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It's impossible to run your business without the right tech. How to choose the right computer equipment to increase your productivity and efficiency without it costing the earth.

Business software – such as accounting and security software - makes running your business easier, safer and more efficient. Learn how to decide what software you're likely to need.

Building a business website is easy using web design software with intuitive drag-and-drop templates. You can also use a web agency or designer to build your online presence.

From business email and phone to instant messaging, you need to be able to stay in touch with customers, staff and suppliers. Here's how to set up effective business comms.

How would you cope if your IT system failed or was hacked? We cover the main IT security threats and how to protect against them.

Getting the right IT is just the first step. Appropriate staff training, IT policies and working practices can help you maximise return on your IT investment.

IT support is vital if you rely on your IT system. But how can you set up an effective safety net in case things go wrong? We explore the options.

Getting the right IT is just the first step. Appropriate training, policies and working practices can help you maximise return on your IT investment.

Eight essential collaboration tools from Google

As remote and flexible work becomes more commonplace, it's essential that you can effectively collaborate and communicate with your team. Google Workspace offers a range of essential tools that makes collaboration easy.

There's no need to waste time learning new systems. Google Workspace provides business versions of Google’s familiar tools. Get all the functionality, reliability, security and ease of use you'd expect from Google.

Why collaboration matters

Small businesses are often operating on small margins. Effective collaboration means your business can get more done with less. It means everyone is kept in the loop and it saves time, boosts productivity and lifts morale.

We share eight Google Workspace tools that could improve the way you collaborate with your team:

  1. Chat: Message anyone with a Google account or Gmail address using Chat. Keep projects moving forward, share files and assign tasks. Chat is great for more informal comms. Use emojis, reactions and GIFs to help keep everyone informed and motivated.
  2. Meet: Get your people together on a video call with Meet. Simply set up a meeting and share the link. Join meetings direct from a Calendar event, an email invite or even jump straight in from Chat.
  3. Calendar: Keep on top of your appointments with Calendar and use shared calendars to keep your team in the loop. Share your availability so people can book time with you and create task lists, so everyone knows what needs doing when.
  4. Docs: Give team members the right to edit, view or just add comments to your documents. With Docs you don't need dedicated software. Several people can work on the same document at the same time and changes are automatically.
  5. Slides: Create team slides with ready-made templates, draw charts and diagrams, insert objects and shapes, format text and images and enable animations. Sharing is simple with Slides - your team together on the same slides at the same time.
  6. Sheets: Keep on top of projects with Sheets. Make it easy for your teams to work together, share data and gather insights so you make better business decisions. Familiar keyboard shortcuts and compatibility with Microsoft spreadsheets makes it easy for anyone to work with Sheets.
  7. Sites: Create an optimised website that looks great on all devices with Sites. Simply choose your theme and drag and drop your copy and images onto the page - no need for an expensive designer. Collaborate with colleagues with real-time, group editing and familiar Google sharing controls.
  8. Drive: Store, access and share your files in one secure place with Drive. Control how files are shared using Vault for Drive With all the cloud storage capacity you need, make finding files easy, wherever you are.

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