Working from home and running a business can be a lot of fun. But if you want to pull it off successfully, you need support. You can’t just wade into the task with nothing more than a pen and a notepad. You need more than that.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at the technology that you need to help you survive running a business from home. These incredible technologies and gadgets will make your working life more manageable and provide a platform for moving your enterprise forward.
34-Inch Monitors
Many people who work from home have to keep track of multiple processes or data streams at the same time. It makes sense, therefore, to invest in a monitor that can display all of the information you need in real-time. Companies like LG and Acer now make 34-inch widescreen monitors. Typically, these have a higher resolution than HD, meaning that they are crystal clear. Plus, they are much more extensive than regular monitors, allowing you to stack up documents or web pages next to each other.
Look for monitors with a contrast ratio above 300:1. If you work in a bright room or need photorealistic colours, then choose IPS panel technology, not twisted nematic (TN). You may also want to choose a monitor with a VESA mount if you plan on fixing it to a wall.
Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Blogs all over the internet extol the benefits of “deep work” where you focus on nothing but the task at hand. But when you work for yourself from home, you’re subject to constant interruptions. (The same is true of the office, but the nature of those disruptions tend to be different).
Investing in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, therefore, is utterly essential. With these, you can cancel out the sound of the outside world and just concentrate on what you’re doing. It is ideal for those of you who live in noisy households where people are continually shuffling around or interrupting you.
If you need to speak with people over a webcam, then you can buy noise-cancelling headphones that come with a microphone.
Phone With A Long Battery Life
When you start a new business, you often find yourself on the phone for long stretches of the day. The last thing you want, therefore, is to have to plug your handset into your charger halfway through a call. It’s annoying and doesn’t look professional.
The batteries in older handsets tend to degrade over time. Eventually, they can only hold a fraction of the charge they once did, leading to shortened life.
You can sell old mobile phone handsets to second-hand vendors then put the money you receive towards a new device. Look for models with batteries over 3,500 mAh. Some of these can last for up to two days without requiring you to connect them to your charger.
If you work from home, the chances are that you’ll be using your keyboard all day to fire off emails and speak with clients. There are many trendy, flat keyboards out there, but rarely are they a comfortable or productive solution. The last thing you want is to develop repetitive strain injury, just because your keyboard is the wrong shape.
Good keyboards tend to come in two varieties: those that use mechanical switches for the keys, and those that use a scissor-like switch. Some people swear by the automatic version which has been around since time immemorial. Others prefer the scissor-like switch because you have to depress the keys less to type.
Which you choose is mostly a matter of personal preference. Just steer clear of entirely flat keyboards. These can result in injury.
High-Quality Webcam
Webcams might seem like a bit of a strange technology in this day and age, but they’re still important for those of you who work from home. Most high-quality large desktop monitors do not come with integrated cameras like a phone or a laptop does. For that reason, you usually need to add one aftermarket and fix it to the top of the monitor so you can face the camera and look at the screen at the same time.
You’re usually looking at spending quite a bit of money to get a decent one, but it is worth it for the effect. Typically, webcam technology outpaces the speed of your connection, so make sure that you have the bandwidth to support the model you want.
So, there you have it: the fabulous tech that will help you survive running a business from home.