Dynamic Business

In light of the Government’s recent Budget announcement signaling an increase of the Small Business and General Business Tax Break from 30 percent to 50 percent on eligible business assets, many small businesses will be considering purchasing new PCs or notebooks prior to the end of the financial year. But there are 5 questions every business owner must ask themselves before buying.

A tax break such as this will be especially interesting to small business decision makers who had already identified a need to upgrade, augment or replace their business hardware, big-ticket items and/or computing inventory. If the timing is right—if there is an opportunity to get money back on purchases that are right for your business right now—then a well-researched investment in the computing needs for your business is an excellent way to take advantage of this tax break.

Here are the top five questions you should be asking before you buy:

1.    Which PCs should you refresh?
Should you upgrade PCs on an as-needs basis or should you refresh them all at the same time? In an ideal world it would be easier to refresh them all at the same time, but in reality most small businesses upgrade on an as-needs basis. As you set about assessing your needs, consider that the annual cost of IT support for an individual PC can rise by up to 50 percent from year three to year four of ownership. Multiply that by however many PCs your business is using, and consider whether or not you already have identified problematic PCs that are no longer worth the downtime they are causing.

A smart investment now can save money in the long run. First and foremost, consider refreshing any PCs that are three years old or older and your short-term outlay will be repaid in reduced service fees and more efficient computing performance in the near future.

2.    What about the environmental footprint?
You’ll be pleased to discover that computer processor design has improved in the areas of power consumption and energy efficiency. Testing has shown that a notebook with a new generation Intel Centrino 2 processor will see a 50 percent improvement in average power draw when compared to an older model Intel Centrino Duo processor. What does all this mean to you? Well in plain terms, with better and newer processors, you will save on power consumption bills while you get the job done faster. Notebook computers are generally more power efficient than desktops and a practical tip for everyone is to make sure you turn your computer and monitor off when it’s are not being used for extended periods of time.

3.    Notebook or desktop?
The average cost of notebooks has come down significantly over the past few years, with leading name brand notebooks based on top of the line Intel Centrino 2 processor technology priced at around $1,500. Just three years ago, you would have paid closer to $3,000 for the top end system and the performance would have been 40 percent less efficient than today’s. So laptops really should be in your consideration set, particularly if you or your staff are on the road a lot, meeting with customers and clients outside of your own office.

Additionally, many small businesses report a higher productivity rate and satisfaction rate from staff with notebooks due to the increased flexibility they offer. Nevertheless, there is still a place for desktops in small businesses, particularly for staff that are predominately deskbound. Ergonomic considerations of flat panel monitors, mouse and keyboards should also be taken into consideration, and while these can easily and effectively be used with a notebook, they do add to the total system cost when compared to desktop PC pricing. If you are upgrading old systems however, you can hold on to your older monitors and keyboards and use them with your new desktop (ask for a “headless” desktop) or notebook. CONTINUED…..