Everyone with a standard Monday through Friday job has at least once in their life day-dreamed about dramatically quitting and starting their own business. Who wouldn’t want to be their own boss? While most only dream, a small percentage of people actually do it. If you happen to be one of those people, you’re probably well aware of the steps you need to take in order to get your business off the ground and start turning a profit. However, you might not be as well-versed in the various types of technology available right now that can help your business find long-lasting success. Investing in the right tech can make-or-break a new company, so it’s important to determine the best products that can help you establish a presence in your industry.
You will need to figure out what kind of work-life you will be going for. For instance, will you be working from a laptop from various places, a home office, or will you rent out an actual office space? Regardless as to which one you decide (or if you decide on a combination), you will need reliable computers to allow you to seamlessly get the job done. Thankfully, there are countless options out there for each work option. If you plan on doing a lot of business from a wide variety of locations, check out compact laptops like the HP touchscreen computer. You’ll need a long battery life and a large amount of internal storage if you want to be productive from a coffee shop, so it’s a smart idea to invest in a quality computer. If you plan on having a home office, consider setting yourself up with a standing desk, like VERIDESK. Not only will this encourage you to actually stand up and move around more, but you will also find that you will be a lot more productive with your time if you aren’t hunched over a desk all day.
Regardless of the type of company you start, there is a pretty high chance that you will have to communicate with clients and other companies. While you can certainly set up in-person meetings, it’s often not feasible if the majority of you clients aren’t based in the same city. Nowadays, there are tons of wireless conference room options that will enable you to meet via video chat or phone call. This technology allows you to work with literally anyone in the world, making it the smartest way to schedule discussions with clients, employees, and business partners alike.
One major perk of working for a large company is that your workload and timetable come built in. Supervisors assign tasks and set deadlines. When you work for yourself, you will have to manage that yourself, which some people can find challenging. There are plenty of time tracking tools, like Toggl, that can help you figure out how you are spending your work hours so you can then be more productive. Time is money, after all. If you combine these tools with project management software, your productivity is bound to increase by leaps and bounds.
Think About the Best Ways to Market Your CompanyUnless your company is successful enough from the get-go that you can hire an outside marketing firm, you will probably be doing it all yourself. Utilize software to create a comprehensive marketing plan that you can continually update as your company grows. Taking advantage of social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, is also an easy way to get your marketing efforts off the ground. You might also want to start a blog that is related to your business and the services that you offer. For instance, do you offer bookkeeping for small businesses? Write posts that your clients will be interested in—such as tips for a successful tax year—then market that blog across your social media platforms.
One of the most important aspects of a successful company is designing a mobile-friendly website that your customers will be able to take full advantage of no matter what platform they use. If you don’t have any experience creating websites, there’s plenty of companies that make it easier to create a sleek design with no prior experience. Squarespace has tons of different website design layouts to choose from in a wide variety of themes that are easy for you to update as your company evolves.
Using technology to enhance the efficiency of your business can often be overlooked in the early stages of a new company. But if you hit the ground running with these five tips, you’ll save yourself a lot of growing pains in the long run.
