Failure to upgrade hardware can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in maintenance of antiquated equipment, loss of data, and slowed productivity. Yet many small business owners fail to make the investment in a timely fashion. This month, to show entrepreneurs how much more they could accomplish if they had the right hardware, Black Enterprise enlisted the help of Dell Inc. to give one lucky small business a complete hardware makeover.
Maria Hannah, a former prosecutor for the County of San Diego’s district attorney’s office, is no stranger to makeovers. She began remodeling her life when she learned that her dog, Gracie, had a degenerative joint disease and needed a holistic diet and exercise to help maintain her health. Gracie wasn’t the only one who needed a change of pace. “While I enjoyed litigating, the lifestyle part was a little draining. I think my overall view of the world was getting a little pessimistic,” says Hannah, who also worked as a merchandise buyer before she attended law school.
So, in 2005, she made the switch to dog groomer. Her Atlanta-based professional and self-serve pet grooming salon is focused on providing high-end merchandise you can’t find in the big-box stores. BE chose The Clean Dog Inc. because, technically speaking, it represents some of the same problems that many small businesses face. Hannah had a hodgepodge of older inefficient hardware that didn’t keep up with the growing demands of her business. Even the new hardware Hannah purchased in 2010 wasn’t meeting her needs.
We asked an unsuspecting Hannah how she would upgrade her store if money wasn’t an issue. She envisioned a shop with a self-service kiosk and free Wi-Fi for waiting customers, digital signage to advertise to the busy foot traffic on her street, a new touch-screen point-of-sale system with updated software, and a faster laptop from which she could control the whole kit and caboodle.
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1. Dell Latitude E5420 This 14-inch ultraportable laptop with an Intel Core i5 processor and a 320 GB hard drive will make it a cinch to work remotely. It comes with a webcam, wireless card, CD/DVD burner, Bluetooth capabilities, a backlit keyboard, and Windows 7 Professional operating system with XP mode, a feature that allows the user to run older software that is specific or proprietary to Windows XP. “The processor and memory coupled together will help a lot with her ability to multitask,” says LaToya Collins-Jones, a Dell consumer sales coach who was assigned the task of custom building The Clean Dog’s makeover. In addition, Hannah will receive three years of pro support and accidental insurance covering repair, parts, and labor for drops, breaks, and spills by the next business day.
2. E-Port Replicator For two years, Hannah has carted around her 17-inch laptop. Although she prefers the big screen, the size of the unit has always been cumbersome. To accompany her Latitude, Dell gave Hannah an E-Port Replicator. This allows Hannah to dock her Latitude into a larger monitor when she is working at home. It also gives her the ability to work on dual monitors, plus she can plug in additional peripherals such as an external keyboard.
3. Vostro 360 Included in Hannah’s package is a 23-inch Vostro 360, an all-in-one touch-screen computer with 4 GB memory, a 500 GB hard drive, a built-in 2 megapixel high-definition webcam, wireless mouse and keyboard, and the newest version of Microsoft Office Professional. Hannah plans to mount this computer in her waiting room visible to street traffic and use it for dual purposes: as digital signage to run ads, video testimonials, and social media campaigns; and to prompt customers to make other purchases, such as food, treats, or environmentally friendly toys after they check in their pet.
4. Point-of-Sale System Hannah’s POS system was seven years old and her QuickBooks 2007 software was outdated. Her new system will come with an Intel Pentium dual core processor, 2 GB of memory, a 2 GB hard drive, and a three-year retail service plan. The small form factor system will include a new cash drawer, a keyboard with a credit card reader, a bar code scanner, a new receipt printer, and a touch-screen monitor. In addition, Dell upgraded her to QuickBooks Pro 2012 with the enhanced payroll bundle that will allow her to print checks.
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(Photo by Craig Bromley)
5. Network Hub Included in the package is a 1 GB Dell PowerConnect 2808 network hub. The eight-port switch will network and encrypt all of the local computers in the shop while also emitting a wireless signal so Hannah doesn’t need a router. “It is an IT hub to enable her to control which IP addresses can access certain places,” says Collins-Jones. “It’s like an extension of a modem and it has a lifetime warranty.” Its Web-managed capabilities will allow an IT professional to remotely access the hub from anywhere. The 1 GB Ethernet will help with quickly moving files such as videos that are too big to e-mail through her network.
6. SonicWALL Firewall The wireless firewall protects The Clean Dog and its customers from malicious viruses and spyware. The firewall will enable Hannah to set up multiple wireless access points and different security features for her as the owner, for employees, and for customers who access the Internet on their iPads or smartphones while waiting for their pets.
7. Windows 7 Professional All of Hannah’s computers will come with Windows 7 Professional and three years of Trend Micro antivirus coverage. Windows 7 Professional comes with a remote desktop, which will allow Hannah to access any of these computers when an associate is having difficulties.
8. Backup and Storage In addition, Dell will provide The Clean Dog with 2 terabytes of storage via Western Digital’s My Book Live. With this device, Hannah can schedule backups for her computers. Afterward she can access files in the cloud when she gets home.
9. Printer Finally, The Clean Dog will receive a Dell 1355cnw All-in-One Color Laser Printer that can make copies, print, scan, and fax. The 1355cnw is wireless, networkable, and PC-free, meaning Hannah and her employees can print from any computer, media device, smart card, or flash drive. Hannah had just purchased a new inkjet printer in 2008, but found that the ink cartridges were costly and needed to be replaced often. Because the 1355cnw is laser, Hannah will see better quality in her prints and a much better yield in terms of the money she invests in toner compared with what she spent on ink cartridges.
