Those businesses out there that have still done nothing to address the millennium bug are probably the last to admit it publicly. However, behind closed doors they must at this stage realise they have a problem on their hands. What to do about it is probably the most daunting prospect.

There are stories circulating among those in the know about extremely aggressive sales tactics being adopted by Y2K fix merchants. Many are playing on their clients' lack of tech savvy, and charging huge amounts to conduct evaluations and installations.

There is a knock-on effect when clients get on to original equipment suppliers to take them to task over failing to supply Y2K-compliant goods - in many cases the accusations are unfounded.

Companies can cut out a lot of the hassle by doing some of their own groundwork first by visiting the www.year2000.com site. Also, the August edition of PC Magazine in Britain has a 20-page section on Y2K. It objectively evaluates some of the fixes currently on the market and reviews four of the most popular products, Check 2000 PC Deluxe, Norton 2000, McAfee, and Millennium Bug Toolkit. It is still quite likely your business will need some expert help, but at least this provides quality early advice for less than a fiver.