Welcome to Insight, the newsletter that delivers small business advice and technology information to help you succeed. Insight provides you with valuable business strategies and software tips, as well as advice from small business experts and free software downloads. This quarter you’ll find great information on mobility. Get even more from your Insight subscription with Small Business+. Register to access our premium small business information, Small Business+ templates, and exclusive special offers. You’ll continue to receive the same great newsletter but with articles and information tailored to your needs. Look for the plus sign  to identify Small Business+ exclusives. 
For small business owners, the idea of surviving in a recession is daunting. The natural tendency is to pull back, sit still, and wait for things to get better. But that may not be the smartest thing to do. In fact, many smaller businesses can actually prosper during recessions—as long as they’re not hiding in the corner waiting for the storm to pass. Here are three keys to success when grappling with economic uncertainties.
Once the domain of big business, virtual private networks (VPNs) have come down in price and are a hot commodity in the small to midsized business market. If you have telecommuters, satellite offices, or employees who need access on the road, a VPN—implemented properly—offers essential connectivity without compromising your data security. If you decide to roll out your own VPN, consider these six tips from analysts.
The U.S. Small Business Team is looking for fun and unique small business success stories. If your entry is chosen, we will produce, publish, and showcase a written case study and video about your company. We’re also looking for stories about how Windows Mobile has helped drive your success. Nominated solutions may appear on the Microsoft Case Studies site. Send a brief summary about your success and how you’re using the latest Microsoft technology to ussbinfo@microsoft.com.
If the upside of being an entrepreneur is that work is full of creativity, freedom, passion, and options, the downside is that wearing so many hats leaves little time to do the extra things that can make a difference. To counteract this, Steve Strauss provides two sound strategies.
|
|
|
|
4 tips to extend the life of your laptop battery
The good news? Research shows that computer batteries become about 10 percent more efficient every year. The bad news? The average PC’s power needs also increase at about the same rate. Result: Average laptop battery life is still painfully short (just three to four hours for most laptop models). Here are four tried-and-true tips to help maximize your battery life.
Make your car an office on wheels
Does it feel like you spend more time in your car than in your office? You’re not alone. A recent wide-ranging study revealed that almost 21 million Americans work in their automobiles. Whether the prospect of more places to work makes you glad or sad, the direction is clear. The continuous stream of laptops, cell phones, and all things portable has left us pretty well outfitted. We really don’t have that far to travel before our cars will be outfitted just about as well as our offices or homes.
Managing computer and network security
Critical data relating to your business is a target for viruses, Internet attacks, and data theft. With newer threats appearing every day, the need for computer security is becoming more critical in today’s business environment. This course helps you understand various security threats that can affect computers. It also discusses various tools and strategies that you can adopt to reduce vulnerability and help protect yourself against threats.
Your city is going wireless: 7 rules for safe computing
Don’t look now, but your city is going wireless. Many municipalities are turning to WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), a wireless broadband access technology that can deliver T-1 speed to hundreds of businesses from a single hotspot. To make the most of this new technology, review these seven steps for prospering in a wireless metropolis.
|
|
Organize your time with calendars and schedules
Use Microsoft Office to track everything from your team’s project deadlines and vacation dates to your family’s birthdays and baseball games. You can even maintain your schedules and calendars on the Web, so that everyone can access them easily and update them as necessary.
Get started using Remote Desktop with Windows XP Professional
Windows XP Professional includes Remote Desktop functionality that helps you control your PC from wherever you are. You can connect to your computer across the Internet from virtually any computer, Pocket PC, or Smartphone, accessing all of your programs, files, and network resources as though you were actually sitting in front of your computer at work. Follow these steps to set up Remote Desktop.
Coming soon! Windows Small Business Server 2008
Windows Small Business Server 2008 is an all-in-one server solution designed to help you keep your data more secure and your company more productive. It provides many of the features used by larger companies, such as e-mail, Internet connectivity, internal Web sites, remote access, support for mobile devices, file and printer sharing, backup, and restore—all at one attractive price.
Change the appearance of documents using Microsoft Office Word 2003
A well-formatted document is visually appealing and helps draw a reader’s attention to important information. Creating attractive, readable documents is easy with the formatting features available in Microsoft Office Word 2003. In this lesson, you will change the look of characters and paragraphs, create and modify lists, format text as you type, and use styles to change the look of text.
|
|
Help protect your PC with Windows Defender
Windows Defender helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Download it now, for free.
|
|
|
|
Enter today to win what you love
Certified for Windows Vista products are designed and tested for ease of use, better performance, and enhanced security. Learn more—and enter to win great technology or vacation prizes—by visiting the “Look for the Logo” sweepstakes site.
|
|
|
Launch your Web site for free
Is the cost of operating a Web site keeping your business offline? Then check out Microsoft Office Live Small Business. You get Web hosting, site design tools, and everything else you need to create a professional Web site for free. No credit card information is needed to sign up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
