Start-ups always have a dilemma that they need to have important and essential infrastructure in place. On the second hand, they have very stringent budgets, so that they cannot invest in all such infrastructure. So they need smart office tools which help them by offering necessary services by one hand and secondly they fall within the budget.
These days it seems like there’s always a better way to do almost anything. Whether you’re managing your accounts, customer database, managing email or even managing your social media accounts, chances are there’s a way you could do it more efficiently. This capability, of course, is largely due to technology and development of Smart tech tools. For small and start-up business owners, these advances are not just a matter of convenience, but a way to save money, market their services and retain customers.
Here are a few good options for Smart tech tools which will suffice all your needs and fit in your pocket as well.
1. Communication Tools:
The first and the foremost important requirement for any Start-Up business is to have a full-fledge communication network including intercom, call management system and connectivity with field employees including internet access point and security for their internet network.
These requirements if addressed separately require a PBX (Public Branch Exchange) System, Wi-Fi router and security device for network. But going for separate devices induces separate cost of buying these products, separate installations and separate maintenance costs which is not a viable option for Start-Ups Businesses. For such requirements, start-ups needs smart solutions which can address to all these problems through a single solution.
Matrix Office-in-a-Box Solution provides the functionality of a PBX, Wi-Fi router, Network Security device, Gateway, IP telephony and Mobility features through a single box and requires a single installation and maintenance. These kind of smart solutions are very well suited for Start-Up businesses as such solutions can fulfill your requirements in best possible and optimized way.
2. Finance Tools
Second thing which comes are the financial tools which are used for accounting, managing bills, invoicing, sending and receiving payments, business forecast and expense calculations.
As the technology has advanced, there are many tools which can be used for all these business operations such as:
– FreshBooks – Cloud based accounting software for managing bills and invoicing online.
– Paypal – Send Payments and accept Paypal payments on your website.
– Business Model Forecast – Free easy tool to help entrepreneurs building their business models.
– Expensify – Expense reporting software.
– Digital Risks – Insurance Provider for tech business and Offering Risk Management Advice to Startups.
3. Ecommerce and CRM Solutions:
If you want to sell your products or solutions online, next important thing is select a proper Ecommerce solution which can also give you a CRM (Customer Relationship management) solution. There are such softwares which gives you both functionality and more such options, such as:
– Brightpearl – ERP solution for retailers and etailers covering orders, inventory, accounting, CRM and reporting.
– NetSuite – Unified Business Management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM and ecommerce.
4. Marketing Tools:
Marketing is the most important aspect for any startup business. Google analytics states that 40% of Startup Businesses fails due to poor or bad marketing. Thus, selecting and using proper marketing tools to market your product or solution in the market is very important. There are many tools which are required for Social Media Management, Email Marketing Management, Official Website Management, etc. Also getting the feedback and reports of all the marketing activities is also very important which we can receive from Analytics. Here are some options for all these:
For Social Media Management:
– HootSuite – Manage social networks, schedule messages, engage your audiences, and measure ROI right from the dashboard.
– Buffer – Share social media content by scheduling online posts throughout the day.
– Tweetreach – Identify the reach and exposure of a hashtag and see how many people have been exposed to your campaign.
For Email Marketing Management:
– MailChimp – Create customized newsletter, send bulk emails, create and manage contact lists.
– Email Spam Test – Spam check to ensure your emails avoid the spam filter.
For Analytics:
– SEO Site Check Up – Check and optimize you website SEO.
– Google Analytics – Analysis across ads and videos, websites and social tools, tablets and smartphones.
5. Project Management:
Project Management is an important task for any team and doing it right and on time is very essential. Managing projects is sometimes very difficult due to lengthy old ways and thus using Project Management solutions is a better and easier way. For instance there are:
– Trello – Project Management Software for personal and business use.
– Wunderlist – Task Management software to manage projects.
– Jira – Project management tailored for developers and businesses.
6. Talent and HR:
Searching and employing right employees at the right time in your organization is one of most important task. As it is said, “People don’t buy from companies, People always buy from People.”
Thus, using proper solution for Talent and HR is very essential and there are many ways to do that:
– Hired – Marketplace for recruiting startup and tech talent.
– Freelancer – Find and hire skilled freelancers.
– Workday – Human resources and finance apps to help with talent management.
– LinkedIn – Biggest Professional Website.
For any Startup Business, spending in a smarter way and utilizing the resources in an optimized way is very essential and the above mentioned tools can easily fit into this criterion of smart investment and rich in features.