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Five business tools to help you get more done in less time
Nov. 4, 2014 – If you’re like most business owners, you’re probably wearing far too many “hats” – taking on responsibilities like sales, marketing, purchasing, et al. While you already know you need to delegate more, let’s face it, it likely won’t happen any time soon. So let me share with you five tools that will save you time while still allowing you to manage every detail, no matter how small.
November 4, 2014 By Marc Gordon
Accounting software. Today’s accounting packages let you keep track of
expenses, receivables, payables, and contacts. And you don’t even need
to know accounting. Online versions allow you to check your books, pay
bills, and send invoices from anywhere, even from your smartphone. While
these won’t replace an accountant, they can make you more aware and
efficient.
A VOIP phone line. A voice over internet line (VOIP)
usually costs less than a conventional phone line while providing an
abundance of useful features such as line roaming, multiple voicemail
boxes, call transferring, conversation recording, unlimited long
distance, and the ability to provide you with an area code of your
choice.
CRM tool. A customer relationship management (CRM) tool
lets you manage and document all your interactions with customers,
suppliers or anyone. Set reminders when to follow up, create tasks,
generate reports and sync emails all from a single tool. Many CRM
programs such as Insightly and Bitrix24 are available free to single
users.
Email marketing service. Using programs such as Gmail or
Outlook are great for sending and receiving individual emails. However,
using them for mass emails could potentially get you flagged as a
spammer. You also have no way of knowing who opened your email and
there’s no way for people to opt out, which is required by law under
CANSPEP and CASL. Email marketing services such as Constant Contact and
Mail Chimp allow you to safely and efficiently manage and create email
campaigns. Best of all, you can customize your emails with your logo,
images and different layouts for that branded look.
Alternate
ways of talking face to face. While personal meetings are great, web
based tools can make communicating just as effective and more efficient
for everyone. Skype, Google Hangouts, and TeamViewer are all free
services that allow for video conferencing and sharing files through
your PC or mobile device. Meetings can be one to one or with groups of
people from anywhere in the world.
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Marc Gordon is a professional
speaker and marketing consultant. Get more marketing tips on his
website, marcgordon.ca and on his online show, marctv.net.
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