We reached out to our Under30CEO Members to ask them “what is the #1 must have resource/tool/application you use as a business owner and why?” Below are their responses with some of the best resources and tools out their for new business owners…
1. Your number 1 tool as a business owner is your personality and drive. If your not passionate and have a good demeanor its hard to go any where. – Brad Alderton of TwiddyThreads.com
2. Capacity to listen. People need to be listened to; there is more wisdom outside than inside. – Samuel Harf of Suprapak.com
3. Honest cheerleaders. It’s great to have people who encourage you, but it is so critical to know how others actually perceive you and your business. Sometimes I’m too close to my projects and can’t see the simple solution, but others see exactly what needs to be done. I’m fortunate enough to have family and friends who do this, but building an interactive following online is a great way to get opinions from those who love you and those who don’t – both are important for growth. – Anna Sprague of AnnaHeleneImage.com
4. Entrepreneur websites like Under30 are invaluable , because it gives me the motivation I need to have faith in the potential of my business. Knowing that there are other young entrepreneurs experiencing the same disappointments and triumphs helps me to see that indeed, “anything is possible”. – Crystal Bell – Fresh Start! Cleaning Services
5. Behance. It takes everyday tasking to the next level. It has helped me develop my business quicker that I have in the past. – Marcus Brandon – MembersOnlyDevelopment-Group
6. The number 1 resource is information. For me I used all available sources. Everybody has a story. – Terrell University Staffing Services
7. The number one tool I cannot live without is what I call Team Audacity. Team Audacity is a small group of amazing women with diverse skills (including web design, graphic design, talent management, social media expertise, and business management) that are committed to doing whatever it takes to make my business successful. By working as an interactive team instead of as individual contributors, the sky is the limit on what we can accomplish! – Jennie Mustafa-Julock – Coach Jennie
8. Social media marketing is a must-have. Every business owner should be consistently interacting on Twitter. Our generation is able to leverage time and effort via the internet and social media, enabling us to build better businesses and generate far more customers and revenue. Of the organizations I own, only Maria Joyner Photography could prosper offline; the other two entities would not even exist without social media. Our ability to communicate, educate, and connect with the international market has truly given us individual power to make change in the world. – Maria Joyner – Opportunity & Success LLC
9. Fast internet. As an internet-based company, I must have the best internet all the time, whether on my laptop, home computer, or mobile phone. – Emilia Sowden – EMILIAjoan International
10. The computer is my #1 tool. It’s hard for me to imagine growth, process efficiency and cost effectiveness in my business and any business today for that matter without the use of a computer. And in addition to that, a good and well thought out data backup solution in case of the inevitable. There are so many solutions out there today that provides low cost and effective remote data backup means. – Shwan Abdulmajid – Pinnacle Web Services
11. My iphone and the the awesomeness that’s in it hands down is the number one tool. I process credit cards, send emails, tweet, foursquare, facebook, emails, directions, and oh yeah phone calls. It’s a must have for our team. – Felecia Hatcher – Feverish Ice Cream
12. I would say Facebook. Facebook allows us to reach college students across the nation for free, which is great since we are bootstrapping this startup. It also allows us to engage with users and respond to feedback immediately. – Larry Lynn – Off Campus Report Card LLC
13. Reporting. At Business Insurance Now, we spent the first few months working extensively on building the detailed reporting we need to effectively optimize our business. This is not an easy or popular thing to do since reporting infrastructure is not nearly as flashy or sexy as a redesigned website or a new product. A startup CEO is likely under immense pressure from investors to show tangible progress, and even with advances in Powerpoint animations, it can be very difficult to explain reporting infrastructure and tracking methodologies to investors in an exciting manner. A solid reporting base, however, will pay huge dividends as the business grows, and it is a worthwhile investment. – Darren Beck – Business Insurance Now
14. Vendors – The salespeople who sell to you and me usually sell to the competition. They have the benefit of seeing how others in your industry tackle a problem, therefore they get to see what really works. Make sure to pick their brains and ask them what seems to work for their other customers, ask them what they would do? – Josh Nickell – Saturn Security Systems
15. Sorry, have to give 2. Key resources are ProWorkflow & DropBox. Although we use only a portion of their capabilities they allow us to keep our clients and projects organized with little problems or maintenance. – Steve VanPoolen – KreativeMotive
16. Skype. Come Recommended is a virtual company, so our team is located throughout the U.S. Without Skype, communication would break down. – Heather R. Huhman – Come Recommended
17. The number one tool I use is a computer. Too many people think that the computer is the business. I did this myself. The computer is not the business. The computer is a tool to help you build and expand your business. The internet is the same way. – Jay Root – Get Customers Right Now
18. My latest eBook – The Ultimate Toolkit for Evolutionary Entrepreneurs. I’ve reviewed, tested and recommended 85 of the best of the best tools for running your business. – Natalie Sisson – The Suitcase Entrepreneur
19. My BlackBerry! I know that many people dislike it because of the lack of functionality versus iPhones and Droids, but the keypad on my Blackberry allows me to type super fast, which translates to time efficiency in responding to clients and any other necessary business emails. In fact, I’m using my BlackBerry right now to answer this question 🙂 –Alan Kong – Alan-Kong.com
20. Post-its. Lots of them. Whether it’s digital (like the “Stickies” app on a Mac or a web application like Evernote) or the actual physical pieces of paper, I need some semi-organized way of keeping track of thoughts, new ideas, and objectives. – Edlin Choi – Morning Worm Puzzle Alarm Clock
21. As a business owner my number one tool, application and resource is my computer and the internet. My business got it’s start and is currently primarily operating online, without the Internet I would not have a business. – Brady Lee – I’m Partying
22. Google Apps is by far the ultimate enabler. The fact that everything is central and accessible from anywhere is indispensable. I’m all about keeping my head in the cloud. – Ashlyee Hickman – MyEveryzine
23. My company uses an inbound marketing software called HubSpot. It has streamlined my service offerings to my clients and is the heartbeat of my marketing agency. – Mikaela Louve – Louve Notes Media
24. Good+brave+smart people, ideas, willing to learn spirit. – Iksan Oetama – Twinkle Witch
