GREAT 70 IDEA: Smart Technology and Telecommunication Toys to Buy for Your Business

Based on your tech checkup, here are some products and online services to consider:

• Online data storage and a physical backup system. Why risk a complete meltdown if your computer crashes? Buy hard drives or USB drives to store data. Back it up by sending it to a server in the cloud (try DropBox.com). You can buy 8 GBs of storage for about $50.
• Wireless router. An affordable way to share an Internet connection.
• Toll-free, 800 number. I resent paying for a call when I'm ordering products from your company. A toll-free number is affordable and classy.
• Smartphone. Everyone needs a phone that can make calls, text, take photos, shoot video, and access the Internet. The key is matching your phone to your work style. I like texting, so I have an LG phone with a full QWERTY keyboard. I'll probably have a 4G smartphone by the time you read this, but I don't like typing on a glass screen.
• A femtocell. Sounds like a weird scientific term, but it's a mini cell tower than plugs into your router to boost cell phone reception. When you live in the middle of nowhere, Vermont like we do, you need one. Industry analysts say there are about a million femtocells in use in the United States. Verizon charges $249 for one, but when I threatened to switch providers, the salesperson knocked $100 off the price. The rectangular black box took five minutes to install. It's a miracle—I can now use my cell phone in my home office!
• Wireless Internet card. If you travel a lot, consider buying a card that gives you Internet access from just about anywhere. Some hotels still charge for Internet access, which is particularly irksome. All the major carriers offer cards at competitive rates. They average about $50 a month. You can also buy a mobile wi-fi system that lets about five people log on from just about anywhere.
• A tablet computer. There are all sorts of cool choices other than an iPad. Sony and Dell sell tablets that are great for viewing content. The Dell Streak costs about $1,400. It has a five-inch screen and includes a full-functional 3G phone with instant messaging and short message service (SMS)/text capabilities.