Top 5 Technology Dos and Don'ts when starting a business

I'm speaking to a group of students at Columbia Business School today about the basic IT needs when starting a business. Here's the summary


Top 5 Dos

• Back Up and then plan your Disaster Recovery
• Set it up so you can work from anywhere
• Learn to fully use your tools
• Monthly options are often better than outright purchased (for tech reasons, not just because of cash flow)
• Proactively manage your technology. It’s not set it and forget it

Top 5 Don’ts

• Underestimate the importance of security
• Spend money just because it’s cool (unless cool is important to our business)
• Assume just because it’s in the CLOUD it’s cheaper, safer and better
• Skimp. Invest where you need to
• Make all the IT decisions yourself. Use a professional. Your IT advisor is as important as your accountant and your attorney