The Tech I Actually Use to Run My Online Business From Home
There is no shortage of advice about what you supposedly need to run an online business from home: a powerful new computer, multiple monitors, expensive software, a printer, the latest router, and a perfectly organized office.
My setup is a lot less exciting than that.
I care more about reliability than impressiveness. I want my computer to work, my internet connection to stay dependable, my files protected, and a reasonable way to recover when something goes wrong.
This isn’t a list of everything you could buy. It’s the technology I actually use, why I use it, and where spending a little extra money has genuinely made my work easier.
A Refurbished Computer Is Enough for Me
My computer is a used, refurbished business machine with 8 GB of RAM.
It originally ran Windows. Today it runs Linux Mint, which works better for what I do.
Most of my work happens in a browser. I write, research, manage WordPress sites, use email, handle business tasks, and work with AI tools. I also prefer open-source software, so I don’t depend on Windows-only applications.
I’ve used Linux for well over fifteen years. Linux Mint is fast, stable, free, and gives older hardware a longer useful life.
Would I take 16 GB of RAM? Absolutely. If I were buying another computer today, I’d probably choose 16 GB for the extra breathing room.
But my 8 GB machine still handles the work I actually do, so replacing it just because newer computers are more powerful doesn’t make much sense.
The best business computer isn’t necessarily the newest one. It’s the one that comfortably handles your work.
Two Monitors Were Worth the Upgrade
One upgrade that did make a noticeable difference was adding a second monitor.
I often keep AI open on one screen while working on a website, email, or another page on the other. I can compare information, follow instructions, and move between tasks without constantly switching windows.
Once I got used to two monitors, I realized how much time I had been spending bouncing between tabs.
Using Affirm also made the purchase easier to fit into my budget instead of taking the whole expense at once.
I don’t think everyone needs two monitors. But for the kind of work I do, the second screen solved an actual workflow problem. That’s the kind of upgrade I’m willing to spend money on.
If It Doesn’t Move, I Prefer Ethernet
I have an excellent Asus router, and the Wi-Fi throughout the house works well.
But in my room, if something has an Ethernet port and doesn’t need to move, I would rather plug it in.
I run Ethernet into a small network switch, and from there my computer, two TVs, and two PlayStations are all wired.
That keeps the computer connection stable while I’m working, gives the TVs dependable streaming connections, and keeps the PlayStations off Wi-Fi for downloads and gaming.
Wi-Fi is still great for phones, tablets, and anything else that actually benefits from being wireless. I just don’t see a reason to use it where a cable works better.
DNS Is One of Those Things You Notice When It Breaks
Years ago, my internet provider had what appeared to be a DNS outage. People throughout the area were complaining that their internet was down because websites wouldn’t load.
My connection kept working because I wasn’t using my ISP’s DNS servers.
That experience stuck with me.
DNS is what helps your computer find websites. If DNS fails, the internet can look broken even when the underlying connection is still working.
Today I use NextDNS, which also provides filtering and security features.
Could I use my ISP’s DNS instead? Sure.
I just prefer having one less dependency on the provider.
I Put Both the Computer and the Internet on Battery Backup
I use two UPS battery backups.
One protects my computer equipment. The other keeps my modem and router running.
I’m not trying to work for hours during a major outage. I mainly want protection from the short interruptions: a power flicker, a five-minute outage, or a storm that knocks the electricity out just long enough to reboot everything.
A UPS gives me time to keep working through a short interruption or shut things down properly if the outage lasts.
Keeping the networking equipment powered also means a brief outage doesn’t automatically mean losing the internet.
Backups Should Be Automatic
I don’t want my backup strategy to depend on me remembering to do it.
I prefer a combination of local and remote backups. A local copy makes restoring files faster. A remote copy protects against bigger problems such as theft, hardware failure, or something happening to the house.
The exact software matters less than the principle:
If something important exists in only one place, it isn’t backed up.
And if your backup process depends on remembering to plug something in every Friday night, sooner or later you’ll discover the last backup was months ago.
Automation wins.
I Gave Up on Owning a Printer
For years, having a printer seemed like something a home office was supposed to have.
Eventually I admitted that I barely used mine.
Yet somehow the ink was always empty, dried out, or the printer decided it couldn’t print black because one of the color cartridges was low.
So I stopped replacing printers.
When I need something printed, I send it to Staples, FedEx Office, or another local print shop.
If you print constantly, a good laser printer can make sense. For me, maintaining a printer was more trouble than it was worth.
That’s a recurring theme in my setup: don’t buy something because you’re supposedly supposed to have it. Buy it because it solves a problem you actually have.
What a Practical Setup Might Look Like
If someone asked me what they need to run a small online business from home, I wouldn’t start with a shopping list.
I’d start with what they already own.
A used or refurbished business computer may be perfectly adequate. An SSD can make an older machine feel dramatically faster. Eight gigabytes of RAM can still handle a lot of browser-based work, while 16 GB is a nice target if you’re buying something new.
Use the operating system that supports the software you actually need. Add a second monitor if you’re constantly switching between windows. Use Ethernet when equipment stays in one place. Add battery backup where outages cause problems. Automate your backups.
Spend money where it solves something.
Managing Websites Led Me to a VPS
A major part of what I do from home is manage websites.
For years, they were on shared hosting, and that worked well. Eventually I wanted better visibility into what was happening when something went wrong, along with more control over performance, security, backups, and server configuration.
That led me from shared hosting to running my own VPS.
The VPS is more complicated, but once I understood the system, I could make it better suited to what I was actually doing.
I wrote about that whole adventure in From Shared Hosting to a Slice of Pizza: How AI Made Running My Own VPS Practical.
That article covers why I moved, what it costs, the extra responsibility, and how AI made learning to manage a VPS practical for me.
Let AI Evaluate What You Already Have
Instead of asking AI, “What computer should I buy?” I think there’s a better question:
“What do I already have, and what actually needs improving?”
You can try a prompt like this:
I run a home-based online business. I primarily use my computer for [describe what you do]. My current computer is [describe computer, RAM, storage and operating system]. I also have [monitors, router, modem, Ethernet connections, backup drives, printer, UPS, etc.].
My budget for improvements is about [$ amount].
Evaluate my current setup for workflow, reliability, networking, security, backups, power protection and unnecessary expenses. Don’t recommend replacing equipment simply because something newer exists. Prioritize upgrades that solve an actual problem, and tell me which things I probably don’t need.
If you need more information before making recommendations, ask me questions first.
The goal isn’t to turn AI into an automated salesperson.
It’s to figure out what problem, if any, actually needs solving.
Log-Off and Shutdown
You don’t need the perfect home office to run an online business. You need technology that matches the work you actually do.
For me, that means a refurbished business computer running Linux Mint, two monitors because they improve my workflow, wired Ethernet wherever practical, better DNS, battery backups, automatic backups, and no printer because I finally admitted I didn’t need one.
On the other side of the internet connection, it now includes running my websites on a VPS instead of shared hosting.
None of those choices are universal. They’re simply the choices that solved real problems for me.
That’s how I think technology should work in a business: solve the problem, then get out of the way.
