S2E19:Smart Tech Investments For Your Small Business

[00:00:00] - [Speaker 0]
Welcome to the mom boss like a boss podcast, podcast where we talk about mom life, entrepreneurship, and everything in between. I'm your host, Tayler B, a mom of four precious boys and an entrepreneur at heart. If you've been looking for a village of like minded people, then I think you found the right place. I look forward to talking with you, and I can't wait to see you inside. Hey, y'all.

[00:00:38] - [Speaker 0]
Thanks for joining me yet again on the podcast. I appreciate you so much for tuning in. Like, you really motivate me to to really do something worthwhile with this podcast. And I appreciate all the listens and the encouragement that I've gotten from you ever since starting this almost a year ago. It's really coming up on a year, which is crazy.

[00:01:01] - [Speaker 0]
If you've been listening from day one, then you know that there was a very long couple of months, few months hiatus that was not intentional. I just started overthinking it and telling myself, okay. I'm gonna record this week, and I'm gonna get back to it. I literally just kept telling myself that for weeks, which turned into months until I eventually just hopped back on it, and I think I've been doing I've been doing okay ever since. But regardless, this podcast is almost a year old, and I genuinely appreciate you guys so much.

[00:01:41] - [Speaker 0]
Thank you. Now, if you are new here, warm welcome welcome. I'm Tayler B. I am the founder of TB Design Loft, a brand and web design studio that's dedicated to helping solo founders calm the chaos so that they can show up and show out without the burnout. If you're a returning listener and you've heard me say something different before, don't worry about it.

[00:02:09] - [Speaker 0]
The mission's still the same. I've just been focusing on getting really clear about my brand's foundations and making them make sense. Anyways, that's a topic for another day. Today, we're talking about tech. So as you know, a brand new laptop can run you thousands of dollars.

[00:02:31] - [Speaker 0]
And as a small or just starting out business owner, that might not be feasible for you. So maybe you're using that ten to fifteen plus year old dinosaur you call a computer or that $100 laptop you found on Facebook marketplace until you're in a better until you're in a better financial spot. And honestly, I applaud you. I am not here to tell you that you should go drop your rent or mortgage money on a new laptop. Absolutely not.

[00:02:59] - [Speaker 0]
Today, I'm gonna share two different ways that you can make smart Today, I'm going to share two different ways that you can make smart tech investments for yourself and your business. First up, we're gonna talk refurbished tech. Now, if you've been burned before by either buying used or buying refurbished, just just stick with me. Okay? Don't tune out yet.

[00:03:30] - [Speaker 0]
I promise I am not going to... I will not intentionally lead you astray. So first up, my favorite resource for getting refurbished tech is back market. Not not black market. That is not what I said.

[00:03:47] - [Speaker 0]
I said back. Back. Like, the clothes on your back, back market. I think the name is pretty clever. I'm assuming that, you know, it's intended to be that way, but regardless.

[00:04:02] - [Speaker 0]
So I got my last laptop from it, and it ran beautifully until I accidentally spilled water on it and killed it. It died a horrible death, it has not ever since turned back on, but that was my own fault. BackMarket is a really great place to get refurbished tech that I so far feel like you can trust. They also have their own warranties and other protection plans and things like that. So I'm really a fan of getting refurbished tech or, new stuff straight from back market.

[00:04:43] - [Speaker 0]
That is my personal go to. Hey. Before I forget to mention, as of right now, this plug was not sponsored by BackMarket in any way. I just genuinely love using it to save money on good tech. However, I do have an affiliate link to share with you where you can get $10 off your first order to help save a few more coins for your next tech investment.

[00:05:10] - [Speaker 0]
It'll be right in the show notes waiting for you. I know this sounds like a sponsored message, but I promise it is not officially sponsored with BackMarket. I just might be that good. But anyway, back to the episode. Another resource you can look into if you're an Apple fan, you can look into Apple refurbished.

[00:05:28] - [Speaker 0]
If I recall, because I remember a store employee told me that Apple refurbished was a good resource because you can get AppleCare on it, and it might be a little bit pricier than going to, like, Facebook marketplace or back market. But I... If I recall, and don't quote me, I would probably ask an employee, someone who actually works there. But I believe you get more protection coverage for your Apple device versus going through a third party. Now, I would double check before you commit.

[00:06:03] - [Speaker 0]
And honestly, you can find Apple refurbished and you can see what they have available right there in the Apple Store app. Another resource is Best Buy Open Box. Now years ago, I used to work at Best Buy, and open box items are usually pretty good quality. Make sure you ask questions. Usually, the price difference, depending on what it is, if it's usually like a cosmetic thing.

[00:06:27] - [Speaker 0]
Like, maybe it's got some scratches on it. Nothing that really makes a difference in how it runs. But as long as the item itself is working perfectly and, like, the screen isn't damaged, if it has a screen, then usually, it's a pretty good deal. So, honestly, why not get 2 or $300 knocked off of a thousand dollar laptop just because it's got... It was returned with some scratches on it.

[00:06:53] - [Speaker 0]
I'm just saying. So those are just a few resources that you can look into for refurbished tech, especially if you are on a bit of a tighter budget or you just don't want to drop three, four, five thousand dollars on a brand spanking new just released laptop, which I I commend you, honestly. Because if you don't if you don't have to, why do it? That's just me. Now depending on what you do or even how you prefer to do things, there is a way that you could potentially lease newer tech.

[00:07:39] - [Speaker 0]
One resource that I looked into a while back was the Apple lease program. Now this is for businesses, of course. But, basically, if I recall correctly, mind you, this is... What year are we in? '2...

[00:07:53] - [Speaker 0]
What year are we in? 2026. So this was, like, two years ago that I actually spoke to someone at my local Apple Store. Thank God I actually have one in my city. But I actually spoke to somebody and got as many details as I could.

[00:08:10] - [Speaker 0]
So this information might be outdated. I would reach out directly just to confirm all the details. But from what I recall, I believe the minimum had to be, like, 3 or 4,000, and you could get, like, brand new, brand spanking new out of the box laptop, tablet, whatever. And you can add on some other items as well. And instead of having to pay that 4, 5, $6,000 plus dollars out of pocket, And oh, before I forget, you also they are they are required to have Apple Pay, not Apple Pay, Apple Care.

[00:08:55] - [Speaker 0]
They're required to have Apple Care added on to them. So even though it's a bit of a higher cost, at least you know for sure that your items are protected. You can get a lease plan for multiple years. I think I asked about three years. And I believe when I did the math on it, it was, like, 2 to maybe $300 a month roughly for what I was looking for, which was the newest laptop at the time with the amount of gigabytes or memory.

[00:09:29] - [Speaker 0]
Yeah. Memory that I was looking for bare minimum. And then also the newest tablet at the time along with... There was something else. It was like one...

[00:09:39] - [Speaker 0]
I think also a Apple Pencil for, you know, my... The tablet. And it was like... Because it between mid 200 to $300 a month, and I could have the brand... The newest thing.

[00:09:52] - [Speaker 0]
And then at the end of the term, can upgrade or you can buy it for, I think, fair market price. Again, don't quote me. I believe you can... I recall, it's it's like a typical lease plan where you can trade it in and get the newest thing if that's something that you want to do or depending on what you do, if that's something you need to do. Me, I would say that's potentially something I will do in the future just so that way I can always stay up to date with my tech because of what I do.

[00:10:27] - [Speaker 0]
I need to... For me, I feel like I need to make sure that my stuff is always up to date and functioning in the best way possible. My current iPad that I've had, it's an iPad Pro. I got it in like 2020, so it's like six years old now. It's got a couple of scratches on it.

[00:10:43] - [Speaker 0]
There's some noticeable to me, but slight screen burns or whatever you wanna call it around it. But, again, it's six years old, but it's still working beautifully for what I use it for. So I'm not worried about it right now, but it is in the back of my mind to upgrade at some point. Just trying to figure out when, you know, because of this economy, and then also trying to figure out how exactly I want to do it. I know.

[00:11:19] - [Speaker 0]
I know. I keep interrupting. I'm so sorry, but I tried to hurry up and record this whole episode during my baby baby's nap time. And despite having an outline, I did forget a couple of things that came rushing back to me when it was time to edit. So here I am yet again.

[00:11:36] - [Speaker 0]
My kids are playing catch in the front room, and I've got the wild card occupied in his room for just a few minutes so I can record this really quick. Anyway, what I forgot to mention is that if the costs of everything I've mentioned in this episode is a bit overwhelming or just feeling like another expense, keep in mind that you should be able to write off some, if not your entire expense for this investment if it's for your business. Caveat, I am not a tax professional. So you should definitely check with someone to know for sure before you let that be the deciding factor. But if you're able to really leverage this investment, especially if you're doing the lease plan, it could help you save some money on your tax bill later on down the line.

[00:12:28] - [Speaker 0]
Just keep in mind that every dollar you spend in or for your business should typically be a write off later on. Again, I am not a tax professional nor is this tax advice. Check with someone who knows for sure. And if you need someone, I highly recommend Numberwise. They're actually locally owned here in Madison, Wisconsin.

[00:12:53] - [Speaker 0]
I think they also have a Columbus location, if I recall. And if I recall what our tax lady told us years ago when I asked her, she co owns it with her business partner. And I think I remember her telling me that she's been an entrepreneur for many years now. So they're not just tax professionals. They specialize in helping small businesses, and they're very knowledgeable.

[00:13:19] - [Speaker 0]
And they're very knowledgeable. We've been using them for over six or seven years now, and I couldn't imagine going anywhere else. Again, this is not a sponsored or affiliated message at all. I just really love our tax lady. And this time, there is no affiliate link.

[00:13:42] - [Speaker 0]
I will just leave their website link in the show notes for you. But, anyways, back to the episode, and, I think this is the last time I'll be interrupting you. Bye. The Apple lease program is something that could work for you. The other thing I would like to keep in mind...

[00:14:01] - [Speaker 0]
Like you to keep in mind is that if you have a business credit card and you're using it effectively, whereas you're not running up the balance and you're paying it off every month, If 2 to $300 or however much is in your budget, you could put it on that credit card and then just keep going about life and also be raising your credit score at the same time. So that's just something to think about. I am not as aware of the programs that Microsoft and Samsung have, but I have briefly looked into them. So they also have business, you know, plans and things available. I would say if you're interested in Microsoft or Samsung, you might wanna do a little bit more research.

[00:14:50] - [Speaker 0]
You can scour YouTube, or you can call directly their customer service line and find out for sure. At the time, I looked into Apple a bit more heavily and spoke to somebody and asked all the all the questions because that's what I was interested in at the time. But if you're interested in, like, Microsoft or Samsung, then that's gonna be your best bet. A little note that I would like to give real quick. If you're not using heavy programs, then you should be fine with, like, a simple laptop or computer, maybe even the MacBook Neo, you know, the newest budget laptop that came out from Apple.

[00:15:28] - [Speaker 0]
If you're an Apple fan, you could probably get it refurbished or brand new. I think brand new, it starts at, like, 700. So if that's reasonable or within budget for you, you could look into something like that. If you, you know, don't need heavy programs like the Adobe Suite or anything that's gonna need, like, your laptop to be really powerful. So that's also something to keep in mind before you go searching.

[00:16:01] - [Speaker 0]
Before you buy. One of my things that I've almost always tried to do whenever I'm thinking of a big investment like this is check YouTube for unboxings, for reviews, look specifically for certain features that you know that you're gonna need. If I recall correctly, RAM or memory, if it's a MacBook, is going to affect how fast your computer can run programs, and that includes having multiple open. So if you're doing something heavy or having multiple programs open, then you're probably gonna wanna go 16 gigabytes minimum to be safe. Because of what I do with the branding and website design, thirty two minuteimum is my preference.

[00:16:48] - [Speaker 0]
So that way my computer isn't slowing down ideally. Another thing I would like you to keep in mind is to probably plan to use cloud storage and hard drive storage to keep space on your computer and hopefully prevent it from sounding like an airplane engine taking off. So, you know, like Google Drive or Dropbox, those cloud store... And then, you know, of course, Apple has their iCloud storage as well. So, the cloud storage is going to help keep stuff directly off your computer.

[00:17:24] - [Speaker 0]
So also, if anything happens to your computer, boom, you have a copy that you can download from anywhere. So that's something to keep in mind. I would also probably recommend investing in a hard drive. If you don't know what that is, it's basically like a little storage block. So instead of storing it on the cloud, you could have a quote unquote hard copy that's off of your laptop.

[00:17:52] - [Speaker 0]
Again, something happens to your laptop, then you have a quote unquote hard copy. I would recommend doing both, cloud storage and a hard drive as well, just to be safe. You never know. Hopefully, I didn't talk too fast in this episode. I didn't want to ramble on for like an hour about it.

[00:18:15] - [Speaker 0]
So I was trying to keep it concise and simple for you to understand. Now real quick before I close out, I'm not a tech heavy expert. I cannot sit here and run you through all the detailed specs and break it all down. I'm a very basic tech girly, not advanced tech girly. But I'm also a professional Googler and YouTube searcher.

[00:18:43] - [Speaker 0]
So if you're having trouble finding certain answers, you can message me directly, and I'll do my best to try and find something that will help you. I cannot make promises, but I will happily do my best to help. Okay. So I'm going to wrap this episode up right about here. Tune in next week.

[00:19:06] - [Speaker 0]
Make sure you follow the show. Make sure make sure you follow the show, subscribe, do all the wonderful things. Hit the bell if there's a bell somewhere, whatever you need to do. So that way you don't miss next week's episode, where I am gonna share with you some free and low cost tools that will help you manage your business a little bit easier. And if you're potentially interested in starting a podcast, I'm also gonna talk about some of those tools as well, the ones that I currently use and the ones that helped me get started almost a year ago.

[00:19:43] - [Speaker 0]
I can't believe it's been almost a year. Anyway, if you'd like to continue the conversation, feel free to reach out to me directly on Instagram at the creative altruist. I would love to know what you thought of the episode and any questions that you may have or suggestions you may have about future episodes or anything I've talked about before, feel free to reach out. I promise I don't bite. But in the meantime, between time, I will see you next week.

[00:20:11] - [Speaker 0]
Thank you for tuning in. Bye. Thanks for listening to the mom boss like a boss podcast. If you have any thoughts on the episode, please feel free to reach out to me on threads or Instagram. You can find me at the creative altruist, all one word, no spaces, underscores, or periods.

[00:20:30] - [Speaker 0]
It'll also be right there in the description. Until next time.