Starting a business entails a lot more than merely having a good idea and the funds to begin with. You will also need to have the right pieces of tech and equipment in order to start work right away. So what is it that you need to enable you to work well and professionally from the word go? Here are some of the basics.
Laptop
A laptop computer, or a desktop if you prefer and don’t need to be mobile, is absolutely essential. Without a computer of some sort, you will be unable to do most of the daily admin tasks required to run your business such as printing invoices, emailing, answering queries, accounting, stock control, and much, much more.
Invest in the best computer your budget will allow for. It’s better to pay more at the start for a quality piece of equipment that will last for years than to skimp on costs and buy an inferior model that needs to be replaced quickly.
Smartphone
A smartphone is always going to be useful. Not only is it a way to keep connected to everything and everyone to do with your business, but you could effectively (depending on the sector you’re working on)run your entire business from your smartphone if you needed to.
Your smartphone is going to be useful when it comes to social media, for example, which is vital for a business to have. You will more easily be able to update your posts using your phone. You can even use your smartphone to respond to customers when you’re out of the office should you wish to.
Plus, you can use it for your downtime too. You could read an eBook, compare mobile casinos to play slots on, listen to soothing music or white noise, or even follow online yoga videos.
External Hard Drive
An external hard drive can be vital to the security of your business. It’s what you can use to backup your data to, and is especially useful if you have desktop computers that will stay in your office when you go home for the night. If there were to be a fire or someone broke in and stole the computers, having an external hard drive that you backup to and then remove and take home with you means that you won’t lose everything.
Some business owners prefer to use the cloud to backup their information, which means you don’t need any physical equipment, but you do need to have an account with something such as Dropbox or GoogleDrive. What you use will depend on your own preferences, but remembering to backup in some way is crucial.
A Printer
As much as some offices are trying to go paperless, there will, at the moment, still be the need to print some items off. You might create and print your own brochures, for example, or you might need to post out invoices to those customers who don’t use email.
It’s important to research your options before buying; you will need something that is cost effective when it comes to the ink it uses as well as the printer itself.If the price of ink is prohibitive, then the printer won’t be any use. Read reviews about the printer you are considering to ensure it is good quality and will do what you need it to do.
