5 Simple Yet Effective Tech Tools to Research for Your Small Business

Running your own small business has all kinds of challenges. Some aspects can’t be automated, and that’s where your leadership skills and strong work ethic come into play. For the rest of the tasks that can be digitized, you may as well take advantage of the tools that are at your disposal, especially if you have to lead employees at your business as well.

Staying on top of employee progress and activity, in addition to your own responsibilities for the business’ success, would be too difficult to manage all on your own. Fortunately, there are many new technologies that take care of the simple tasks associated with managing your business and your employees.

​However, the speed at which these solutions evolve and adapt has only accelerated in the past few years, and keeping track of the best option for your business has only become more challenging.  That’s why it’s important to educate yourself on the current tools available to small businesses today, as well as how these technologies work to create more productive teams.

1.Project Management Software:

This tool is designed to keep tasks organized on a digital platform, with tasks prioritized based on due date and important documents located on the service as well, making for quick access to necessary information. This tool works well for small business owners and employees who have incoming orders or projects to complete whether they’re working in or out of the office for client meetings or work-related events.

2. Time Tracking Software:

This solution is a quick and easy way for employees to show their time worked and for business owners to pay them accordingly. This way, you won’t have to spend time adding up hours at the end of each pay period, which has the possibility to be inaccurate when entered manually. Additionally, you will have the ability to monitor the productivity of your employees to ensure that work is getting done whether you’re in the office to supervise your employees, or you have to be away for business meetings.

3. Voice over Internet Protocol Software:

This development is helpful for making business calls on the go. When you own your own business, working from a desk all day just isn’t part of the job. Meeting with clients, ordering supplies, and developing your product keep you in and out of your business space all day. Having a tool that helps you stay connected while you’re on the go is perfect for keeping business running smoothly for you and your employees.

4. Online Invoicing Software:

This tool makes it easier for you to keep track of your billing for different clients, ensuring that you are charging an accurate amount for your services. Recording how long it took you to fulfill your client’s services, as well as any other costs associated with these services will ensure that you aren’t losing your earnings by inaccurately reporting your work. Additionally, this software is great for breaking down your services and charges for your clients to easily comprehend, making it clear to both parties where charges are allocated for which services.

5. Team Messaging Platform:

A platform like this creates a quick and efficient way for you and your employees to communicate, no matter where you are working from at that time. This is a great method to get messages out to your whole team in an instant. When running your own business, things are constantly changing throughout the day, so being able to fill your employees in quickly and easily is essential. Your employees will also be able to send you quick questions without interrupting you during important meetings or projects.

Give it a Try

Learning more about technology to help run your business operations is what all small businesses seem to be doing, and rightfully so. Trying out just one of these simple tools can completely transform your daily business routine. Fortunately, many of these tools integrate with one another, collecting information from one another, so taking on more than one of these solutions could potentially allow them to work in sync with one another, making them more effective and easier to use. Running a small business is hard, but it doesn’t have to be with the right tools for your workflow.

Nancy Gaines

Nancy Gaines is CEO/Founder of Gain Advantages Inc. and has been advising small businesses and Fortune 100 companies how to increase revenues through proven systems for almost two decades. She is a best-selling author and international keynote speaker. Nancy has been named in the Top 100 Productivity Experts to follow on Twitter and has a global podcast downloaded in over 95 countries. Her main focus is creating business processes with actionable steps so her clients achieve more consistency, ease, and ultimate success.