One of the first expenses you likely undertake at the start of your new enterprise is for acquiring electronic gadgets. Using technology in your day-to-day operations not only helps you save on time and effort, but you also offer more speedy and efficient services to your customers.
Check out this article on the Huffington Post that explains how you can avoid various unnecessary expenses by opting for gadgets and devices. For instance, you can store files and accounting details on the cloud and thus, save on the need for using paper documents. By using computers to create and send invoices and bills, you streamline the payment receiving procedures. Among the most important uses is advertising using digital marketing strategies to promote your products and services.
At Some Point, You’ll Need to Upgrade the Devices
While electronic gadgets play an important role in the smooth and economical running of your small business, you may want to carefully think about your disposal strategies at the time of upgrading the devices. That’s because most states have strict regulations regarding the recycling of end of life IT assets, and you’ll want to comply with the rules. According to All Green Electronics Recycling, it is advisable to use protocols approved by the government to recycle the outdated and broken down machines without causing environmental damage.
The possibility of data leaks from the hard drives in your gadgets is another factor you need to be concerned about. Further, without green recycling methods, you could be instrumental in adding to the millions of tons of e-waste that is generated across the world each year. A wiser option is to delay the added expense of buying new devices by taking the necessary steps to extend the usability of your company’s existing electronics.
Consider Taking Steps to Extend the Lifecycle of the Electronic Gadgets
When figuring out the right time to upgrade your gadgets, you may want to take into account the operational life expectancy and useful life expectancy. Like this feature on the Chron magazine explains, on an average, devices like laptops remain operational from 5 to 10 years depending on the complexity of the tasks you perform on them. However, if the electronics are unable to keep up with the advancement of technology and newer software and applications, their useful life expectancy could be lower.
But, by taking some optimum steps, you can boost the operational life of your electronic gadgets. Here’s how:
1. Upgrade the Internal Components
Replacing the internal components with advanced versions can help you upgrade without spending high costs. For instance, remove the Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) that contain movable parts and install Solid State Drives (SSDs) instead. These storage devices are more durable and far more efficient when it comes to storing and accessing data. With the advice of your IT personnel, you could check the memory capacity of your systems and add extra RAM memory to run multiple programs at the same time. Also, consider getting advanced versions of the operating systems. All you need to do is to save the data on removable storage devices, erase the old software and install the latest OS available for your computer.
2. Keep the Gadgets Maintained for Longevity
Institute a protocol for the maintenance of your electronic gadgets. Clean the keyboards and remove all dust, dirt, and debris every 6 to 12 months. Know that keyboards are possibly dirtier than a toilet seat; and dirt and hairballs stress the components of your gadgets causing them to overheat and fail.
3. Ensure that the Workplace is Cool and Ventilated
The folks at PCWorld advise you to ensure that the workplace is cool with adequate open spaces around the electronic gadgets. Although most devices have self-cooling mechanisms to maintain the optimum temperature inside the device, if they get clogged, the systems could heat up and crash. You may also want to make sure that the gadgets are not placed close to heating vents or indoor heaters.
4. Install Power Surge Protectors
Computers typically contain a host of sensitive circuits, wiring, and other components that are prone to damage in case of power surges. Install power surge protectors to prevent a spike in the supply. You may also want to plug cell phone and tablet chargers to the protectors to protect them from damage. For additional precaution, unplug the devices from the power outlets during lightning storms when there is a higher probability of spikes.
5. Work Out the Charging Schedule
You may not think much about charging your electronic gadgets when they run low on battery or keeping them connected to a power source. But, the fact is that almost all devices now have lithium-ion batteries that have a limited number of charge and discharge cycles. For this reason, you may want to educate your staff on how and when to charge the batteries. Like, for instance, Popular Science recommends plug in devices when the battery reaches 50% and refrain from charging up to 100%. By taking a few precautions, you can extend the life of the battery. But, when you find that the battery is no longer capable of holding a charge, it would make sense to replace it, in place of buying a new device.
6. Protect Your Systems from Malware, System Errors, and Corrupted Files
Most computers come with inbuilt ‘Check Disk” features that scan the systems for errors and corrupted files. Run the scan regularly and you can protect your systems from malfunctioning. Check with your IT expert for the presence of the defragmentation tool that works on your drive automatically. In case your system needs manual defragmentation, schedule it in the gadget-checking protocol. You may also want to ensure that you have the necessary firewalls in place to keep your network protected from hackers, malware, and denial-of-service attacks.
Using these simple precautions, it is possible to extend the lifespan of the devices used in your business. Not only will you save on the unnecessary expense of buying new devices, but you’ll prevent a still usable machine from ending up in the recycling pile.