There are several tools and pieces of software out there on the internet, some free and some premium, which every new and upcoming entrepreneur should use in-order to kickstart their business and provide it with the best start and long-term success.
Starting a new business can be very tough, setbacks happen, things get in the way and problems that you could never have foreseen will crop up out of nowhere. As an individual running a start-up, your time is precious, and you have limited manpower, so having the right tools behind you, such as software CRM—customer relationship management—can help you manage problems as they arise and help your business reach its full potential.
These are some of the ideal tools and pieces of software you can use to kickstart your business.
1. Software CRM Tools
We currently live in a world which is fuelled by data. Today, it is more important than it has ever been for companies to be implementing functional software CRM within their infrastructure and using it alongside a functional relationship strategy.
A robust CRM tool will be able to deal with the sheer quantities of data thrown at it each day by your business. Each time a customer interacts with your website, reads your emails or buys one of your products, new data is created which can be analyzed to make commercial decisions and drive long-term growth.
When CRM is properly applied to your business with the right software, it can help retain your previous customers. The data which CRM software collects can be used by you to learn more unique information about each customer. This helps to build up close relationships with customers, make them feel valued and retain them.
2. Google Analytics
When you are a new business, it’s all about data and numbers. Without numbers, how can you know how much traffic your site generates? How do you know where your traffic is coming from? How do you know who your target audience or key demographics are?
All these questions are important, and they play a huge role in the overall success of a new start-up business. Tracking them, however, is not so clear-cut. This is where Google Analytics comes in—a powerful tool which helps you easily track important metrics over time which can be used to make important commercial decisions.
Google Analytics uses clear charts and graphs, so you can make sense of what it’s saying even if you are not the most tech-savvy of individuals.
3. Freelance Job Boards
The likes of Upwork, Guru, and PeoplePerHour are a goldmine for start-ups who need to utilize the skills of other people simply and easily on a contractor basis. Starting a business often requires the input of several skilled individuals and hiring per-project contractors not only helps you meet looming deadlines but is much cheaper in the long-term than hiring full-time staff.
Freelance job boards are fantastic tools because they can give you instant access to unlimited freelance talent based all around the world. Developers, designers, writers, and customer service assistants are just a few of the professionals found in these places, and they can be hired in a matter of hours should you require instant help.
Starting a Business Isn’t Easy…
…but by having the right tools by your side, you have a much higher chance of hitting the ground running. When you are going it alone as a start-up entrepreneur trying to make his or her dream a reality, having the above tools—in addition to several others—will help you grow your business by giving you more time to spend on what’s important: running your start-up.
One of the most important things you can do as a new start-up is properly managed customer relationships—the impressions you make on your first few customers could make or break your start-up and you want to ensure you are doing everything you can to not only please them, but retain them too.
There are several iterations of software CRM out there which will help you do this simply, painlessly and get the highest possible benefit from it.
