Setting up a business of your own is no mean feat. Not only will it take mountains of courage and determination to go out on a limb and risk rejection for an idea you’re passionate about, but you’ll also have to invest money in the endeavour too, be it from your savings, your income or investment from an external source. But, there are ways of making the day-to-day running of smooth and productive, and invariably that’s achieved by having the right kind of software and knowing how to use its core functions to your advantage.
Here’s a selection of the most crucial software your startup needs if you want to be sure you’re starting off on the right foot…
Task management
Running a startup is going to involve juggling a huge number of plates at once… you’ll be responsible for sales, marketing, operations, accounts, customer care and a whole heap of other things, so use task management software to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
You can assign tasks to other team members if you’ve already expanded past the point of being a one-(two)man band, and you can also assign tasks with due dates and break them into sub-tasks to make everything look and feel that little bit more manageable. Pick an interface you feel most comfortable with – it will quickly become an integral part of your startup.
On a similar note, make sure you’re using technology that’s both easily accessible from anywhere in the world and works well with your chosen task management software. For example, you could use Google’s suite of programmes to share documents, input meetings into calendars and save important documentation.
Cash flow and accounting
Cash is king in any business, so it’s critical you’re using cash flow and accounting software you’re comfortable with. Use it to record every penny that comes in and out of your business, updating it with everything from invoices to expenses. You can use software that’s suitable for use across multiple devices, which might be exactly what you need to keep in order to keep abreast of your cash flow and ultimately keep your business ticking over from month to month.
HR and payroll
As your startup goes from strength to strength, you’ll doubtless have to start recruiting talented individuals who share your vision and are committed to driving progress forward. In order to manage all these individuals and keep on top of their payroll, recruitment, personal development and more, you’ll need to be using good quality HR software from the outset.
Marketing
Finally, you’re going to need sterling marketing skills if you want a steady stream of customers through the doors, and the good news is that there’s software available to help you do it properly.
Sign up to software that enables you to write marketing newsletters quickly and professionally (some providers also enable you to track open rates and engagement with your marketing materials), and consider using software that schedules your social media content too: doing so will free you up to do other things, and you can even use algorithms to auto-post at the most effective times of the day.
As you can see, there are multiple pieces of software your start up needs. However, good software doesn’t need to cost too much money – most providers will offer low prices to start ups, allowing you to scale up the services you need as your business grows.