Module 12: Top 10 Tools of the Trade
In our first video of First Steps Online, you learned that setting up your online enterprise is like setting up a physical business in your home town. You need equipment, tools, machines, personnel, proper space, and a host of other items to make your business work.
You’ll need specific tools related to online business. You won’t use any shovels, picks, and wheelbarrows. Leave your home dental equipment in the drawer unless you want to pick your teeth while searching the internet!
Here’s my “Top Ten” list to get you started. Yes, some of cost money, but many are free. with only a little effort on your part to learn how to use them. I’m omitting the more obvious items which are found in most offices; pens, paper, scissors, tape, and paper clips. (Duh!) Music CDs are optional, although hearing a great Eagles or Beatles song at the end of a long design and coding session tends to rejuvenate the soul and spirit! (Preferably at high volume!)
Here they are! Walt’s Top Ten Tools of the Trade
1. The Appropriate Computing Device
Desktop, laptop, phone or tablet? Frankly speaking (No, no, not Frank Lee speaking. Your buddy Walt is still talking.) it would be very hard for you to use a smart phone or tablet to do serious business online.
Why?
Sometimes size matters, and that’s what small devices don’t have.
• They do not give you full-screen views of many online programs you’ll use.
• Small device operating systems aren’t adequate for accessing the free programs you may need.
• Smaller devices don’t have the storage capacity for downloading without adding SD cards.
• Tablet devices also have major limitations unless iPads and Samsung Notebooks are in your budget.
If you don’t have at least a workable laptop or a desktop computer, you should consider making an investment for your future. You don’t have to go crazy and spend thousands of dollars for top speed, top computing and gynormous storage systems. Consider your budget, do your due diligence, and shop for the best bargain. Once you’re making an income, you’ll can upgrade to better systems and programs.
2. Gif Banner Maker
As you begin to create advertising programs and campaigns and use banners, you’ll soon realize .gif banners are way cooler than static. I’ve written a tutorial showing you how to use animated banners to increase your conversions and click through. The price is only $5 and should be in your budget. Just forego one Big Mac.
Click here to download my tutorial and videos.
3. Autoresponder
In previous modules I shared my thoughts and recommendations about the necessity and availability of autoresponder. Finding the right one for you may take some time, but please do your research.
Compare the costs versus the benefits or each one. Many start out inexpensive until you have above 500-1000 subscribers, and then the price increases rapidly.
A short list of the main providers are: Aweber, GetResponse, Active Campaign (the one I use), MailChimp, Sendlane, Infusionsoft, and Constant Contact.
4. Business Email Address
When working on the internet, separate your business correspondence from your personal. Create a new business email address. Check with your own Email Service Provider. Open it with the name of your new online business or with your own name. Google is very popular, and Gmail is easy to set up, free, and is accepted by online marketers around the world. Later, you may want to have your official email address based on a website you own.
5. Graphics and Photo Management Programs
Microsoft Paint, PhotoScape, Picosmos Tools, and PixResizr are super starter programs. These programs are free downloads, but others—better, or easier, or more advanced with additional capabilities—might require purchasing or a monthly fee. YouSign, Easy Sketch Pro, and Adobe Photoshop are all paid services. You’ll have to decide which ones tickle your fancy.
6. Microsoft Excel and Word
Standard components of the Windows Office Suite, Microsoft Excel and Word are common programs for online work. They might be already loaded on your computer device. If so, it’s of great value to you and your online future to become proficient with both of these programs.
When you write a sales page or an email for a marketing campaigns, Word gives you many options for editing and output. Saving URLs, links, and passwords in an Excel file can keep them organized and at your fingertips. Additional assistance and training for these programs are readily available on YouTube and other sites.
7. Backup Hard Drive System – External Storage
Without question, pause, or procrastination, a good backup system for your programs, data, and online ventures is a MUST! Not just one. A system.
You have many backup options. Choose MORE than one. Thumb drives or memory sticks for smaller files and programs, an additional hard-drive connected to your main computer device, other external storage units readily available at your local computer store. I highly recommend that you set up a regular backup time for your work RIGHT AWAY when you begin to work online. Computers crash, infected websites die, both are routinely hacked and compromised, and stuff just happens! Normally at the most inconvenient time possible – just before you plan to back it all up! 🙂
Purchase a storage device that allows you to schedule AUTOMATIC back-ups. No matter how good you think your memory is, or how set you are in your daily routine, you will forget to back-up your essential goodies. If you have a Mac, use the Timeline program which backs up every hour, day, and month.
AND get an off-site, “cloud” backup. The options above are all things in your home, which could flood, burn down, blow up, or be sucked into the sky by a tornado and dropped on a witch in the Land of Oz. Look into cloud-based solutions like GotBackup (the one I use), or Google Drive. For every Gmail address you have, Google gives you 15 GB of free space on their drives. Use it. Buy more space if you need it.
8. Address Book or “Little Black Book”
As your business grows in the online space, you accumulate a ton of email addresses, names, and passwords. Unless you have a photographic memory, you’ll need something to keep all your online goodies and personal information in one place.
I keep mine in a little black book! Yes! It’s really black! My little book is worn with pages full of entries, and a bunch of pages look like chicken scratchin’s with entries crossed out, whited out, and over-written with new details.
This inexpensive black notebook helps keep me organized and provides a safe place to keep my confidential information like passwords and log-on identifications.
I practically live online and use this effective tool constantly. It’s always close at hand! Buy one now! Don’t make me have to say, “I told you so”, after your computer crashes, you lose all your valuable info, and you are tearing out your hair by the roots.
9. A Simple Filing System
Besides your little black book to keep your passwords, secret sauce ingredients, and chocolate cakes recipes handed down from Grandma in one place, you’ll need a simple filing system for articles, notes from webinars and teleseminars, printouts of downloaded training materials, and copies of great Action Guides or Landing Page Tips. You don’t need anything expensive, perhaps a cardboard box or a small metal filing cabinet with a few manila folders to store materials in an organized, easily retrievable location. There’s nothing worse than wanting to quote something you read three months ago in a “Top 10” list (like this one) and you can’t locate it, no matter how much searching you do – even by looking in the refrigerator!
10. PayPal Business Account
Update 2025: PayPal has changed their platform and policies for online businesses. It’s harder to open an account with them due to the high number of scams and unscrupulous operators. Make sure you get all your documents in order and give them all the information they request. PayPal has closed many online accounts of marketers even though there’s been no problems or complaints.
Currently, I am using Stripe for my payment processing and its connected to my bank account. Otherwise, I use my credit cards to make online purchases.
However, if you want to open an account with Paypal, keep reading. . .
Open one. It’s free, easy to do, and saves a lot of time and effort. Once you’ve set up your account and entered in your credit card information, you’ll be able to purchase programs and online products you need through PayPal. They send receipts for all purchases and keep accurate records for you to review 24/7/365. Be sure to connect it to your local bank account – which takes about 10 days – so when you receive commissions through PayPal, you can easily transferring the funds.
I’ve created a series of videos on “How To.” Here you will find over-my-shoulder views of many free or inexpensive programs to help you in your online efforts.
