Starting and running a business means that you have to pay attention to many different aspects and accomplish a number of tasks in order to save time and money. For that reason, both new and established entrepreneurs constantly look for ways to run their businesses more efficiently and without wasting too much time.
Businesses of all industries and sizes need to leverage the power of business tools and software solutions in order to streamline processes and increase overall productivity.
Luckily, the internet is filled with such tools and software solutions. You can find a tool for almost anything related to your business, from conducting market research and creating email marketing campaigns to producing business plans and beautiful visuals.
Here are our top 8 choices.
1. Collaboration Tool
SharePoint is a collaboration and document management tool developed by Microsoft. It’s basically a content management system and an intranet that is used with an aim to bring an organization together. The tool has document management capabilities as well as tight integration with Office 365. According to Microsoft, SharePoint is used by almost 80% of Fortune’s top 500 companies!
Migration to SharePoint can help increase an organization’s productivity and decrease the expenses of a company’s digital workplace.
However, moving from one platform to another can be a real nightmare and, if not done properly, it can harm your business. That’s why we suggest using professional Microsoft SharePoint migration services.
Whether it’s migrating between tenants, migration from SharePoint on-premises to SharePoint Online, or migrating between site collections, a third-party professional migration service will make the whole process much smoother and less painful.
2. Open-Source Database
MySQL is currently one of the most popular open-source databases. Due to its ease-of-use, reliability, and performance, MySQL has become the leading choice for high-profile companies including YouTube and Facebook. In addition, it’s a popular choice as an embedded database, distributed by thousands of OEMs and ISVs.
If you want to visualize and analyze MySQL data, you should consider using PowerBI. PowerBI integrates with MySQL out of the box, which makes it possible to import MySQL data, analyze, and visualize it within the PowerBI platform.
3. Lead Generation Tool
Are you struggling to generate leads online despite the fact that you have a great website and top products? You’re not alone. According to sales stats, more than 60% of B2B marketers consider generating high-quality leads to be one of their biggest challenges.
Having a great lead generation tool will help you achieve goals that you couldn’t without it and it will help you achieve them in greater volume, faster, or more cost-effectively.
4. Internal Communication Tools
In order to increase productivity and efficiency, find user-friendly solutions, simplify IT management, and boost employee motivation, companies have started relying on internal communications software. Tools like Slack, Zoom, and Skype are an obvious solution as they’re enabling organizations to achieve all of the above and more.
Internal communication tools address one of the most important questions: What are the most pressing internal communication problems that businesses face – and resolve them.
5. Email Marketing Automation
Email marketing remains one of the most intimidating ways to promote modern businesses. However, using an email management system like MailChimp can make things a lot easier. You can use email automation tools to test user engagement and then make the adjustment necessary to increase conversions. These tools also offer reporting options so you can get detailed analytics and statistics on your email campaigns.
6. Social Media Automation
Entrepreneurs don’t have the time to constantly update their business pages on social media on a daily basis. This is especially true for nationwide or worldwide businesses – posting manually across various social media platforms at the right times is almost impossible. That’s where online social media management and scheduling tools come in.
Tools like Buffer and Hootsuite are great for saving time while achieving better social media engagement. They allow you to schedule all your social media posts and keep track of all your social media accounts in one place.
Social media experts say that there are optimal times for posting online in order to engage users, so using such a tool can really make a difference.
7. Time Tracking Software
Time tracking is essential for companies that work with freelancers or have hourly employees, businesses that use cost-plus pricing, as well as professional services providers.
Time tracking tools like Hubstaff and Time Doctor allow you to keep track of the time your employees spend on individual tasks as well as on entire projects. This visibility will help you track the workload of your team members, assess their effectiveness, and check the accuracy of work estimates.
A time tracking tool will help you and your team become more efficient, organized, and get more things done. In other words, it will save you and your company time and money.
8. Accounting Software
Most small business owners can’t afford to hire an accountant, so they usually decide to save money by doing things themselves, i.e. by using accounting software. The good news is that almost all accounting software vendors offer online subscription-based services ranging from basic to advanced. For about $10 a month, vendors like Zoho and FreshBooks offer packages suitable for freelancers and companies, including expense tracking, invoicing and reporting.
Final Thoughts
Choosing effective business tools and software solutions is a crucial step for the successful operation of your business. When deciding which ones are most suitable for your business, consider how easy they are to set up and use, as well as their price.
The above-listed 8 tools and software solutions are perfect choices for all types of business owners who aim to accomplish a great number of tasks smoothly and efficiently.