Technology is king in today’s age. Outside of salary reserves, technology is often the largest capital expense for start-ups. You want your employees to have the best, but you cannot spend a fortune on technology unless your angel is endlessly giving you money. Luckily, some tech solutions offer the best in quality and price.
Computers
Very few businesses do not require employees to have a computer in front of them. Even your sales staff needs computer power when they are on the road. The strength of the computer system will depend on your company’s needs, but for many start-ups, a laptop can replace a desktop system. This is advantageous because laptops are much less expensive than desktops and portable. If your people only need a good word processing function, the writers at TechRadar say the new Samsung Chromebook 2 can function just as well as the more expensive laptop computers.
Smartphones
Entrepreneur magazine claims that you can run a business from your smartphone. Although this may or may not be true, there is no denying that mobile devices’ technological power is changing how we do business. The Xperia by Sony is receiving high marks from most technology reviewers, and you can pick it up for under $600 or bundle it to receive a reduced price. It has a longer battery life than its competitors and is waterproof, so your employees have no excuse for missing phone calls.
Applications
A computer without software is an expensive box. Computer and smartphone software can range in price from free to wildly expensive. Luckily, most computers come with a word processing suite. For example, the Chromebook is equipped with Google Drive, which has all the common functions of Microsoft Office. For smartphones, the Google and Apple stores have a large selection of business applications. The Clear app is a good time management software because for under $10, you can manage the responsibilities of your staff no matter where they may be.
Online Banking
Gone are the days you’d need to go to your bank or to an ATM to deposit money or even know the amount in your account. Online banking has been around for the last decade, but now it’s getting even more prevalent. Banks such as Swissmoney have made it easier for business owners to keep track of their expenses, what fees have occurred, and so much more. Keeping track of all of this is vital, and online banking has made it so much easier.
Cloud Access
Cloud-sharing technology is a smart way to increase productivity and decrease costs. This way, even with a worldwide staff, you can save, share and edit documents in real time. There are several good choices for cloud-sharing platforms, including Google Drive, Just Cloud, and Dropbox. When you are looking, just be sure to find a system that is scalable in price and allows sharing of applications and documents.
Website
The only thing worse than logging on to the company website when it is down is a site that is not good. You want to offer your customers all the information they need or want. Oftentimes, this means having a blog as a portion of your website. If you are new to blogging, the WordPress platform is helpful and easy to use. Your blog should connect to your social media channels, and your employees should have access to write and post content.
