**Collaborative post**

As many of us have discovered while trying to pass the time under lockdown following our entrepreneurial dreams, running a home business is easier than ever before. 

A huge part of that is down to the significant technological advancements of the last few years, which have afforded regular people the opportunity to get their dream home business off the ground and build a solid consumer base. You really can work from anywhere as long as you’ve a decent laptop and high speed internet access, thanks to something like one of the various centurylink internet plans out there, to keep you connected to clients and colleagues for the duration of your work day.

But just how has tech made pursuing this career option easier?

Streamlining admin

Admin is a pain for any business, whether you’re a temporary home project or a multi-million dollar corporation. Nobody likes the stress and demand of seemingly never-ending admin. 

Fortunately, tech innovations have made dealing with all kinds of admin a streamlined affair for even the computer illiterate. 

Simple software packages such as Microsoft Office have made generating and processing reports on everything from sales to client progress as simple as any other task you do every month. 

You can also look into home health care software to help you schedule work, collaborate with caregivers and upload important care documentation, giving you and your team more time for what matters most.

Small businesses that have taken the risk of expanding have reaped the rewards of streamlined job portal websites, which take out the heavy-lifting admin of sifting through applications, distilling results into only suitable candidates. 

Even for small businesses, the process of managing expenses at the end of the month can be an arduous one. Processing fuel costs for drives to and from meetings, the post office and everything in between in particular can be an unwanted hassle. That’s why many small business owners have turned to fuel cards such as Fuel Genie. The Fuel Genie is one of many types of fuel cards that allows users to pay at pumps across the country with one card and collate all costs into a single account. 

Admin can be demanding and make the end of the month a chore, but tech has shown up it doesn’t have to be. 

Work anywhere, anytime

Part of the joy of owning a home business is you can do it from the comfort of your own home in your pyjamas every day. 

The ability to do this without worrying you’re limiting your business is in no small part down to the presence of tech. Tech advancements created the laptop you work just as well on from the local coffee shop as you do your home office. Innovations made it possible for you to produce content exclusively on your phone and check in with your business while on vacation. Cloud software can mean you can access your files, accounts, and client information wherever you happen to be working, take a look at BluRoot for example. 

This same kind of portability means you don’t have to adhere to a traditional work schedule. If you’re a night owl who likes to write their blog under the light of the moon or an eCommerce store owner who wants to be done by midday every day you can be, all thanks to how tech has given us that freedom as business owners.

File storage

It may feel like a small thing, but how and where you store your most important documents is a huge part of what makes a business both secure and efficient. 

The days of filing cabinets full of documents and mystery draws you think contain sensitive contracts are over. Cloud file storage has revolutionized the ease and efficiency of businesses of all sizes. 

You no longer need to physically go and find important documents, wait for a huge file to arrive by email full of annotations or meet up with someone just to hash out the details of a contract. All of that can be done remotely through the ease of collaborative cloud storage. 

Home business owners can experience this benefit without skimping on security too. Cloud storage is routinely marked as one of the safest ways to secure your files, considering the multiple security measures the leading companies that provide them take. 

Promotion

Promotion is key in business. It’s how people learn about your products, connect with your story and invest in your brand. 

The days of posters on street corners and ads in the community magazine at over, today tech advancements have given us a much more efficient and widespread way of getting eyes on our small businesses. 

Social media is the most obvious example of this. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram give small businesses access to the same tools to reach audiences as major brands, somewhat levelling the playing field and making it a matter of who can create the most innovative and attention-grabbing campaigns. 

These platforms also give businesses access to a significantly larger audience than ever before. Small businesses are no longer restricted regionally, with social media acting as the bridge that gives them access to international sales, branding opportunities and lucrative partnerships. 

In the same vein, Google advertising and content creation platforms such as YouTube have offered small businesses a chance to create innovative ways to market themselves.  Getting to grips with SEO is also key but not something everyone is comfortable with, the good news is there are companies who can help such as Ignite Digital. 

You may also need to sometimes look into the best virtual event management for when you need to host your events but it isn’t possible for everyone to attend in person.

Communication 

Communication with your team and business associates is just as important as communication with the general public. 

While promotion gets you new business, communication is what keeps it operating smoothly and improving year on year. If you can’t relay your ideas to creative collaborators or expectations to shipping companies clearly your overall vision of the business will start to crumble. Communication is the foundation that effective business operations are built on. 

Tech has transformed and streamlined business communication in a number of ways. Communication isn’t just about one colleague being able to talk to another, it’s about how tasks are prioritized, an email is written and the goals of the business are established. Everything from business management tools to grammar assistance tools have made this more accessible for small businesses. 

As recently as a few years ago the idea of starting a home business and operating it effectively without significant investment and giving up all your free time seemed impossible. Tech advancements haven’t made people more innovative or passionate about exploring their dreams, it’s just given them the tools to do so.