6 Powerful Apps and Tools for The Small Business Owner
With limited staffs and strict budgets, small businesses need affordable solutions to help streamline productivity. Fortunately, business-centric tools and applications have become more prevalent and more powerful in recent years. If there's something your company does or wants to do, you can bet there's an app, platform or cloud-based service that can manage the task. Here are six of our favorites.
GSuite: Built by Google, this popular business tool provides a full range of functionality for small- to medium-size companies. You can buy domains, track website analytics, set-up email clients, launch and manage advertising campaigns, create docs, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings - all for a very low cost. The interfaces are all intuitive and easy-to-use. Best of all, you enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing some of your most important business needs are centered within the reliable and secure Google platform.
Project Management from Wrike: This intuitive platform provides scalable project management solutions for just about any business. The complimentary tier supports up to five users, along with a limitless number of contributors. It comes with 2 GB of free storage and allows you to share files, manage tasks and monitor your entire group's work via a real-time feed. If you need reporting and customization, you will need to upgrade to a higher tier. For small companies, however, the free product is usually more than enough.
Goodhire: The hiring process can be complicated and time-consuming, especially for smaller businesses with limited staff. To ensure that you have the right candidate, you need to conduct background checks, employment verifications, reference checks, identify verifications, credit checks, pre-hire skills tests, driving record checks, drug screenings, and education/degree verifications. GoodHire can do all of this for you without any paperwork. All it takes is a few clicks on your smartphone, and the results come within 24 hours.
Accounting from Wave: Whether you need to pay employees, your landlord or your internet service provider, Wave provides comprehensive capabilities that can simplify the process. With the complimentary version, you will enjoy both accounting and reports functionality. You will also be able to create invoices or scan them directly into the system with zero fuss. While it's not a one-stop answer very every bookkeeping need, Wave does provide smart, simple solutions for easy payments and automatic integration with direct deposit payroll.
Intercom: These days, it's essential for companies to maintain timely and productive communications with customers, especially if they do business on the web. When companies struggle to understand, educate or interact with consumers, they tend to make worse decisions in every facet of their operations. Intercom offers a powerful suite of functionality complete with live chat, education and other messaging tools for marketing, sales and support. This makes it easy for you to engage, interact and communicate with your customers at every level of the sales funnel.
Telzio: This service lets small businesses set up office phone systems using the internet. Using Telzio, teams can manage calls and messages across devices from virtually any location on the planet. Combined with the visual and intuitive web interface, the system offers a simplified way for companies to establish, run and maintain their phone systems. That said, if you're looking for a professional virtual receptionist who can provide customized service and act as a first point of contact for your business, you're much better off working with Intelligent Office.
Intelligent Office offers comprehensive business solutions that help small companies achieve more. Contact us to learn more.
