Time is money in business. From managing employees to finalising deals, the process can be physically and mentally exhausting.
That’s why having the right tools for the job can make such a big difference. Helping you to improve communication, time management and everything in between, using tech tools allows you to keep productivity up and focus on the more important aspects of your business.
Here are 10 that will free up time and headspace and help you achieve consistent growth…
Tech tools for productivity
Maximise productivity with these top tech tools…
1. Google Drive
Google Drive is a one-stop-shop for all your file sharing and group working needs. With your first 15 GB of data completely free, you can store anything from pictures to stories, designs, drawings, videos, documents and much more. With Data Studio, you can also create reports from scratch or using one of the templates provided.
2. Hootsuite
If you’ve accepted the importance of social media to your business then you should know how vital it is to manage your social media profiles effectively. With Hootsuite, you can save the time you spend posting on social media individually by scheduling your posts in advance. It also allows you to set up pre-approved messages that help your social media team stay on message. Other features include tagging, searching, tracking, reports, insights and more.
3. Payroll
Because most small businesses decide to start off managing their payroll system themselves, there’s a variety of payroll software to choose from. If you have fewer than 10 employees, you can choose a free payroll software that has been tested and recognised by HM Revenues & Customs (HMRC). Whichever software you pick should be able to produce pay slips, record deductions, make payments into pension plans and pay people over different periods.
Consider referring to the government guide on payroll to comply with the legislation in place for paying your staff.
4. Zoho
Similar to payroll, this is another that most small business owners would probably take on themselves initially. With tools like Zoho books, you can connect to your bank account and create and send invoices. Depending on the plan you go for, it can accommodate up to ten users with capacity for adding unlimited contracts.
5. brighthr
This is the easiest way to manage your employees annual leave. Effective management of your employees’ holidays allows for effective planning. Staff holiday planning software like brighthr can help you keep track of your employee’s annual leave. With this tool, you have 24/7 access to records so you can always know who’s in and who isn’t.
Tech tools for communication
Improve external and internal communication with these top tech tools…
6. Slack
Slack is a not-so-new collaboration and communication hub. You can start individual or group conversations, and you can create channels and divide them into teams, projects, clients or any other relevant groups. As well as voice calls, teams can also have video calls and share screens. They can also drag and drop videos, images, audio, PDFs and other documents.
7. Outlook
Email is essential for any business to stay connected. Outlook gives you access to your emails, calendar and contacts on all of your devices. It also allows for easy scheduling and with its security features, you can wipe your data remotely in the case of a breach.
8. Mail Chimp
An all-in-one marketing automation platform, Mailchimp’s tools allow you to run campaigns, monitor your email open rates and gain in-depth insight into your audience. You can schedule emails, create templates, divide and tag recipients and even design landing pages. With this tool, you can also identify the perfect time to send emails for the best results.
9. Buzzsumo
Buzzsumo is an amazing tool for finding content ideas and relevant outreach opportunities. If you’re ever struggling for ideas for a blog post, you can search for topics within your niche. For more specific targeting, consider filtering the results by language, country, type of content, wordcount and shares.
You can also get information on the people that have shared content on a site. Simply enter an article link to the content analyser and it’ll give you a list of everyone that has shared it. Including their name, website, social media profiles and activity ratios. You can then reach out to them as potential leads.
Manage your passwords
Keep your business organised and secure with password management software…
10. LastPass
A password management platform will come in handy for all of the tools mentioned above and any other key log-ins. LastPass allows you to manage passwords more effectively. This includes sharing, creating, showing and restricting access to passwords, making it perfect for both team and individual working. You can get the free version but, of course, you’ll have access to more features in the paid version.
Your Turn…
What’s missing? What are your favourite small business tools and resources?
Leave a comment below & let us know!
