Slow Down Before You Swipe (5 Questions To Ask Before Buying A New Tech Toy For Your Business)

Technology like new apps and office gadgets are amazing tools for entrepreneurs. They can help solve pain points, increase productivity, and grow your business! 

 

But have you slowed down enough to figure out if your business actually needs them?

 

 

As a money-savvy entrepreneur, the last thing you want to do is waste money on things you don’t need. 

 

So here are 5 questions to ask yourself before you swipe your credit card on that shiny new office gadget, miracle app, or tech toy.

 

 

 

Buying new office gadgets is a trap entrepreneurs can easily fall into. 

 

The entrepreneur's life moves at a fast pace! You’re always trying to be as productive as possible. And to overcome those business hurdles as quickly as possible. 

 

It’s tempting to go for the quick fix. But the answer isn’t always in buying new tech toys.

 

Have you ever been sucked in by the marketing of a new app and the promises it makes of solving your biggest problems or helping you achieve your biggest goal? You swiped your card and bought the new gadget only to realize you jumped the gun because it didn’t end up doing exactly what you thought it would?

 

Join the club. 

 

But even if you’re lucky and it does do the thing you want it to do, the “fix” probably wasn’t “quick.”  

 

 

Tech toys are an investment of time and money. And implementing new technology into your business in the right way is the opposite of a “quick fix.” There can be a high time cost to learning how to use them. 

 

So do you really need it? Slow down enough to assess the money-cost, and the time-cost.  

 

You need to be careful when making any kind of investments, so make wise choices when buying new office gadgets and tech toys for your business.

 

 

 

Sometimes you already have a tech tool or office gadget that is operating so well in your business.  But then some new technology comes along that’s full of promises for a motivated entrepreneur like you.

 

“You’ll be more productive! Your business will grow!”

 

So you peak over the fence and wonder if it could be better. 

 

But when it comes to buying new office gadgets and tech tools, you can trust this age-old wisdom: “If it ain’t broke you don't need to fix it!”

 

So put that credit card away until your business has an actual problem that needs solving. 

 

 

What is Operator Error? 

 

Sometimes you can be the bottleneck or the one causing the pain points in your business. Yes, you read that correctly. 

 

Entrepreneurs are super special, but you’re still human. And there will always be some things that aren’t your strengths.  

 

. 

So you might need to delegate something. Or you might need some training. 

 

You need to slow down and check out all the parts of the problem before rushing to solve it with a new app, gadget, or tech toy.

 

This is a tough question for any entrepreneur. But if you slow down and get honest, you can avoid a whole lot of unnecessary spending on new technology that won’t solve the problem anyway. 

 

 

Entrepreneurship can be hard.

People-ing can be hard. 

Getting out of your comfort zone can be hard.

Doing all the admin things can be hard. 

 

There will always be things you are naturally good at in your business, and things that are truly a struggle. But they still need to be done. 

 

 

And the temptation is to avoid the hard things by buying a new gadget, app or tech toy. It can even be more fun to learn how to use a new platform instead of doing the work you were supposed to do in the first place. 

 

So before you swipe that card on your next gadget or app, find a way to fix your “want to” when it comes to the hard things in your business. 

 

 

Has someone else told you about a new tech toy and suddenly you think you need it? 

 

 

Even when your biz besties are recommending new gadgets and apps you have to be careful, because they don’t have the same business as you, and their challenges are probably different to yours. 

 

Why are they using it?

Will this solve a real pain point?

Will it suit your business?

 

If you’re looking at a new app and just thinking “ooh, that would be fun to try out,” then put away the credit card. It’s probably just a case of the “I wants” disease. 

 

But if something in your business is becoming hard and needs a solution, then that’s a good indicator that you might need to try some new kind of technology to keep your business growing and thriving.

 

 

 

There is nothing wrong with getting tech toys. If you know it makes sense for your business and that you will need to take the time to learn it, then check it out. 

 

Really think about your business and how it works. Assess the toys you should have and think about the learning curves that come with the extra tech toys that you take on.

 

Our Groundwork Brigade is the perfect place to ask all these kinds of questions about the nitty gritty of growing a business with a community of entrepreneurs on the business adventure.

 

It’s a safe space to learn how to build a relational business using irresistible marketing strategies, tailored to your individual needs, in a group setting, with lots of accountability and support.

 

If you missed the conversation between Kim and Kerry on their podcast Buckets and Boom Gates, you can catch it here. 

 

To connect and find out more about Kim or how to create a sexy business for a sexy life, you can reach her and the My Sexy Business Team at www.mysexybusiness.com 

 

And to connect with Kerry Zarb go straight to her website www.kerryzarb.com and you’ll find her there!