When it comes down to what you really need for your business to run smoothly, there are many things you can do without in the beginning, even the long term, maybe even forever; but businesses these days move at the ever-increasing speed of technology. With this being said, you’re not going to be able to compete very long without at the very least having these electronic necessities.
Website
In 2018 online sales will account for 10% of all retail sales. Your marketing people will want to create marketing campaigns and create sales funnels to boost sales. Not having a website is simply a bad idea. The advantages are many and the cost is minimal. Just get one. Make sure your website is optimized for mobile devices or your online sales and Google ranking are likely to suffer.
Recently released mobile phone
If you don’t need to type much other than writing text messages, this may very well be the most utilized tool in your entire business. Make sure you have a reliable mobile phone. They say there is an app for everything, and they’re right. Many of these apps you can utilize for your business. Also, while you’re playing on your phone anyway, make sure your website looks and functions great. This is how most people will see and use your website.
Laptop
Some things just can’t be done right or efficiently on your mobile phone or tablet. As with your mobile phone, try to have the latest models running the latest operating systems and other software that you will need. Additionally, you’ll want the fastest internet service you can afford for direct connections and Wi-Fi.
POS (point-of-sale) system
One thing you certainly can’t put off until later is making sales to generate revenue for your business. That being said, you want your process for receiving payments from your customers to be as simple as possible, so as not to delay receiving payments or, heaven forbid, lose sales because the POS system you use. Plan far in advance to prevent this tragic experience from happening to you even once.
So, what is the best POS system for you? To answer this question, you will have to ask yourself how and where you will usually receive payments. You may need multiple POS devices. The type of business you have should help you eliminates certain systems as choices. If all you have is an online store, you will be able to just plug in a POS system into your website and won’t need anything else! There’s no universal solution to fit every business. It all depends on your unique situation. The best example being, a restaurant will certainly be using a different POS system than a retail store.
Good quality printer/fax/scanner
Some people try to get around this one but something always comes up. Although scanning and faxing aren’t exactly the hippest technologies, you will inevitably need one. Just get one.
As a business owner, don’t be shy about talking to electronics store managers to discuss giving you credit, good terms, and discounts. They’d much rather give you a discount and have you as a customer for life than lose your business to a competitor.