In this day and age, new business applications and tools can equip small business to play alongside the large corporations by accelerating productivity, efficiency and reducing costs. However, there is still some misconception that technology is too difficult or too expensive to implement. In a number of recent cases I have come across, the solutions were not as expensive or complex as many may have thought. The following 5 applications below are recommendations for businesses that do not have a solution in place for the relevant areas.
1. Google Analytics
Keeping track of your website traffic is vital for any business that has an online presence. Google Analytics is free, easy to install and will provide you with invaluable insight into your website performance. For more information to get started, visit https://www.google.com.au/analytics/standard/
2. Facebook for Business
Facebook pages for business is a great way to share the latest news about your business. Not only can this be used personally for connecting with friends, it can also be used to attract consumer or business customers to your business. Setting up your company page is quick and easy. Once you have established your page, you can also test the paid Facebook services such as Business Ad Manager. For more information to get started, visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/create/
3. Evernote
A tool designed to remove the mountain of papers from your desk. Capture, access and find; these are the three basic functions of this software. Evernote is integrated with a large number of applications, so you can easily import items, such as importing an important email or web page and all of its content. Another example may be scanning and saving all your vendor contracts within Evernote. For more information to get started, visit https://evernote.com/
4. Zoho CRM
CRM “Customer Relationship Management” is a type of software that covers a wide range of applications and software designed to manage customer data and customer interaction for businesses. Recently I have spoken to a number of businesses (small and medium) that don’t have a formal CRM system. Zoho CRM is suited towards small businesses that require a simple solution. A free edition is available for up to 10 users, which allows businesses that are not sure about CRM software, to trial it. For more information to get started, visit https://www.zoho.com/crm/lp/signup1.html?src=crmpricing
5. Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive
These cloud sync applications are tools to enable you to store, backup, and sync files and folders such as your word or excel documents. The app creates copies of your files on each device you enable, in addition to the online copy. These cloud sync applications support encryption at rest. This provides peace of mind that files are securely located in the cloud and not on your local computer.
Do you have any other tools you would recommend for small business?
