Please keep in mind that I’m just a beginner entrepreneur and that the tips and examples I’m about to tell you may or may not work for your type of business or situation…make sure to do your own research or contact someone who knows about running a business.
The first thing I learned was not to use my personal bank account to run my business. It could get a little tricky when balancing my checkbook; though I must admit, I’m not dealing with a lot of digits. Anyway, the solution was simple…use PayPal. Since PayPal is a must when running an eBay business and I already had an account, I figured it made sense to use it to track all my transactions. I guess I could open a separate bank account, but at least for now I feel satisfy wit PayPal.
Next, I kept my eBay files separate from my regular files and built a backup. I’ve already told you I’m a computer freak, so I know a little about protecting computer files. First, I used the resources I already had; PayPal and eBay. PayPal maintains all data in regards to transactions, including payments, shipping and customer information and eBay maintains similar records as well. So I made sure that all my information was correct and up-to-date.
Then I partitioned my computers’ hard drives. I use two computers, a desktop and a laptop. I like to keep the files on both just in case one fails. My computers are networked, so updating files can be done through any of the two computers. I recommend a laptop as it provides the flexibility of accessing files from almost anywhere, including through Wi-Fi connectivity. Anyway, partitioning the hard drives (dividing it into two or more segments) on both computers allows me to maintain all business data separated from my regular junk. These included pictures, documents, emails, applications, invoices and so forth.
If you don’t know how to partition a hard drive or if you rather not do it, you can always create a separate folder within your hard drive, but files will not be as secured. You can opt to encrypt the folder, and it’s an option built into Windows Vista , but make sure you understand what you are doing or you may not be able to access your data. Another alternative would be to install a separate hard drive into your computer, which would be a great option for your desktop, but not for your laptop. I don’t recommend the use of external hard drives because they don’t provide enough flexibility, however I do recommend them for backup purposes.
Just to make sure, I also back up all data onto DVD-RW (RW stands for "read-write."). A DVD-RW is a DVD onto which you can burn information; you do need a DVD-RW drive, but they are affordable an easy to install. Or you can opt to buy an external DVD-RW drive or buy an enclosure to house an internal DVD-RW. If you can’t afford a DVD-RW, you can purchase a CD-RW drive. Although CD-RW discs do not provide the storage capacity of DVD-RW discs, they are affordable. You can click here to read more about choosing external storage.
One thing though, the article mentions USB flash and online storage as backup alternatives. I use both and like their flexibility, however, when it comes to running an eBay business, or any type of business, your fist priority is to safeguard your customers’ information. Unless your online or USB flash data is encrypted, I don’t recommend you use them for backing up sensitive information. Flash drives are too small and can easily be misplaced, while online storage could easily be hacked.
You must safeguard your customer information as you should safeguard your own, so make sure to password-protect every document you create. If you use software to keep track of your financials; the software will provide the means to do that. But if you use an Excel Spreadsheet, like I do, then you should use the program’s tools to create a strong password; the same applies to documents created with Word or PowerPoint applications.
One last thing; DO NOT use the same password for your business documents as you do for your regular documents. Keep your business and your computing pleasure separate right from the start; it just makes a lot sense! See you next time. Until then, happy computing to all!!
No comments:
Post a Comment