For our businesses to grow, we need to adapt the way we approach tasks and processes. What worked for us in the early stages when it was just 1 of 2 people handling orders and clients one by one probably won’t cut it as we take on employees and customer numbers continue to rise. In the past, this could have meant hiring advisors or specialist staff, but modern business owners have the luxury of digital platforms and online which are designed to help your business reach the next level of professionalism and efficiency. Here are 4 online tools to which can make running a profitable and professional business a lot easier.
More customers and more demand for your service is the foundation of your business’ success, but if you don’t have the skills or technology to manage your finances efficiently, you’ll quickly find yourself out of your depth as the numbers increase. Zoho, ZipBooks, and QuickBooks are examples of online accounting software which can handle all the key figures relating to your business and will act as your bookkeeper so you can get on with running your business. It’s great for fine-tuning checks and balances; its intelligence-driven software takes it a notch higher by providing insights on performance to guide your interaction with customers.
Effective and professional communication is key to any successful business, from the emails you send to colleagues, customer communications to your website and marketing campaigns. There are numerous communication and collaboration tools such as Slack which will enable your team to work together through instant messaging and the sharing of files, documents, and projects. It will also make face-to-face video calls, audio calls and group discussion easy and natural.
If you are letting grammatical errors slip through the net, it’s going to reflect poorly on your business. Grammarly is a virtual writing assistant and can be installed on your computer for free (for the most basic package of tools); it will prompt you when you make a spelling or a grammatical error. It can do this on a simple email to a co-worker, and you can also run key documents and other copy through it to check for errors.
Every business owner knows that running a business isn’t all about product and marketing; you need to be able to minimize your running costs by ensuring you’re getting the best deals. There are several online comparison companies and platforms which will find and compare the best loans, bank accounts, vehicle leasing, commercial mortgages and some will even enable you to switch business utilities suppliers so can avoid paying more than you need to simply to keep the lights on.
Your business’ website is your shop window, your chance to showcase what you’re all about and why customers should purchase from you. However, any customer who is interested in what you have in your shop window is bound to have questions, and if it’s not easy to find the answer, they may decide to move on. In addition, if customers are trying to communicate a concern or complaint, waiting on hold on a telephone or waiting days for an email response is only going to inflame the situation.
A tool like Acquire is a multi-channel online helpdesk which enhances the customer experience on your website by responding to customer inquiries and providing resolutions in real time. It is an AI-based sales bot which will also collate online interactions of customers and gives you an idea of their needs so you can adjust your customer service accordingly.
