You have made the brave decision to go ahead and be your own boss. You are ready to take on the extra responsibility that comes with running your own business, but are you all prepared to get each and every job that needs doing completed? You are going to need your own tool kit, full of the equipment you need. Any entrepreneur will need a few basics and here are the must haves that you cannot do without.
The Perfect Workstation
You have to think of the ergonomics of your work station. Making do with a spare table and dining chair won’t suffice for long. In order to prevent aches and pains you’ll need to invest in a proper desk and chair that can be adjusted to suit your own height. The chair should provide good support for your back and you need to be able to position your computer comfortably in a way that will reduce the risks of RPI, neck and shoulder pain and eye strain.
Stationary for Day to Day Activities
You are going to have to have enough stationary to carry out your day to day activities. Buy pens, notepads, and envelopes, stamps and paper if you are going to be sending things out in the mail. Remember things like ink cartridges and make sure you buy refillable ones if you are likely to be printing a lot. Then there are other bits and pieces such as notice boards, drawing pins, paper clips, staplers and staples, a hole punch, files and folders. Try to find yourself with a cheap supplier that you can rely on, which is perhaps the best saving money tips we could offer.
A Smartphone
A smartphone is a good investment as it helps you to stay in touch with your clients and workers even when you aren’t at your desk. You can sync it to all of your email accounts, divert phone calls to your mobile number and carry out all sorts of tasks such as ordering supplies, updating your business pages on social networking sites and even use the camera in your promotions. Smartphones also have apps that can be very useful for business such as on the go expense reporting, project management tools, time recording apps and many more.
A Desktop and a Laptop
Your desktop should be fast and responsive and packed full of suitable software that you are going to need for your business. At the very least invest in office tools to allow you the ability of writing up documents and reports, creating presentations and managing your emails. It’s also a good idea to look for decent laptops for sale so you can make the most of the freedom that working for yourself gives you. You will be able to take work with you wherever you go, something that is priceless to the small business owner.
Remember when you set up your office and put together your tool kit that you can claim often the expenses off your tax return in most cases depending on the systems in your country. Keep every receipt that you get, record the transaction in your accounts and file them away safely for when it is time to complete the end of year accounts.
The author is a freelance copy writer and an entrepreneur. He produces thousands of articles each year providing information and advice for micro and small business owners all over the world. His work can be found published on hundreds of websites and business blogs. He also produces articles on other topics such as technology and gadgets.
David
