Setting up a 301 redirect is not as scary as it sounds. However, it is critical to the success of your business, and effective SEO implementation.
It is similar to making a change of a physical address through the post office. In the case of your website, it is important to protect the equity in a URL address when you are changing locations, and moving to a new website address, or changing the URL of a specific page title on the the site.
A great deal of work goes into building a brand around the URL, and understanding the importance of 301 redirects is critical to the ongoing success of the business.