Of all the fundamentals that entrepreneurs need to know to succeed, technology provides the most new opportunity and the most constant change. Computer literacy is not an option, it's an absolute necessity. Every business needs a website in the same way every business needed to be listed in the Yellow Pages 25 years ago. The marketing opportunities on the world wide web must be understood and evaluated to ensure the best decisions for your venture. The technological tools and capabilities available to small business are expanding every day, and only those entrepreneurs savvy enough to keep up are going to survive and thrive in the new economy.
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You Need a Computer
The ability to use a computer is pretty much a given these days, though there is the rare entrepreneur who is still uncomfortable with the idea. The advent of the internet makes most things much easier, from conducting industry and competitor research to keeping in touch with your customer base. Excellent accounting system and contact management software decrease the time spent on these non-core competencies while simultaneously making related data more accessible and useful than the old ledger books and rolodexes ever could. Email is the preferred form of communication for many, from vendors to customers, so current business owners need to be prepared.
Your Business Needs a Website
A website for your business is an absolute necessity. Whether a simple 3 to 5 page business card site or a full-blown ecommerce store, having a web presence is no longer a luxury, it's a must. What you need depends on your industry and business model, but failing to represent your business online is likely to become a fatal mistake. However, simply posting a website is not enough. Doing so without performing the appropriate SEO (search engine optimization) is pointless. It is akin to placing a billboard on Mars -- if nobody sees it, it might as well not exist. Effective SEO tactics are not particularly complicated, but they take some time and research to ensure you are making the best use of your time.
Get Involved with Social Networking
Social networking is the new frontier for marketing a business. It's hard to say whether that will continue or if and when consumers will become immune to the constant barrage of messages, but for now it is essential to exploit the opportunities available on these social websites. The contacts you gather through your activity on social sites and from opt-in mailing lists from your own site provide excellent direct marketing opportunities. Email newsletters and promotions are extremely effective, and cost you only a bit of time and effort. Email blasts to your customer base keep your company in mind. Even if they don't open all of them, they are repeatedly exposed to the business name, a psychologically important outcome!
Consider a Smart Phone
In addition to basic computer operations and internet opportunities, the newest technologies can help entrepreneurs stay organized and manage their time more effectively. Smart phones are not just for twenty-somethings - every entrepreneur should consider investing in one. They can be used to keep up with email and phone calls, sure, but they can also supply your accounting, inventory, employee schedule, and other obligations at your fingertips. They have internet access, GPS systems, cameras, and thousands of applications available to fulfill just about any need for entrepreneurs. They are a bit more expensive than a standard cell phone and much more than a landline, but if used effectively they are worth every penny in the time and stress they can relieve.
Use Technology to Your Benefit
No matter what type of business you are launching, the available technology will play an important role in the success of your venture. It is important for every entrepreneur to be more than familiar with the tools that are out there and how they can support and promote your business. The constantly changing face of technology notwithstanding, the success of small business is intricately tied to an entrepreneur's ability to use what is available now and to stay abreast of the opportunities in technology as they come along.
If you've located this article, chances are you are thinking about starting your own non-profit organization. Maybe you are the new ED of a small non-profit and you are responsible for making technology decisions. Either way, I hope you will find this information useful. We're going to start with a few very basic steps. Today, we'll look at the most essential parts of getting started. The good news is that this shouldn't take more than an hour of your time.
1. The most important thing you can do as a new start-up is to get a website up and running. I would recommend having a website up before you even file your paperwork with the IRS for tax-exempt status or have a business card printed. You don't want to find yourself discussing your new idea with a prospective donor and not be able to provide a web address. You can set up a nice website using off the shelf tools available from most major hosts. My personal suggestion for entry level webpages is HostGator.com. I used to have an account with them and was very impressed with their customer service and technical support. HostGator also features automatic installations of many popular software packages, such as WordPress and Joomla.
2. The second most important thing you can do is create a real email address. It is highly unprofessional to hand someone a business card with your @aol.com email address listed as the contact address. The bottom line is that it is so simple to set up an email address once you have a website, there is no excuse for not having a professional address. I suggest Google Apps for Your Domain, but if you are not comfortable setting something like this up, there are much easier solutions. Whoever you use to host your website should have very simple instructions for creating a mailbox.
3. Purchase a new computer. If you are working from your home, I would recommend that you separate your personal computing from your new non-profit. If you have an office, it's kinda a no-brainer that you will need a second computer. If you can't afford a new Apple, and face it, most of Andy Khawaja us can't, my recommendation would be to check out Dell. Specifically, Dell Financial Services. This is the part of the company that sells off-lease computers. I am writing this from a refurbished laptop that weighs about 4 pounds and cost less than $400. When buying a new computers, STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS VISTA. This "new and improved" operating system is a complete mess. It is horribly slow and does not work with many older printers and scanners. Save yourself the headache and go with Windows XP, preferably XP Professional.
So you now have a new computer, a new email address and a new website. Other than waiting for the computer to be delivered, this entire process should not have taken more than one hour.
This article was originally published here.