There's never been a better time to start your own company, thanks to a bevy of project management systems that help reduce costs. Unfortunately, overabundant options can lead busy entrepreneurs down the wrong rabbit holes. To make sure your new business runs seamlessly, learn how to identify the right management tools.
Look for Key Traits
To determine whether a project management tool fits your unique needs, ask yourself the following questions:
Will it save time?
Will it lower operational costs?
Does it make an employee's job easier?
Are there better options available?
Would spending a few extra dollars allow me to avoid time-consuming headaches?
What Are Some of the Most Popular Systems?
The Internet is glutted with countless project management systems; however, the following have made a name for themselves for providing positive answers to most of the above questions.
Streak: A customer relationship management (CRM) Gmail plugin, Streak allows you to effectively manage client relationships by grouping every conversation and dealing with a particular customer in one place. Track sales, partnerships, investors, hiring and all the critical details you need to know about specific customers. A trimmed down version of Salesforce, Streak is free to use.
Surveymonkey: An easy-to-use tool that helps you create, design, collect and analyze surveys, this handy platform makes it easier to engage customers and conduct research. It can also take a lot of the guesswork out of content marketing.
WordPress: To effectively manage your online presence, you need an intuitive content-management system. With a ubiquitous presence and off-the-shelf ease, WordPress is the top choice for the vast majority of startups.
Kanban Tool: Ideal for managing product development and project collaboration, Kanban Tool offers invaluable flexibility for growing companies with diverse needs. Seamless time tracking and customization capabilities make this helpful system well worth its nominal monthly price of $5 to $9.
Google Analytics: Critical for tracking visitor acquisition and behavior, Google Analytics is a must for any online startup. With a sometimes overwhelming abundance of information, this free platform provides everything you need to shape and evaluate an effective online marketing campaign.
ShopIntegrator: A superior shopping cart plugin, ShopIntegrator allows you to design seamless checkout processes that match the look of an existing website. It supports debit, credit and Paypal, while offering PCI compliance and McAfee payment security.
Making a Smart Choice
Before throwing all of your eggs into any one basket, consider test driving a new project management tool. If you don't run into any hiccups, you can then fully adopt the system into your operational plan to help save money and irreplaceable time.
