Running a small business is no easy task in today’s day and age. You are not only competing against other businesses and corporations that are operating on a global scale, but you are often doing this on a much smaller budget than they have to spend.
One of the main problems you may face is not having enough time to spare. From answering numerous emails and managing your social media account to dealing with customer queries, complaints and questions, and setting up your marketing automation, most small business owners agree that their list of things to do is never-ending.
There are, however, many tools, email marketing hacks and services out there that can help you keep on top of these tasks with ease. An example of a good project management tool that will help your business run successfully is a Gantt chart. They can help with estimating, planning, tracking and visualizing your project.
By putting some tools, apps, and services into place, you will be able to focus on the more important parts of your business. Below are some useful tools and apps that will get you started:
#1 QuickBooks
If you’re spending a lot of time every month working out your finances and managing the money coming in and going out of your business, then QuickBooks might be the answer to your prayers. QuickBooks is available for both mobile and desktop devices and it enables you to effortlessly manage your finances.
#2 Slack
Most small businesses agree that it’s very important for them to be able to stay in contact with their employees to ensure any problems that may occur are quickly resolved, and also to check that progress is being made on projects. Slack allows you to set up chat rooms for every task or project and then keep in touch through its secure messaging function, making it the perfect tool for any business.
#3 HootSuite
Keeping up to date with all of your social media accounts can be hard work for a small business, particularly as there are so many tips, tricks, and algorithms to think about. HootSuite is a tool that can make things much easier for you. The tool connects seamlessly to all of your social media accounts, which allows you to look at all of your analytics, manage your online content, and schedule posts with ease.
#4 Dropbox
Dropbox is a must-have app for any small business. Dropbox enables both you and your employees to access documents from the cloud securely from home or from anywhere in the world. The basic Dropbox account is free as long as you don’t exceed 2GB storage, but don’t worry if you require more, a Dropbox business service starts at £10 a month for 2TB of data.
#5 ToDoIst
Keeping a well-maintained, organized, and effective to-do list is one of the most important ways for a business to keep on top of everything you need to do and keep your business organized and successful.
ToDoIst is the perfect tool for businesses that want to manage their projects and want to do things in the correct order. It is available on mobile and desktop devices and it allows you to note down everything you need to get done, so you never forget anything important again.
#6 EngageBay
EngageBay is a simple, affordable, integrated, all-in-one marketing, sales, and service automation platform with a free CRM, built to grow small businesses and startups. EngageBay’s small business marketing automation suite can help you save time, nurture your audience, automate routine, manual tasks and grow your business with intelligent, powerful email marketing. With its free CRM and sales automation, you can organize all your email contacts, track deals and the sales pipeline to grow your sales. Further, users can build meaningful customer relationships that stay for life. And finally, with the free live chat and helpdesk features, provide real-time assistance to convert visitors to happy customers. Track, prioritize, and solve customer support tickets in minutes.
There are many different tools available that will help your business projects run successfully. Whether you’re looking for an app to help you manage your social media accounts or looking for a way to manage your finances, there are tools available for you. Why not give them a go?