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Being a new business owner comes with a ton of responsibilities. Until you’ve earned enough money to hire staff or outsource, many of those tasks will fall on your plate.
Because starting a new business can already be unnerving and stressful, entrepreneurs should look for tools that can make it easier. Thanks to modern technology, there are a lot of technological tools out there that can help you manage your startup accordingly. Here are just a few.
A Strong Internet Connection
You can’t do much these days without an internet connection. Even if you have a brick and mortar location, the need to work with digital tools, software, devices, and platforms is inevitable if you’re going to remain successful. Therefore, the first tool you need to consider is a reliable internet connection. You can find affordable wifi packages online that include internet and phone bundling options which also saves you money.
A Website
Websites act as a virtual business card and are vital for businesses in all industries. Whether you want to sell products and services online, receive service inquiries, or just provide information on your company, the best place to do these things is on a professionally designed website. Though there are free website templates you can choose from, it is often best to invest a small monthly amount to get one that gives you more customizable options and your own unique domain name.
There are web hosts that provide easy to use tools to make creating your homepage, about page, blog, etc., a lot easier, eliminating the need (at least for now) to hire a web developer.
Project Management Software
Staying on top of things, when you’ve got a lot on your plate can get out of hand. To minimize the stress of managing multi-layered or complex projects, entrepreneurs should invest in project management software. Many platforms are affordable and allow you to create projects, delegate tasks, set reminders, upload files, and communicate with clients.
Cloud File Storage
The old filing cabinet system is pretty much dead. Consequently, most of your files are electronic. Whether you’re storing word processing documents, images, slideshows, or other important documents, you want to do so securely and without taking up too much space.
Cloud storage accounts are free of charge (up to a certain storage capacity), and allow you to store digital files from all platforms. You can access these files remotely from virtually anywhere with an internet connection. Other features include sharing and giving access to others who may be working on the file an easier collaborative experience.
Social Media Management
Known as one of the biggest areas of marketing, social media is a must these days. Developing a presence on social media platforms, however, involves a lot of steps repeated over and over again. Posting content, replying to followers, searching for more followers, and reviewing campaign analytics are all necessary to boost your credibility, increase visibility, and drive sales.
There are social media management applications that can be used to save time. With features that allow you to create and schedule posts on multiple platforms, respond to followers, sort through relevant information and review stats, managing multiple accounts won’t be as time-consuming.
Accounting Software
Though you may not have any customers just yet, when you do, you’ll need to be prepared to handle your finances accordingly. Accounting is crucial to determining the health of your business and, more importantly, to keeping it up and running. You should have a clear account of what’s coming in, what’s outstanding, and what needs to be done to improve.
Accounting software makes this a lot easier. While the basic versions only record general information, more advanced versions will record transactions, manage invoices, and generate reports ideal for tax filing season.
These are just a few of the online resources and tools you’ll need to use to properly manage your startup. In a time where everyone relies on technology, these tools help you to automate processes, reduce wasted time, cut costs, and multi-task. Though there are free and basic versions of each of the above-mentioned resources, it is recommended that you review each platform for yourself to determine which has the better features for you to run a successful business.