If you’re a businesswoman who is serious about not just being successful, but being the kind of person who stays at the top of her game, then you have to be a woman who is knowledgeable about the options that are available to you when it comes to technological tools and equipment.
Are you curious about some of the top tech essentials for the modern business woman? Below, we will explore seven absolute must-haves (and why) below:
Two computers. It’s pretty rare these days to meet someone who doesn’t have a computer because it’s close-to-impossible to thrive in the business world without it; however, it’s not good enough to only have one computer. You need both a desktop and a laptop. A desktop is a wise purchase because it’s a tried-and-true piece of equipment when it comes to keeping large amounts of files, spreadsheets and databases all in one place; a laptop is a good buy because you can carry it with you for business meetings and while you are on the road.
A smartphone. Gone are the days of cell phones being simply a mobile telephone. Matter of fact, gone are the days of a cell phone being simple at all. A smartphone is a good idea to have because in many ways, it does serve as a mini-computer. You can check email, surf the web, access navigation (for when you’re traveling) and download many software applications that can assist you with banking, shopping and scheduling.
A website. A website is how you can go from people locally knowing about you (thanks to radio advertisements and word of mouth), to the world gaining access to your company and what it has to offer. You must make sure that your website is modern, sleek and current. It also must be updated regularly in order to increase traffic. For this reason, it’s a smart to invest in a web designer or at the very least, to take advantage of companies like WordPress that can assist you with building an effective template (make sure it has a blog and a space for video messages too!).
A Facebook fan page. It may seem a bit odd to list this as a “must-have” for business being that so many people use Facebook for personal purposes. But just think about how many times you see “‘Like us’ on Facebook” in a commercial, or the many times that you’ve noticed business ads are listed on the right-side of your pages whenever you login. These are clear signs that companies are taking full advantage of the fact that one in nine people in the world have a Facebook account. A Facebook fan page is a surefire way to connect hundreds of people to your services for absolutely free.
Broadband services. The thing about web-based communication options like Vonage or Skype is that they are inexpensive ways to reach out to people all over the world. You can easily cut your travel expenses down by more than half by setting up web-conference meetings rather than flying out to meet business associates face-to-face.
Cloud storage. The topic of cloud storage continues to be discussed as a hot trend because it is a relatively inexpensive way for individuals to both save and transfer data over the internet to an offsite storage system that tends to be owned by a third party company. This makes it less necessary to use hard drives or thumb drives and compact discs. Cloud storage options that are currently all the rage include Google Drive, Windows Live SkyDrive, SugarSync, Amazon CloudDrive and Dropbox.
Eco-friendly tools. If you’re a woman who is eco-friendly, there are a couple of tools that you can purchase that are energy-efficient and environment-conscious. A water clock is a portable clock that you can take on the road. It runs on water and if you fill it up every four hours, it will keep perfect time. Actually, it has a memory chip in it, so if you forget to refill, it will still work effectively. Another item is a cell phone screen protector that made from recyclable materials. Bioserie has a cell phone protector that is made entirely from plants (you can check it out at DoYourPart.com). Or, if you spend a lot of time on your laptop, Logitech makes a keyboard that is entirely solar powered; a perfect way to get work down while getting a little Vitamin D outside at the same time.