Many small businesses rely on presentations to promote products or services and for employee training. Audio-visual technology advances rapidly, and today's machines are smaller, lighter and easier to use than ever. Here's what you need to know to make the most of your presentations when using projectors and projector supplies. Before shopping for a video projector, assess your needs:
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Compare projectors by features and brands
Projectors for office use come in two basic types: liquid crystal display (LCD) and digital light processing (DLP), each with its pros and cons. Also consider weight, portability, brightness, resolution, warm-up time and audio capabilities.
I recommend: Small businesses with smaller budgets will appreciate
CNet's reviews of the best budget projectors.
PC Magazine lets you compare projectors by price, editor's rating and other criteria. When you're ready to shop, check out
Projector Central or the
Projector SuperStore.
BuyerZone has advice on purchasing projectors. Business.com provides vendors to compare on its
video projectors page.
Don't forget the software
While Microsoft's PowerPoint is the big daddy of presentation software, don't dismiss other offerings to streamline or enliven your presentations.
I recommend: CNet reviews some of the top names in presentation software.
ProjectorCentral offers a good listing of the many products available, including
Apple Keynote 3 and
Adobe Macromedia Breeze 5.
Projector supplies and accessories
Projector supplies and accessories include everything from carrying cases to wireless remotes, screens, lamps, mounts, switchers, cables, lenses and other items.
I recommend: The accessories section at
ProjectorPros lists most of the add-ons you may want to consider. Check out manufacturer Web sites such as
Dell and
Sony to see what accessories they offer for your model.
Travel light with a portable projector
A bulky projector make travel a real hassle. Consider a sleek, lightweight model and keep your projector from being a pain in the neck (and back).
I recommend: Mitsubishi's line of
ultraportable video projectors were designed with the business traveler in mind. Review various
portable projector suppliers on Business.com.
To travel event lighter, rent projectors
If visual presentations are not a regular part of your business, you may not need to own a video projector.
I recommend: See Business.com
video projector rentals page for a list of outifts around the country which rent projectors, or their list of specialists in
LCD projector rental.
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