5 Tools Any SMB Should Have in 2017 and Beyond
Starting a business today requires a lot of dedication. This statement could apply to any time period, however, as technology has gone onward, two different things have created a massive change.
First of all, competition in the market is much higher, as individuals can more easily start their own business. Second of all, the consumers’ attention has switched to new things, as they spend more and more time looking at a screen.
These changes have put people who are running small businesses in a completely different position in comparison to the past. It is now essential to rely on software tools to improve productivity, cut costs and reach out to their audience. Let’s take a look at some software tools that are absolutely necessary for businesses of any size.
Project management software
Making sure productivity is high-level from the start of your business is essential to improving the in-house workflow. This is where a project management tool becomes necessary. With a software tool, teams of people become an almost flawless functioning machine that can easily manage multiple projects. It allows the manager to have a clear insight into every project, follow team members’ progress and learn the best approach.
For example, the manager can collect data about how much time was needed to complete particular tasks, and create better estimations about future projects. This does not only mean that teams of people become more productive, but it also helps to better organize the expenses needed to deliver a project. When it comes to picking the right project management software, it will require some degree of research. Take a look at tools such as Basecamp, Trello, Wrike, or Jira. Each of these sites have their pros and cons, making the choice solely dependent on the niche your business is in.
Asset management software
In business, a company is working with a wide range of assets. No matter if we are talking about software tools, vehicles, or computer hardware, it is necessary to track changes in the asset state and ensure proper maintenance is conducted.
This is where CMMS software tools are incredibly important. In the long run, this software tool serves to ensure that maintenance and asset management processes function flawlessly. With it, a business owner can keep precise track of obligations regarding company assets. It helps with budget planning through constant access to all upcoming costs. For example, Limble, a CMMS software company is reasonably priced and contains all the necessary features for making the whole asset management process run smoothly.
Marketing automation software
The advertising world has significantly changed as well due to the fact consumers are now much more focused on the digital world. Advertising online in a variety of different ways has become much more effective, especially when you take into account that a majority of advertising strategies are completely trackable.
However, without the right software tools, it becomes inefficient to work on multiple marketing strategies. For example, handling a mailing list with thousands of subscribers would be impossible without email marketing automation software.
On the other hand, establishing a presence on social media networks is considered a foundation for a online marketing approach. But as there are several social media networks you should be active on, it is a more challenging endeavor. It is necessary to utilize social media management software to get the best results, as it allows you to automate the whole process to a certain degree.
MailChimp is a fantastic email marketing software tool, and when it comes to social media management, Buffer or HootSuite will meet your needs completely.
Accounting software
Accounting is important in companies of all sizes. However, it is best to streamline the whole accounting workflow with advanced software tools that make the process easier.
Without using the digital alternative, a regular accounting process simply takes too much time as it involves a lot of paperwork. However, with the right accounting software, you are going to make the accounting department significantly more productive, as everything can be done electronically.
When it comes to software, a good option is QuickBooks or FreshBooks. These software tools include all that is necessary to perfectly streamline the accounting process.
CRM software suite
As a small company, you have to do whatever is in your power to grow your business. One of the best ways to make sure that this happens is to start using client relationship management software as soon as you can. This is a very important step, as these types of software tools let you easily build up a detailed collection of contacts.
A few of the best options are CRM by Zoho and SalesForce. The latter one is more suitable for bigger businesses, due to its high price, but is feature-rich and will allow you to better streamline various tasks.
These tools will allow you to easily grow your business at a steady rate. The true power of all these tools is their accessibility, that is, they are stored on the cloud. Furthermore, all of them can be integrated with other software tools, significantly improving their functionality that is already rich. If you are thinking about implementing any of these tools, you should definitely do so, as it will completely reorganize and improve the workflow you currently know.
We hope you enjoyed the above post in cooperation with Socialnomics!
