Starting and running your own small business presents many challenges. Cash flow management, employee management, licensing and regulatory issues.., in sum at the end of the day will stress the average person out beyond the normal boundary of ones' sanity. One areas of business that has seen massive change over the last few years is in the area of small business software. In as little as 5 years ago start-up companies would have had to invest a minimum of 5k -10k for basic computer hardware and business software to start their business. However, as the Internet became faster and faster, with the introduction of broadband, providers of software as a service (Saas) are popping up and allow the average small company of 2 to 20 employees to manage their company all from the Web. Saas brings forth many advantages for the average small business: * Quick Setup. * No networking challenges. * Out-of-the-box remote access via the browser. * No hardware expense. * Low cost, usually $50-$100 per month depending on the size of the company. One of the first questions I get when discussing this topic is that of security. I hear..."how secure is Saas".., or, I want my data on my machines and not yours. These are all valid questions. But in today's economy small businesses need to pick their battles. Unless you have the money and manpower to manage your own IT systems, provide security, not to mention staying current with all of the technology out there.., allowing a professional service provider manage your software and data, provide nightly backups, guarantee data up-time, it might be a better idea to let someone else manage your software and data. Besides.., the big Saas players have Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that protect you against down-time and lost data. So yes, Saas providers store your data outside of your company's four walls. But the first time your own business server crashes you'll have wished you had placed your data online. Software as a service is one of the fastest growing business segments and will continue to do so as the Internet becomes faster and even more woven into every day life...