HOW TO SET UP YOUR HOME OFFICE

Home office IT support

When I set up my own home office, I knew I would need help with my IT, so I was researched IT support. Sadly, I could not find much except for publicity. So, I looked into it and the costs being exorbitant, I had to come up with the strategy below:

Home office IT support will mean using a mix of service provider support (Internet access), local tech repair person or company and, finally, backups, both hardware (at least 2 PCs or laptops) and software (use cloud to store files…)

With regards to your Home Office IT, it’s very easy to get out of your depth very quickly even fir “Techies”. Also, you can’t always afford the premium support plan from a tech support company. Even if you did, they are not always around when you face a complete meltdown usually late in the evening or over the weekends or holidays… So, what to do? Below are the few steps I take to organize my IT support needs which revolve around proactively minimizing the impact of IT breaking down…

Local Tech support company

Contracting a local tech support company is definitely the most expensive option, especially if you absolutely need help urgently at any time. With the right company, you also have the most expert help when you need it. The costs for this type of support varies wildly since the field is so large and service providers have offers that differ greatly one from another.

If you are a small business, you can expect to pay about $ 2,000 per month for a contract that covers you fully. Again, the coverage will have to be defined and tailored to your needs, but that would be the ballpark from my research.

Here, we are talking about a local tech company that will have someone to be “on call”, ready to jump in a car and come to your place if needed. For that cost, you really need to be a small business of a size large enough for this arrangement to make sense.

Assuming you have a home office but you are not really that big of a business (or not a business at all), the option above is not cost effective. I did mention it anyway because I came across many such publicity with no indication of pricing. understandably, those IT support companies want to understand your specific needs to tailor their offer and give a quote.

In-house Tech support

If you are a business and need regular help, then you will need to contact an few local tech support companies and compare the prices. Keep in mind that a full time IT employee cost anywhere between $ 35k and $ 85k and that you could probably get a college kid to help on a regular basis, a few hours a day or a week, for a fraction of that cost. On the other hand, a Local IT support business can bring up, when needed, a Wifi expert, then a PC repair guy, then a file backup specialist… So, multiple specialties whereas your “employee” may know a little bit of everything but would really excel in only one or two areas.

If the above is not a viable option for you (certainly not for me), there are alternatives. Let’s review the options we have for a Home Office IT support.

Brand name company Tech support

The best-known nationwide alternative is “Geek Squad”. Their plans that start $ 49.99 per month with on-site support. Keep in mind that, in addition, each “service” is priced separately. For example, a PC setup is $ 99.99 and a VPN support is $ 329.99… And if someone comes to your home office, it will be $ 119.00 per hour, for the first 10 to 19 hours and you need at least 10 hours to start… One thing to note, GeekSquad is in partnership with BestBuy and if you get some piece of equipment at BestBuy, you can get it setup by GeekSquad – it would take a day to press a few buttons that you absolutely can do yourself… And somehow, even if you don’t use their service, you still get hit with an annual $ 50 ish fee!!!

Another one is “HelloTech”. They have an On-site support plan will start at $ 299 per year including 3 in-home services. Then you need to buy each additional service. Same model as above. Hello Tech also offers a “Business” support option starting at $ 19 per employee. On-site support is then $ 149 but help comes the next day (add $ 50 for same day help).

Nerds on call is another option if you are located on the West coast. They offer on-site support that start at $ 149 per hour with their plan.

Computer Assistant does not offer a plan, so all services are priced by the hour or for the task. You need to call them and then they will give you a quote. Expect about $ 49 per hour for remote help and $ 125 per hour on site.

The conclusion here is that pricing plans and service prices make it hard to do a proper comparison side-by-side especially if you overlay your own support needs in terms of their nature and frequency. You may very well end up paying as much if not more than with a local tech support if you make frequent calls.

Free-lance Tech support

For one-time, specific services, you may want to consider help from a Fiverr, Task Rabbit, Guru or even Craigslist. You contact a free-lancer who will do a specific task. It can be PC repair job for example. Those services will allow you to choose a free-lancer based on availability, expertise and cost. The benefit is that you have access to a lot more help at a reduced cost. On the flip side however, you will need to do the research yourself and rely on others’ feedback to determine which free-lancer to work with. The best here is to go with a few free-lancers, try them out and then determine for yourself which one(s) is (are) best for you.

The one important drawback I can see it that you need to give access to your files and computer to someone you do not know at all…

On Fiverr, you can find free-lancer who will help for as low as $ 5 although, quite frankly, this is the minimum Fiverr can charge and for that price you’ll get a very basic, simple task. So your real cost will be higher for any work of any importance. Also, safety is a concern.

Guru is a similar type of service, focusing on remote help with prices starting at $ 8. I will stress the fact that $ 8 is a starting price… You will find publicity for remote IT support companies as well on this platform.

Then you have Craiglsit. A bit like Fiverr and Guru, you can find any kind of help. Maybe best to use Craigslist to find a local IT help person like we mentioned earlier.

Word of caution

It would seem that, unless you are an IT professional yourself, you have no other choice than hiring a very expensive local IT support company for your Home Office IT support. In reality, you don’t always need immediate help (which is what costs the most). A few techniques an backups can go a long way to alleviate that immediacy need even further.

Below, we’ll go over ways we can minimize the need for immediate and total protection as we just described. We’ll discuss how to have you set up with some backups so you can continue to work while a more reasonably priced help can come.

Backups

Files backups are essential, simple in principle but hard to achieve in the mix of all that you need to do during your regular day. Backing up your files, entire directory, should be a nightly or at least weekly activity. The easiest it to work off of the cloud but that can pose some security issues as we want to avoid unencrypted sensitive information stored on the cloud.

Why are the backup so essential? Because help may be a few hours or even days away. Imagine your files are on a laptop that has now some hardware issue. You may have a contract with a tech support company and they will help you retrieve the files, but it’s Friday night. Or, you may have to send them the laptop. Or, you may need to wait until the technician shows up at your door… So below are some of my suggestions for backups.

File backups

For your low risk files, work off the cloud, you’ll never risk losing those. For your files that contain sensitive information, the best is to take a backup on an external drive. A USB key could do provide you have very few (and/or small) such files.

A good candidate for USB key backup would be a file that contain your password. Note that your most sensitive password (bank account access or email account that can be used to reset your bank account access), should never be saved on any file.

Hardware backups

Hardware backup and most importantly, PC/laptop back up, can only be achieved through the use of 2 machines computers, laptop, tablet…). It is a doubling of the cost, yes, but if you need to get that project finished or send that file before a certain deadline, you need a way to get back up and running immediately while the computer that you used to use is being repaired.

In case of a laptop or tablet, you need a second power supply. Why? Two reasons: you may lose the first one and, particularly for tablets, the connectivity may break and you won’t be able to charge your device again. If an issue happens during a weekday, before stores close, you can run and buy a replacement but what if the issue happens on a Friday evening, when the stores are all closed and you need to work another 6 hrs?

By the same logic, you could ask whether you should have two printers… I don’t recommend it because either the work you produce is not that dependent on having a printout produced, and in this case, you can probably wait for the repair or, you do heavily rely on printouts and then you should really be using professional printer services such as Kinkos, FedEx. They will print in any number of locations and some are even open on weekends… So, you will be able have your printouts produced with minimal delay.

Internet access backups

Internet access goes down: have an alternate Internet access. I know it sounds like an overkill, but most people have internet at home and a data plan through their cell phone company. My cell phone did serve me a few times as an internet backup connection. When in trouble with internet access and you need to send that doc out or access your accounts, having internet access through your cell phone is a must. You may even consider a premium cell phone data plan.

The likelihood of having both the ISP and the cell phone down at the same time is quite small so I would not recommend going for an additional backup access. In fact, if both ISP and Cell phone company are down, it’s probably due to a major event (hurricane, other natural disaster, etc.) and at that point, you may have to move to the next town just to get electricity…

Service provider support

You have Internet access through an ISP. You have a cell phone plan with a cell phone company. You bought your computer and software from reputable companies… All those “service providers” have insurances and support coverage that you can use. Just like mentioned above however, in some cases, help can be a few days away, hence the backup guidelines above. So, in case you have any issue, you do fallback on your backup solution and you get your important work completed, but then you will still need to address the failure at hand (internet down, laptop unresponsive). This is where you need to use the support from your providers first.

ISP support

Still, if your internet is down, you will need to have the ISP fix it. Only they can do that and that. That form of support is included in their service, so you will have to call them. That support will extend to the router box they install in your home. If you have on top of that a wifi router, that piece of equipment is not covered however. We’ll discuss later what can be done from an on-going support perspective. So, in short, your ISP is supporting your internet connection from their router to internet.

Hardware manufacturer support

When you buy a PC/Laptop/Printer, you will get the option to buy a guarantee with it either from the store or the manufacturer. Some guarantees are priced unreasonably, so I can’t say that I always recommend taking one even though you should…

If what you buy is expensive enough, I’d look at the guarantee twice. They may come with a manufacturer guarantee included for 1 year for example. If the store offers an additional guarantee, I’d take the coverage that is 2 or 3 years only because by that time, I’ll probably need to replace the PC/Laptop/printer anyway.

So, I will try and get as much manufacturer guarantee / support as I can provide the cost is reasonable.

Software editor support

When you buy office 365, you automatically get support, however, that’s mostly support for the installation itself, not if you have a problem with a word doc in particular or if you deleted a file.

Likewise, gmail comes with support but they won’t show you how the additional gmail services work. For that, you will need to spend time and “google” it.

If you have a specific software you use and it’s critical for the work (or business) you do, you may want to consider the support they offer even if you have to pay for it. Most of the time though, the software will be offered on a subscription basis which will always contain some form of support (either by email or chat…)

What software for your home office?

When I started my home office, I looked for a comprehensive list of software I would need. I had the computer (a Lenovo laptop) but I need to make sure I get all the require software, so I researched it and came up with the below.

What software for your home office? You will need Office 360 Home which contains Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access dB and others. Office will come with 1T of online storage. You will need Chrome and/or Firefox. If you are on a business for yourself, you will also need Gmail which will come with Google hangout and 30Gb of shareable online storage.

So here I was equipped with what I believed was a definitive list. Now because my I was also setting up my own business, I needed a few more, very specialized pieces of software, so the list grew a bit. In the following paragraphs, I’ll go through a few things you need to know about the above software for your Home Office.

Google account

With a Google account, you get an email but also a whole suite of business software. The two other important ones will be “Calendar” and “Drive”. Drive is what will give you the 30GB of online storage with the possibility of sharing docs with your colleagues. You can use that space for regular backup sa s we will discuss later. Mail (the email software) allows you to communicate via email but also, send instant messages through “Hangout”. That piece of software can be useful as it also allows for screen hares and video-conferences.

Also: it’s free… And you get access to a long list of online software free tools such as “Docs” and “Sheets” (and many more). So, you need a Gmail account… If you already have one, remember that it comes with many free products that you can use for your business (if you have one) and that they are a very viable alternative to Office. However, those tools are still a bit clunky, not always very easy to use, have limited functionalities at times.

One last word about a Google account and Gmail more specifically: there are more specialized tools that you can add to your Gmail account to help with more specific tasks. Those products are accessible through the “G Suite Marketplace”, a bit like the App Sore from Apple where you can choose the app you want.

Office 365

Unless you are using Chrome for everything with a Google account or Apple, you will have to use Office. Your computer does not come with Word doc or Excel or PowerPoint… They must be bought and lately, Microsoft has been offering two options: a one-time fee for a package including word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. or an annual subscription. The one-time fee option offers the latest version of the software and you’ll easily be able to work with those for a few years. You’ll probably have to replace your laptop or PC before you need to upgrade those softwares, so it’s perfectly fine to take that option.

Now, Office 360 does have an advantage: you can use the same licenses for multiple installations. So, if you have two or three laptops/PCs at home, you pay that only one annual subscription. The cost over the years is not as straightforward to compare: on one hand, you have a one-time fee but you will have to replace your computer within just a few years and you may even have to buy another computer or two. On the flip side, a subscription is a payment that will come due every year. But if only because of the multiple installation feature, the subscription is the better choice. You’ll also get support and other benefits but multiple installation and regular upgrades is the main advantage over the one-time fee option.

Microsoft account

With Office, you will have to create an account. You will have an email account as well but more importantly, you’ll get 1,000 GB of storage. You will need that account to access Skype as well and Xbox (but there we digress…)

Online storage

Microsoft account (you will need one with Office 360) will give you online storage with 1T of storage (1,000 Gb). Online storage is one of the most important things you need to master. It acts as your backup (always needed) and allows you to share documents (if needed). It starts with having enough online storage and Microsoft’s 1T is a very good start.

Google (with a Gmail account) will give you 30Gb of storage which is decent. This does depend on what you store of course, but for your regular documents, 30Gb is usually enough. Your personal videos and pictures need to go to your personal gmail account and storage (it goes without saying… Because, those will eat up your storage in no time…).

Mastering online Storage

Online storage needs to be “mastered” because of two issues.
Issue No 1: usually people forget about or delay making backups (takes time, boring, can always be done later) but obviously, backups are useful only if they are done… frequently. The best way is to work only with online documents (as they are backed up right there and then) but that’s not always a good thing either because of the second issue.

Issue No 2: Privacy. I know, everyone swears that the files are safe, secure, protected, etc. however, every now and then, some hacking issue pops up. My recommendation is to be very careful with what is put online and even assume that over the course of the years, it will be hacked into. So, best thing is to have local copies for the 1% documents that are so sensitive, you cannot afford to have them online at all. Then for the vast majority of your documents that contain sensitive information (but not the “Top sensitive” ones), go for a password protection. Some of the office software allow to password protect your file (excel, OneNotes…). The rest of the documents can be put online without additional precaution.

So, three tiers in terms of level of sensitivity. Do not put online the Top sensitive. Password protect the sensitive material and no additional protection for the rest. I believe Microsoft, Google and the other do a good job to safeguard your files, but better be safe…

Browsers

You do need to have Chrome and Firefox in my opinion. Chrome and Firefox are well established and trusted names. In many comparisons and tests, they usually come close one to another, so really you will get the job done. If you are a techie, you will prefer one over the other because of specific features you are most interested in. Otherwise, both are good.

Use Chrome for your everyday / non sensitive browsing. Also, Chrome naturally integrates with Gmail and if you have several professional gmail accounts, you can switch from one to another easily in Chrome. Firefox is best for privacy and notably, when it comes to accessing bank account, filling online tax forms, you do want a browser like Firefox that can be setup such that passwords are never remembered, and activity never logged. That’s important in case your PC or Laptop is lost / out of sight and someone gains access to it (and then to your accounts for ex…).

Emails

You have an email address, most probably with Gmail or Hotmail or… Gmail is probably the best as it can be customized to give you a real professional email address. Not only that, but is also comes with a full suite of business applications as well: Calendar, Online storage, Google hangout and instant messaging. The downside: a relatively unfriendly interface… You need to use a browser (usually Chrome) and it’s simply clunky to use. Text formatting options in email for example are limited at best…

Now, with your windows 10 install, you have a free mail application. It’s a step above reading your email on the browser. It is also very easy to link up your account. Even multiple account (on Hotmail, gmail…). The functionalities are still basic but a much better experience than gmail on Chrome. The application in question is called “Mail” and it’s free with Windows 10.

If you did subscribe for Office 365, then you have probably the best email app: Outlook. That’s professional grade with search features, flagging options, formatting capabilities, etc. I’m not turning this into a product review but it is one of the very best mail application, so if you do have it as part of Office 365, you should use it for all the feature it offers. That presupposes that you do have a need for a professional looking email client (with searches, categorizations, text formatting…). If not, or if you are just checking emails a few times a week, then Mail does the job perfectly well and is free.

PDF Software

PDF software can be very useful although not necessary. The original benefit intended by the creators of PDF was to allow for a document to be red on any computer or operating system (PDF stands for Portable Document Format). The side benefit (locked content) is actually one of the main reasons why people use PDF. PDF also gives a sense of professionalism to your documents. If you have Office 365, Word will come with the in-built capability to transform word docs into PDF files.

Now, if you need to manipulate files that are already in PDF format, you will need a PDF software. With such a software, you’ll be able to add password protection and a signature certification. A PDF software is not necessary in my opinion unless you do generate documents that need to look professional. For ex: guides, eBooks, manuals, reports…

Anti-virus

Antiviruses are necessary even though the protection they offer is never complete. So, the question becomes how to live (and work) with the threat that viruses pose?

One thing to consider as well is that their performance is now relatively close from one antivirus to the next and the leader board ranking changes every day… You should therefore get an anti-virus, a good one but not necessarily obsesses over whether the one you chose is really the best one at this time with the view of changing with the next publication of test results from this magazine or the other.

MacAfee: good. Norton, Bitdefender? Good also. Webroot? Another one you can use. The paid version cost between $ 20.00 and $ 40.00 per year.

There are free versions as well, quite good but with less features than the paid version (parental control for example) and you will have pop ups to upgrade to the paid version. They are very good starting substitutes to the paid version (same protection) except as we said, the fact that they have less features.