A Hard Choice to Make

Emma Okonji writes that many Nigerian youths and small business owners are at a crossroads as to whether owning a laptop is a necessity or luxury

Laptop computers or notebook computers come with various functionalities that meet the needs of the users in diverse ways. While some Nigerian youths, students and small business owners see laptop computers as technology tools for leisure and pleasure, others see them as technology tools for real business that could earn them a living. Which ever way the issue may be looked at, the most important thing is that laptop and notebook computers, meet the needs of the users, be it for pleasure or for business.

A small business owner that just got a lifetime opportunity to pitch for business to a potential investor or present to a tender committee, needs to find a way of achieving results as fast as possible.

After a meeting for the pitch, the business owner may be requested to email the presentation within the hour and incorporate the changes discussed. Giving a situation that the investor has several presentations to consider, and so time is of essence, it becomes important for the business owner to make use of the computer that has internet connectivity, to achieve faster result.

The challenge therefore, is to probably operate from a desktop computer in the house or office or simply from a cyber café. Once there is traffic congestion, which is a characteristic of most cities like Lagos, it means access to either of these to make the changes and email the presentation on time may be impossible.
In such a scenario, the business owner will be glaring at the prospect of missing out on a big break. In that situation, the person will just be looking at his business plan crumbling. This is a potential situation a small business owners in Africa most times face.

The reality of the world today has become a furiously fast and competitive global village. The advances in technology mean that collaboration between businesses and people is instantaneous. Case in point, in the past having an email address was a reserve of a select few. But not having one today means you are unable to communicate and transact business. However, even responding and writing emails promptly is not enough to keep up with the fast moving business world, as productivity on the go is now a necessity.

Furthermore, the internet means that at a click of a button, information that would have taken ages to acquire, is available immediately. And while a smartphone or tablet may afford users the access to internet and mobility, there are some things only a laptop can do, making it a necessity and not a luxury.

Various usage of laptop
With the use of laptop, the variety of content that one can create through applications such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Word is unimaginable. From editing photos and videos to creating music and art, a laptop can help you do it whilst on the go. Having a laptop is like carry the entitle office with you.
In the aforementioned scenario, owning a laptop would have easily helped the small business owners to instantaneously edit their presentation. With internet connectivity to the laptop, they would have emailed the presentation within the hour and the big break would have been a reality.

A laptop has an amazing capability to take things to the next level enabling you to become productive in many ways.
If you are a small business owner, owning a laptop and providing the same for your employees has major potential to boost productivity. While this may be a simple illustration of how technology can impact the way we do business in Africa, the continent continues to rise presenting numerous business opportunities but the capacity to quickly tap into these opportunities lies with how fast and well equipped we are.

Unlocking your employee’s ability to get online any time, read, research and explore different concepts that spur creative ideas for your business is now vital in the increasingly competitive business world.

Benefits of laptop
The benefits of a laptop owned by an individual can also extend to the family unit. A laptop can be carried home and used by the kids to research, do their homework or as an entertainment unit for the family thus extending the impact of the device. And while it is a general misconception that laptops are expensive, there is a variety of laptops that are pocket friendly and do not compromise on performance. The trick is to choose a computer or laptop that suits your needs.
For the same reasons you wouldn’t tubuy a high end sports car to transport farm produce to the city, you shouldn’t also buy a laptop designed for high end computing to simply browse the internet, edit documents and send email.

The power of Intel processors

Computers with Intel processors are designed to meet various computing needs, offer high performance and fast speeds. One just needs to choose the right PC for the right use case. With advancement in technology, laptops are now becoming affordable and a necessity for any serious business in Africa. With local programmes launched by companies such as Intel, people have no reason to remain analogue and miss out on any big break.