I’ve already covered what you don’t need to spend money on when you’re getting your business started, so what do you actually need? In other words what are the startup tech essentials?
Let me caveat this by saying this is a general list that covers most types of businesses. When you’ve got a business which offers some specific services, you will probably need the right tools to go with it.
And tech isn’t just the hardware, the physical items, but it’s also the software, the applications that you need.
Productivity Suite
You’re going to need a starting point for documents, finances (spreadsheet) etc. And that boils down to one of the productivity suites.
FYI: A productivity suite is a set of applications that offers:
- Email app
- Word-processing
- Spreadsheet
- Presentation
- Digital Notes
- File Storage
Business Email
Sure you can start your business with “amazingbiz@gmail.com’, but it doesn’t show that you are a serious and professional business.
Instead what you want is info@amazingbiz.com, or michelle@michellektraining.co.uk which shows a more professional side to clients and potential customers.
Email Service Provider
As you build up your business you’re going to also be building an email list.
Basically a list of names and email addresses from people that are interested in your services/products and will be buying from you.
Once you’ve got a list you need to email them.
Sure, you can start your message with “Hi there”, but it’s so much nicer to be able to say “Hi Sandy”?
And that’s what the ESP will give you, not only a place to store those names and email addresses but a way to contact them and personalise the message.
There’s a few other really useful things that an ESP can do, but I’m not going to cover that here.
Social Media
What you want is a platform where you can find new potential clients, share (some) of your knowledge and advertise yourself and business.
One of the easiest options is to head to social media platforms.
There are a few to choose from these days, and I will be the first to tell you:
Don’t try and be on every single platform
Been there, done that, overstretched myself and failed!
Instead you need to choose one or two platforms that
a) work for you – i.e. you’re happy to create the type of content that works well on them.
b) are where your clients are likely to be.
Write a list of the social media platforms that you know and work out which one (or two) are the best for you with pros and cons.
Payment Processing
In order for you to have a successful business you’re going to need paying clients.
How will you accept payments?
If you are setting up a ‘physical’ business – where you provide services in person, or sell physical items and see your clients face to face, then you’ll need options for cash and card.
On the other hand, if you create digital items, then you need online payment options.
There are a wide range of choices, a few things to consider:
- What options do they offer? Physical and/or online
- What is their track record in taking payments (probably good) and more importantly paying you?
- How much do they charge?
- Which cards do they accept?
- How easy are they to set up on your website or shopping platform?
I think that that’s a good starting point to help you make a decision.
Website
This isn’t an essential option, but can answer the key question from potential clients “where can I find out more about your business?”
Before you start to get concerned, there are different types of ‘websites’ that I’m thinking of.
Depending on your type of business, this can be a really simple one-page site that you can direct people to for more information or something more substantial.
But what you want is a web-presence that you can direct people to.
Sure you can use social media, but remember that you don’t own that space. Consider what happens if the platform goes down for any length of time.
Graphics Program
No matter what type of business you have, you end up creating some graphics for it. This might be logos, banners or social media posts.
Find one that suits you, whether it’s installed on your device or available through a web-browser.
Based on your needs, decide if the basics is enough, or does it need to be ‘all singing and all dancing’.
You should also consider your skills, do you already know how to use one of the many graphic programs, or will you need to spend some time learning it. How much time and effort do you want to take?
At the end of the day, you want something that you feel comfortable using, not something that you pay for and can barely use.
Next Steps
When you’re starting out with a business, you need to find out the quickest, and potentially the cheapest, options to be able to move your business forward.
A good general rule is to find the applications that suit you and do what you need now.
There’s always the option to upgrade later.
It’s time to sit down and plan out what you need, then find the applications that help you do achieve that. To find your startup tech essentials.
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