A business can have the best idea in the world, but if the tools it uses to achieve success aren’t up to par, then it won’t go very far at all. In fact, one poorly built tool can sink an entire project, so it’s important to do your research before committing to a particular solution. With that in mind, here are the seven best online business tools you can’t afford to ignore if you want your company to flourish.
Introduction
The internet is a great place for entrepreneurs. It has everything you need, from tools and resources to connections and advice.
With so much information floating around out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when starting a business but it doesn’t have to be that way.
This post outlines 7 of our favorite best online business tools you can use right now in your day-to-day operations.
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This is an amazing time-tracking tool for freelancers. You can set timers for how long you’ve been working on different tasks, or even use it as a Pomodoro timer set at 25-minute intervals. Chrome extension lets you track your time without having to leave your work and log in.
Time management is absolutely key to making more money as a freelancer, so find ways to make it easier While Google doesn’t cost anything extra, most freelancers wind up paying around $12/month for a pro account that lets them add clients and projects but I still think it’s totally worth it.
Trello
For some entrepreneurs, Trello’s Kanban-style boards and quick-add features might seem unnecessary. But Trello actually can be extremely helpful for both project management and resource management.
It also offers lots of apps you can add on, including a To-Do app that offers specific actions for each task a marketing automation tool; and even an online help desk for your customers.
Using Trello to track project progress makes it easy to see where you’re falling behind schedule or running over budget and helps you easily communicate with your team about any changes that need to be made.
Feedly
A full-fledged RSS reader, Feedly helps you organize and filter all of your favorite blogs, news sources, and websites. If your job requires you to keep on top of industry trends, you’ll find Feedly invaluable.
If a particular subject interests you in coding in 2015 use their New In topic feature and add that topic to your feed. You can even save posts and send them directly to Pocket if it sounds like too much work, don’t worry; just skip that step.
Feedly also has an iPhone app available as well as Chrome browser extensions for users who enjoy browsing from their computers.
MailChimp
Email is one of the most efficient ways to communicate with your customers, whether you’re sharing a new product or announcing a sale.
With MailChimp, you can collect subscribers through social media and partner sites while automating follow-up campaigns based on actions they take unsubscribe, purchase a product, etc.
When writing your email copy it should be less salesy and more helpful make sure to provide added value. Provide information that’s interesting and unique for potential customers who aren’t yet ready to buy.
Your goal is not only to get people interested in your products; it’s also to build an audience that trusts you and wants more from you in future emails.
Buffer
This is a free social media scheduling tool that lets you easily queue up your social posts ahead of time and manage them from one simple dashboard.
It’s easy, and fast, and makes it really easy to get your content in front of as many people as possible. Ideal for marketers who have busy schedules but still want to be able to post things quickly so they don’t fall behind on their posting schedule.
The best part? Buffer also integrates with Instagram so you can manage all your Instagram needs without having to switch back and forth between sites I’ve been using Buffer for years now and absolutely love it. Try it out today.
Google Docs
A free, simple, and easy-to-use option for basic word processing. While there are some limitations, such as a 25MB file size per document, and limited formatting abilities things like multiple fonts or tables aren’t available is a great tool for quickly creating documents that you can share with others.
In addition to sharing with others via e-mail and Google Drive, it integrates seamlessly with Gmail and Calendar, and other apps so you can easily share your file via Google.
Need more features? Switching over to a fully paid account will give you unlimited storage and more robust options. Prices start at $5 per month for individuals but increase if you’re using it for business purposes.
