In the modern world, more and more people are turning to self-employment to build their own futures. With this rise in entrepreneurship and sole trading, there comes a rise in technology that can make your life, and your business, more productive.
That’s why this month we wanted to share some of our recommendations on the best pieces of technology to help your business grow. Remember, these are just our own recommendations, but if you have your own we’d love to hear from you.
An external/extra monitor
An extra monitor is ideal if you’re working on multiple projects or your job requires multiple screens for a single piece of work. Most computers will be able to operate with a second screen, but it’s worth double-checking before you make your initial purchase.
A second screen/monitor is particularly useful if you’ve invested in a laptop, as it gives you a lot more visual space to work with, even if it does take up slightly more room on your desk.
An all-in-one printer
Whether you’re printing client contracts or need to rescan documents and send them back before an important meeting, an all-in-one printer is a must-have piece of equipment in your home office.
The added benefit of an all-in-one printer is that it can save the scans of documents to numerous locations. If you’re backing up your own work, then save it to a portable USB drive. Alternatively, upload your documents to the cloud and keep your business as paperless or possible.
An external hard drive
An external hard drive is another essential piece of technology for any home office. They’re becoming more popular these days, especially since many self-employed individuals have a host of important paperwork and larger files that need storing securely.
External hard drives are often more affordable than their internal counterparts and are easy to move from one location to another. At the same time as this, they are a lot easier to use if you’re switching machines. Instead of opening up the machine’s casing, you’re simply plugging in the cables and opening the files.
A smart assistant
So much more appealing than the traditional paper and pen planner, a smart assistant is one of the more recent technological introductions to the self-employment sphere.
Packed full of useful features and with affordable prices to match, the most popular choices on the market at the moment are the Amazon Echo Plus and the Alexa. The Echo Plus helps organise your schedule, keeps track of any outstanding tasks and gives you the ability to make hands free calls. Not only that, it takes up a lot less space than piles of calendars and diaries.
An external work guardian
One of the main benefits of working in a corporate office is that the company will already have invested heavily in their security systems, both in the physical and the online world. However, this doesn’t always apply to self-employment or home offices.
You may have anti-virus software installed on your computer or laptop, but that doesn’t always stop hackers.
If you’re concerned about protecting potentially sensitive information on clients or projects, especially with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) changes that came into force on May 25th 2018, then add a Smart Internet Firewall into your workspace.
These external devices protect all the devices in your network, 24/7. Devices can include:
- CUJO Smart Internet Security Firewall
- Bullguard Dojo Smart Internet Security Firewall
- RATtrap Smark Internet Security Firewall
A high-quality webcam
In the age of the Internet, meetings between parties in different countries and time zones are easier than ever. However, if you’re not prepared then thosvideo conferenceses can become more stressful than they need to be.
That’s why we would recommend investing in a high-quality webcam. These portable devices mean that as long as you have a decent Internet connection, a laptop and appropriate surroundings, you won’t miss out on those all-important client meetings.
So there we have it, our recommendations on the best technology to support your self-employment. Remember, these are just some of the pieces of equipment that we’ve seen, or we’ve been asked to source, over the last few years.
What are the must-have pieces that you couldn’t live without? Do you think there are any that we’ve missed? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so make sure you let us know in the comments below. Alternatively, you can join the conversation on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Remember, if you’re looking for to expand your home office or need to replace an older piece of equipment, then we’re here to help. We have years of experience sourcing technology for self-employed workers and smaller business, so get in touch with us today to see how we can help.
