Running an effective logistical game of a business can be stressful. On top of it, the onset of the pandemic caused a whole new level of chaos in the corporate world. A Yelp economic report stated in 2020 that about 100,000 businesses faced closures due to COVID-related measures and uncertainty.
The ones that managed to survive brutal tides were supported by software technology and automation. Mobile payments, online ordering, and contactless transactions are the new norm. This trend will continue to rise in the coming years.
Forbes says that a record of 184 tech companies got a spot in its 2019 Global 2000. It is a list of the world’s largest public companies. Also, Spiceworks Ziff Davis 2020 provided insight on how companies are changing their business plans because of COVID-19. 44% of the companies increased their pace of digital transformation, and 30% are developing additional training resources for the workers.
If we count services and devices available for companies nowadays, we may end up with millions of tech tools available for us. This leads us back to the question – what are the essential softwares for a successful business?
To assist you, we have created a list of five softwares to invest in to secure the success of your business.
1. Call automation – Grasshopper
When you are a small or medium business, you want people to know your contact number. A functioning phone number increases paying customers and user interaction. This is an unconscious affirmation of the fact that your company is genuine and ready to do business. However, dealing with a never-ending stream of calls is yet another question.
Grasshopper helps by setting a phone number via the virtual management layer. It helps a call to leap through cell phones held by employees. Customers call on the mainline. From there, the call hops from one mobile phone to another until a relevant person picks up and talks.
With its robust set of features, you can provide extensions for each department or individuals on your team. It also transcribes voicemails and sends those via emails. You can take a 7-day free trial to check if this app works for your company.
2. eCommerce – Shopify
Shopify is one of the best ecommerce platforms. It is an all-in-one hosting solution that helps companies streamline the process of setting up an online store. It also includes in-person, marketplace, retail, and social selling.
With a few steps, you can turn into a company with a full-fledged web presence. Along the way, you might need help, but there is no need to hire technical people. The Shopify interface is all set to build everything yourself, even if you have never written code before.
Shopify also offers third-party integrations. This will help to escalate and streamline different business procedures. Tools like Salesforce, Quickbooks, and small pop-up ads can integrate and amplify your business performance.
3.Customer Relationship Management – Act!
Using a CRM solution is one of the most effective methods to increase customer interactions. A software application can assist you in analyzing how your business interacts with its consumers.
Act! is a CRM tool that allows you to market like a pro and turn leads into sales. You can choose from one of the three plans that offer basic to advanced CRM and email marketing. Customers can choose a plan that is right for them and scale when the business needs change.
In its higher-tiered plans, customers can benefit from powerful market automation tools. There are intuitive analytics and dashboards coupled with a plethora of team management features. An insight into useful analytics is essential to update your business at every step.
The Act! mobile app makes it easier to stay connected with customers and make the most out of every opportunity.
4.Email Marketing – MailChimp
Entrepreneurs often feel they are drowning in emails. Despite how much they try, they cannot reach out to the right people via email. Sometimes, it feels like you cannot respond to your emails or get the word to relevant individuals.
We think that a business cannot go wrong with MailChimp. It is affordable, flexible, and allows users to add different features as the business requirements change. In fact, companies with less than 2000 subscribers can use this app for free. This will enable users to send up to 12 000 emails per month, set user accounts, and receive chat support for the first 30 days.
Moreover, MailChimp has a stellar selection of features like behavioral targeting, A/B testing, advanced segmentation, and custom templates. Plus, there is self-service and email support available for all subscription levels.
5.Accounting – Freshbooks
Accounting is the lifeblood of every business. Choosing the best accounting software for your business has become more critical today than ever before. Thanks to malicious actors in the digital world and inventive ways to cheat, you need to track even subtle changes in the numbers.
Freshbooks accounting software is a cloud-based solution designed exclusively for individual entrepreneurs and SMBs. It enables users to cut the paperwork and spend time on productive elements. It provides double-entry accounting experience to support invoices and expenses. The app tracks time and projects in a well-rounded way.
The ability to keep critical bookkeeping information at your fingertips is crucial to make sensible business decisions. The dashboard in Freshbooks illustrates the position of your financial data and displays your expenses by category. There is plenty of guidance, a searchable help database, email, and phone support for everyone who faces trouble.
All you need is an Internet connection and a device to manage your funds anytime and from any location.
6.P2P Automation – GetYooz
Accounts payable processes are particularly time-consuming and mind-numbing, but they are absolutely necessary. When you receive an invoice, you need to process the data, enter it in your general ledger or database, get approvals, and then process the payment. This takes time and effort, even though it is a process that can be easily automated.
With Yooz, you can get automated invoice processing that will make sure that your bills get paid and your data is properly updated. There is no risk of human error along the way, and approvals are a snap. With fast, automatic accounts payable processing, you can take advantage of any early payment discounts and avoid late penalties from having an envelope sitting on someone’s desk for too long. On top of everything automation will keep your accounts payable process fraud-free.
Parting Thoughts
The dichotomy between business and technology no longer exists. Every business must leap into technology to succeed in its field. There is a technical solution for almost every business task. All you need is to study the digital landscape in detail and find the tools that work for your business.
If you do this and deploy tricks to take your business to the next level, there is no reason you can’t have a successful business that thrives through the pandemic and beyond.
