Anyone familiar with running a small business knows about the challenges owners face and the low probability of establishing a long-lasting business. But that doesn’t stop most people from trying.
Nowadays, there are many tools available to small business owners that can help increase your odds of remaining open and boost overall business. Read on for information about the tools you can access anywhere to help you successfully tackle your web-based projects.
HR and Accounting Tools
Finding the right people and managing finances can be separated into two full-time jobs at larger corporations. However, small business owners know that they are in charge of every aspect of the business, so these tasks initially fall to them. How can you find the time to do it all?
With the help of online job boards such as Upwork, you can easily find suitable candidates for part-time work. These staffing companies list employees from around the globe, so you’ll have no shortage of part-time workers, and you can hire freelancers to fulfill any role, including for web development, administration support, and sales and marketing. Being able to find employees or freelancers from your mobile phone saves a tremendous amount of time, and it can save you money since you don’t have to hire permanent employees to fill in gaps in the workplace.
You can make the accounting tasks easier as well. By choosing web-based accounting software, you are able to access your billing and receiving information anywhere, at any time. This means you can be sitting on your couch at home while sorting through payroll, invoices and payments. Also, if you’re having any trouble, some online accounting apps give you access to customer support, 24/7, or a community where you can find answers to questions yourself.
Marketing Tools
Whether you have a grasp on marketing or not, the marketing game changes rapidly. You can handle it yourself and save some money, or you can invest a little more and use some of the available marketing tools out there to improve or create a web-based marketing strategy.
The first and most commonly forgotten marketing tool online is social media. If you don’t already have one, create a Facebook page now. And consider putting time into Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram since these are all ways you can find future customers.
Then, take to site auditing tools online, like Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest, for a better understanding of how your site ranks for keywords on search engines like Google. Search engine optimization is an important aspect of every business’s website, making your site easy to find and optimizing it to reach the right audience.
If you have a website up right now, you’ve probably been approached a few times about improving your site’s ranking and optimization. You can do it yourself; take a class on SEO, or if your site is hosted on WordPress, install a plugin like Yoast SEO that will simplify optimizing your site.
Additionally, reach more customers online and keep track of them with a CRM. Rolodexes do a fine job for in-person business, but marketing to your online customers requires a different kind of record-keeping.
Cloud-Based Tools
In order to communicate and collaborate with your team about your business’s web-based projects, you’ll need the right cloud-based software. Turn to Skype or Tropo to make video and audio calls, as well as access and share files without needing to meet in person. You can also store and back up important files on cloud-based tools like Spanning and Google Drive, so there’s no need for accumulating piles of paper on your desk.
These tools are what customers and employees have come to expect from businesses small and large. After all, why shouldn’t things be easier? Make the most of your limited time and resources by finding online tools to help with your web-based projects, and see your business ventures succeed.
Image courtesy of Pixabay.
