Jasmine's Place Issue No. 10 - March/April 2014 | Page 45

Technology is one of the many challenges women in business face today. Compared to their male counterparts, many female entrepreneurs feel intimidated by the technology know-how required of the industry they work in. It is common to find that a good number of women in business feel that they have the knowledge of their industry, but not the technical know-how to make their vision a reality in the online world. There’s no denying technology has improved many aspects of our daily lives, especially in the ways it has made running a business much easier. I will like to share with you some simple technology tips you must apply in your online business if you don’t already. 1. GET A SMARTPHONE WITH INTERNET ACCESS. With a smartphone, you don’t have to stay glued to the Internet on your laptop or desktop all day long. You can do business on the run, take orders, reply to business emails, track orders etc. with a smart phone. I would recommend investing in an iPhone because that is what I use and I am a mac girl; however you could also use a blackberry or an android. phone depending on your budget. As long as it is “smart” and you have Internet access you are in business! 2. GET A WEBSITE. If you have an online business it is imperative that you have a website. That is how potential customers will find you. Your website is usually the first door to your company so you have to make sure it represents you well. Get a good web designer to help you set up a professional website. I would recommend using a selfhosted WordPress site as it is very versatile and you can do almost anything you want on a WordPress site. 3. USE A PROFESSIONAL EMAIL ADDRESS. Use an email address which ends with your website URL such as [email protected]. For example mine is [email protected]. That is definitely more professional than using [email protected]. 4. USE AN EMAIL MARKETING SOFTWARE TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS. Do you communicate with your customers using your personal email account? That has got to stop. JASMINE'S PLACE 45 45