As a small business owner, you have a ton on your plate. From hiring and training to idea conception and company management, you’ve got one foot in every single open door.
So don’t let them hit you on the way out!
To protect everything you’ve worked so hard to build, you need all the help you can get—from technology as well as people. These six business tools are essential for any emerging enterprise.
#1 Slack
Slack is the ultimate workplace productivity platform. Anyone who says otherwise hasn’t fully explored its suite of offerings:
- Public and private channels for different departments, teams, and projects
- Direct messaging
- Searchable history
- Shared channels with other companies on Slack
- Voice and video calls
- Integration with a full line-up of other popular workplace apps, from Google Drive to Microsoft Teams and beyond
#2 MailChimp
Small businesses are local, personable, and accessible—that’s what people love about you.
Stay connected to your customers, near or far, with MailChimp’s automated newsletters. You can use professionally designed pre-made templates and easy-to-set-up filters to distribute the latest product launches, seasonal sales, and company updates to all your loyal followers.
#3 ShareAble for Hires
You’re still a small operation, so you’re likely keeping your team small, too. That’s why it’s even more important to surround yourself with people you trust.
ShareAble for Hires provides simple and affordable background checks, including fraud alerts, education history, criminal record, and a credit check for employment.
#4 Clockify
This is an incredibly simple way to track your employees’ hours—not just when they’re working, but on what projects and for how long.
If you use Clockify for timekeeping, you simply input what client, project, and task you’re working on, then start the timer. You can pause for breaks and easily resume, or start another timer for the next new thing. Plus, you can add it as an extension to your browser or home screen, so you never forget to hit “Resume” when you return from a much-needed snack break.
#5 AirbeamTV
AirbeamTV Businesses use educational videos and presentations for both employees and customers. AirbeamTV is a useful tool that mirrors your phone screen onto a larger device. This allows you to cast any presentation or video directly from your phone to a television. It is perfect for presentations on the go.
#6 Google Analytics
Potential customers land on your website from all sorts of Internet avenues. Some from Google searches, some through your social media pages, and others through e-mail marketing campaigns (another point in favor of MailChimp!).
But which of your platforms are generating the most traffic? What are your customers searching for on Google? Who are these people, and how do they interact with your business’ site?
With Google Analytics, you can find out exactly where your customers are coming from—plus a whole lot more, including:
- Your key demographics
- Their geographic location
- How long they stay on your site
- Which pages they visit
- The steps they take before making a conversion
You can even set up customizable goals and filters so you can more easily quantify your marketing efforts.
#7 Scannable
Small business owners have big to-do lists. Some of the items aren’t all that engaging or important, but they still have to get done.
Scannable is just one way to cut down on the time you waste with little administrative tasks. You can quickly scan receipts, notes, contracts, invoices, and whatever else through an app on your smartphone. Each scanned item gets filed as a separate entry, making it easy to keep track of and sort through important bits and pieces that might otherwise get lost.
Work With What You’ve Got
There are about a million tools and resources that any new business owner can benefit from. These six are a great place to start, but you know your company and its needs better than anyone.
Struggling with the organization? Hire a virtual personal assistant. Need a flyer designed? Use an online design tool. Behind on payroll? Outsource your HR to a reliable company. Or you can use an online check stub generator, which is a simple and easy way to do payroll and help your employee keep track of their salary information.
You know what you need—now put it to good use!
