Small businesses always need to watch their bottom lines. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy because you have so much competition and need to find ways to keep up. The right business tools can help you increase productivity and efficiency without breaking the bank, freeing up your time by eliminating daunting, repetitive tasks to give you more time to focus on more significant business initiatives. These tools and resources help your business get started from the ground up.
The Cloud
There’s no need to spend thousands of dollars on a massive storage infrastructure in-house when you can keep all of your data safe and secure in the Cloud. You can store just about anything in the Cloud, from employee information to customer data and critical business documents. Not only that, but the Cloud offers your employees the opportunity to collaborate from anywhere in the world. Together, they can work on projects within the same documents to increase efficiency and get more work done in a single day. In addition, cloud management is simple, and you can even back up your data to ensure nothing ever gets lost.
WordPress
Every business needs a website, but not everyone is a website developer. If your business needs a simple, easy-to-use website, you can use a theme from WordPress to design and develop your website without the need to hire a professional. Of course, if you want a more complex website that’s truly unique, we recommend working with a web development company or a digital marketer who can help you take your website to the next level.
Communication Tools
If you have remote employees, you’ll need communication business tools to help you have virtual conversations no matter where you are. Communication tools should consist of web conferencing, direct messaging, and emails so you can remain in constant communication with your employees to ensure they understand what they should be working on. Additionally, communication tools can help you reach your employees without picking up your phone. Instead, you’ll likely already be on a computer and can just send them a direct message.
Don’t forget to ensure you use quality video conferencing software to communicate with your clients and customers. When running a remote business, you’ll need to be able to hold meetings with a personal touch, even though you’re not meeting them in person.
Project Management Software
You have many projects to track and manage as a small business owner. You’re likely falling behind deadlines using antiquated processes like pen and paper. With project management software, you can oversee projects from beginning to end while delegating work to your employees so everyone can get the job done faster. Project management software is necessary for any business, especially those who work with clients.
Whatever tool you choose, always ensure your project management software integrates with other tools your business uses, such as communication tools.
HR Software
Managing human resources is challenging without the right software, especially when your business grows. You can simply recruit, onboard, and track employees with human resource software. Your software may also integrate with a payroll system to ensure all employees are paid what they’re owed on time.
Accounting Software
Speaking of payroll, you’ll need to ensure your employees get paid, along with your landlord, utility companies, and credit card companies. Additionally, you’ll need to quickly track your income and expenses to pay taxes. Accounting software does this, reporting functionality and the ability to pay taxes directly from the software.
Depending on the software you purchase, it might not be a one-stop-shop for all of your bookkeeping, but it can streamline the accounting process, so you won’t need to hire as many employees for that department.
Marketing Automation Tools
Marketing takes a lot of time and resources, but it doesn’t have to. You can automate many digital marketing strategies, including email marketing, social media, Google My Business posting, and data analytics.
By planning emails and posts ahead of time, you can save time and resources. Instead of spending hours on social media every day, you can write all of your posts in a single day and schedule them to post. Additionally, you’ll only need to hop on social media to respond to customer comments and inquiries.
On top of those tools, you can streamline your data analytics and make interpreting data easy with many devices, including Google Data Studio. You can collect and analyze data on several business functions with analytics software, including sales and marketing.
Customer Service Software
As a business, your customers should be one of your top priorities. But, getting to customer inquiries on time can be demanding as you grow. Customer service software can help you better communicate with your customers. It will also allow you to solve issues quickly and improve your customer retention rate. With customer service software, you can keep all of your customer service complaints and questions in one area: phone chats and emails. You can also easily manage inquiries and send questions to the right person to answer.
Online Survey Software
There’s no better way to understand your customers’ needs than by asking them. With online survey software, you can get to know your customers and their feelings about your business. Your survey will also provide you with data that you can use to enhance your product and service offerings, customer service, and marketing efforts.
Tools For Small Businesses
Finding the right business tools for your company is a necessity. The right tools help you scale your business effectively and reduce the use of antiquated processes that slowed you down. Tools and resources can help you grow your business by automating repetitive tasks and increasing productivity.
Interested in talking further about business tools or digital marketing? Schedule a complimentary meeting with us here. Let’s chat!
Guest Author: Matt Casadona
Matt Casadona has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. Matt is passionate about marketing and business strategy and enjoys San Diego life, traveling, and music.