Pros and Cons of Buying Your Employees Company Laptops

Company laptops are a boon in today's business world as they allow employees to work remotely and outside of normal working hours. There are several factors you need to consider, however, to determine if buying laptops for everyone on your team is the right decision.

That'�s why we asked nine entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:

Q. Should I buy all of my employees laptops? Any pros and cons I should consider?

1. Data privacy

If your employees work remotely or do work on nights and weekends, it might make sense to purchase them laptops so that all your company's data is on that computer rather than their home computer or someone else's. By doing this, you can keep your company's data secure. Also, when and if they leave the company, the transition will be a lot easier. –Basha Rubin, Priori Legal

2. Reliability

A huge headache startups run into is having employees come into work complaining about how poorly their personal machine runs. For salaried employees, you should invest in providing them with the right equipment they'll need to be fully productive so they never have the excuse "My laptop just won't cooperate today." –Danny Wong, Blank Label

3. Efficiency

Instead of dealing with employee excuses, buy them the tools they need to get the job done. They'll be required to return their laptops if they leave your organization, and your tech team will be more efficient when working with the same computer models. –Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now

4. Use cases

Before purchasing any hardware, determine who will be using the machine and what they most likely will need to get out of it. If you're processing large amounts of data, will a laptop have enough power to run multiple applications simultaneously? Will your new business manager need a top-of-the-line machine if they are using email and text-editing software? Find a use case and buy according to it. –Andrew Saladino, Kitchen Cabinet Kings

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5. Company resources

The biggest advantage is that you’ll be sure your employees have the necessary tools to complete tasks. But the main disadvantage is that it will require an investment on your part. You need to decide if your company is in a position to make that investment and whether buying laptops will increase productivity and allow you to delegate more key roles and assignments. –Alfredo Atanacio, Uassist.ME

6. Easy support

If your company relies on computers to operate—which is pretty much everyone—then yes, buy your employees laptops without any hesitation. Laptops allow employees to be productive from anywhere at anytime. We give our employees a choice between MacBook Airs, Pros, or Lenovos. Try to standardize for easier support, warranty, and software licenses. –Daniel Theirl, Rubikloud Technologies

7. Employee responsibilities

If you're considering an employee who works in inside sales, I would say a laptop is not necessary. An outside sales representative definitely needs a laptop because you expect them to travel and constantly be available wherever they are. If any of your employees is going to be working on the weekend or traveling often, then laptops are crucial to the employee; otherwise, you can save a lot of money by using desktops. –Jayna Cooke, EVENTup

8. Maximum efficiency

The output of an employee is closely tied to how well their machine runs. By minimizing the frustration while using tools, employees are able to stay in the most creative and productive mental states. This doesn't mean that they need the most expensive laptop or that it needs to be replaced monthly. Find the laptop that best fits their needs while trading off mobility and power. –Alex Fang, Aurrion

9. Usage agreements

We've been providing company-issued laptops for years with great results. To make the program successful, each employee that gets a company-issued device signs an agreement explaining how they are to care for the device and their responsibilities caring for the device. In addition, each laptop have its entire hard drive encrypted to prevent data leakage in the event of lost or stolen equipment. –Mark Cenicola, BannerView.com