Can Old Technology Still Run a Business?

If you’re a budding entrepreneur, then you’ve probably had thoughts about starting up a business for as little money as possible. You’ve probably thought about operating an online business so that you can cut costs on employees and rent, and you might even be thinking about cutting costs on your technology.

In the computing industry, discoveries and new products are quickly made redundant in a few years, making it one of the most cutthroat industries to try and succeed in. The hardware you buy today could be completely useless in around a decade or less due to wear and tear, degradation and becoming outdated. But old technology also promotes a unique opportunity for business owners; low startup costs.

Cheap computers and devices are plentiful because they’ve basically been abandoned. You can buy old office computers off websites like Craigslist and eBay for less than the cost of a meal, and they’re still fully functional and work without any major issues. Sure they might require a little care and refurbishing, but if you’re a tech-savvy entrepreneur then this isn’t much of an issue. But the question is, can old technology help you run a business? Let’s find out.

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Fax Machines

These ancient phone-printer hybrids can be found for dirt cheap on most second-hand hardware stores. They’ve largely been phased out due to technological improvements and digital signatures. However, many companies still use fax machines because it’s easy to simply scribble down signatures and feed them through a machine, making them far from obsolete when you’re dealing with large traditional corporations. Plus, they also double as a business phone.

PDAs

Why get a PDA when you have your smartphone? For starters, you might not have a smartphone. Secondly, PDAs are still widely used for the sake of data collection, such as stock checking and inspections. PDAs are very cheap due to how outdated they are and their limited uses and you might want to look for a PDA repairs service because they might be sold as broken or faulty. If you’re out in the field on a regular basis and don’t want to use your smartphone to collect data and take notes, then get a dedicated device such as a PDA.

Windows 98, 2000 or XP

Old operating systems typically come with older hardware, making them a somewhat poor choice for a business that involves a lot of productivity such as video editing or audio production. However, if your work on a computer only involves taking notes, writing documents and editing spreadsheets, then you can make huge savings on technology by purchasing an old office computer. It doesn’t need to be particularly powerful, it just needs to be able to connect to the internet and have enough juice to run office software.

Dumbphones

Remember classic phones such as the Nokia 3210 and 3310? If you don’t have access to a smartphone such as the newer Samsung and Apple phones, then can you still operate a business and work on a dumbphone? It all depends on what you need to do. If you want to work remotely and access things such as social media and your emails, then an old dumbphone isn’t going to help. However, if all you plan to use a mobile for is take and receive calls, then it could net you some big savings.