Introduction
Technology has become essential to the functioning of a modern business. More and more companies have begun to realize the importance of digital tools for managing and growing their businesses. Many business owners have a rough idea of what business functions they want to automate but are not sure which apps, online tools, or software to use. In this article, we will present 10 online tools that are essential to growing your business.
Tools discussed in this article cover a wide range of functions such as project management, accountancy, teamwork or project coordination, online conferences/meetings, etc. Each of these tools are among the best in their relevant industry, and millions of businesses are already using them every day.
1. Basecamp
Basecamp is synonymous with project management and teamwork. It was among the earliest project management tools when it was launched in 2004. Since then, it has undergone many changes over the last decade and a half. However, it still retains its original touch and has all the things necessary for running a remote team.
Basecamp initially started as a project management tool, and later communication and other features were added to it. It allows you to manage small and large teams without any issues. It can also be used to delegate tasks to specific teams, communicate with team members, and monitor the progress of tasks assigned.
This online tool also allows to share documents and files with team members or set up to-do lists with deadlines. The Group Chat feature is an added bonus, as all members of your remote team can discuss the specifics of a project. If you have a business that relies on cooperation between team members and want a tool that can help you handle your team remotely, Basecamp is ideal for you.
2. G Suite
There is a high chance that you have been using G Suite, or Google Workspace as it is officially known, for years, without even realizing it. G Suite refers to the collection of apps offered by Google that are almost essential for every business with some sort of internet presence. G Suite includes Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Forms, Google Sites, Google Chat, Google Meet, Google Currents, and Google Keep.
Most people use at least one of these apps. The best thing about G Suite is that it is entirely free to use, and you will not have to sign up for another monthly subscription. You can do pretty much everything that you want with one or more apps of G Suite without paying a penny.
One software package that can be considered a competitor to G Suite is the Microsoft Office, which can perform similar tasks. The difference is that MS Office needs a paid subscription for their Office 365. You can also buy individual licences of the software.
3. Zoom
Perhaps no other app or software has become popular at Zoom‘s rate. It is one of the clear winners of the Covid-19 pandemic. Not many people had heard of Zoom before March, when the whole world came to a halt and businesses had to move to the remote working in haste. Zoom came to the rescue of millions of workers, as it allowed whole teams to communicate with each other in a simple way.
Many different software and online tools allowed people to do video conference calls and organize an online meeting. However, no one managed to do it better than Zoom. Zoom simplified the whole process. Even someone who did not have a zoom account could join a meeting by just clicking on the link shared by the host or organizer of the meeting.
Zoom’s basic plan is free, although, if your business needs to conduct frequent online meetings and you often have a large number of participants, then it’d be better to sign up for one of their paid plans. The paid plan allows a higher participant limit, offers cloud space for recordings, and you don’t have a maximum time limit, as is the case with free plans.
4. Dropbox
Dropbox is one of the most popular file storage solution and its features fulfill every need of those who need to store files in the cloud. It was the company that essentially popularized cloud storage, and it helped numerous businesses since 2007, when the product was first launched.
Dropbox is also a great way to collaborate with other team members, as it allows you to share specific files or folders with other team members, by just sending an invite to their email. This online tool currently offers cloud storage of up to 5GB for their free plans, and their paid plans allow you to store up to 5TB of data (Standard Plan). If you have a large organization and feel that you need more than 5 TB, then you have the option to sign up for their Advanced plan. This one offers as much space as you need and costs $20/user/month.
5. Slack
Slack is the most popular online collaboration tool that allows all team members to quickly communicate with each other and to increase teams’ productivity and efficiency. It offers the possibility to communicate in various ways, including chats, video, and audio calls. You can also create different channels for different teams, that will enable you to compartmentalize the information being shared.
Slack also allows you to share files and documents with other team members and integrates with other online tools such as Google Drive, OneDrive, Google Calendar, Outlook, Gmail, Asana, Salesforce, Notion, etc. For most businesses, a basic free plan is more than enough, but if you need their high-end features, then you can go with the premium plans. They are relatively inexpensive when compared with other similar apps.
6. Trello
Trello is an excellent tool for businesses that need to create and publish content regularly. It is used by people in creative industries for brainstorming, strategizing, delegating tasks, and managing remote teams. Even if you are not in a creative industry, you can use it to organize your business processes and coordinate with team members.
Trello allows you to create boards for each project that you might have. You can then assign individual members of your teams to these boards, thus delegating work to each member. Trello’s visual interface makes it a fun way to organize work. It also integrates well with several other online tools such as Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, Twitter, Zapier, Hootsuite, Timely, etc.
7. Calendly
Scheduling meetings is an essential part of most business transactions and managing the schedule can become a burden if not done the right way. In the earlier days, secretaries would be responsible for scheduling the meetings and managing the schedule. But in the modern-day, one cannot always rely on a third person for scheduling a meeting. Calendly is a great meeting scheduling tool that you can use, as it simplifies this task and frees you from the back and forth emails that are often associated with the scheduling process. We use it to schedule strategy discussions, with our clients, in our web design agency.
Calendly can be synced with your other calendars, and you can automate the whole meeting schedule. It also offers integration with other popular business tools such as HubSpot, PayPal, Salesforce, Outlook, etc.
8. Wagepoint
Any organization with a small or large number of employees must organize these salaried employees’ details. Managing payroll is often a time-consuming process, and most businesses dread the possibility of penalty over late payment of payroll taxes. Wagepoint is the best payroll management software in the market and is used by more than 12,000 businesses.
It allows you to automate the whole process, and you can pay your contractors and employees directly in their bank accounts using it. Wagepoint also offers a time tracking functionality, that allows you to sync attendance for each employee, to their payroll files.
9. FreshBooks
FreshBooks is an accounting software that has become quite popular over the last couple of years, due to its ease of use and features. It started as an invoice and expense tracking software and has added some exciting features over the years. Today, you can use FreshBooks for processing your payroll, managing business payments, generate financial reports, track timesheets, and it can also be integrated with your bank accounts.
FreshBooks is a full-service accounting software that can automate everything related to income, expenses, invoices, and payments. It is priced quite affordably and offers integrations with other business tools such as G Suite, Stripe, Zoom, Shopify, HubSpot, Dropbox, etc.
10. HubSpot
HubSpot is a CRM tool that allows you to automate all marketing, sales, and customer service processes. It was the first company that popularized the inbound marketing approach and is also considered a marketing automation pioneer. They designed their platform to automate some of the most critical but time-consuming functions performed by the marketing, sales, and customer service departments.
In addition to its marketing and sales features, HubSpot is also known for the excellent analytical capabilities built in the platform. It can be used to monitor various KPIs that may be essential for your business. You can sign up for a free trial and upgrade later, if you feel that this is the right business tool.
Conclusions
We have presented, in this article, some of the most popular online tools, essential for growing a business. Although we have tried to present some of the best tools out there, from different categories, this list could include a lot more. Feel free to mention a tool that you feel should have been included, in the comments section below.
