According to a recent report by the DTI, there are roughly 1.25 million small businesses in the UK, employing around 8 million people and generating 700 billion pounds each year.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of Britain. The UK is booming, the economy is healthy, unemployment is lower and smaller firms have greater opportunities. But, like larger firms, they must be competitive in order to keep costs down and maximise efficiency.

Networking is essential if smaller businesses are to grow and prosper in the future. We now have the Internet and Intranets streamlining business processes and revolutionising the way in which people interact. Yet few smaller businesses enjoy the benefits of this advanced communications infrastructure through lack of support.

However, when most computer and support services talk about IT and networking solutions they invariably concentrate only on the large to medium sized businesses. We focus on the businesses others largely ignore!

The IT industry itself is mostly to blame for this situation; smaller businesses have in the past been viewed as too small to bother with which we feel is wrong. Today’s small businesses are the large businesses of the future, needing a different kind of service and support focused upon their particular needs.

We at WNMS are proud to be able to offer such support.

To people in the IT industry, "network" is a common term, so they don’t have to think about it. But how does a small business perceive it, and its benefits? One definition we have seen puts it in a nutshell:

"A network consists of computers, printers and other hardware linked by cables so that all the pieces can talk to each other".

With a small business network people are connected. So, they communicate better, faster and can easily share files, applications and those expensive peripherals such as laser printers, plotters, fax machines and so on.

The business gets more value out of a networked printer, fax and CD-Rom drive and less time is wasted moving files around on floppy disks for printing out or archiving. Frequent spending on capital equipment is reduced and greater benefit is obtained from existing resources.

If required, employees can even connect to the network when away from the office. In essence, with a network small business employers (and employees) save time and money, and work smarter together.

The term "small" in relation to businesses often means anything from a "one-man-band" to a business employing upwards of 100 people. WNMS believe that the following definition is more accurate.

"A small business is generally defined as one that employs less than 50 people. Usually they will have up to 20 computers with no 'in-house' I.T. support".

This lack of in-house support is crucial, as without it, small businesses are vulnerable to the risks of data loss, fraud (internal and external) and other circumstances that can seriously affect the stability of a company.

Small businesses need someone who can get an understanding of their business [and potential problems] and who can propose, provide and support systems that will benefit the business. WNMS can be that "someone".

Fact: Of all the small businesses that fail in the UK, over 85% do so within eighteen months as a result of data loss, either from a lack of knowledge or lack of adequate back-up resources and routines.

The Internet is a source of huge amounts of information, and email can help a company enhance its communications with customers and suppliers alike. By centralising internet access, anyone in the business with access to a PC can send email and receive information on products, services, markets, potential customers and competitors.

Many businesses considering using the internet will have concerns that [some] employees would access it for inappropriate or non-business information or material.

However, we at WNMS feel that such concerns are often over emphasised and should not be allowed to override the immense benefits. In any case, centralisation of the connection lets a small business control access to some degree, and monitor activity.

Being "on-line" allows the setting up of a Website or E-commerce system with the potential to reach customers world-wide. It adds flexibility, making it easier for others to communicate with the business, and gives staff greater freedom to contact the office either from home or customer sites.

Also, being part of the internet, makes it possible for files and information to be exchanged instantly with other firms, and let the business take advantage of the information revolution now taking place.