External monitor to boost productivity

A personal computer or a laptop will always come with one monitor which is more than enough for some professionals who only require simple office tasks from their computers. However, there are professionals who are literally swamped by work online and in the office that they are forced to multi-task in order to get things done at work. Multi-tasking is very challenging with a single computer monitor especially when you need to monitor a lot of information in real time.

For that reason, an external monitor is the simplest solution most IT professionals follow. By simply adding another monitor, additional applications can run at the same time and can be monitored with relative ease. Some even add an external monitor simply to transfer entertainment in another window and work in another window. But many professionals have to work on a lot of things at the same time. An extra window can help you work on multiple applications easier because you don’t have to change from one window to another. An extra monitor will display all applications at the same time.

External monitor is also relatively affordable compared to large screen computers. An extra LCD will cost no more than $100 while a large screen LCD will cost more than $200 without the CPU (Central Processing Unit).

If you’re office is constantly swamped with work that needs to be dealt with at the same time, consider having an external monitor. It’s a simple addition to your office but can considerably help improve productivity through efficient multi-tasking.

Clean office stuff

A clean office is always a must for any business. Aside from protecting employees from possible diseases, a clean office can help increase productivity since clutters that can distract employees are virtually non-existent.

Hiring an office cleaner may not be a good financial decision for any form of business. Aside from regular salary, the task an office cleaner has to do is just too much. Hiring one office cleaner is not enough and two office cleaners are already costly especially for small businesses.
A good option every business should consider is to outsource this type of task.

There are cleaning service providers in any major city that can clean the office in an instant. Instead of hiring a permanent employee that will be in charge of cleanliness in the office, an outsourced office cleaner can come in the office based on the agreed time and date. You can ask the service provides to visit daily or even weekly if you think the employees can maintain cleanliness for one week.

What every office manager should know about office cleaning services is that they tend to be very specific. Make sure that their services are indicated in their contract. Some cleaning services are just limited to floors while others are just on windows. Look for a company that will provide cleaning services in various areas in your office. This may mean additional charges but it's a better deal compared to hiring two cleaning services for various tasks.
Through outsourcing your cleaning services, you should be able to maintain cleanliness in the office on a budget.

Choosing the right office projector

A projector is an expensive office product that allows the user to "project" images from a computer. This is highly recommended for office presentations wherein applications such as PowerPoint and other applications can be shared to everyone.
Because a projector could be expensive equipment for the office, selecting a projector should not be a hasty process.
To make sure you choose the right projector, consider the following factors:
• Lumens - ANSI Lumens indicate the brightness of the projector. A projector with high ANSI Lumens could work well even in a well lighted environment. Higher lumens are also ideal for larger audience. Decent ASNI lumens should be at 1,000 while powerful lumens are at 2,000 and beyond.
• Compatibility - be aware that there are projects that might not work with Mac computers and laptops. The projector also should be capable to be used with HDMI for clearer pictures or if you want to stream hi-def videos.
• Portability - if you anticipate that your projector would be used in various places, consider lightweight projectors (two to five pounds) although they should be a little bit more expensive.
• Contrast Ratio - for a clearer picture, choose a projector with higher ratio. Never select a project with a ratio below 400:1.
• Resolution - this is often related with the inputs that could be used in a projector. If your projector has HDMI input then there's a chance that you should be able to use it with very detailed pictures and videos. Regular resolutions of 800x400 are expected from protectors that accept VGA input.

PC drawing tablets for creative offices

A drawing tablet is a specialized tool for graphic designers who wanted to skip the traditional drawing process. Instead of using pencil and paper to draw, the artist or designer can go directly to computers. The drawing tablet will serve as the pen and paper and their input will be reflected in their chosen computer.

There are many PC drawing tablets to choose from online and in your local computer shops but not all drawing tablets are the same. You need to choose based on the following factors:

•Size - the wider workspace you’ll need, the pricier it gets. The smallest tablet comes in 4” workspace while the biggest tablet as of this writing is an 8” and it could easily get bigger in the future.
•Footprint – the size of the workspace is not the actual size of your drawing in your computer. Choose a table that offers a maximum footprint that’s comfortable for your designing or drawing methods.
•Interface – the choice is also personal as many PC drawing tools want to be different for brand recognition. Try out at least three brands before choosing.
•Pen – never select a drawing tablet because of its pad alone. Look for a tablet that provides a comfortable feel in your hands when you draw.

Even for businesses that are not focused on graphic designs or drawing, a PC drawing tablet is still a recommended tool. The drawing tablet can be used to have manual comments on photos for better understanding. Some drawing tablets can even recognize handwriting which provides a more personal note to those who receive the message.

Configuring a desktop computer for business

Computers are essential components for businesses. Faster communication, increased productivity and streamlined business process could be achieved through computers. Certain operations and calculations are faster when they are done in computers compared to manual operations.

But even though a computer is essential for business, the most expensive computer is not necessary recommended. An expensive computer will have the same performance to mid-level computers. If there’s any difference in speed, it’s barely noticeable. A small business could practically save thousands of dollars if they choose the right, not the expensive, desktop computer.

Mid-level desktop computers could perform the business operation in the same manner as expensive desktops because business applications and software can work at an optimal level even on relatively weaker computers. Office documents, accounting software and internet access could run at the same time with affordable computers

But that doesn’t mean you have to purchase the cheapest desktop you could find. There are some specifications you need to reach so that your desktop could withstand the changes or the demands of some applications and websites.

If you’re looking for a desktop computer, here’s a recommended list of specs:

Process: Pentium 4 with 3.0 Ghz or AMD 3000 +
RAM: 1GB
Hard Disk: Between 80 to 120GB
CD Slots: Combo Drive (DVD Reader and CD Writer)
Monitor: 17-19 inch LCD
Ethernet: Standard on board is good enough for business operations.
Video card: On board card is also enough for business operations.
Operating System: Windows XP or Ubuntu (Linux, free)
Office Applications: Open Office (free) or Standard MS Office suite

The total price of the desktop with these specs should cost more than £300 with one year warranty.

Free monitoring tools for office network

Small businesses and offices usually share a single internet connection. The bandwidth allowed in the business is often shared among employees so that everyone could have online connection. While the main purpose of allowing employees to connect online is for business reasons, some employees might be tempted to use the internet for personal reasons such as watching videos, downloading movies, music or even playing online games. These online activities will not only decrease productivity but will also eat up bandwidth which will prevent others from properly connecting online.

To prevent this from happening, a network monitoring tool should be installed in the network. This network monitoring tool will be able to actively monitor the entire network in order to have real time information on who is currently online. This will aid network administrators in troubleshooting the network.

Network monitoring tools can also control internet connection of users within the network. Instead of freely allowing everyone on how they can use the internet, network administrators can limit bandwidth connection per user to avoid abuse of internet connection. Network monitoring tools could even be used for wireless connectivity where it could allow or prevent certain users from connecting online. Some network monitoring tools could even block certain websites.

Businesses don’t even have to spend thousands of dollars for an efficient network monitoring tools. Some will require a one time license fee while others are even free. Most are also user friendly which means it doesn’t need an expert in computer networking before the network tool could be used.

Netbooks for your office

A netbook is a small-screened laptop that focuses on mobility. Instead of the usual 14” laptops, a netbook could come in 7” screens. These laptops are small enough to be placed in a bag and could weight no more than 1kg. It’s a type of laptop that could do simple office tasks, connect online, listen to music and watch videos. Because of the advancement of technology, some netbooks could even handle HD (high definition) videos. All of these could be enjoyed without having to spend more than $400. The most affordable laptops could cost you no less than $500 and they could be bulky and heavy.

Even though netbooks could be a great addition to your office because it can be productive without being expensive, it does have some trade-offs. Aside from the small screen which could hurt the eye, the operating system (OS) of netbooks usually comes with Linux. Of course, Linux is not a bad operating system but there are applications that can only run in Windows or a Mac. Linux is also seen as “advanced” operating system which requires time before certain operations could be easily implemented. There are also netbooks that comes with Windows (usually XP) operating system but it could cost you additional $50.

If you’re looking for a relatively affordable laptop that’s completely mobile, could do basic office tasks with an impressive battery life, consider a netbook. As technology advances, the price of powerful netbooks is getting more affordable every year. Instead of bringing bulky laptops to office meetings, a netbook should be more than enough for mobile office productivity.