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5 Essential software tools a small business needs

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Some tools and software are just non-negotiable when it comes to helping your business thrive. Read on for 5 essential software needed for small businesses.

Did you know that women open about 849 new businesses every day in the USA alone? Thanks to the recent economic boom there’s more opportunity than ever before to start small businesses.

Although many have a flair for entrepreneurship, starting and running a successful business takes more than this. It takes good organization and hard work.

If you aren’t a naturally organized person, or you are looking to get help with it so you can focus on the creative aspects of your business, where can you turn? How can you know the best software needed for small business operations today?

Why not take a minute and check out our 5 essential software items for the business of 2020.

  1. Business management – Score

The first thing that a business needs is good, trustworthy advice from an unbiased source. SCORE meets this need. It is a resource partner of the US SBA and claims to have mentored over 11 million entrepreneurs.

As a bonus, many of its resources are free. This includes many document templates and planning tools.

Considering that this is constantly being updated based on the success of its clients and entrepreneurs, we think that SCORE is a great place to start.

  1. Accountancy – Quickbooks

Let’s face it, accountancy is either something you love or you hate. If you hate it and allow yourself to get behind, in a short time your business could be in trouble. Accountancy software takes the pain out of your bookkeeping.

We like Quickbooks. It is intuitive and with Quickbooks Proadvisor you can quickly master it. Based on the feedback that it provides regarding your accounts, you will be in a great position to make decisions regarding the upscaling of your business.

  1. Customer relationship management – Zoho

Your business may interact with customers thousands of times every day via your website and social media channels. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software allows you to log and learn from each of these interactions no matter how small.

Zoho provides CRM software that is easy to use. Its free version provides the ability to manage leads, contact, and tasking. Its team collaboration features allow for quick communication, direct messaging and follow-up rules.

Zoho makes managing interactions with customers easier and beneficial from the get-go.

  1. Diagramming – Draw.io

Pictures may paint a thousand words. In business, presentation diagrams can make a thousand dollars. If you use diagrams in your presentations or simply in the organization of your work, draw.io is for you.

You may need to create engineering, mind maps, network diagrams, software design, Venn or many other types of diagrams. Draw.io allows you to do this easily and for free.

As a bonus, Draw.io promises that your diagrams will not be shared publicly. This is something that its competitors do not always guarantee.

  1. Email marketing – MailChimp

Email marketing has proven itself as one of the most effective marketing tools and continues to be effective in 2020. It keeps your customers up to date with company developments and informs customers of offers and other opportunities. In short, it keeps your brand fresh in people’s minds.

One of the most effective email marketing companies over the last few years has been MailChimp. It provides custom forms and templates and excellent reporting features. The “freemium” plan comes with an allowance of up to 2,000 per month and a sending allowance of 12,000 per month. If you are searching for a good alternative to Mailchimp, Omnisend can be the solution to try.

Software needed for small business operations and much more

When it comes to starting and running a small business, the management of funds and information is crucial. This is not only for compliance with governmental law, but this basic organization will also be the foundation for scaling your business to greater things in the future. The right software needed for small business operations is available and in some cases free of charge.

If you are interested in all things business and lifestyle, we are here to help. We leverage our years of experience in the business world and know the challenges facing businesswomen today. Why not follow our blog to find out how we can help you?

About Peta McGrath

Peta McGrath is an accomplished marketing and career advisor, specialising in helping women develop their best possible strategies for career and business advancement.

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