What Have You Purchased Recently?

I have recently done many software upgrades and a new color printer. I was at the point where my old printer had lived a long useful life (7 years!), and then died, but it's OK. My new printer uses microprint technology to use less ink, but also delivers better prints, and borderless ones as well. So I'll see a return on that investment fairly quickly, as I'll be able to use it for client projects and also be able to print out materials for small self-promotions, so that works out well.

And the software upgrades were long over due. When you're a solo designer, upgrading software frequently may not be an option financially, but there comes a time when one can't hold out any longer. My latest upgrades will allow me to produce certain kinds of work faster, and share documents better with colleagues who help me produce my work. So, while there's not a direct "marketing" benefit to my purchases, I'll save time and money.

I have also "purchased" good services this past year. I can't say enough about a good Virtual Assistant. (Thanks Brianna!) Viva la outsourcing! Seriously, there are not enough hours in a day, and good help can make your business more profitable if the work outsourced is done well and frees you up to work on other things you can bill for or for time you can spend new business development.

I recently purchased high end Altec Lansing Headphone set for making effective use of Skype so as to interact effectively with my clients. Turning out to be a smart purchase:-)

Macbook - For years I had heard about Apple products being superior. I needed a lighter laptop compared to my monsterous Toshiba which really sucked!! So, I decided to give it a shot.... it was too expensive, so I thought for a few days .... finally, walked into the store and loved it ....bought it right then and there!

Aww, thanks, G!

So I've been on the lookout for a great new LCD monitor so I can have more room on my screen and also make things a little easier on my awful eyes....and I think I've found a winner! The Westinghouse 24" was very highly reviewed on newegg.com and several other sites. We actually found it on sale at Best Buy for $349! For that price, it really doesn't get much better than this! My laptop now has a monster screen! I think it helps productivity when I'm not moving all over the house with it.

I also just got MacFreelance yesterday to help streamline my invoicing and time tracking. So far, it's a nifty little tool and I think it will really help me keep track of my projects.

My business is still growing, but I can definitely justify these purchases because of how long I'll be able to use them, and how much simple they make my life. Balancing work, school, and child is always the biggest issue for me. I need to constantly find ways to keep myself in line!

My more recent purchases aren't completely business related, yet they dramatically impact my ability to do my business. For one, I purchased a SunBox Desk Lamp for my office. I have a pretty wicked case of Seasonal Effective Disorder which can render me useless if unchecked, and having the little box of light right next to my desk makes it easier for me to get light therapy, and therefore I'm more productive. I also got a footrest, which is making it much more comfortable to be at my desk. Hence, more productive.

The most major purchase (or rather, purchases) I've made recently has been entirely un-business related, but has produced dramatic results in my overall well-being (and - you guessed it - productivity). I decided to cancel my organic produce delivery service (as the veggies were always a bit suspect, and I didn't like them very much), and have made a habit of visiting a farm about 7 miles from my house every Saturday with my boyfriend to pick out whatever fresh produce looks good. Since I started this trend, I find that my mood has improved drastically, I have more energy and feel better overall, and I'm far less likely to settle for junk or pizza because I don't want to eat what's in the house. It's made such a difference, and this is probably the one I'm most happy about, along with a Jivamukti Yoga DVD that I do every other day.

The way I see it, if you are your business, you have no excuse not to keep yourself healthy and well - and those purchases are just as important as the more obviously business-related ones.

Good post Dani!

That reminds me of other things/services I have purchased recently that are health related that keep my productivity up, like a back-healthy office chair (Relax the back store!) and working with a good chiropractor to correct some long-standing issues that were cutting into my ability work comfortably. BTW, if anyone in Seattle area is looking for a qood chiropractor, see Dr. Darren Penry in Kirkland. In the last few weeks, he's reversed some considerable pain for me.

And Bri, you are most certainly welcome! Let me know how that new time tracking software is working out!

I bought a new Lenovo laptop this year and a new 42" LCD TV for my living room! Fun new toys! Art T.

Hrm, in the past month professionally I've purchased:

2x laptops 3x 22" lcds 2x 1TB SATA hard drives 2x HP DL320s 12x sata disk servers 1x APC 30 amp managed/switched PDU

Personally I've purchased some gels, some lighting stands & umbrellas, a wireless trigger system, and some other accessories for my camera (including a lensbaby 3g!)

Marty, I kindda noticed that I only answered part of your question .. .I will take the time to elaborate when I find time :)

What did you buy?

• A new desktop computer - dual core, 4gb of RAM, half a gig of Video memory, 16:9 24" screen for my poor eyballs, and Norton 360 to manage the whole thing and its backups (if you are running a Wintel box, this is highly recommended), external drive for backups- the systems primarily running Windows Vista, Office Professional 2007, and assorted geeky programs and tools that systems engineers find useful

Why did you buy?

• The laptop I was on as a primary computer didn't have the resources to mutitask as well, run the latest software that is important to what i do, and frankly was starting to show it's age

Can you use your buying experience to support your marketing activities?

• oh heck yeah

How might others benefit from your thinking process?

• time really is money - especially lost time when I spend large amounts waiting for program loads, data transfers, or simply get frustrated and stop working before i should