5 Business tools you definitely need, as an Entrepreneur

If you're on this entrepreneurship journey as well, you know you can't go a day without relying on some tools to run your business. Between my laptop and my smartphone, there are probably tons of apps I use, but a few are my day-to-day go-to tools, which do really help me get stuff done.

Note - I already expect everyone to have tools for checking their emails, accessing their calendar etc., so I won't bother listing the regulars!

1. Team Collaboration - Microsoft 365 Business Standard

If you're like me who started to grow a team, you will quickly realise you need productivity tools for team collaboration. But one thing I avoid, is using too many tools to do too many things, so it was important to find a tool (or suite of tools for productivity). I needed a tool to quickly chat with my team, track tasks, organise team and client meetings etc. Since I recently started using ALL the tools that come with the 微软 Business Standard suite (thanks to the recommendation from Tayo Ademolu , Founder of Translayte , a global translation company), my teams' collaboration has skyrocketed. I particularly use MS Teams for team collaboration, which links in well into the calendar for scheduling both team and customer meetings. We actually stopped paying for Zoom since we moved to Microsoft Business Standard, saving some costs.

Costs

• ￡10.30/user/month or so for the entire Microsoft 365 Business Standard. Includes all the Microsoft productivity tools you need including MS Office (online & desktop apps), Email Exchange, MS Teams, MS SharePoint etc.
• Microsoft has 4 different business packages you can choose from including a more affordable ￡4.80/user/month Microsoft 365 Business Basic package
• Click here to compare plans

2. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) - My Centre Office

Every business needs a tool to manage customers such as capturing enquiries, following up, invoicing, tracking outstanding payments, staying connected with customers etc. The moment you're unable to keep up with all that, you're already losing customers and potential sales. In fact, as a small business, you need to quickly build efficiency into your processes so you don't burn-out your limited resources. The answer to this is My Centre Office a customer management tool for small businesses. We use this to store customer details and for distributing e-newsletters to our various customer groups. We also have our customer workflows built in, allowing customers to book any of our services and route through an automated workflow of invoicing, payments, customer contracts etc. It also has a Service Desk for tracking customer requests (much better than using emails to track open customer requests). The point is, customer management is simpler with a CRM tool, and it won't even cost you much to invest in one.

Costs

• Starting package as low as ￡9.99/month for basic CRM capabilities
• The solution also gives you a 14-day free trial so you can experience it on www.mycentreoffice.com before making any financial commitments

3. Networking - LinkedIn

I don't think you should limit your entrepreneurship journey to a single networking or social platform, but it's important to be as active as possible in key selected ones, especially where aligned with your business objectives. LinkedIn is not new to anyone, but you have to be very strategic about how you use it. Here's how I use LinkedIn:

• Connecting with other subject matter experts, professionals in my industry, and contacts I meet at networking events, so I can see their content, learn from them, and interact with them. This helps me find more relevant content on my feed. It's how I learn and grow.
• Finding relevant events and activities, especially in the tech industry. For example, I found out about London Tech Week on LinkedIn. Click here to read my article on London Tech Week
• Establishing my authority in my field. A few of my contacts such as Ella George use LinkedIn in a very remarkable way. From a personal experience, the more you share, the more you're associated with the topics you speak about. This is how you're remembered by others.
• Growing my personal brand. An example, anyone could search you online (e.g. potential business partners etc.). Even if they search off LinkedIn, your LinkedIn profile is likely to pop up first. You can see it is good for your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
• Growing my business brand. Having a page for your business, in addition to your personal page, is also good for your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).

4. Digital Business Cards - HiHello!

I can confidently share that paper business cards are rapidly going out of fashion. You may forget to take them with you, they cost money to print, and you run out unexpectedly. Fewer people carry them these days, as you can exchange contacts digitally, even when you meet people face to face. I've already got QR codes on my smartphone, roll-up banner and several items that promote my business brand. But recently, Rushab Shah (CEO of TutorHive , an innovative Ed-tech, marketplace for tutors and students), introduced me to a new app called HiHello, Inc. It's a digital business card app that allows you create multiple business card profiles/cards (especially if you have multiple businesses, or wear multiple hats), allowing you to easily share your contact details with anyone you meet anywhere and at anytime. You can also store it in your mobile wallet, and since you're always with your smartphone, you're ready to exchange business cards easily. I've got my digital business cards on my iPhone's wallet, ready to share. It's a must-have. On my recent trips to London, I've been able to quickly share my contact details digitally, and it has been a very swift experience.

Costs

• It's FREE as long as you don't create more than 4 business cards. That should be enough for you anyway.

5. Whiteboard - Miro

If you're like me who likes to sketch on paper or on a whiteboard, you're going to love Miro . Asides being a remarkable whiteboard tool, it's really good for collaborating as well. A lot of ideas come alive when they are drawn out on paper or on a whiteboard, and that's where Miro comes in, allowing you sketch a concept, mindmap, flowchart, process or anything really, in the best visual presentation you can think of. Oh I have lots of mindmaps on Miro, and it really helps me turn my ideas into reality. Miro gives you an infinite canvass, and with the readily available templates, you can do wonders. I've seen teams use Miro in some other interesting ways too. You can also use Miro it in projects, pitch decks.....the possibilities are endless. And if all you like is writing on post-it notes, you can do it digitally as well. Digital post-it notes never get lost on your desk anyway.

Costs

• Miro is FREE if you're not creating more than 2 boards (you can create many diagrams on a single board). That should be enough for any entrepreneur or small business.

Tools are available.....find what you need!

If there's one thing to be thankful for, digital technology has presented us with a plethora of tools we can choose from. There's probably a tool to do what you're struggling with, and if you don't find one, I am sure someone will create a solution soon.

I wonder what other tools everyone else is using. These are definitely my top 5 at the moment, but I am sure many of you have some other great recommendations, and I am happy for you to share them in the comments.