Five Tools to Aid in Running a Successful Business
There are so many moving parts one has to juggle to ensure it operates successfully. This in itself is time-consuming and people can only do so much. Everyone, especially small business owners, can do with a little help using digital tools in running their business. Automation tools are the best gift technology has given us, being able to get an aspect of your business running without having to do it yourself manually.
There are several of these tools and it improves your business process by helping it run smoother, freeing up your time to focus on other aspects, saving energy and even money in some cases. How, might you ask? Through the powers of automation i.e. taking tasks that you don’t need to do yourself and automating them. Here are five of such tools essential in running a business, you just need to set them up and watch them work for you.
- Communication and Collaboration Tools
The importance of communication and collaboration tools in a business cannot be overemphasized. With remote jobs growing more popular among businesses, these tools have become a must-have for effective operations. Communication as we all know is very vital in any relationship and the same goes for professional ones. Tools such as Slack, and WhatsApp make communication easier and quicker among coworkers in an organization. Collaboration tools such as Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides make working together seamless and less of a hassle even with remote roles.
- Email and Social Media Marketing Tools
These tools are one of the best ways to build an online presence and create brand awareness. Social media is an effective way of building a community of loyal customers and you retain them through constant interaction. That being said, it can take a lot of time and there are automation tools that help make this process easier. Social media scheduling apps like Buffer, HootSuite allow you to schedule and post automatically to your social media account. Email marketing tools like MailChimp, Thunderbird can help you keep a list of your email subscribers or clients and inform them of promotions, deals and news about your business.
- Analytics Business Tools
Using digital tools in running your business is great but even more necessary is monitoring the performance of your business online. Small business owners need to ensure that their business and brand is gaining traction, getting engagements and reaching customers as this directly impacts sales. With the help of analytics business tools, you can measure your business’s achievements and see the aspects that require more effort. Google Analytics is a free tool that helps you enhance your marketing strategy to generate more leads, while also not spending any money.
- Design Business Tools
To create a brand image, design is an essential aspect. Whether for your social media accounts, websites and email campaigns, you’ll have to make lots of designs and hiring a professional graphics designer can be costly for a small business. There are multiple design tools available and one of such tools that is free to use is Canva. With Canva, you have access to millions of pre-formatted templates for everything, from social media posts, email banners, marketing flyers and documentations. It is super easy to use for design beginners and the results are amazing. As your business grows, you can venture into more sophisticated designs but Canva is a good place to start.
- Ecommerce Business Tools
Businesses nowadays do not need to have a physical office or store to operate, and that is made possible with e-commerce business tools. As a small business, it is advisable to start without the cost of owning or renting an office space. With the introduction of this tool, businesses have found it easier to find customers and start selling. Websites like Jumia, Payporte and Konga are dedicated to giving small business owners the opportunity to run their businesses online. Using an e-commerce business site as a storefront gives great visibility, reach and control to small businesses.
Get started with these business tools and watch your business run successfully while freeing up your time. There are more business tools and we’d like to hear from you, let us know which ones you use and how well it works for your business.
