Efficiency and productivity – those are the two critical factors for successful entrepreneurship. To make a business efficient and productive, the owner will juggle many things at once.
If it’s a startup we’re talking about, the founder will be a hiring manager, social media manager, marketing manager, content writer, accountant … everything at the same time. Can he or she handle such pressure?
With the right tech tools, a small business owner can cover multiple tasks without hiring new employees. They can delegate repetitive tasks to appropriate tools and technology, so they can focus on managing the startup.
What are the best apps for business that work for any brand? We’re getting there.
This is an alternative to Apple’s App Store. There’s a major difference, though: you get the best selection of tested and proven apps. You pay a minimal monthly fee to use the full versions of all apps in the store.
When you run a business, you need various apps for brainstorming, note-taking, cloud storage, PDF conversions, team collaboration, task management, and so on. You can get all apps you need from this store, and you’ll pay a much smaller price to use all their features.
The monthly fee is $9.99. If you want to use the apps on seven Macs, you’ll only pay $14.99 per month (this is the Family package).
2. Calendly
Scheduling meetings is not the easiest thing in the world. You have to call your business connections and arrange the date and time that works for everyone. Instead of going back-and-forth with calls and emails until you find timing that works, you can solve the matter with Calendly.
This is a calendar where you list your availability. Whenever you arrange a meeting, you’ll update the calendar. When you’re negotiating an appointment, you’ll just share the calendar link via email, and your contact will pick the time and date. The new meeting will be immediately added to your calendar, and the tool will inform you about it.
You can try the tool for free to see if it works for you. If you like it, you can invest in the Premium or Pro version for $8 or $12 per month, respectively.
3. Tipalti
For most business owners, finance management is a struggle. You have to provide payments to partners and suppliers, which are often based in other countries. You deal with regulatory laws and taxes. If you’re not good with numbers, this is a task you’d like to delegate, right? Hiring an in-house accountant is the first idea that comes to your mind. Do you want a cheaper alternative? Try Tipalti!
This tool lets you automate tasks like international payments, supplier onboarding, invoice processing, and tax compliance. That’s a lot of value.
It’s a bit tricky to find the prices on the website, but they are there. There are three packages, starting at $299 per month. The most expensive package (Tipalti Elite) costs $1,599 per month – still less than hiring a new employee.
4. Agiloft Contract Management Suite
There’s no need to hire an attorney to take care of your contracts. There’s a tool for that. Agiloft’s Contract Management Suite automates the entire process of creating, approving, and managing contracts related to business processes. It has a built-in DocuSign and Adobe Sign integration, so signing digital contracts won’t be an issue. This tool is proof that business and technology always go together.
You can use a free trial. If you like it, you can get one of the packages, with prices starting at $65.
5. WordPress
When do you plan to launch a website for your business? It’s a must! Thanks to WordPress, you don’t need advanced coding skills to develop a good-looking site. You just need to invest in a premium theme. Of course, you can hire a designer if you lack confidence to do this by yourself. But still, basic WordPress skills will enable you to maintain that website with ease.
You’ll only need content, and you’ll learn how to share it.
How will regular Google users find your website? Of course, you’ll focus on a search engine optimization strategy. You’ll use keywords in the content, and you’ll add all needed elements to make the pages attractive to Google.
But how do you know what effects you’re achieving? You need to measure various factors, so you’ll know when your website attracts more users and when your content converts them at a greater percentage.
Google Analytics is the ultimate tool for gathering and analyzing data. It helps you understand what you’re doing well and what you could improve.
7. Buffer
Is your business present on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn? It should be. But how do you manage all those profiles? Buffer makes it easier. It’s a great scheduling tool. You can create posts for different platforms ahead of time and schedule the sharing at a moment that’s right for your audience. Also, there’s no need to open one app after another just to see how your posts engaged the audience. You’ll manage all profiles from a single platform.
The best part is that Buffer gives you analytics regarding the performance of your posts.
The most affordable plan costs $15 per month, but you’ll probably need to invest in the Small Business Plan, which costs $99 per month.
8. Oomph
Want to publish high-quality content and your website or blog is not enough? Want impressive visuals and top-notch content in the form of a catalogue, brochure, or magazine? You can use Oomph.
This is a tool that lets you design and publish digital magazines, brochures, and other types of content.
9. Asana
Being a small business owner doesn’t mean you’re doing everything by yourself. You still have a team, right? You delegate tasks to your employees and you need them to stay on schedule. Instead of giving them instructions in person and asking for feedback all the time, you can use Asana. It’s a work management platform that lets you delegate daily tasks and keep an eye on the progress.
The premium plan costs $9.99 per month.
10. Todoist
How many tasks do you have to complete in a day? Too many, am I right?
Business owners as well as employees need a to-do app. Todoist is one of the best apps for business, since it’s intuitive and efficient. There’s no learning curve. You just install it and start planning your days. It will send push notifications to remind you about important tasks.
It’s free, but there’s a premium version that costs $3 per month.
Did You Choose Your Tech Tools?
You know you need to implement tools and technology to make all processes more effective. But when you start looking for the right tools, choices can be overwhelming.
The list above should be enough to start. All tools perform different functions, but you don’t have to use all of them. Go through the descriptions and choose the ones that solve current issues within your company.
James Dorian is a technical copywriter in metro Detroit. He is a tech geek who knows a lot about modern apps that will make work more productive. Dorian follows and reads online blogs on technology, business, and ways to become a real pro in the modern world of innovations.
