The Time-Saving Tools You Need

As a business owner, entrepreneur, or busy professional, the feeling that there’s never enough hours in the day is probably a familiar one. I often find myself wondering how I can even further maximize every minute of every hour of every day, but ultimately end up responding to emails at midnight! Unfortunately, we often get stuck dealing with operations, executing complicated marketing tactics, and building out systems and processes instead of getting to think big and pave the way for the future.

The one thing that every professional really needs is more time. More time to run the day-to-day tasks. More time for innovation. More time spent with colleagues. More time for networking. But, you can’t make time stand still (yet!) and as a busy professional or business owner, you can’t neglect the important, although at times tedious, everyday tasks. The solution to buying more time is simple: tools. The right tools allow you to save enormous amounts of time to run aspects of your business that are otherwise arduous.

So, what are the tools that you need?  To help you choose, I asked my team and Likeable small business customers what their favorite tools are and why.

Here are our favorite time-saving tools:

1) Customer Relationship Management: HubSpot CRM

What is HubSpot?
HubSpot CRM is an easy-to-use sales application that arms your sales team with the information and tools needed for today's modern sales process. It's also integrated with HubSpot's suite of marketing tools (with no additional setup!).

What do they offer?
Customize views for all your contacts (with specific information), you can synch all your contacts to HubSpot. The deal and task board help you manage all your deals and connect easier with your leads. It also has phone and email integration plus social media and website integration.

Pros: It’s FREE. And it has many perks like accessing HubSpot’s database and networking with potential leads! Also, you can integrate Google to HubSpot’s CRM (Google Drive, contacts, presentations).

Cons: There isn’t an option to cc emails. Also, calls may drop when changing browser tabs.

Price: Free!

2) Social Media: Likeable Hub VIP

What is Likeable Hub VIP?

Likeable Hub VIP is a comprehensive social media marketing platform designed to help businesses and professionals access their success on social with content, advertising, lead generation, and more all in one convenient spot. 

What do they offer?
Likeable Hub VIP includes a post idea library, likeable hub mobile websites + landing pages, scheduling, social listening, post amplification tools, analytics, and a mobile app. 

Pros: Of course, I'm more than a little biased, but Likeable Hub is the only social tool your business needs because it's an all-in-one solution. Plus, you can get started with Likeable Hub for free!   

Cons: If you’re looking for super advanced analytics or are a super large business, this tool is not for you. 

Price: Free for 30 days to $19.99 /month.

3) Video: SoMedia

What is SoMedia?
SoMedia is a scalable, full-service video production solution. They use cloud-based online platforms and video professionals that shoot and produce content anywhere.

What services/tools do they offer?
You can manage and produce different types of content, which include: an ad platform, a business video platform, and a news platform.

Pros: Videos are today’s #1 marketing solution and it’s good to get in early.

Cons: With video marketing on the rise, there are many different options that are easily comparable!

Price: 30 second limit to videos ($799), 60 second limit to videos ($1119) and 90 second limit to ideas ($1599).

4) Payroll: SurePayroll

What is SurePayroll?
SurePayroll is a subsidiary of Paychex, which provides easy online payroll service keeping small business owners in control.

What do they offer?
You can calculate, file, and pay federal, state, and local payroll taxes. Run your online payroll anytime and anywhere (including their mobile app) and if you're ever in doubt, you can speak to one of their live payroll experts.

Pros: The easy to use program is even easier with a mobile app. Additionally, you can access reports anytime. Highly accurate and time saving, it’s a great value for the price tag.

Cons: It takes a lot of trust to allow that large amount of access to your company’s finances.

Price: They calculate pricing depending on your business.

5) Email Marketing: Constant Contact

What is Constant Contact?

Constant Contact offers email marketing with easy to send customizable templates which include real-time reporting and insights you need to take your marketing to the next level.

What do they offer?
Their in-house professional services team can help set your account with their Quick Start option. This creates custom campaign templates with their Design & Build service. You also get your own personal marketing manager and full service email marketing team.

Pros: You can use CCS, HTML, or designer more to create your marketing pieces.

Cons: It doesn’t provide cross-platform inbox previews.

Price: Starts at $20 /month

6) Billing: Quickbooks 

What is Quickbooks?

Quickbooks is Intuit Inc's set of accounting software specifically designed to manage payroll, inventory, sales and other specific needs for any small business.

What do they offer?
Their features include marketing tools, merchant services, product and supplies and training solutions.

Pros: It’s the most popular accounting software package on the market! It’s reliable, has a low cost, easy to use, and provides extensive and detailed reports. It also offers additional services to expand its functionality (fee included) like synching with third party products.

Cons: You may run the risk of exposing your financial information online if you stick to the online version.

Price: Self-employed ($7.99 /month), Simple Start ($10.36 p/month), Essentials ($18.86 /month), and Enterprise ($23.97 /month)

So what are your thoughts on these tools to help you make time throughout the day? What are your favorites? What did I miss? Make sure to reply in the comments below if you think I missed any categories! 

Dave Kerpen is the founder and CEO of Likeable Local. He is also the co-founder and Chairman of Likeable Media, and the New York Times-bestselling author of Likeable Social Media, Likeable Business, and the new collection, Likeable Leadership. To read more from Dave on LinkedIn, please click the FOLLOW button above or below.

Ready to access YOUR social media success, for FREE? Get an invitation to Likeable Hub VIP, our brand new social media marketing app, today!