No matter whether you run a travel business or one that’s a little more stay at home, these are the programs and devices you need for success.

When you run a business, then you probably already know that nowadays technology is going to play a big role in that – even if your business is offline, but the problem with technology is that it can become quite overwhelming when you’re not really sure which direction you should be going in and which tools you should be using.
The good thing is that you really don’t require a lot and should actually be going with the less is more approach because it’s more important to keep things simple when it comes to running your business so that you’re not finding yourself overwhelmed and stressed out with all the things you have to get done.
So, in this post we’ll share with you some of our top tips for the tech tools and systems we believe every business owner should have.
Web Hosting:
If you’re going to be having a website for your business, which is most definitely something you should be considering doing, then the very first thing you’re going to need to do after registering your domain name is looking for a reliable and strong hosting provider. The host is basically the place where your website is housed, so go for a reputable company who have longstanding experience in the hosting field and who will be able to ensure that your business and website is able to be run from the host without difficulty.
Wi-Fi:
Most of us now are pretty much used to having Wi-Fi everywhere we go, and if you’re running a business – especially one on the go, then you’re definitely going to need a good connection, so making sure you have this is something to consider. Whether you work from home, an offlice or are working on the road, then you’re going to need to be connected to the internet for a lot of things, and whilst many things like emails can be done from your phone, it’s important to have reliable connection at all times as much as possible because otherwise your business can become quite stressful if you’re not able to get in touch with clients or perform basic tasks in your business that need done – especially when they’re urgent, which is always when the Wi-Fi seems to decide it’s going to check out for some reason.
Reliable website:
Another part of your website is the actual tool you use to build your website in the first place, and although there are definitely plenty out there to choose from depending on what you need the website for, it’s important to look at what’s the most reliable and reputable one that’s been used over the years and not just look based on price. If you want to have full control over your site and have the best chances of seeing organic traffic through SEO, then you should be using something like WordPress.
Payment system:
As you know, one of the main factors of your success in business is dependent on your ability to make money, so it’s going to be so much easier to do this when you have a strong payment system in place to collect payments – whether you run an online or offline or business, there are plenty of tools and systems out there that can help you easily automate your payment in your business and that also keep the information of your clients safe and secure during processing.
Cloud storage:
Running an online business especially will require a lot of content and files at times to be used, so it’s important that you have a place where you can keep all of this stuff organized and safe from being lost. Not only this, when you keep files and documents stored on your computer, there’s always the risk of the stuff being lost or deleted if something happens to the computer itself, so if you have a cloud storage system in place then this means you can access the content whenever you need to and from any device.
CRM:
If you’re running a business, then you need a good system in place to track all of your customers, sales and leads, and the best way to do this is through a digital CRM system. You can find many tools online that will help you do this, such as Copper, Trello, and Hubspot, but really it’s about finding the one that suits your needs best and that is also within your budget.
Scheduling software:
Gone are the days of back and forth emails to make appointments with potential clients or have weekly team meetings, instead you can now save yourself a good chunk of time by automating and scheduling meetings with the click of a button. Again, there are lots of tools out there to allow you to do this, such as Calendly, TimeTrade, and many others, but the main feature of them all is that they enable you to have people simply book an appointment with you by clicking on a link.
Project management tool:
If you’re running a team or even if you’re just working on your own and have multiple projects to organize – whether for clients or for yourself, using a Gantt chart is important to have a way of keeping all of the information and steps organized. You may prefer to use something like a physical planner or even a notepad to organize everything, or you may want to go digital and use something like Trello or Asana to give you a clear overview of all the things that need to be done and what stage they’re currently at.
Email marketing tool:
If you’re not using email marketing in your business, then you defintely should be, as it’s one of the most powerful and effective ways of communicating with your audience and those who buy from you. Whether it’s sending out weekly newsletters to keep people updated, or building complete sales funnels to sell your products and services from, the idea that email is dead is simply stated by people who have no idea how to use it effectively. There are many email marketing tools out there to choose from and most of them are very similar, so it’s really just about finding the one that suits you best, and the best way to figure that out is by taking a look at all of them and seeing what they can offer you.
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About the Author: Other Voices
Other Voices has written 1238 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.
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