7 Must-Have Tools for Small Businesses

All entrepreneurs know that in order to make it, you have to constantly stay on top of the latest trends, tools, and technologies. The business world is constantly changing and the last thing you want is to be left behind!

In order to keep your business moving forward, you should take advantage of the best tools and apps that can up your efficiency and help streamline your business. Read on to find the best tools any small business should have.

1. A Payment Platform

No matter your type of business, you will likely need a payment platform. Whether you need to collect payments from customers or just pay your employees, transferring cash is going to be a necessity.

Services like Square and PayPal are popular ways to collect payments, while FreshBooks is one of the best services for both collecting payments and paying your employees. You can create and send invoices, and the software connects directly to any accounting software so you can track your finances easily.

2. Communication Software

It’s a given that you’re going to want to communicate with your team, even when you’re officially off the clock or out of the office. Slack is a great way to connect with your coworkers. The platform comes in desktop and smartphone apps, so you can always be connected. You can create different channels for group conversations, send private messages, and even upload files.

3. Team Management

Project management software is another tool you should add to your workload if you have a lot of projects on the go and need to keep track of who does what. Asana is a work management platform that is aesthetically pleasing and easy to use. You can assign tasks and deadlines, follow the progress, and send files easily.

4. A Fax Service

You might think fax services are something from the past, but there are a lot of reasons why you might still need to use one. You can send a fax as a fast and easy way to send important documents privately and securely.

Sending and receiving personal or financial documents is something you will likely need to do in the course of your business, and an online fax service will allow you to do so.

5. CRM

A customer relationship management tool, or CRM, is one that helps you build a positive relationship with your clients. It’s a way you can track the progress of any sales or deals and see how your client base is reacting to what you do. CRM tools like Salesforce can integrate social media, email, and reporting to make everything streamlined and simple for your business.

6. Find Talent

If you need to find talent to join your team, there are lots of resources you can use. Sites like ZipRecruiter can help you target your job postings and find the right people to join your team.

If you’re not looking to find long-term hires but if you’re looking for freelancers or gig workers, you might want to try Upwork. This site allows you to hire independent contractors and freelancers for any task, whether it’s web design or social media. It’s a great option for short-time projects.

7. Social Media Tools

Let’s face it, you can’t get your business out there without the power of social media. You need to get out your message to potential clients and customers, and even do customer service as required.

Tools like HootSuite allow you to create, schedule, and publish posts across different platforms, and provide analytics as well. You could also use something like Curalate to bring in user-generated posts. The platform allows you to request the use of images you are tagged in by your customers, and automatically adds them to a media gallery.

By using tools to help you streamline your workflow, organize your team and communicate with customers, you can continue to grow your business and take your company to the next level. An entrepreneur might be heading out into the business world solo, but a roster of helpful tools will make it so you’re not working alone.