Working for Yourself

Running the tech side of a business with no IT department - licensing, client file sharing, backups, and keeping your own accounts secure.

25 guides in this category.

How-To Guides

• How to Back Up Business Data When You Don't Have IT - A guide for solo business owners on how to properly back up data using the 3-2-1 rule without needing an IT department.
• How to Choose and Set Up a Business Printer - A solo business owner's guide to choosing between Inkjet and Laser printers, and how to reliably connect them to your Wi-Fi network.
• How to Create a Distribution List in Microsoft 365 - Create a shared address like sales@ that reaches your whole team, allow customers outside the company to email it, and test it before you publish it.
• How to Create a Template Invoice from Excel or Word - Build a professional, reusable invoice template in Microsoft Word or Excel, and save it so you don't overwrite the original.
• How to Manage Microsoft 365 Subscriptions and Billing - View your Microsoft 365 invoice, update your credit card, and cancel unused licenses to save your small business money.
• How to Organize Google Drive for Client Work - A simple folder structure and sharing strategy to keep your freelance or agency Google Drive organized for multiple clients.
• How to Set Up a Home Office Network for Digital Work - A practical guide to upgrading your home Wi-Fi and network equipment so your Zoom calls stop dropping and large files upload faster.
• How to Set Up a New Employee's IT Before Their First Day - A lead-time checklist for owners: order hardware, create the Microsoft 365 account, grant access, and hand over credentials safely before day one.
• How to Set Up a Shared Inbox for a Small Business - Set up a shared mailbox in Microsoft 365 so your team can manage an info@ or support@ email address together.
• How to Set Up Google Calendar Appointment Slots - Use Google Calendar's built-in Appointment Schedule feature to let clients book meetings with you without the back-and-forth emails.
• How to Set Up Google Workspace for a Small Business - A step-by-step guide to setting up Google Workspace for your small business, from verifying your domain to adding users.
• How to Set Up Microsoft 365 for a Small Business - Set up Microsoft 365 end to end: pick a plan, connect your domain, create users, turn on MFA, and get shared files working in your first week.
• How to Use Dropbox for Client Work - Open a client's Dropbox link or shared folder without a paid account, tell folders from links, request files, and keep company data policy-safe.

Troubleshooting

• What to Do When Your Business Email Has Been Hacked - A step-by-step incident response plan for solo business owners who discover their email account has been compromised.

Explainers

• Understanding Data Privacy Basics (GDPR/CCPA) for Freelancers - A plain-English summary of what GDPR and CCPA mean for solo businesses and freelancers who collect client data on their websites.
• Understanding Email Security (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) in Plain English - A plain-English explanation of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, why your emails are going to spam without them, and how to fix it.
• Understanding Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for Small Business - A plain-English explanation of what MFA is, why your small business needs it, and how to implement it without frustrating your employees.
• Understanding Microsoft 365 Business Basic vs Standard - A clear, plain-English comparison of Microsoft 365 Business Basic and Standard to help you choose the right plan for your small business.
• Understanding Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace for a One-Person Business - A clear comparison of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace to help solopreneurs and freelancers pick the right software.
• Understanding the Best Password Manager for a Small Business - Compare 1Password, Bitwarden, and Dashlane to find the best secure password manager for your small business team.
• Understanding the Microsoft 365 Admin Center for Non-IT Owners - A plain-English tour of the Microsoft 365 admin center for business owners: what each section does, the tasks you will actually use, and what to leave alone.
• Understanding When to Hire IT Help for Your Small Business - The signals that running your own IT has stopped being the cheaper option, what each kind of help is genuinely for, and when DIY is still right.
• Understanding Which Accounting Software Integrates Best with Microsoft 365 - A comparison of QuickBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks to see which accounting platform plays nicest with Microsoft 365 and Excel.

More Guides

• Understanding the Best Cloud Storage for Freelancers and Small Teams - A plain-English comparison of OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox to help you choose the best cloud storage for your small business.
• Understanding Calendly vs Microsoft Bookings for Small Business - A clear comparison of Calendly and Microsoft Bookings to help you choose the best scheduling tool for your business.