When it comes to startups, the most searched topic seems to be Why Startups Fail. In fact, it has been found that 50% of small businesses do not find success in the first five years. If we determine and analyze the reasons, the first one that pops up is that the business ran out of cash. Anyone who has ventured into this direction knows that starting and keeping a business is a tough job. It is not just about making a product fit for the market and promoting it extensively; it's also about the things that happen behind the scenes like finances and administrative work. Thankfully, numerous successful businesses have come up with solutions that may help startups survive in the market. There are a plethora of apps and tools, most of which are free, that most entrepreneurs use to help them, so keep reading to find out what they are!
Squarespace - Build Your Own Website
As a startup, you need to have a platform or space where you can introduce your business, what it is about, the products or services you offer, and everything in between. Of course, it entirely depends on which platform you are most comfortable with, but the best way to go is to create your own website. Squarespace is perfect for that. Founded by Anthony Casalena, this is a one-stop shop for all your website needs. Whether you are looking for a blogging or e-commerce platform, a domain name registrar, or hosting service, Squarespace can help you with all that and the best part is, it's mobile-accessible in case there is no computer nearby.
Mint - Manage Your Money Better
Once your website is built, you need to figure out the expenses and draw a strategy to produce and eventually, launch the product. Mint is a great app for managing all your finances. It is hard to hire people for specific work when you have just started especially if you're still on a tight budget. Organize your finances with this free app!
Slack - Make Remote Working Easy
With the advent of new technologies, working from anywhere in the globe has become very easy. Slack is a useful app to keep all employees in one virtual space. It can be integrated with other work-related apps like Trello or Asana which help employers keep track of their employees and the tasks assigned to them. Slack make your life easier as it lets you search all messages for any specific exchange you might be looking for.
Accompany - Organize Fuss-Free Meetings
Startup founders have a thousand things to do. It is truly a daunting task to keep track of each and every meeting while conducting background research for prospective client meetings. Well, fret not! Here is one app that will do all these for you. Accompany can be linked to your Gmail account, Facebook, Twitter, and calendar. It not only reminds you of meetings but can prepare summaries of your contacts.
Trello, Asana - Assign Work The Right Way
Trello and Asana are two fantastic free apps that let you assign individual work with specific instructions, add comments if need be, and set deadlines for every task. This way it is easier to keep track of what has been done and what needs to be done. If you have employees working remotely, and in different time zones, these apps help you keep up with the progress of the tasks at hand.
Wave - Make Invoices Like a Pro
Wave is an application that helps in making professional invoices and receipts. It can track your income and expenses at the same time. Wave can help any small business run smoothly and get it organized. It can directly import data from the bank and provides a list of products catered to small businesses for money management.
Salesforce1 - Connect With Your Customers
Salesforce1 not only connects you with your customers but also enables you to manage your business right from your phone. The app will help you organize all the information related to your customers without any fuss. That kind of information will help any business to make their product more customer-oriented.
When I Work - Check Attendance More Conveniently
When I Work is a powerful time scheduling app for employers. With an increasing number of remote employees all over the world, employers are finding it more difficult to manage work hours and employee attendance. When I Work can be a register for employees to keep track of attendances, lates, absences, and leaves.
After organizing, planning, and launching your business, you can definitely use these free apps to help you along the way to make your life easier. With these and proper management and wise decision-making, you can say hello to success!
