Running a small business requires a host of skills, but the right tools of the trade are even more important. Over the years I’ve found handy hardware and software that helps me do what I do beautifully and efficiently. If I can make your life even a little bit easier, I will! So here’s the list of my favorite tools.
Hardware
HP OfficeJet 250 All-in-One Portable Printer with Wireless & Mobile Printing
We bought this printer because it weighs next to nothing ( 6 1/2 pounds) and does everything. It’s a must-have if you’re traveling and/or have a small workspace. Perfect for the modern-day minimalist and prints at a very respectable speed of 20 pages per minute.
Incredibly thin and lightweight and a beautiful shade of rose gold…. how can you go wrong? These laptops are a long-time favorite because they are both extremely powerful and easy to travel with. I freely admit that I’m a bit of an Apple geek, anyway. I much prefer Apple’s user interface since I find it quite intuitive, and I really appreciate the design. In the rose gold or pink options, these laptops are pretty. Not the reason why I keep buying them, but still.
I have the iPhone 12, which I bought directly through Apple because I wanted an unlocked version. If you travel internationally having an unlocked iPhone is a huge bonus because you can load multiple SIM cards and use your phone wherever you go without racking up huge international charges. Either way, I’m a dedicated iPhone user because they are easy to use, IMO. The iPhone is the only camera I use these days because I hate hauling around bulky equipment. I’m more of a shoot-from-the-hip type. This also works beautifully with my minimalist lifestyle.
In recent years I’ve embraced the wisdom of a less-is-more approach to life. Moving mountains of books from place to place got old about 20 years ago (although I kept doing it anyway….until the Kindle came into my life a few years ago).How cool is it that you can load thousands of books onto one little device that’s the size of a paperback novel? Did you know you can digitize pretty much anything and load it onto your Kindle? Yep, it’s true. Simply create a PDF of whatever it is, email it to your Kindle address, and presto! Also, the Paperwhite is backlit so you can read in bed, one of my favorite ways to relax.
There’s a reason why this is one of the best-selling microphones out there. It’s powerful, easy-to-use and gives you the most bang for your buck. Simply plug it into your USB port and you’re ready to record. You’ll get studio quality audio without the complicated tech and exorbitant price tag. Period. The end.
Software
Calendly has easily saved me years of my life by saving the million back and forth emails required to schedule a time for two or more people to meet. Simply set up the times you are available on your calendar, share with your people, and let them book their appointments. You can also link it to other nifty things like Zoom to book videoconferences. Do yourself a favor and save yourself oodles of time and headaches. Oh, and it’s free.
Canva is my go-to for graphic design projects. It’s simple-to-use and free (although they also offer a premium, paid version with more capabilities). Choose from any one of their thousands of templates (sized for social media, blogs, flyers, biz cards and more) and customize it to fit your brand or style.
G Suite
Don’t you love have everything all in one place, at your fingertips, ready to go? Google has so many great (free!) tools, for everything from email to slideshows. They even offer free online storage for up to 15 gigs. Check out the full suite of offerings if you haven’t already. You may find something new that is just the right fit for what you need.
From the very first iteration of my website, I’ve never used anything else but WordPress. It’s intuitive, and easy-to-use, and you have the ability to add functionality over time with plugins. You can create any sort of site with WordPress from totally simple to extremely fancy, with e-commerce. If you’re just starting out, you can use the free version, and then move your site once you get a domain name.
With Divi Builder, The WordPress world is your oyster. Its Visual Drag & Drop Builder.makes it one of the most popular themes in the world. You can test rive it for free and take your website design and functionality to the next level.
These days it’s quite rare to find a company with incredible customer service, so when I do, I’m loyal for life. Bluehost has been hosting my website for more than fifteen years and they’ve been helpful and supportive anytime I’ve had a question. I’m a DIY kind of person, and their technical support team is incredible. They have patiently walked me through everything from email forwarding to SEO. 5 stars!
Grow your business with this powerful conversion optimization tool that allows you to grow your email list, generate leads, and increase revenue by showing personalized messages.. All without any coding or development skills needed.
I’ve been using both Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom to edit photos for a million years, pretty much since they first became available. I guess that makes me a die-hard fan.Photoshop is also useful for design and graphics projects. I’ve used Adobe’s other offerings such as Illustrator, Acrobat and InDesign at various times in the past. All are rock-solid products.
Audacity is free, open-source audio editing software, digital audio editor and recording application software, available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and other Unix-like operating systems. It’s been my go-to for recording meditations, podcasts, and audiobooks since I started using it more than 10 years ago. Straightforward, easy-to-use and free. What more do you need?
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