5 Top Business Tools To Help Manage Every Facet of Your Business

Business owners generally have a lot on their plates. Employees, customers, vendors, and even daily processes always need a piece of you for one thing or another. These demands can leave you without enough time to effectively manage your business. 

Fortunately, a vast array of business tools exist that can help you manage your business and still have five minutes for yourself. Keep reading and we’ll cover 5 of the top tools you need.

1. Accounting Software

In a small business, you need as much certainty about your finances as possible. You can’t achieve that by doing your bookkeeping on paper. Accounting software not only gives you more accurate records but can also provide other benefits, such as:

  • Saving time
  • Inventory management
  • Budgeting
  • Tax reports

While you should use an accountant to check your numbers periodically, accounting software will spare you a lot of headaches.

2. CRM Software

Unless you run a B2B business that only serves a few clients, you need customer relationship management software. If you serve hundreds or thousands of customers, you need a way for customer service reps to quickly access account and order information.

As an added bonus, CRM software can boost lead conversion by improving touchpoint relevance or increasing total touchpoints.

3. Web Hosting

Web hosting serves one of the most essential digital functions for a business. It lets people access your website online. Without it, your website is nothing but a collection of files sitting on a computer. 

For small businesses that don’t sell anything directly through their websites, you can generally get away with shared hosting. The pitfall of shared hosting is that other sites on the same server can sap your resources. If you plan on selling through your website, go for dedicated hosting with guaranteed resources.

4. Chat Software

A huge amount of the daily work that goes on in a small business needs collaboration. This often translates into meetings that run long without accomplishing any goals.

In-house chat software, such as Slack, lets your employees collaborate without leaving their desks. This helps maintain the workflow. It also lets remote workers contribute more fully. 

5. Marketing Automation Software

Marketing is a crucial function in any business, but it can leech away your time until there’s none left. Marketing automation software can go a long way toward making marketing manageable.

A good marketing software solution should offer you email list management features, as well as social media scheduling options. Ideally, it will integrate with your CRM system so you can better track your contact with current and former customers.

Parting Thoughts on Business Tools

Business owners can only put in so many hours a week before they burn out or their health fails. That means you must rely on business tools to help you manage your business wherever possible.

Key areas where business tools are essential include accounting, web hosting, and internal collaboration. You should also look for good CRM and marketing automation options.

Ignite Creative specializes in digital design, web hosting, and SEO. For more information about our services, contact Ignite Creative today.