By Leslie Campos , Wellparents.com,  leslie.campos@wellparents.com

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When you’re starting your own business, or you want to grow the business you already have into a more successful venture, you (as a solopreneur, someone who owns every aspect of your business) need the right tools and the right expertise to help you get the job done. Technology can take many forms when it comes to creating this kind of success, but the fact remains: There are a lot of different tools out there that can take your Massachusetts business from nothing to something in no time flat. For example, Dr. Matthew X. Joseph is dedicated to linking school communities to the digital world. To stay up to date, be sure to subscribe to his blog today at techinnovation.live or use resources on this website! 

Get online

If it’s been said once, it’s been said a hundred times: Small businesses in the current era need to have an online presence, in the form of social media pages or a website or both. Using the internet as your own personal marketing tool can give you a huge leg up on the competition.

Solopreneurs work alone, build their business on their own, and create revenue streams that don’t have to be maintained twenty-four hours a day; but even you need help running your business every once in a while. This is where creative technologies and the online community comes in. Getting your business a website can boost sales, improve brand recognition, and give you some much-needed store traffic no matter where your shop is located or what you’re selling. You can also invest in enterprise communication software like Slack, which allows your employees to quickly chat and problem-solve on the go.

File online!

It’s not enough to just put your business on the internet and call it a day. In approaching loans and businesses, as well, it’s important when you’re starting your business to look at all the options available to you and what makes sense for your situation. Forming a limited liability corporation (LLC) might be the right avenue for your business — and here are a few questions to ask yourself to determine whether or not it’s right for you:

• Do you want to do less paperwork?
• Are you looking for more flexibility or better rates for starting your business?
• Do you want to ensure the protection of your personal assets?

If the answer to these questions is “yes,” then you might want to form an LLC! Make sure you check with the current regulations for Massachusetts because these rules vary based on which state you live in. In any case, the important part here is that you can avoid hefty lawyer fees by filing yourself or using an online service. Note that before you apply for LLC status, you will need to designate a Massachusetts registered agent who can accept documents on your behalf and who will function as a conduit between your business and the state. 

Project management

Technology can help in more ways than one. You should definitely consider investing in project management tools to increase your productivity and keep track of deadlines. One of the main things you learn as a solopreneur is that you shouldn’t be afraid to pay for the tools that will get the job done, (e.g., social media management applications, marketing tools, and graphic design applications) and these kinds of project management applications will be beneficial in the long run. You can keep customer profiles, manage recurring or sequential projects, and otherwise create a more productive environment for your own work capabilities.

After all of that . . .

The requirements for starting a business in Central Indiana (e.g., forming an LLC, gathering the right amount of capital for your venture, or doing all the paperwork required to gain a business loan) will help you get situated and position your business for success.