Running your own startup company needs a lot of diligence and wit. Unproductivity should never be tolerated because the business industry is highly competitive. An error could even lead to bankruptcy. You need to use the right productivity tools to avoid these from happening. Not only do these tools help your startup survive. But these will make your business thrive.
1. HubSpot CRM
HubSpot CRM is a tool every startup should have. It lets you create streamlined profiles while making it easy for you to track employees’ performance. Its user-friendly dashboard also shows your company’s activities. This is a great tool to help you gain full control over your business’ growth.
Pros
It has a feature-rich system, letting you supervise your business with ease. Its CRM and sales functionalities connect you with your clients and employees. Creating workflows and lists with this tool is also easy.
Cons
Building workflow steps only have Yes or No propositions. It’s also a bit expensive knowing that its search marketing feature is short of capabilities.
2. Trello
Trello is an easy-to-use tool that sorts out your projects’ progress in a visually pleasing way. And it’s not only you who can use it but everyone in the team! In short, it’s a place where everyone in your business meets virtually.
Pros
It’s a simple and lightweight app that works great on mobile devices. This one is very visual, which makes working more fun.
Cons
This lacks a reporting tool. It would be better if users can create charts or track bills using this app. It doesn’t even have a time-tracking feature.
3. Google Apps for Work/G Suite
Google Apps for Work/G Suite enables you to manage all Google’s services in one app. Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Chrome, you name it — they’re all found in this handy tool. Not only does this save lots of memory space. But it’ll surely save you time in opening whichever app you want to use.
Pros
You have full access to your documents even if you’re offline.It also has unlimited storage, a chat, phone, and email support for users.
Cons
Offline storage and access are only present in Google Chrome.
4. Slack
Slack is an app which makes communication easier. Conversations happen instantly and are stored in one place. Everything is also hosted by a cloud server, making it accessible on any devices.
Pros
It has a private backchannel where the team can talk about anything. This fosters teamwork and camaraderie among workers. It has multiple features that make communication and file sharing easier.
Cons
It lacks a solid task management feature. This makes it useless if it isn’t used properly.
5. RescueTime
RescueTime tracks how much time you spend on websites and in using apps. This lets you know if you’ve been productive or not. It presents a detailed report which you can use to turn your weaknesses into strengths.
Pros
The way it tracks your activities doesn’t annoy you as it works silently in the background. It creates detailed and engaging reports. It’s also fully customizable and can be used in different devices. It even has a free version!
Cons
The premium version is a bit too expensive.
Bonus: JustReachOut
Blogger outreach is one of the best ways to build relationships, acquire links, and generate more traffic to your site. However, the process of setting up and deploying an outreach campaign can be time-consuming. JustReachOut automatically finds people whom you can reach out to with your content so you can click a few buttons to send out your email
Pros
Aside from finding the best journalists and bloggers whom you can share your story with, JustReachOut also develops the email templates that you will send out to them. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about composing an email that will convert because the tool will take care of that for you!
Cons
JustReachOut is quite pricey for startups and small businesses (as low as $65/month).
Conclusion
With these being said, there’s no excuse why you can’t propel your startup to greater heights. With the many productivity tools we have, bringing your business from point A to point B has become easier. Feel free to use the tools mentioned if you want to bring out the best in your business. It’s surely what you’ve been searching for this entire time.
Originally posted on January 16, 2018 @ 10:32 am