Starting a new business is an aggressive endeavor. Between the uncertainty of success, personal sacrifice, threat of bankruptcy and emotional exertion—the experience of an aspiring entrepreneur is certainly not for the faint of heart. And without a strategic approach, the probability of sinking your product to the depths of the ‘consumer market’s graveyard’ is all but inevitable.
Luckily however, the technological revolution of the Internet has greatly valued businesses both small and large. Here are some examples of the greatest tools available for startup entrepreneurs to utilize today.
Google Analytics
Organization is an imperative component for running a successful business. Google Analytics provides you with a broad, tangible evaluation of numerical data corresponding to online visitors. From tracking the amount clicks per page your company’s website receives to analyzing the differentiation between timeframes—Google Analytics is marketer’s best friend as it accurately reveals whether or not a particular online campaign is or isn’t succeeding.
Dropbox
Quite possibly the greatest virtual invention a multitasked-individual has ever had—Dropbox is the one-stop-shop for creating and connecting virtual content between all Internet connected devices. From videos to documents, photos and spreadsheets—users can efficiently collaborate content using Dropbox’s user-friendly cloud saving capabilities.
Credit Card Processers
The digital age has given rise to the ability for consumers to purchase products from every corner of the world. Ecommerce has allowed online users to search for products without so much as moving a muscle. Being as though 85 percent of today’s consumers prefer shopping online, businesses without the “buy now” availability are at an immediate disadvantage amongst competitors who do. Those that do accept virtual payments need to be sure they offer secure credit card processing to avoid becoming one of the many companies in the spotlight lately for the wrong reasons.
WIX
WIX is an extremely user-friendly resource for creating a website or blog. In regards to small businesses, the simplicity of easily launching a website without the complexities of the traditional website design provides entrepreneurs with a remarkable opportunity to showcase their product using basic features with sophisticated allure.
MailChimp
Most likely, you’re overwhelmed with the time-consuming efforts it takes to run a startup business. For those up to their noses in workload, MailChimp becomes an imperative online tool that is resourceful AND effective. Similar to the simplicity of WIX, MailChimp is a user-friendly service that helps you distribute content (e.g., press releases, media kits, newsletters, etc.) to a list of your selected contacts. MailChimp seamlessly allows you to organize different contact lists so that your message is more effectively heard. Using MailChimp is also a fantastic resource for establishing a consistent communicational platform with a variety of different contacts.
Skype
For small businesses, saving capital is of top priority. Skype allows multiple parties to visually engage during meeting and presentations, which before, was only done through travel and physically “being there.” The combination of phone, video and chat creates a profound platform that is perfectly oriented at making business-communication a seamless experience.
For better or worse, social media has completely altered the way the world communicates. Yet, in the business environment, this ability to connect with a dramatically diverse assortment of people makes things much more efficient. LinkedIn, or Facebook’s more sophisticated cousin, allows business professionals to communicate for recruiting talent, viewing resumes, endorsing clients and finding like-minded individuals who seek to further build their virtual network.
Evernote
In the fast-paced, chaotic world of starting (and running) a business, staying organized becomes not only a necessity, but an art form. Yet thanks to like-minded engineers who know that human error is a costly and common trait of business, Evernote serves as an imperative tool. Evernote’s genius utilizes three basic functions: capture, access and find. Capture all your data, from clientele meeting to business functions, access them from a catalog of electronic sources such as your laptop, cellphone, or tablet and find it using Evernote’s seamless features. Finally, business professionals have a secure and intelligent platform for harnessing information that allows you to not only stay organized, but improve the efficiency of your company.
Jira
Once your product becomes public, customer feedback and third-party opinion become essential in terms of maximizing proficiency. Jira allows companies to track and evaluate consumer response in real-time like bugs or sales figures, and further establish whether or not the product requires additional improvements or increased in inventory.