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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.
22 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 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 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.
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 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.
Other
- 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.
- 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.