Not only do they have to adjust to having a massive list of tasks on their to-do list and constantly having to put out fires in their business, but they have to do this while also being under the severe stress that comes with being an entrepreneur.
Thankfully, there are a lot of software startup tools available on the market to significantly alleviate an entrepreneur’s burden. In this article, we’ll take a look at a few of the best tools and resources for startups.
1. Business Name Generator
What’s one thing that every business in the world needs, no matter what industry it’s in?
You guessed it: a name.
If you’re not the most creative type, however, coming up with the right business name for your company could be a daunting task. That’s why you should consider using one of the many business name generators available on the market.
These generators allow you to plug in your industry and some related keywords and will start spitting out names for you to choose from. Just makes sure that the one you pick isn’t already trademarked.
2. CRM
CRM stands for customer relationship management. A CRM tool accomplishes one important thing: it tracks the lifecycle of your customer’s journey as they go from cold lead to a happy customer.
When you’re a business owner, you know that sales are the name of the game. Without sales, your company stands zero chance of becoming established in the industry and generating revenue. Thus, if you want the revenue to flow in, you need to equip yourself and your sales team with the best resources they can get.
3. Marketing Automation
Marketing automation works hand in hand with your CRM. The goal of marketing automation is to automate a lot of the manual, mundane parts of a marketing strategy. Such a tool is particularly crucial when you’re a small operation with limited manpower.
The right marketing automation software will be able to score leads, automatically send personalized email broadcasts, and process lead handoff to your sales team.
4. Project Management
Any business owner without a project management software knows just how hard it is to track a project’s progress in Excel (or dare I say it, on a whiteboard). Simply put, those tools weren’t created for the complex task of project management.
With the best project management software for startups, you can ensure that your company is able to execute on its long-term strategic initiatives. In the software, you can build out tasks and milestones and assign them to the right employees. This gives a whole new level of accountability and visibility to the project management process.
5. Social Media Scheduling
Social media marketing is crucial to the current Internet landscape, given just how popular social platforms are with the general public. Everyone knows that. But actually developing and executing a social media marketing strategy? That’s quite another task altogether.
Simplify that task by incorporating a social media scheduler like Hoot suite into your tech stack. This tool will be able to schedule posts across your platforms out months and months in advance.
6. Website A/B Testing
The concept of A/B testing is simple. An A/B testing tool splits your traffic so that equal portions are routed to different versions of your website. The conversion rate for each version of your website is recorded.
This allows you to track the effects of small changes on your website on your conversion rate. This in turn allows you to make data-driven decisions about your website layout.
7. Angel List
Any startup looking to grow fast is going to need funding to help make that dream a reality. Angel List is a resource that entrepreneurs use to connect their companies with angel investors looking to make private investments in small businesses.
This is by far one of the best tools for startups if you’re in dire financial straits.
8. Payroll Processing
Payroll is one of the more onerous manual tasks that you will have to do as a business owner. But what’s worse, you have to be completely accurate. Otherwise, you could easily underpay an employee (resulting in high turnover) or overpay them (resulting in expensive mistakes).
Make the process simpler and more mistake-free with a payroll processor combined with a check stub generator.
9. Image Editing
A picture speaks a thousand words.
If you want your digital marketing strategy to be a hit, then you need the right visuals to make that happen. There are lots of different image editing tools available on the Internet. There’s no doubt that you’ll be able to find one that fits your budget and photo editing skill.
10. Industry Conferences
When it comes to building a small business, networking is often thought of as one of the most important keys to success. By going out of your way to build connections in the industry, you’ll guarantee industry credibility for yourself that translates into more sales.
One of the best ways to build connections is simply by attending conferences. Be an active participant and never be afraid to be the first person to introduce yourself. Take business cards and follow-up with your newfound connections. Always make sure that you offer value first before asking for a favor.
11. Product Hunt
Last but not least, if your startup is a software business then Product Hunt is one of the greatest resources that you’ll come across. This platform highlights new software products to its massive audience.
To get your product featured, you’ll have to have someone submit it on your behalf. This will take either time or the right industry connection.
Software Startup Tools and Resources
There you have it. Now that you know the various software startup tools and resources available to you, there’s no reason why you can’t make your life as an entrepreneur a good bit easier!
For more business advice, you’re in the right place. Be sure to take some time to check out the rest of the articles available to read on the website before you leave!
