Technology
has become an essential part of every professional’s life.
It was
already covering Office guys, now it has started to play a huge role
in Startup space as well as in Sports. In fact, no matter how much
you try you can’t stay away from constantly arriving projects and
assignments during post-graduation which requires you to be at your
laptop 24x7(like me).
But the positive part is that Technology has
helped Businesses grow faster than ever.
Anyone working since 1960
will tell you the level of impact technology has had on the World.
Let’s leave that aside as we start our discussion on some of the
most important gadgets one needs to have when you are in the Startup
space.
Yes, a space where many people are travelling here and there,
no fixed place of work, no proper workspace for Employees and high
bills. In the midst of all this crap, one needs to have certain
gadgets in hand and like Batman literally crush his/her competitors
and overcome challenges of life.
In such a scenario, I have picked
the 10 most important gadgets one needs to keep with himself and his
team atleast during the first phase of Startup.
1.
EXTERNAL/PORTABLE HARD DISK
There
was a time when buying a replacement hard disk was proving to be
pretty costly ( 64 GB @ 5000 seriously I am telling you) but with
growth in technology and high demand costs have greatly reduced and
today my dear lucky readers you can get a 1 TB portable hard drive
between 3000 to 5000 rupees. Expensive? Imagine yourself rebuilding
all the data of your Business from bits and pieces collected from
here and there for the next 6 months and you might reconsider your
decision. Having a backup will save you from the trouble. Thinking
about Cloud? Well, think about what Jennifer Lawrence and you will
have your answer. You can choose Cloud if you don’t care about
Privacy.
2.
PRINTER
Running
a Business but have no Printer. That is stupidity. No matter how much
technology has changed but paperwork still plays a dominant role in
Communications atleast at 55% of all professional communication and
recording of data conducted in Business Houses. It is needed as it is
cheaper in terms of money. One major MNC had suffered a major data
crash back in 1990s and it was the efficient File mgmt service of
hard copy of data that saved the Business from being shutdown.
A
Printer is required for every startup as it guarantees you a proper
source through which you can keep your data safe outside Digital
world (provided you are capable of maintaining proper set of Files).
There was a time when buying a printer with a desktop was considered
a status symbol (faced it myself) but nowadays next gen Sales Firms
like Croma, Reliance Digital etc. have certain offers where laptop
buyers get free printers. Apart from these tradictional printers you can also go with some 3d printers for more efficiency. Lix 3d printers has a big name in the industry. I would recommend you to go with this. Printers today are equipped with built
in basic scanners so you don’t need to spend extra money on a
scanner for your Business. Huge cost benefit as you get both a
Scanner and a Printer for the price of one. In Inkjet category, we
have Canon PIXMA at Rs 2699.
It has all features in it be it Scan or
Print or Photo print. Max color DPI is 4800x600. Not bad. In Laser
Printers, we have Brother MFD DCP 1511 at Rs.6800 which can hold 150
A4 sheets at 20 monochrome pages per minute and uses as low as 40W
power.
3.
PEN DRIVE & microSD:
A
crucial weapon required in everyone’s arsenal as it can act as an
effective backup and transporter of files in case your portable hard
drive betrays you. Also some smartphones are equipped with OTG
technology (On The Go) with which you can connect your pen drive to
your smart phone using special OTG connector cords.
This means that
you don’t need to be jealous if your highly successful peers are
carrying an IPAD or iPhone at office or home because they don’t
have the power you have. An efficient smartphone priced at 12000
equipped with OTG tech gives you flexibility not to carry your laptop
when you are on a vacation.
Also if your smartphone has a microSD
tech expandable upto 2TB, then you have just struck Gold. Tip: When
you are always on the go, keep two pen drives of 16GB in your
backpack plus a microSD USB adapter as it might come in handy in case
you need to get some files printed on Emergency basis. Check how to compare speed of pen drives .
4.
TABLET AND SMARTPHONE
As
a startup guy, you will be constantly on the move to attend meetings
with various clients. Just imagine yourself having Breakfast in
London, Lunch in Mumbai and Dinner in Tokyo. Maybe a bit high, but it
does capture the level of difficulty Startups have to face everyday.
That’s why you need a good Tablet computer which can act as your
Personal Data Assistant and can be pretty easy to carry if you are
not willing to part with your old mobile phone. iPad and Microsoft
Surface are on a different level in this scenario but you also have
Acer One series Tablets equipped with detachable keyboard priced at
Rs.14000.
While buying a tablet, ensure that it has OTG connectivity,
whether it connects well with your laptop, test its Bluetooth
capability and also whether it has microSD backup expandable memory.
Getting a data plan is no problem as several Telecom companies have
efficient data plans. Samsung and Acer are good substitutes for
Apple.
Times
have changed as Smartphones have started to become more powerful than
Laptops. Mozilla has come up with a smartphone which when connected
to a projector can act as a Computer. While smartphones can save you
from spending on a computer and a phone, its relatively small size
can act as a deterrent. But then portable projectors have reduced the
difference so might consider it. Also investing in a good smartphone
saves you from the plight of hiring a cameraman for Events.
5.
POWER BANKS
Imagine
yourself in a desolate village in a random district of India where no
one has even heard of what a Computer is let alone seen a laptop or
maybe a smartphone (Shahrukh Khan’s film Swades is based on real
life facts). A time may come when you might be sent to work in such
places where getting power supply will be a huge challenge. That’s
why having a Power Bank of 30000 mah will be helpful to support your
tablet and mobile phone not only in certain places but also when you
are on the move. AMBRANE is a well-known name in this sector.
6.
PROJECTOR:
Imagine
having an appointment with a client in US but no money to travel. Its
common sense that you cannot have a video conference with a 10 member
delegation through your small laptop. This is where a Projector comes
into play. Not only can it help communicate PPTs in meetings through
a wide display but also you can communicate with your clients with
your team clearly visible to them. Nowadays there are very cheap
projectors priced at around Rs.5000 from RICOH to VIVITEK.
7.
USB POWER CHARGER AND MULTI PLUG ADAPTER
Not
all startups are fortunate enough to have proper workspaces. There
are many who have had to start off by working in Libraries, coffee
shops or maybe at Hostel (Facebook anyone). What to do when you have
only one power source in the room and 20 devices? The solution is
Multi-plug adapter. There are several available in the market priced
at around minimum Rs.400. If you want you can connect 2 such adapters
to each other to increase the number of sockets required by you.
Anchor is the best brand in this sector
Fine,
but what if most of your devices are having USB sockets?
Then get a
multi USB power adaptor with minimum 4 ports priced between Rs.150 to
Rs.1000. Belkin is a good brand in this arena. Also Samsung and
Micromax provide universal USB plug adapters. If you can get a hand
on some of these, then its really good for you.
8.
DISPLAY ADAPTERS AND CONNECTORS
My
office contains Projectors which are equipped with VGA connectors.
Very few laptops post 2012 have VGA ports. This makes a difficult job
for anyone using a laptop with HDMI ports only. In such a scenario,
one has 2 options- either invest in a good HDMI to VGA port connector
or keep a set of display adaptor wires in hand which can save you
from embarrassment. The former looks a pretty good idea as such
connectors are priced from Rs.200 to Rs.400 (maybe higher). They are
small, take less space but are quite powerful. Always keep one in
backpack as you never know when you will need it. Also keep 2 in
office of which one can be with your best friend.
9.
ROUTERS
Such
devices are a staple in offices but some can also wirelessly charge
devices. Wattup is a US based startup which is hell bent on inventing
Routers which can wirelessly charge devices. In the next 3 years, we
will definitely see such devices entering International Markets as
there is benefit of using it as Network connector and Power supplier.
Currently routers are used for Network Setups in Offices, but this
will change in the near future.
10.
Headphones
Wireless
Headphones are becoming more and more popular and are really really
useful. Imagine a scenario where your Boss gives you a 5 hour
timeline to prepare a report and on the other side you have an
important audio conference to attend to.
What to do?
Simple.
Work on
your laptop, prepare the report while on the other hand discuss
matters related to the Report sent by the Chairman to you through
your headphone wirelessly connected to your Phone using Bluetooth.
The Report sent by the Chairman’s office can be viewed through your
laptop anyway while simultaneously working on your Boss’ report.
So
these are the 10 most important gadgets a Startup must have. Some of
the gadgets were selected by me based on my own experience while
giving presentations in College or while working with my fellow
coworkers. Hope it helps and let me know in case of any misses.
Thank
you!
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