Starting a Business Should Involve Proper Office Technology Foresight and Planning

After graduating from Rutgers in 1980, I embarked on a career in Professional Business-to-Business Sales of Commercial Office Equipment and related technologies. In 1983, I started my own sales, service, supply, and marketing company, Electronic Office Systems of New Jersey (EOS). For more than 42 years EOS has worked with over 4,000 businesses of all shapes and sizes. The clientele that EOS serves consist of startups and Fortune 100 companies, amongst others. Helping companies to boot strap and grow their business has given me the greatest sense of joy and motivation to give back to society. Over these decades, I have met many business owners who started their companies without understanding their target markets and properly allocating their financial resources. As a result, these businesses tended to fail in the next 2-3 years and experience significant losses on their investments and their time.

Proper Office Technology Planning Should Be Done from the Get-Go

Passionate about helping businesses with pre-business setup/planning, I developed an Office Technology and Backbone Components list. Aspiring entrepreneurs should consider the following checklist

1. Commercial Realtor: Location/Zoning/Dollars/Space needs to Lease/Purchase easy from inception. (Location, Garage Doors, Loading Docks)
2. Bank/Banker: Checking, Lines of Credit, Fees, and Credit card processing
3. Cellular Phone Provider
4. Marketing Company: Corporate Identity, logo(s), tagline, website, SEO, social media presence, and public relations
5. Signage: (Town Guidelines) seeking a variance if required for successful ongoing growth
6. Offset Printer: Brochures, letterhead, envelopes, forms, and premiums
7. Attorneys: Real Estate, General Business, and Human Resources
8. Accountant/Bookkeeper: Accounting Software
9. Insurance Agency: Property & Liability, Workman’s Comp, Errors and Omissions, Cyber, Sexual Harassment, Health & Life.
10. Payroll Company: Tax Filings and Employee Leasing
11. Employee Benefits: 401Ks, HRA’s, HSA’s
12. Temp Agency/Recruiters
13. Vehicles Purchase/Leasing: Fuel, Repairs, and Insurance
14. Utilities: Gas, Electric, Water & Sewer
15. Garbage collection: Cardboard, paper, and recycling
16. Post Office: Register Address and PO Box
17. Cleaning Company
18. Electrician, Plumber, HVAC, Solar Panel System, and Sewer Cleaner
19. Handyman
20. Garage Doors and Loading Docks
21. New/Used Office Furniture
22. Racking, Forklifts, Pallet Jacks, Propane, and Equipment Services Providers
23. Landscaper and Snow Removal Company
24. Office Supply Company
25. Break Room Supplier: Coffee, Water Purification, Snacks, etc.
26. Locksmith
27. Alarm Company, Central Station, and Video Cameras
28. UPS, FedEx, and/or Pickup Box
29. Elevator Repair
30. Roofing Company
31. Franchise Fees
32. Business Coach (S.C.O.R.E)
33. Government Finance Entities: SBA and NJEDA
34. Budgeting
35. Business Plan
36. Drip Marketing Software
37. Contact Management Software (e.g., Salesforce)
38. Corporate Credit Cards
39. Zoom Account
40. LinkedIn Account
41. Online Store
42. Employee Handbook
43. Marketing Plan
44. Mission Statement/Value Proposition
45. Staffing and org chart including reception/admin
46. Hiring- Recruiting/Screening/Selecting/Training
47. Compensation Plans
48. Reviewing and Feedback Structure