The Tools I Use To Run My Online Business

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When I was delivering bread for twelve years I never dreamed I could make a living from the Internet. It was surreal the first time I made a couple of dollars from something I created.

As I got further into this journey I learned, created, and made more dollars. Three years after I started I now have a business that supports my family. The cool part about my online business is that it doesn’t take much to operate.

When I had my bread business there were a ton of moving parts including five employees at the height of the business. My online business is smooth for the most part and the best part is being location-independent.

Let me tell you upfront NONE of the links in this post are affiliate links. I’m not a fan of affiliate stuff. I want to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run a location-independent online business.

The Hardware

One tool that I couldn’t live without and use to run my business everyday is my 13” MacBook Pro. I love this thing so much that I defended it against two people who tried to jump me here in Maui.

I used to use a PC but switched because of how user-friendly Mac’s are. Even if you knew nothing you could pick it up and use it. It’s also loaded with software that helps grow my business. I’ll get more into that later.

I use my MacBook Pro to create all my content, to keep my schedule, and to stay connected to the Internet where my business lives.

The other piece of hardware is my iPhone 4s. I use it on coaching calls. I use it to shoot video when I’m on location. I use the apps on it to help run my business. I’ll get more into what apps I use in the software portion.

The last piece of hardware is my iPad mini. I had debated what size iPad to get and I’m super glad I got the mini. I absolutely love it. I use it for reading. I love reading books on it.

I mainly use it at my speaking events. I got the Square credit card reader that hooks into the top to process credit cards for product sales at the events. I usually ask for a table to set up somewhere at the conference to sell my book.

The iPad and Square combination has been amazing since most people want to pay with credit cards. I guess technically the Square Reader is another piece of hardware I use

The Software

On my MacBook I use Office for Mac. It has Windows and Powerpoint. I use Windows to write my books and I use Powerpoint for speaking sometimes. I also use the Apple suite of products: Keynote and Pages.

I write my blog posts and pretty much any word content I create on pages. I’ve really loved doing my presentations through Keynote, it’s more interactive than Powerpoint. On the Mac I also use the calendar app to schedule all my appointments. I also use iMovies to edit videos and Garage band to make the music for the videos.

On my iPhone I use the notes app for notes and ideas for my book and blog posts. I use the calendar app for appointments. I use the reminders app for my to-do list. I use the camera app for pictures and videos.

On my iPad I use the Kindle reader app to read books that help my business. The iPad mini also has all of my social media apps which I use to keep up with friends and fans on social media.

The Online Stuff

To process payments and sell my products and services I use a service from e-junkie.com. For a flat rate of $5 a month it processes payments, sets up affiliates, and creates discount codes. It’s pretty versatile and handles everything you need online.

To send out emails and keep in touch with people who like the site I use mailchimp.com. It costs $10 a month and works great.

This website is hosted on wordpress.org. In my opinion it’s the best online platform for websites. I use godaddy.com to host the site online.

I’ve been racking my brain trying to think what else but I think that’s it. It really doesn’t take much to run an online business and that’s why I love it. I hope this helps as you build your online business.

My biggest piece of advice: Keep it simple! What are some cool tools you use to run your online business?