Managing a small business? It’s easy with these four essential tools.
Whether you’re running a small business out of a new office or your spare room, the simple act of managing so many moving pieces is far from straightforward. Business calls? Tracking important tasks? Managing files? Frankly, it’s a nightmare.
Thankfully there are more than a few helpful solutions on the market for small businesses that are currently struggling to keep up with the pace of change. By integrating one, some, or all of the following tools into your workflow, you’ll be able to automate those time-consuming manual tasks, increase efficiency, and focus on growing your business.
Video calls and conferencing
Bluejeans
Website
Pricing
From $12.49USD / Month
Platforms
iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux
Free Trial?
30 Day Free Trial
Thankfully Bluejeans’ affordable pricing structure makes it easy to keep in touch while holding meetings on time. It doesn’t cost the earth, even if your staff are travelling across it!
Pricing starts at just $12.49 / month, which gives you access to 50 attendees per call – more than enough for most small businesses. If for whatever reason you need a little more room, higher tiers provide extra space as well as the ability to record and store videos for future reference,
Bluejeans is the perfect virtual solution if face-to-face discussions are out of the question.
Calendars and schedules
Google Calendar
Website
https://gsuite.google.com/products/calendar/
Pricing
Free
Platforms
Everything
Free Trial?
N/A
Is it an easy pick? Perhaps. But there’s a reason Google Calendar remains the go-to choice for keeping small businesses and their staff up-to-speed: it works.
A familiar interface and simple yet powerful toolset mean it’s easy to keep everyone with busy schedules on the same page. Without it? It’s too easy for troublesome timezone mathematics to leave staff waiting on a call or document while someone’s sound asleep in another country.
With Google Calendar, you’ll never lose track of another meeting, audit, or delivery date. It replaces that last-minute panic with the ability to manage and schedule meetings and tasks ahead of time effectively.
As a bonus, Google Calendar integrates with other G-Suite services such as Gmail and Drive. It also syncs across all devices. This means you don’t have the added worry of software compatibility, which can be costly to small businesses operating on a budget.
Document management software
Stellar Library
Website
https://www.stellarlibrary.com
Pricing
From $236NZD / Month
Platforms
iOS, Android, Windows
Free Trial?
Yes
Paper? It has a habit of piling up. Printing costs? They’re soaring. And those communication channels you’re using to share sensitive documents? They’re not all that great for your privacy.
Stellar Library’s comprehensive document management solution provides control, visibility, and security across every level, including sales, marketing, and IP protection. With one-touch access to relevant documents anytime, anywhere, it’s never been easier to store, share, and collaborate on your business’s documents.
Stellar’s feature set makes it a standout, but it’s the affordable pricing and industry-leading encryption that genuinely sets it apart. Open-source or free solutions lack robust security features, which may cost you more in the long run. Others? They charge more for a laundry list of features that you don’t need or won’t use.
Not so with Stellar. Stellar has been designed with your business in mind, ensuring complete control, visibility, and security. Additional features include control over who can access, read, or print documents as well as the ability to remotely revoke access. A device goes missing? No worries!
Digitising paper documents
ABBYY FineReader
Website
https://www.abbyy.com/en-au/finereader/
Pricing
From $286AUD
Platforms
Windows, Mac
Free Trial?
30 Day Free Trial
To truly embrace the cost savings of a paperless business, you need some way to digitise the stacks of paper documents that are likely flooding your desk. Thankfully, ABBYY FineReader ensures this process doesn’t need to be done by hand.
ABBY FineReader’s all-in-one solution makes it easy to convert paper documents into a range of digital formats, including PDF, Word, and Excel – among others! – with the added ability to edit during the conversion process to ensure complete accuracy.
With a range of pricing options including Standard, Corporate, and Volume Licensing, there’s a feature set and pricing model here to suit most businesses, with the bonus of automated bulk conversions available at higher tiers. Oh, and did we mention that the perpetual license ensures you can use the software indefinitely with no hidden fees or charges? What’s not to love!
Management is made easy with the right tools.
Embracing change and a new way of doing things can be scary, especially if you’re a small business that lacks the time or budget to do so. By embracing the savings, increased security, and improved productivity offered by the vast array of connected digital solutions, you’ll ensure your business operates at its best.
