5 Zoho Apps You Need To Set Your Startup/Small Business For Success

Let's get real—starting a business isn't just about passion; it's about being strategic, efficient, and making smart decisions and that's where Zoho comes in.

Hello fellow business and company owner, I hope you are doing well today and your business is even better. In this, edition today, I’m going to introduce you to 5 essential Zoho apps that you need to keep your small business or startup running. These apps will help you manage your business's core operations seamlessly because they automate processes for you. Let's get into it!

1. Zoho CRM: For Sales and CRM

Did you know that implementing a CRM system can increase sales by up to 29%, improve sales productivity by 34%, and increase sales forecast accuracy by 42%? If there’s one thing your startup or small business needs, it’s a robust system to manage customer relationships. Zoho CRM is your go-to tool for building and maintaining strong connections with your clients and a very effective one when nurturing leads so that they can convert to paying clients. For example, if you run a retail store, with Zoho CRM, you can track every lead, follow up automatically, and never miss a sales opportunity. Your sales pipeline will be very smooth, and your clients and potential leads will feel valued, which means clients will keep coming back, bringing their friends and leads will convert to paying customers.

2. Zoho Books: For Financial Management

Managing your finances is one of the most crucial aspects/ parts of a business especially when you're starting out. Zoho Books is an accounting software designed for small businesses that helps you keep track of income, expenses, and everything in between. According to a study, 82% of businesses fail due to cash flow problems. Don’t be part of the 82%. Let Zoho Books keep your finances in check. If for example, your business sells different products, Zoho Books allows you to automate invoices, track inventory, and generate financial reports with a few clicks. Now, instead of having to deal with manual receipts, invoices, and spreadsheets to manage your books, you can have all these automated and you can focus on running your business.

3. Zoho Projects: For Managing Your Projects

Zoho Projects as the name suggests is for managing projects. Whether you’re building a new app, planning a marketing campaign, or launching a product you need to be able to track the specific tasks and process, and using project management software helps you reduce time waste by 28%. Zoho Projects is designed to streamline your operations, ensuring that every task is completed on time and within budget. You can assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress in real-time and everyone in your team knows exactly what needs to be done, and you’ll do what you need to be done faster. The good thing is you can use it to plan your daily tasks as well, not just big projects.

4. Zoho Desk: For Customer Service

According to Forbes, customers who had the best past experiences spend 140% more compared to those who had the poorest experiences and good customer service is the biggest contributor to customer satisfaction. As you can see, customer service can literally make or break your small business. For you to have a complete hang and control of customer service, you need Zoho Desk. Zoho Desk is a helpdesk software that ensures every customer query is answered promptly and efficiently. It organizes all customer interactions in one place, whether they come through email, chat, or social media and your support team will respond faster, resolve issues quicker.

5. Zoho People: For HR and People Management

As a small business, most likely your team is small and comprises of a few 'essential' staff (depending on what manpower you will deem essential). Human resources management is vital no matter how small your team will be when starting and that's where Zoho People comes in. According to Gallup, companies with highly engaged employees have a 21% higher profitability as compared to their competitors who aren't as engaged. Zoho People is an HR software that handles everything from onboarding, payroll, tracking attendance, goal setting for employees, to performance reviews. As a small business/startup owner, I know you are aware of the contribution a highly productive and profitable team has on your business.

As a startup or a small business, you might have limited resources, either financially or in terms of skilled manpower but with the right tools, you get presented with opportunities. Zoho’s suite of apps is designed for small businesses so that they can streamline their operations and enhance their productivity at a lesser price as compared to other business solutions. The question isn’t whether you can afford to use Zoho—it’s whether you can afford not to.