IT can make your job easier, rather than complicating it.

Kristen has always been an entrepreneur and "do-it-yourselfer," and she prefers to break the mold when it comes to fashion. In fact, she has turned her knack for alternative fashion into a successful clothing boutique and is in the process of opening up her second store.

She relies heavily on repeat business and keeps extensive information on her customers, highlighting their styles and buying preferences. To bring in new business, Kristen uses the web to showcase examples of her merchandise. And though her site is not yet transaction focused, it is designed to spark interest to drive foot traffic to the store and phone calls for more information.

But though she has been successful in pushing the fashion norms, she has not been so lucky in addressing the technology challenges that come along with a growing business. Kristen needs an email system that will allow her staff to communicate with her clients. Also key is ensuring her website is always live and that her customer information is available, up-to-date and secure. And with the new store opening soon, Kristen wants to enable the two sites to share purchase and inventory information.

As with many small business owners, Kristen operates on a very tight budget, and she cannot afford the hassle and expense of a complex IT solution or a staff to manage it.

IBM Lotus Foundations Start fits the bill for a highly functional, low-touch, affordable solution to address Kristen's technology needs, without overwhelming her with complex IT tasks or schedules that stunt her business' growth:

• IBM Lotus Notes and Domino lets Kristen and her team stay connected with clients and keep track of schedules through email and calendaring tools
• Included IBM Lotus office productivity tools enable Kristen to create and manage inventory sheets, invoices and other documents and spreadsheets necessary for her to run the business
• An integrated disk-based backup system and two-minute disaster recovery helps protect Kristen’s important client information in case of accidental deletion or a system failure
• Integrated anti-virus, anti-spam and firewall protection help stop unsolicited email from clogging up Kristen's inbox and ensure her website is safe from attacks
• The included virtual private network (VPN) connects the new store to her existing network so she can access necessary information no, regardless of the store she is in

Best of all, Kristen's high-tech solution automates critical IT tasks, leaving her free to manage and grow her business.

* Fictitious character designed to illustrate customer pain points.