For a computer to accomplish the tasks you desire, you must supply it with the proper applications software. Applications software are computer programs that instruct the computer on how to perform specific functions.

The physical equipment that comprises a computer system represents the system's "hardware." The basic hardware components of any computer are the central processing unit, a monitor, a keyboard, disk and hard drives, and a printer. Other common business components include CD-ROM and DVD drives, modems, and scanners.

You've analyzed those tasks you want to computerize, researched which applications software will best help you accomplish those tasks, and determined what you'll need in the way of hardware components to effectively run your desired applications. Now all that's left is to go out and acquire the system you need.

For most businesses, mail and package delivery services are important business tools. If you plan to make use of such services, you'll want to consider both how you should receive deliveries (P.O. box or street address) and how you should send them (via U.S. Postal Service or private companies).

Properly used, a computer can help you to become more organized, to work more efficiently, and to accomplish many tasks that otherwise would likely require professional assistance.

The ability of facsimile (fax) machines to instantly send and receive documents have made them fixtures in the modern office. Contracts, orders, letters, and other time-sensitive documents that businesses previously sent by courier or next-day delivery services can now be transmitted over the telephone lines at a fraction of the cost and in a fraction of the time.

Depending on the telephone company that provides your service and the particular law in the state where you reside, you may be required to list your home telephone as a business telephone if you do any work out of your home. If this happens, you should expect to see your telephone bill rise because the rates for business phone services are generally higher than those for residential services.

Unless you can afford to miss telephone calls and the potential business they may represent, you must have some kind of telephone answering service in place at your business. Call waiting, while useful, is not a complete substitute for an answering service because there will be times when you're not around to pick up the phone or when you'll decide it's inappropriate to interrupt a conversation to take another incoming call.

The telephone is absolutely vital to the running of most every business. Your business is truly unique if you really believe that it could survive without this tool for staying in contact with your customers, suppliers, and the rest of the world.

How should you go about finding the right long-distance service provider for your company? Our suggestion is that you first determine your needs by analyzing your calling patterns. If you're already in business, reviewing your old phone bills should give you a pretty good idea of your calling patterns. If you don't have the benefit of old phone bills, do your best to answer the following types of questions:

Unless you're planning to rely solely on face-to-face meetings to keep in touch with customers, suppliers, and others with whom you deal, your business is going to need some communications equipment. Among the items that you may have to obtain or select for your business are:

The type of business you operate will in large part dictate what equipment and other fixed assets you'll require to properly run your business. We can't say what exactly you should acquire without first knowing what you'll be doing. However, we can provide some general points that you may want to consider before you acquire any business asset.

The main advantage of leasing a business facility is that your initial outlay of cash to gain the use of an asset is generally less for leasing than it is for purchasing. However, perhaps the main advantage of purchasing is that you end up paying out less in the long term than you would have paid if you leased the facility. Moreover, if you purchase, you get the benefit of any appreciation in the value of the property.

Manufacturers, retailers, and service providers all have unique equipment needs. Even between similar businesses, there is no one right collection of equipment and other physical assets that will ensure profits and success. For the most part, you're on your own in determining what types of equipment, tools, furnishings, vehicles, and other items you'll need to properly run your business.

If you have decided that you would rather lease your business facility than purchase it, you should familiarize yourself with the following terms and provisions that are commonly found in commercial leases.

The following factors, if relevant to your situation, may lead you to conclude that you should lease, rather than purchase, your business facility.

Assuming that you have determined your facility needs and have chosen the right facility, you're now ready to make the decision about whether to buy or rent the property. In saying this, we assume that the owner of the target property would consider either a sale or a rental of the property. This may or may not be so. The rent-or-buy decision can also arise if you are selecting from a group of competing sites, some of which are for sale and others which are for lease.

The following factors, if relevant to your situation, may lead you to conclude that you should purchase, rather than lease, your business facility.

If your facility allows you to efficiently carry out the necessary functions of your business, presents the business in a good light, and allows for growth potential, you're well on your way to having made a good facility choice. However, there is one more important attribute of the "ideal" facility: it should fulfill your space needs economically.

Assuming you have done all your homework and have effectively conducted a search that has narrowed down your choice to a few properties, how do you decide which facility is best? We suggest two general methods of evaluation that can be used.

If you have put in the time and effort — and possibly the pain — of identifying your business's operating steps, and have used this information to determine your facility needs, you may be more than ready to hit the road to find your facility. But, before you do this, a few words about the method of your search.

If you have given the matter considerable thought and now feel secure about what you need in a facility, you're ready to start looking for a specific facility to rent or buy.

All things being equal, a business facility that can accommodate potential future growth would be more attractive than one that does not. However, realistically, all things are rarely equal. If one facility offers more room, you can expect to pay for it some way: in price, location, or other terms or features. If this is true, does it make sense to pay now for the benefit of easy expansion later? It may, but only if you reasonably believe (not just hope) that you will need the extra space in the not-too-distant future and that any additional costs that go along with this extra space will not be an undue drag on current business growth.

No matter what kind of business facility you have, or where it is located, you will need insurance coverage to protect your business from property damage and liability risks.

Everything connected with your business should lead customers to believe their product or service needs will be met to their satisfaction. Your business facility can make a powerful statement about your business. It should, of course, be the type of statement that will present your business in a good light. But just what you mean by "in a good light" will be influenced by who will see the facility, and by the nature of the business that you are in.