will have only 3 employees, including him.
Here’s what I recommended to him:

Don’t waste money on fancy hardware.
Computers are like screwdrivers: Old ones work just as well as new ones.
Because he and his staff will use the computers primarily for documents, internet access and email, I told him to skip buying anything new and just re-format his Windows XP computers.
By reformatting his used PCs, he wipes out any malicious software which may be hiding on the machines. Reformatted computers also run faster. It’s win/win.
I did advise he buy nice 22” LCD screens from Office Depot.  One shouldn’t compromise on what he/she looks at all day long.
(Savings from opting for used hardware: $1500)

Go Google.
Microsoft Office is so old school.  It’s expensive and it’s bloated.
Instead of Office, I told him to signup for Google Docs.  Google Docs does everything Word, Excel and PowerPoint.  It even looks and feels similar to Office.
The beauty of Google Docs, though, is it’s free.  Moreover, the files can be shared online with other employees.  This means improved productivity.
In addition to productivity software, Google also offers free email and free calendaring. No need for Outlook nor Exchange Server.
(Savings from opting for Google Docs: $2000).

Get a simple website.
Simple does not mean crappy.  As a business, your ‘face’ to the public must be smart, clean and professional.  A ghetto website screams: “Our company does not get it!”
Don’t ruin a potential client’s impression of your organization.  Get a nice site.
Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to have a successful site.  Take a look at WordPress themes.  Google it.  Find a theme you like and have it customized.  You won’t regret it.
Note: Not all WordPress themes are created equal.  Email me for a list of good ones.
(Savings from insisting on a decent site: priceless.)

Create accounts for Google Maps, LinkedIn and Facebook.
All roads lead to Rome.  You should think of social media in the same way: links to your website.
Now, those ‘roads’ leading back to your website need not be sexy.  They can even be ‘dirt’ roads – provided your company’s website looks great.
I told him to focus just on Google Maps, LinkedIn and Facebook for now.  It’s enough.
Cost: free.

Define your tech policies.
Most companies skip this step and they ultimately pay for it in the long run.  I told him to spend 1 hr and list what’s acceptable computer behavior and what is not.
For example, is it OK for the company’s computers to be used for personal things like chatting, downloading bootleg stuff from file sharing sites, watching porn, etc?
How about storing confidential info on laptops used in the field?
These are important policies and if they don’t exist somewhere in written form, then essentially the company has no policy.
I told him to create a working doc using Zoho Wiki and ask employees to contribute to it on a regular basis.  His practice will be worth more as a business.

Backup the important stuff.
Businesses can lose everything in a blink.  Fire, flood, theft, viruses…It happens all the time.  We see people in tears nearly every day, having lost everything, and no backup.
I told him to designate one computer as a file server and configure the network so all files are automatically stored on that computer.  I also told him to use two external drives for daily backups and rotate the drives weekly so there’s always one good backup offsite at his home for safekeeping.