When you’re getting your startup off the ground, you might feel overwhelmed about how much there is to take care of. That’s why turning to software that will aid you in managing and growing your business is a smart choice. Here are some of the areas in which software tools can lend you a hand.
Accounting
Managing sales, invoicing and inventory can be time-consuming, not to mention confusing, if you don’t have a strong background in these areas. Fortunately, well-designed software options like QuickBooks Desktop are available to help you handle these and many other key tasks. Using accounting software to manage your finances can free you up to spend more time growing your business and closing sales.
By choosing a high-quality platform, all of your financial tasks can be integrated. For instance, when you make a sale you’ll be able to generate a professional invoice or receipt, and the items you’ve sold will automatically be deducted from your inventory. All financial data will be at your fingertips, so you needn’t be an accounting whiz in order to track your income, expenses and profitability. Tax preparation becomes also much easier if you use a robust accounting system, as all of the information you need for filing state and local taxes is just a click away.
Web Design
When you’ve gotten the headache of accounting out of the way, you’ll want to focus on growing your business. Regardless of what your startup does, you’ll likely need a strong web presence if you want to maximize your sales opportunities and build a big customer base.
While some entrepreneurs outsource the design and operation of their website, with the right software it’s possible to manage this yourself. There’s a multitude of simple-to-use website builders that can help even the least tech-savvy entrepreneur get up and running on the web. You’ll get to choose color schemes, layouts and more to create a look that attracts people to your business. With most platforms, you’ll also have the option of building and maintaining mailing lists to communicate directly with potential customers. Many will also allow you to set up an e-commerce store for online sales. The right software can give you all of the tools you need to create an effective web presence.
Marketing
While simply having a web presence can be a great base for your marketing plan, your efforts shouldn’t stop there. Utilizing marketing software can help you develop and monitor your promotional campaigns so they’re as successful as possible. There are several platforms designed to guide you in creating digital marketing that will maximize sales conversions. From SMS and email campaigns to blogging and social media monitoring, software can track and analyze your marketing program, so the guesswork is taken out of knowing what’s working and what needs tweaking.
Communications
Effectively connecting with your customers and your staff has gone beyond basic emails and phone calls. Video conferencing allows you to meet virtually with clients and employees to offer training, demonstrations or seminars when gathering in person isn’t an option. There’s an ever-growing number of platforms out there that make it easy to include video and audio content and even to share screens for better collaboration.
The need to be accessible to your potential customers also falls under the communications umbrella. Although you don’t want to be tied to your phone 24/7, you likely don’t want to miss out on any opportunities. Utilizing call-service software can provide you with a virtual receptionist, so prospective clients reach a human presence who is trained to assist them and pass on urgent calls based on your availability.
When you’re an entrepreneur who’s starting up a new venture there’s no need to feel overwhelmed by all of the tasks you’re facing. By taking just a few hours to investigate software that can help you run your business, you’ll likely save a ton of time in the long run.
