Tools for the Small Business Owner
Running a small business means wearing a lot of hats. More likely than not you’re taking on a lot of tasks that you may not know how to do, or maybe you’re learning them but they definitely aren’t your specialty. There are many tools built for the small business owners that can help make these tasks easier. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite tools for the small business owner. These tools can not only save you time, but also help you run your business more efficiently.
Email Organization
Activeinbox
If your email inbox gets easily cluttered and you find yourself dropping tasks because they got lost in the inbox, you need Activeinbox. Activeinbox will help you never miss an email again by creating tasks out of important emails.
Streak
Streak is another useful inbox tool for keeping track of sales leads as an effective CRM system and project management system. Create a pipeline with your team so everyone is on the same page! Start making your email accounts work for you instead of against you by trying these email extensions.
Professional Emails
GSuite
Tired of sending professional emails that end in @gmail.com? GSuite can provide you with a professional email that ends in your company’s name! Utilize GSuite for a more professional email presence that will impress customers and give you immediate credibility.
Project Management
ClickUp
A project management system is absolutely necessary if you have numerous tasks under different projects or clients and a few employees working for you. Even if you are the only employee in your business, a project management system like ClickUp will help you stay organized. You can track time, files, and project completion all in one place with ClickUp.
Social Media Scheduling
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a tool for social media scheduling. You can easily schedule your social media content days in advance for multiple platforms. Imagine not having to remember to post to social media every day! Simply taking one day, or even just an hour or two, to schedule your content for the month will free up your time in weeks moving forward.
Website Heatmaps
Hotjar
Ever wonder what your audience is actually doing on your website? Hotjar helps you collect and analyze this information using heatmaps, conversion funnels, and visitor recordings on your website. Armed with this information, you can better serve your customers and in turn improve your small business.
Website Hosting and Domains
1&1
Choosing a website hosting provider can be confusing–there are so many options out there that claim to give you the best deal. Here at CAST Design Team, we love using 1&1 and refer it to all of our clients. Their system is simple, effective, and all for a great price!
Payments
Authorize.net
Accepting payments is a pretty important part of owning a small business–how else are you going to get paid? We love using Authorize.net for all gateway and payment needs. Their system is simple and easy to use, and their customer service is always ready to help you with any problem that may arise. Plus, they give great rates on merchant accounts and payment gateways. And keeping your money in your own pocket is always a plus!
Time Tracking
Toggl
If you want to track your time or an employee’s time, Toggl is the way to go. Toggl has an app, browser extension, and a website that can track your time from start to finish. You can also manually add in time if you forgot to press the start button.
Content Ideas
Answer the Public
Providing quality content in the form of a blog is a great way to send traffic to your website and serve your customers. Coming up with what to write is often the struggle that stops business owners from sharing their knowledge! Use answerthepublic.com to help you find creative content ideas that will send customers running to read your tips!
Tag O’ Matic
We’ve all been there–coming up with hashtags for Instagram posts can be difficult! Knowing which hashtags to incorporate for optimal engagement sounds daunting, but Tag O’ Matic can help you use the right hashtags in the right posts.
These are just a few of the great online tools available to small business owners. Did we miss your favorite? Let us know what your favorite online tool is for running your business–we’d love to know!
