Guest Post by: Chelsea Lamb
Photo: Courtesy of Unsplash
Are you an entrepreneur looking to boost sales, improve processes, and get more clients? When your business is on the cusp of growth, you might be faced with a lot of decisions. It could be confusing to know where to start. The good thing is, you are not alone! Following are 5 easy and effective tech tools entrepreneurs need right now!
Whether you are dropshipping, setting your own hours as a data entry specialist, or consulting clients on how to achieve their business goals, check out these six tech ideas to help elevate your business and launch your company.
Need to quickly launch your business online? The experienced team of professionals at XL Consulting Group are ready to help! Contact us today to schedule a complimentary half hour chat.
5 Easy and Effective Tech Tools Entrepreneurs Need to Boost Business Goals
Get Social
Using social media can be time-consuming, but as a small business owner, it is one of the best ways to engage current customers and potential ones. If you don’t have the time to manage your social media presence daily, a content management system like Hootsuite or Sprout Social can help. You can schedule posts well in-advance, monitor, and manage all your platforms and follow hashtags and keywords. No one knows social media like college-aged kids so if you are open to it, consider hiring one as an intern.
Dynamic Website
According to Qualtrics, 97 percent of people shop online, not just to purchase items, but also before choosing to visit a local business. If you’re not providing your customers with an engaging online experience, you could be losing even in-person sales. Make that number work for you by putting some thought into your website. Not only do you need a website that is user-friendly, informative, and tells your brand story, but also one that is optimized to help people find you. We can help you launch your website quickly. Your customers can be shopping online at your store in no time!
In addition to your website, XL Consulting Group says you can enhance your online presence through other avenues, such as setting up a Facebook business page and getting a free listing on Google My Business Account. You can also establish a “shop” on Facebook and Instagram, and start your own YouTube channel.
Project Management Systems
Keeping your projects, tasks, milestones, and due dates organized can be a full-time job. You need to stay organized, but also focused on growing your business. There are many free, yet robust, online project management tools like Asana, Basecamp or Trello that can help you manage everything and even collaborate with employees and colleagues. You can upload files, edit documents, comment on tasks, and sync to your calendar. Look for a simple, scalable project management tool that helps you plan for your future.
You’ll also want to set up a payroll system, preferably an automated and full-service turnkey payroll offering the convenience of mobile management from your laptop or smartphone. QuickBooks is one platform that guarantees compliance in payroll and tax reporting and filing. With the mobile app, you and your employees can retrieve, send and approve time remotely, with push notifications that prompt employees to clock in and out. This automation can save an average three hours a week on scheduling and payroll tasks.
Email Marketing Software
Email is the preferred way to communicate with clients and customers—on both sides. Email marketing lets you communicate with larger audiences, yet still in specific ways. For example, people can sign up for email alerts about new products or deals. An email newsletter can provide people with relevant information and you can even customize the emails with very little extra effort. You can use segments so that the emails convey slightly different messages based on the spending behaviors of people on your list. To get started, we can help you set up your free Mailchimp account and format your email newsletter for you.
Simplify Payment Processing
Much like mobile web browsing, mobile payment systems have revolutionized small businesses. More customers than ever prefer to carry out transactions on their phones or tablets through different software options. Using these kinds of platforms benefits you just as much as your clients— these platforms often have built-in customer and software support which can help you learn the ropes quicker and troubleshoot more effectively.
When you update technology for your small business, you not only improve your business, but you also tap into new business streams. And with tech continuing to become more affordable, so much more is possible!
These 5 Easy and Effective Tech Tools Entrepreneurs Need to Boost Business Goals are just a few of our ideas to help you. To learn more about our marketing services contact us here to book a FREE 30 minute session to see how we can help you with your business.