Introduction to Software for Small Businesses

1
Introduction toSoftware for Small Businesses
2003 Seminar Series

• Presented by
• Rick Andersen, Fretless Consulting
• Sponsored by
• The Alameda Chamber of Commerce in conjunction
  with Alameda Power Telecom and Wind River
  Systems

2
Overview

• Goals
• Explain how programs run
• Types of software available
• What software can do for you
• Structure
• Software
• Windows
• Microsoft Office applications
• Application categories

3
Software

• What is hardware?
• What is software?
• What are executable files?
• What are data files?
• What are applications?
• What is an operating system?

4
Software and Hardware
5
Running a Program
Memory
Operating System (Windows)
Program (instructions) Instruction 1
Instruction 2 Instruction 3 Instruction
4 Instruction 5 Instruction n
Data
GPF or Access violation
DLL Instruction 1 Instruction 2
Hard Drive
CPU
Executable file
6
Microsoft Windows

• Windows flavors
• Windows 95/98
• NT/2000
• XP Home/XP Pro

7
Maneuvering in Windows

• Help (F1)
• Clipboard (Copy, Cut, Paste)
• Navigation and Selection
• Ctrl, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, etc.
• Shortcut keys
• Find Replace
• Desktop Navigation
• AltTab, CtrlTab, WindowsKeyM, etc.

To copy a window or the whole screen to the
clipboard PRINT SCREEN Entire
screen ALTPRINT SCREEN Active window
8
System Maintenance

• Backup
• Anti-Virus
• Defragmentation
• Firewall

Windows Update http//windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Automatic Updates (in Control Panel)
9
Internet Privacy

• Spam
• Use a public (disposable) e-mail address
• Use spam filters
• Firewalls
• Use one if often connected to Internet
• Block response to ping command
• Pop-ups (Messenger vs. Browser)
• If no firewall, disable the Messenger service to
  prevent (non-browser) pop-ups

10
Microsoft Office

• Excel - spreadsheets
• Access - databases
• Word - word processing
• Outlook - e-mail and organizer
• PowerPoint - presentations
• Publisher - business publishing
• FrontPage - web development

11
Microsoft Office Features

• Various Suites
• Templates / Template Gallery
• Clip Art / Clip Art Gallery
• AutoSave
• Office Clipboard
• Macro and Password Protection

Office Update http//office.microsoft.com/ProductU
pdates
12
Microsoft Excel (spreadsheet)

• Cell and Range References
• Sheet4!B5D10
• Sheet4!B5D10
• Formulas
• B5D10 100
• Formula Auditing
• Import External Data
• What-If Analysis
• Goal Seek
• Solver
• Scenarios

13
Microsoft Excel (spreadsheet)
14
Microsoft Access (database)

• What is a database?
• What is a table?
• What is a query?

15
Spreadsheet or Database?

• Databases
• Complex data
• Repeating fields
• Data validation required
• Large amounts of data
• Multiple views of data
• Advanced interface

• Spreadsheets
• Complex calculations
• Small amounts of data
• Single view of data
• Simpler interface

16
Microsoft Word (word processor)

• Formatting
• Styles
• Templates
• Track Changes
• Mail Merge

17
Microsoft OutlookPersonal Information Manager
(PIM) and E-mail

• E-mail
• Rules Wizard
• Calendar
• Contact Info
• Outlook Express

18
Application Categories

• Finance
• Accounting
• Inventory
• Time tracking
• Reports
• Marketing
• Presentations
• Desktop publishing
• Web development
• Reports
• Sales
• Contact management
• Reports
• Web development (e.g., online sales)
• Customer support
• Contact management
• Issue tracking

• Development
• Issue tracking
• Version control
• Documentation
• Management
• Project management
• Contact management
• Administration
• Windows
• Networking
• System maintenance
• Web development
• Reports
• Word processing

19
Origin of Spam (optional)

• Much to the chagrin of Hormel Foods, maker of
  the canned Shoulder Pork and hAM/SPiced hAM
  luncheon meat, the term "spam" has today come to
  mean network abuse, particularly junk E-mail and
  massive junk postings to USENET.
• It came from the spam skit by Monty Python's
  Flying Circus. In the sketch, a restaurant serves
  all its food with lots of spam, and the waitress
  repeats the word several times in describing how
  much spam is in the items. When she does this, a
  group of Vikings (don't ask) in the corner start
  a song "Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam,
  spam, spam, lovely spam! Wonderful spam!" until
  told to shut up.
• Thus the meaning of the term at last something
  that keeps repeating and repeating to great
  annoyance.
• - from www.templetons.com/brad/spamterm.html