Marcus RichardsBesides having a great business idea and the drive and motivation to see it through, you also need the right tools and resources when starting a business. There are many different options, and the right choice of tools depends on your specific business. However, there are some general categories of tools that every startup should consider having in their arsenal. Below, we’ll discuss seven of those categories.
Financial Management Tools
Starting a business is expensive, and it’s important to keep track of your expenses and revenue to make informed decisions about where to allocate your resources. Financial management tools can help you do just that. There are various options available, from simple Excel spreadsheets to more sophisticated cloud-based software. Choose the option that works best for you, and make sure to track your progress regularly so you can adjust as needed.
Marketing Tools
No business can succeed without a good marketing strategy. Marketing tools can help you create and execute that strategy, from social media management platforms to email marketing software. There are numerous options you can consider for a successful marketing campaign. Tools like MailChimp, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social can help you target your audience, track your results, and do more.
Customer Management and Satisfaction Tools
Customer management and satisfaction tools are essential for any business at any growth stage. From contact management software to customer feedback tools, these products can help you keep track of your customers, understand them and make sure they’re happy with your product or service. Programs like Salesforce, Zendesk, and Desk.com can help you manage customer data, support tickets and improve how you serve your customers.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Tools
Creating and launching a minimum viable product (MVP) is one of the most important steps in starting a business. MVP tools can help you build, test, and launch your product quickly and easily. Services like LaunchRock, AppFog, and Heroku can help you get your product off the ground without spending months or years coding it yourself.
Design and Development Tools
Creating a beautiful and user-friendly product is essential to any startup’s success. Services like Adobe Creative Suite, Balsamiq Mockups, and Sketch can help you design pixel-perfect interfaces and graphics. In addition, services like GitHub and Bitbucket can help you manage your codebase and collaborate with other developers.
Legal and Financial Tools
Don’t let the legal and financial aspects add to your stress. Services like LegalZoom and Intuit can help you with everything from registering your company to preparing your taxes. In addition, services like Stripe and PayPal can help you process payments from customers and investors.
Collaboration Tools
Collaboration is crucial for the progress of businesses of all levels, and startups are no exception. Services like Slack and HipChat can help you communicate with your team, whether in the same room or on the other side of the world. In addition, services like Asana and Trello can help you track your project progress and collaborate with other teams. Whether you want to create a virtual office or an online whiteboard, there’s a tool for you.
Startups need many different tools to succeed, and the ones we’ve listed above are just a few of the most important. By using these tools, you can focus on building your business in the most efficient way possible. There are always new tools being created, so keep an eye out for ones that might be a good fit for your company.
