It wasn’t long ago that mentioning essential business software meant a company-wide license for Microsoft Office and some antivirus software. We’ve progressed so far in recent years, however, that the list of things considered essential has vastly expanded, even more so for businesses that mainly operate online. If you are looking to start your own online enterprise, here are a few items that you should consider keeping in your toolbelt.
Online privacy tools
If you are someone already online often, chances are you’ve either got a VPN installed or have used one in the past. Thanks to ease of use advances, even those with limited technical know-how can set up something like CyberGhost VPN for Chrome in a few minutes, most often for added security or privacy while browsing. What is often overlooked is how valuable these can be for businesses as well.
With cyber protection being all the more critical as we go forward, any extra protection is worth it. When you add to this the extensive security capabilities awarded to the remote workers that are becoming a staple of many industries, like password managers or team communication platforms like Slack, VPNs are a must-have in business now.
Cloud Server Space
In the old days, particularly with large companies, you could expect to see massive server rooms taking up valuable office real estate as all data was held and backed up on-site. Smaller companies either rented out physical space for huge costs each month or ran the risk of losing data in the event of an attack or failure.
Thanks to having flexibility with scales and cost, and a lack of centralised location, cloud servers can let even small businesses have the same level of data security as the bigger institutions. With that said, even large and well-established entities like banks have been prompted by Fintech competition to use cloud servers to cut operational costs by a hefty amount.
Dedicated Socials
If you’ve done any kind of marketing for your business at all, you’ve almost certainly come into contact with social media already. Socials have been in the marketing fundamentals for many years now, so you won’t need the basics here. The one thing that most small businesses fail to grasp is just how important it is to have dedicated staff on this task.
Thanks to how popular social media has become, there are more than enough talented people out there versed on the topic, with some already making money via Instagram or something similar. Anyone can jump onto socials and get to work, but having a dedicated expert takes it to a different level entirely. With the fortunes of many small businesses tied to their online presence, it’s something too risky to miss.
So if you’re getting up and running, make sure you add these items to your checklist. Of course, there are many other factors to keep in mind, but make sure these are getting some consideration at least.
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