The Top 6 Software Tools Every Small Business Needs
[Pages:15]The Top 6 Software Tools Every Small Business Needs
It used to be computers were only for huge companies and government organizations with lots of money to spend on mainframes that filled entire rooms.
Nowadays even small companies have some form of computer helping them run the business, whether it be a laptop, tablet, or even a smartphone.
Similarly, it used to be that software for automating business processes and saving time and money was only available to giant organizations that could pay hundreds of thousands, or millions of dollars for custom-built code and installations.
That, too, has changed.
Cloud-based software, cheap digital downloads, and a booming software market aimed at small and medium businesses mean your start-up, or tiny lawn-care company, or oneperson freelancing firm now has access to all the tools that used to only be available to the big enterprises.
This guide will walk you through the six software systems that every small business, no matter the industry, should have to save you time, money, and headaches.
The Top 6 Business Tools Every Small Business Needs
01
Accounting Software
Odds are, if you already have some form of software, an accounting program like Quickbooks or Freshbooks is it.
If you're not yet using an accounting system to manage your books, this is the absolute first, and most important software investment you should make.
And you should make it now.
Any small business bigger than a lemonade stand will benefit from using an accounting system. It will:
Keep a ledger of accounts paid, payable, receipts, and more Print invoices for clients Manage inventory or supplies Pay employees Manage one or more business bank accounts Pay or file taxes Track client contact information, profiles, and purchase histories Streamline complex financial processes Correct and prevent bookkeeping errors Reduce the amount of time spent on recording, bookkeeping, and accounting
You shouldn't be spending hours reconciling accounts in Excel for tax time, or tracking down paper records to bill clients. The right accounting tool will make all those manual tasks painless and fast, letting you focus on the building the business.
The Top 6 Business Tools Every Small Business Needs
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If you're looking for some products to start, here are a few that are aimed at smallmedium business and that are free (at least to start):
Wave Accounting
Express Accounts
Manager
You shouldn't be spending hours reconciling accounts in Excel for tax time, or tracking down paper records to bill clients. The right accounting tool will make all those manual tasks painless and fast, letting you focus on the building the business.
How to find the perfect accounting tool for your business:
There are hundreds of accounting software products out there, but tools exist to narrow that range down for you:
Interactive accounting software directory and filtering tool The top 20 most popular accounting software products Helpful articles and tips for buying and using accounting software
The Top 6 Business Tools Every Small Business Needs
03
Customer Relationship Management Software
Your email contacts folder just isn't going to cut it.
If you're serious about providing great customer service and growing your business, you need customer relationship management (CRM) software.
Your customers are your business's lifeblood, the reason it exists in the first place, and keeping up with them should be your top priority.
A CRM system will enable you to:
Quickly call up client contact information and histories Automate aspects of your customer service and sales processes Prioritize which clients and prospects to call today Run targeted marketing campaigns Send and track email and snail mail newsletters Schedule tasks and follow-ups for individual clients so you never miss a deadline Track leads, handle prospecting, and manage cold calls Train sales reps and track them with benchmarks Easily access business performance insights and analytics
It's much easier to keep a current customer, than to get a new one. CRM software will help you do both, and track all your customer and lead outreach to boot. If you're serious about growing your company, you can't just rely on a contact book, you need a customer relationship management system.
The Top 6 Business Tools Every Small Business Needs
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If you want a quick shortlist of free (to start) CRM options, you could do worse than checking out these ones:
HubSpot CRM
Bitrix24
Really Simple Systems
Insightly
How to find the perfect CRM for your business:
Interactive CRM software directory and filtering tool The top 20 most popular CRM software Helpful articles and tips for buying and using CRM software
The Top 6 Business Tools Every Small Business Needs
05
Email Marketing Software
Keeping customers is one thing, but growing them is a whole other beast.
To really accelerate your small business's growth, you need to market, and to market well, you need marketing software. In fact, a recent study found that email marketing is 40 times better at acquiring new customers than things like Facebook and Twitter. On the very small end of the spectrum, email marketing software is the place to start. This tool will:
Automate email communication with prospects and customers Manage multiple mailing lists Monitor the effectiveness of marketing campaigns Easily produce customer or prospect-oriented newsletters Manage email templates for multiple campaigns or market segments Automate ongoing customer relationship management efforts through email tracks If you want to add more customers, track how your outgoing marketing campaigns are going, and automate email tracks to turn leads into sales, email marketing software is key. And as you grow, and your marketing campaigns become more complex, you can start looking at email marketing software's big brother, marketing automation software.
The Top 6 Business Tools Every Small Business Needs
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If you need a few solutions to get started on, the below offer free plans for small organizations:
Mailchimp
ActiveTrail
SimplyCast
How to find the perfect email marketing software for your business:
Interactive email marketing software directory and filtering tool The top 20 most popular email marketing software Helpful articles and tips for buying and using email marketing software
The Top 6 Business Tools Every Small Business Needs
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