Support for Small Firms

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Support for Small Firms

This section of our site is directed in particular towards supporting small firms who need a presence on the Web. It also covers other aspects of the computing needs of a small business - networks, backups, disaster recovery etc. I believe there is a very real need for such information - I see many examples of the same problems and the same mistakes still being made in small businesses.

Note: Some of the detailed material is badly out of date as it was written for early versions of Windows (98 and XP). Despite that, most of the background material is as valid as when it was written so I have left them on the site.

Unfortunately these Legacy pages were not written in HTML5 (which did not exist) and were not designed to be Responsive or Mobile Friendly as there was no concept of such factors at the time. They have largely been updated and will render fine in all current browsers but some will still show a few warnings and errors in current HTML5 validators.

Small Business Site Map

Internet Requirements of a Small Business
Domain Names and their Registration
Choosing an ISP to host a commercial site and provide email
- TSOHost (previously called Freezone) - where this site is hosted which has a number of good value business hosting packages. Claims to host over 12000 business sites.
- Fasthosts - A comprehensive, good value host - one of the biggest in the UK claiming it hosts over 100,000 business sites where my uniquelynz.com pages are hosted.
Secrets of successful web site design - covers the priorities, strategy and techniques required for creating a small business site with impact.
Web Site Design (From the Howto Articles Series)
- How to create your first web site - Tips and hints on how to quickly create and upload a simple web site without expensive software (appropriate to a small firm, club or home). A well established and much visited page which has been updated to cover HTML5 and simple use of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).
- Using Cookies in Web pages - fundamental to giving a 'memory' to web sites with useful JavaScript snippets.
- HTML Forms - a guide to adding a Form to your web site
  - Form Validation - How to validate important fields to check they filled in and that an email address is valid, before the the form is submited
- PHP Scripts and setting up a Ubuntu Linux Server An introduction to PHP directed at form handling and encryption tested on an Ubuntu Linux Server.
- JavaScript for Hiding and Expanding Blocks of Text - a technique used on my web site.
- JavaScript Popup Windows for Images - Open larger images in a single new window of the correct size when one or more thumbnails are clicked - the original basic article.
  - Advanced Popup Windows for Images One of the techniques used on my web site.
- Updated - Using Lightbox Style Overlays to Display Web Images an alternative technique to Popup Images which is better for touch sensitive screens and mobile devices.
- Updated - Mobile Friendly Responsive Web Site Design - this is the most important of the pages on Web Site Design and draws on many of the previous articles which describe techniques in more detail.
- New - Using Media Queries instead of event driven Reloads - a major change which will avoid frequent page reloads when size and orientation changes take place on mobile devices and enables other significant improvents.
Search Engines and Directories - what you need to do to get visitors to a business site. Essential reading before starting to design a site.
Secure Transactions - SSL and all that
Web Page Counters - how to add a Hit Counter to your web page to measure your success.
Recovering from Internet and Email Disasters - what you need to do to restore contact with your customers (uses Freeserve, Freezone and Fasthosts as examples).
- Howto Backup Email messages, Address books and Dictionaries - The address list and email messages are of vital importance.
Secure Storage and Email - Pretty Good Privacy, OpenPGP, GNUGP and Truecrypt - strong encryption for everyone who needs Secure Storage or Email under Windows. Now also covers Linux, Pocket PCs and Securing Form Output using PHP on servers - almost a new page.
Internet Security - How to make sure you are protected against Hacking
Consultancy Support - Options to provide a helping hand when you start and a safety net if disaster strikes

Pages writen specifically for this section of the site use this colour scheme and are in bold above. They are augmented by existing and new pages from the Series of Howto Articles (Blue and Grey scheme)

Overall this has ended up being the size of a small book and I am still making additions. The framework is now in place and all of the important new pages are present. Anybody who is interested is welcome to Send comments, suggestions or even inputs to me.

Support: I am prepared, in some cases, to offer Consultancy Support to provide the initial impetus and assistance to get a small local UK firm on their electronic feet to the point where they can be self supporting using the technical information on this site along with other readily available information.

Before You Leave

I would be very pleased if visitors could spare a little time to give us some feedback - it is the only way we know who has visited the site, if it is useful and how we should develop it's content and the techniques used. I would be delighted if you could send comments or just let me know you have visited by sending a quick Message.

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