Madison Genthry 
Working remotely while running a business sounds amazing.
There’s just one problem…
If you don’t have the right digital tools in place, life as a remote entrepreneur is messy. You miss emails. Packages sit at your doorstep hoping you’ll come home. You scramble to stay organized.
Thankfully, there are powerful tools out there that can take your remote business to the next level. Entrepreneurs are only scratching the surface of what’s possible.
Here’s your complete guide:
- Why entrepreneurs should use digital tools
- Tools remote entrepreneurs need to run location-independent businesses
- How to build your remote business infrastructure
- Tips for choosing the right tools
Why You Need Digital Tools
Let’s start with the obvious:
Remote entrepreneurship is not going away.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that during the first quarter of 2024 alone, 35.5 million Americans teleworked. That means that nearly 23% of the workforce was accessing their job from outside the office.
And that’s just the US…
Office infrastructure isn’t built for this new reality.
Enterprising professionals starting their own companies have needs that “regular” businesses don’t. Remote entrepreneurs have to be able to operate from anywhere. Whether that’s drinking espresso out of a local coffeeshop in Lisbon or nesting at a co-working space in Austin, entrepreneurs are always on the go.
Successful remote businesses have one thing in common. They’ve prioritized digital infrastructure from day one.
Tools You Need to Run a Location Independent Business
Ready for the good stuff?
Here are the categories of tools remote entrepreneurs absolutely need.
Virtual Mailbox Service
Here’s something few new entrepreneurs think about…
Your business can still receive mail.
Even if you don’t have a brick and mortar storefront with an office, physical mail will still find you. Important packages, tax forms, contracts, legal documents… they all need to go somewhere.
If you don’t have a plan in place, important mail will pile up. Overlooked packages will be returned to senders. Valuable time will be wasted tracking down USPS delivery attempts.
Need a mail solution that works for remote entrepreneurs?
Choose a virtual mailbox service. Services like those at https://ipostal1.com/virtual-mailbox specialize in giving remote entrepreneurs a legitimate street address they can use for business registration. Their digital mail service scans every piece of mail that comes through your address and securely uploads it to your online dashboard.
The demand for virtual mail services is booming. Business Research Insights projects the global virtual mailbox software market will reach USD 1.82 billion in 2024. That number is expected to grow 6.6% every year through 2030.
Expectations for a virtual mailbox service:
- Legitimate street address you can use for business purposes
- Scans mail and provides digital forwarding options
- Allows you to receive packages
- Access your virtual mailbox through an intuitive mobile app
- Choose from a variety of different addresses
That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how a virtual mailbox service can smooth out your remote business dealings. Say goodbye to missing important deliveries. Keep your home address off USPS delivery trucks.
Project Management Tool
Remote teams need a centralized location to manage all of their work.
Scattered across a dozen different Google docs and spreadsheets, it’s easy for projects to fall through the cracks. Deadlines are missed. Work gets duplicated. Team members converse across too many messaging apps to keep track of.
Enter project management tools.
The best solutions combine task assignments, team chat, file storage, and video conferencing all into one place. Visual boards help you and your team keep track of progress. Automations streamline your workflow.
Project management tools we recommend:
- Asana
- Monday.com
- Trello
- ClickUp
These are just a few options to get you started. Your business may grow to need different tools as you scale. Project management software should fit your team perfectly.
Cloud Storage Service
Stop emailing important files back and forth.
Cloud storage is a must-have for any remote entrepreneur. Not only does it provide team members around the world access to all of your important documents, it keeps everyone on the same page. Literally.
No more “we uploaded it last week… where did it go?” frustrations.
Top cloud storage platforms:
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- Microsoft OneDrive
Communication Tools
Communication is the lifeblood of remote work.
Whether it’s a video conference with your entire team or a Slack message to a coworker, having the right set of tools to communicate efficiently makes all the difference. These are the tools we personally use every day.
Must-have communication tools:
- Zoom
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
Financial Software
Last but certainly not least, every entrepreneur should have some type of financial software they use to manage their business’s books.
Software like QuickBooks, FreshBooks, and Wave make it easy to track expenses, create invoices for clients, and file your yearly taxes. These tools were made to take the grunt work out of accounting and let you focus on growing your business.
Build Your Remote Business Infrastructure
Ok. You’ve heard about all these tools. You know what you need. But how do you actually start using them?
Here’s a rookie mistake we see entrepreneurs make all the time.
Don’t try to dive headfirst into setting up every digital tool under the sun.
Start with these foundational tools. Each category we listed above solves one of the universal problems faced by remote entrepreneurs.
From there, you can add specialty tools that fit your business’s specific needs.
Think of it this way…
You’re building an interconnected ecosystem for your business where every tool seamlessly integrates with the others.
Make Sure Your Tools Are Secure
When you’re working remotely, your tools don’t just have to be useful. They also need to be secure.
Enterprise-level remote teams have an entire IT department to think about these things for them. As a one-person operated business, you have to be proactive about digital security.
Some security basics:
- Enable two-factor authentication on every platform
- Use a password manager to create unique passwords
- Use a VPN when working on public Wi-Fi
- Regularly review the security of your tools
Plan With Growth in Mind
Growing pains are real.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare for your business to take off. As you research different tools to use for your business, look into each tool’s growth potential.
Do they offer different pricing tiers based on how many team members can use the software? Will you get locked into a plan that you outgrow within the first year?
Think long and hard before dismissing a tool just because your startup can’t use it to its full potential right away.
Wrapping Things Up
Running a remote business is the dream.
So don’t let going remote hinder your success. Use a virtual mailbox service to handle physical mail. Organize your work with a project management platform. Store important files on the cloud. Connect with your team through communication tools.
Embrace the digital tools that allow entrepreneurs to work remotely.
Do you want to start running your business entirely from your phone? Utilize digital tools that fit your unique needs and start streamlining your business’s digital workflow today.
