Tech – The Latest Gadgets for Your Home Business

So many choices when it comes to gadgets that could help you organize, boost productivity or improve the way you run your business from home — take a look at a few of the latest offerings:

Noise Canceling Headphones

These headphones have the ability to “cancel” out the noises that can distract you from focusing on work, and on running your business. They could become a go-to gadget if your home office is near a family room or other gathering area of your household. 

All the top brands have recently launched new headphones, both over-ear and in-ear models. Noise-canceling headphones use an active noise reduction (ANR) method to reduce unwanted sound by adding a second sound specifically designed to cancel the first. The best-reviewed headphones can “cancel” high-frequency voices of kids and nearby conversations. Headphones that use a passive noise reduction (PNR) method do so by blocking out sounds.

Wellness Lamps

These types of lights are designed to reduce eye strain while you’re at your desk or other work area, and some are specific to people who spend hours in front of a computer screen.

In addition to desk-friendly adjustable arms, the latest wellness lamps offer options for different color modes, dim control, and smart access capabilities. The focus in task lighting for work remains on delivering light and conditions that best mimic natural daylight, which is considered ideal for working eyes, concentration and wellness. Most brands rely on LED lighting, which is known for its ability to generate highly-tuned light wavelengths. 

Power Charger Banks

With the wide selection of charger banks on the market, you have a multitude of choices on ways to keep your devices powered up, with different sizes, charge capacities and specifics depending on the kind of device you’re charging and how fast you need to power up.

Besides price and compatibility, look for power banks with features that best align with your particular home business and your work style -- consider options for fast charging, wireless charging and built-in cables. There are banks that combine docking, battery and storage and sit under a laptop, to take up less desk space, and models with as many as nine ports. There’s even a power bank that comes with the ability to jump-start your car! (That could actually be handy in a pinch if you’re in a business that puts you on the road every day, such as real estate sales.)

Ring Lights

If you’re using your smartphone to take photos as part of your home business or for social media posts to promote your company, you’ll want to check out ring lights — they can make your videos, selfies and on-location posts sharper and more professional looking.  

Popular with YouTubers and professional photographers, ring lights have proven themselves as great tools for macro shots or small things. The latest ring lights give you the ability to create even light and help reduce shadows in your shots. The reason: they produce uniform light straight from the camera’s point of view. Look for ring lights that work best for your type of shoots. For example, LED-based rings are more directional and are noted as good for taking photos when you’re out and about.  

Task and Desk Organizers

A never-ending category of accessories, these gadgets focus on finding ways to get home businesses better organized at your desk. 

The latest in a “desk cubby” provides options to efficiently organize your stuff and keep it close to you. Your wireless keyboard slips under it, and you can find versions that give specific places for your phone, pens, notepads, clips, photos, and of course your coffee cup (to prevent spills on your desk). There are also versions with USB hubs and memory card readers.  

If you still like sticky notes and like a few at your desk front and center, check out the latest in acrylic boards. They make them now to sit next to your computer on the right or left side, and their design that puts the nifty note reminders and other important info, short or long-term, in your view but off your computer.

Card Readers

Almost all small businesses can benefit from card readers – which let you use your smartphone or tablet to take credit and debit card payments. Most card readers need to be connected to your device directly; but that’s changing. Card readers are coming to market with Bluetooth connectivity, which will make them more compatible with various types of smartphones and free you from keeping your headphone jack handy.

Closely related:  Marketing 101 – 5 Easy Ways to Promote Your Business

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