In this episode I break down the exact apps & software (7:15), equipment (17:32) and recommended reading (21:00) that will help you efficiently and successfully run your business.
While all entrepreneurs encounter challenges from time to time, having a supportive network of like-minded people, and effective systems in place, will enable you to overcome anything that gets thrown your way.
I grew the Wanderlover from absolute zero, with no experience in the online business world. Using a selection of apps, software and content creation book recommendations, I got to where I am today in just a few short years. And you can too!
In this article, I will reveal the Online Business Essentials you need to grow your own business. Each tool has been tried and tested by me and are genuine recommendation from my own personal experience.
Essential Apps And Software
Email Management Software
The first online business essential that is absolutely crucial for success is an email list manager, also known as a client relationship manager. I use the Active Campaign to manage the thousands and thousands of contacts on my email list. If you want to know why I chose Active Campaign read my My Top 5 Reasons You Should Use ActiveCampaign in Your Business.
In short, an CRM like Active Campaign empowers businesses to create personalized customer experiences, automate marketing tasks, nurture leads, and improve customer satisfaction, leading to increased sales and revenue.
If you are an online service provider and you are currently relying on social media to sell, I highly recommend you start nurturing and growing your email list early.
Web hosting
Another thing you will want is, good hosting and full control over is your website. This means having your own domain name that’s not part of Blogspot, wordpress.com or Wix.
I personally use a custom web hosting solution from Fern Colab that allows for me to run more specialist applications, but for people starting out I highly recommend bluehost.com. BlueHost was where I began the Wanderlover and I wrote a detailed blog on starting your own travel blog, with all the steps to set up a new WordPress Website on Blue host and start monetizing a travel blog. Read: How to Start a Travel Blog: Become a travel blogger and make money blogging
With your own website, you can offer your own products and services directly and without limitations. It’s fully customizable, and you don’t have to rely on a third party to customize anything.
Podcast Hosting
Podcast hosting is slightly different to web hosting. If you want to start a podcast then you’ll also want a podcast hosting provider. For the Wanderlover podcast, I use Libsyn to host the Wanderlover Podcast.
Once you request your podcasts to be listed on Apple Podcast, Spotify or any of the other channels distribution options, every single episode you upload will immediately get distributed to every single platform.
Podcasting is a great way to stay active, provide valuable information and nurture your audience. Libsyn makes it super easy for you to host and to consistently share episodes.
Planning tools
The next thing I would recommend is to buy a physical organization planner, where you can plan out your daily business tasks and long term goals. Break it down into years, months and tasks. This way, you’ll always feel like you are growing and working towards a bigger goal. I have been using Passion Planner for years and it has completely changed my life.
Believe me when I say it is going to change the way you look at your business and life.
If you are more of a digital person, check out ClickUp.
VPN
If you’re traveling full-time, you’ll need a VPN. I use Nord VPN which is super affordable and enables you to set your IP address to anywhere in the world. This is really handy for when you need to log into your bank account or any other accounts that prefer you to be in your country of residence. For example, with Pinterest, if you have multiple logins from different countries around the world, your stats are going to drop significantly. To ensure this doesn’t happen, get yourself a VPN.
Content Creation tools
When it comes to creative tools, few can compete with what you get in the Adobe Creative Suite. The suite includes Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Adobe PDF and loads more. While it’s a bit more expensive than some other options, it’s an unbelievably powerful tool.
Aswell as editing photos and videos for Instagram, I also use Adobe PDF to collect signatures and send out PDFs for signing.
Another amazing content creation tool I use all the time, is Canva. Canva enables you to create templates and is easy to use, even if you have very little graphic design experience. With templates for almost everything, you can use Canva to create Facebook ads and social media stories. For a reasonable fee, you can also access Canva pro which includes all templates and a wider range of design features.
Webinars
If you are able to create a webinar that directs people automatically to a paid program, whether that be an online course, an online product or a private coaching program, you can enjoy recurring revenue that is also passive.
For webinars, I use Stealth Seminar. It’s really easy to set up and extremely effective in driving sales. Despite what you may have heard, webinars are not dead. If used well, they are a very powerful tool to generate traffic and increase conversions.
Essential Equipment for Content Creation
Now that we’ve looked at the types of business apps you need, it’s time to focus on the equipment. Getting the right equipment is essential if you intend on creating high quality content.
Recording equipment
For podcasts, I use a hyper X quad cast microphone which is super portable and great for travelling. It fits into your luggage and you can pull it out every time you are ready to record.
Photography equipment
When we’re shooting at luxury hotels, we use the Sony a7iii, which offers excellent quality and I edit images with my lightroom presets.
For aerial photography and videography, the DJI Mavic is my go to. Really portable, and incredible image quality, making it an excellent choice for Digital Nomads.
For underwater videography, action, sports and surfing, the GoPro offers amazing quality and image stabilisation which is great for surfing.
Essential Reading
I love reading and I owe a lot of my success to this hobby. While building my business, I came across a selection of books that completely changed my life. I have been sharing them with my clients and now it’s time to share them with you.
The four hour work week by Tim Ferris
I first read this book when I was working in corporate. I was so conditioned to living a corporate lifestyle and I didn’t quite realise it until I read this book. With eye-opening tips and insights, Ferris shows you how to live more and work less.
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, T Harve Ecker
Coming from an immigrant family, I had lots of limiting beliefs around money. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind completely reframed how I perceive money and it is one of my top recommendations for Digital Nomads. In this book, you will learn how to grow your wealth and change your mindset.
The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
This is just a feel-good, easy to read book and even though it’s fiction, it is so transformational. It leaves you feeling like anything is possible and there are so many life lessons to take away.
I absolutely love the quote “when you want something, the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” You will recognise these words on every single page of my website and across all of my digital products and services.
The Travel Influencer Handbook
I often get asked “How do you get paid to travel?” Well, this book will answer that question and more. In its fifth edition, this is an up to date book with an A to Z on how to become a travel influencer, how to grow your brand online and how to get paid by hotels, tourism boards and travel brands.
Instagram for Business
If you are a coach or creator looking to get paid using Instagram, be sure to download this ultimate branding and client attraction guide. I wrote this book because I saw so many different people using Instagram as a personal account. There is such a huge difference between people who use Instagram for their personal life and those who treat their personal brand as a business.
If you want to make money on Instagram, you need to learn how to use it properly so that people can see and pay for your content.
Now that you know the Online Business Essentials needed for success, it’s time to start using them. Hopefully this article gives you some inspiration on how to grow and structure your business so that you can scale it even more.
If you’re in need of some additional support and extra time to focus on growing your online business, check out the Digital Nomad Society.
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