Running your own startup is a blessing and a curse. On the plus side, you get to see an idea come to fruition through your own work and planning. On the other hand, you’ll have to juggle a lot of different kinds of work—developing, designing, promoting and running your business—and that can be overwhelming.
Thankfully, the tech world has developed some helpers in the form of quality hardware and apps that will get your company rocking and rolling in no time. Here are a few of Modernize’s favorite must-haves.
A Quality Modem and Router
Your ISP probably provided you with a standard-issue modem and router, and that was fine when you weren’t using it to realize your vision. Now that you’re in business, you’ll want something that’s a little bit higher quality, especially if you’ll need to set up an at-home network. Particularly, choose a router that can mock static IP addresses. That way you can create secure VPNs into your office network. The Netgear WAC730 ProSAFE is a good option—it’s a high performance dual band wireless access point that supports a throughput of 1.7 Gbps.
Storage for Days
If you’re hosting your own store, service, or app, you’ll be amazed at how quickly digital storage moves to the top of your list of priorities, even if you never thought twice about it before. If you’re new to the world of startups, a cloud-based hosting system is your best bet. Amazon Web Services and Box for Business both offer a wide variety of plans based on your business’s needs and your individual preferences. If your business will be tech-heavy and you’re computer savvy and have patience in spades, you may want to consider setting your own home server as well. You can use any basic, everyday computer that is network-accessible, as long as it has multiple hard drives and can hold at least a terabyte of data. You’ll also want to make sure that you’re running backups, of course.
Pro-Level Video Conferencing
Running your own startup means you have to wear a lot of hats—not only will you have to lead development and operations, you’ll also be the head of biz dev as well. And when you’re meeting with potential partners, investors, and other interested parties, a great presentation can seal the deal. That means selecting a hitch-free video conferencing service. WebEx and GoToMeeting have been kings of web conferencing for years—they include screen sharing, chat, and file markup. Meanwhile, for in-person meetings, Pico Projector from iCodis is a pint-sized projector that gives a 1800p video with a contrast ratio of 1000:1 for a crystal-clear picture, even on the go.
Marketers for Hire
More than ever, a successful startup relies on progressive branding—and it’s hard to get that kind of presence without hours to spend promoting and getting the word out. GrowthGeek lets you hire a group of digital marketers to do the work for you. SEO, social, and content are all covered under their platform, meaning you’ll (thankfully) have a few things off your plate, leaving you free to focus on running your business right.
