Starting your own business is a big deal. You can’t start an online business or e-commerce and just assume it will succeed. There are certain things you need to maintain a successful business.
As a creative professional with 11 years of experience, this list of business startup must-haves is what I’ve found essential for my own businesses.
A Laptop for your Business
Owning a laptop is basic for those who want to start a business. There could be some ways that we don’t realize that it can help us accomplish our goals.
The reason why you should have a laptop for your business is that it provides you with an opportunity to work on the go, basically anywhere you are. This means you can work anytime and anywhere as long as your laptop has battery power and an internet connection.
Also, a laptop is one of the most important tools you can use for organizing your business, storing important data, and tracking valuable information.
Related to top business startup must-haves:
- 4 Things Startups Need To Know About
- Useful Ways To Fund Your New Business Startup
- 5 Of The Most Important Keys To Internet Business Startup Success
- How To Hire Good Employees for Your Startup
Key features to look for when buying a Laptop
CPU
The CPU is the brain of your laptop. It controls everything, including processing power and battery life. This is the most important factor to look for in a laptop. Choose a CPU with at least 4 cores, as a quad-core will be able to handle most tasks while two cores may struggle with more demanding applications.
Also, make sure that the processor is from Intel or AMD. They generally offer better performance, higher energy efficiency, and are more reliable when you choose between them.
RAM
The RAM size is one of the key features to look for in a laptop, as it directly determines how many running tasks and software programs you can use at the same time. Generally, the more RAM you have, the better performance your laptop will provide for your everyday tasks.
Website
Whether you’re starting a business, or working for an existing one, having a website is a must.
You can have the nicest business cards in the world but leaving your potential customers guessing where to find more information about your services or products is not good.
Building a site from the ground up with WordPress is the way to go for most people. This is because it allows you to fully customize your site and get the exact look and feel that you want. Editing WordPress themes is quite easy too once you learn how to do it properly.
Benefits of a Website for your Business
Having a website serves as an online home base for your company, contact information, services, and more. It’s also your main tool to reach out to new customers.
A website is the best way to give yourself an advantage over the competition in the current business environment.
Creating a website for your business is an important part of the marketing and branding plan. It’s easier to get people interested in what you’re doing when you’re online rather than just operating out of a brick-and-mortar location. Also, it’s much more cost-effective to sell or advertise online.
Marketing Plan
When I decided to start my new business, I knew that to be successful, I would have to have a smart marketing plan.
You can gain a competitive edge by having a marketing plan. Creating and executing this plan will allow you to identify your target market, decide on the best way to reach out to them, and ultimately get more customers.
A marketing plan can help guide your company towards more effectiveness in customer retention and lead generation, so it’s definitely worth the time to put one together.
Fast Internet
A fast internet connection has become a must-have for modern business. The days of dial-up are long gone and are only meant for people that do not have access to a high-speed internet connection.
Although a DSL connection or cable internet will work just fine, nothing is better than having a fiber optic internet service. It is fast, has low latency making it ideal for your business operations.
This is going to become one of the most frequently used tools for keeping your web presence alive, so you need to have a good connection.
Phone for your Business
There are many businesses that have not recognized the importance of a phone for their business till they lose customers. The phone is one of the most valuable tools to connect with customers.
From customer care to order placements, from clients’ inquiries to making bookings and payments, you will hardly find a task that cannot be completed using a phone.
But wait, what type of phone should you get for your business? Some might lean towards the Apple brand, while others will side with Google or Microsoft.
It all depends on what you’re into and how much you can spend on your phone. People want to call business owners, not just email them.