Discover the tech tools that most small business can’t live without. Tech isn’t just a catchy term which you can associate only with programmers or pro-gamers. It’s something you come across daily. So, don’t get overwhelmed integrating technology into your business. After all, 89% of organizations have plans to go digital, says the 2018 Digital Business research by IDG.
No, I am not saying that you too should go entirely digital. But with the plethora of software products available, you can manage your business, the digital way, without much paperwork.
And apart from the efficiency the tools offer, these are becoming more affordable too. “But which one should I use?” “Which tool is good for my business growth? There are so many.” Yes, there are too many to choose from, which stops the entrepreneurs and business owners to adopt the technology.
The Microsoft Office Suite has been the default industry standard for many tasks. But just because it’s preferred by many, doesn’t mean there aren’t any other good tech tools available for business.
The cloud-based Google Docs is as good as Microsoft Office for your business. Other than being accessible from anywhere you want, Google Docs is free to start with. It is also a part of the Google Apps package which brings you a range of cloud-based services at affordable prices.
You get a word processor, presentation creator and a spreadsheet software on-the-go among other useful applications. With Google Docs, you can have the files shared and edited by your team across multiple locations and devices, and the changes will be synced to the Google account. It’s always-online, and you don’t even need to worry about maintaining multiple backups.
And what more? You can always export your files to other popular formats. The price of this Google Suite starts at ₹150 per user per month.
Slack, a messaging app, is a preferred one among the various tech tools for business. Apart from having easy one-to-one communications, Slack also facilitates communication across teams. You can have separate channels for different teams and also send them private messages within a single platform.
Also, Slack integrates well with file storage services like Drive and Dropbox. It allows you to exchange related files along with the ongoing discussions, without leaving the screen. Then, you can also connect other services and tech tools like GitHub, Twitter, Evernote and Trello to make the discussions more productive.
You can use Slack for free (with some limitations, by the way). With the paid plans however, which start at $6.67 per user per month, you get additional file storage space and unlimited integrations along with a priority 24/7 support.
Businesses work on ideas, and that’s why you need Evernote. It’s one of the tech tools to capture (and categorize) the ideas. You never know which random thought turns out to be an innovative solution.
Evernote enables you to take notes and also integrate links, images, recordings and videos within the notes. You can then organize them as required, sync with other devices and also, the team members. You can have to-do lists and reminders too, to complete the pending tasks.
This note-taking app is free for personal use, but to sync it with other people, you will have to pay. At only ₹190/month Evernote allows you to jot down and share your thoughts with your team. Evernote is accessible online either through your phone or PC. The paid version, by the way, also lets you check it when offline.
It doesn’t matter what you do or what your business is about, the social media presence is a must. Social media websites are where everyone is, even your customers.
Thus, this nice little social media management tool is a must have to keep an eye on how your social profiles perform online. With Buffer, you can schedule posts on multiple social media accounts at a time and can analyze how the posts perform over time.
Instead of you trying to log into each account and push your post, Buffer lets you do it at once. For single user usage Buffer comes with a free plan, although with limitations. For business purposes, however, you will need to invest in paid services of Buffer.
Starting at $65/month, Buffer can help you control more social media accounts and also schedule a larger number of posts in advance.
For any business, keeping track of expenses, receipts, purchases and also, reimbursements isn’t an easy job. But Expensify helps in better management of your finances. It’s one of the most important tech tools for business.
The smart scanning feature can help you import data from receipts, banks and credit cards. Instead of keeping all those in files, you can just capture them as images and Expensify will do the rest. It also integrates with other tools like Oracle, QuickBooks, Salesforce, and Evernote among others.
Moreover, you can export the data to your accounting software or CSV files also and it is free to start with. The paid business plan though, starting at $5 per user per month, comes with additional features like unlimited scanning and automated export.
OK, that would be all for now. Those were the five tech tools you must incorporate in your day-to-day business. Not only will they take some stress off your daily life, but will also make your day a little more productive. You will have a bit more time to invest in your business, and most importantly… in yourself. So, go ahead, give them a try and share your experience with us.
If you need help with the 5 best tech tools on the internet feel free to reach out. South Atlantic Data and Design is comprised of employees who are experts in deploying a multi-level approach business continuity and development. We work with or as your IT team, study your network infrastructure, and develop plans based on the needs of your business. If you need a robust approach to IT services, call our office at 276-618-2058.
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