Posted on Jun 10, 2015

Must-See New Tools for Small Businesses

The advance of technology has led to an explosion of new tools that help small and medium-sized business increase productivity or save money.

Here is a list of 10 SMB tools that you should check out. Since it’s easy to get caught up in the shiny object syndrome, here’s a word of warning: These tools are just meant as a guide, so make sure that you actually need these tools for your business before diving in – and losing an entire business day playing around in their free trials. (No judgement. We’ve all been there).

So put your clicky finger on hold for a second as you read through this list:

  1. Nimbus Screenshot
    Nimbus Screenshot is a free Chrome application that allows you to take screenshots of any website or page. You can capture the entire page, the visible part of the page, or a selected area. You can also annotate the image before you save it. (Of course, if you have a MacBook, you can easily capture a screenshot by holding down Command + Shift + 4).  
  1. Basecamp
    Basecamp has been around for over a decade now but the new version released in 2012 has seen it grow in popularity. It is a project management tool that is completely web-based. It is particularly helpful if you manage a team based in different locations.

    An alternative is Glip, another task management app that integrates real-time messaging, video conferencing and more. It performs the tasks of multiple services and apps inside one dashboard.

  1. Buffer
    Buffer is a powerful social media management tool for SMBs. It has a clean interface and the ability to manage a lot of accounts with one login. You can schedule your posts, shorten links, and check out who is clicking those links with its analytics feature.

    Hootsuite is an alternative to Buffer. Buffer and Hootsuite have many of the same features. Sign up for a free trial of both. And you can decide based on the ease of your “user experience.”

  1. Expensify
    Expensify takes the traditionally paper-based and cumbersome process of handling expense claims and simplifies it. The app allows you to take a photo of a receipt on your phone, assign that receipt to a trip, category or client, and then sync the information with your accounting software.
  1. Canva
    Canva is an easy to use but powerful image creation tool that allows you to create images for both online and offline use. Unless you use one of their stock images, or one of their premium templates, it’s free.

    If you are looking for an alternative to Canva you can try PicMonkey. It offers many similar features and is also cost effective.

  1. SheerSEO
    Everyone who owns or runs a website knows that SEO is important, but SEO experts and agencies can be costly. An alternative for SMBs is to use SheerSEO. It offers useful and actionable SEO tools at a fraction of the cost of bringing in an SEO company.
  1. Intercom.io
    Intercom.io can improve the way that you communicate with customers. This improvement can lead to better customer experiences and more sales. Features include in-app messaging, A/B testing, and behavior driven email.
  1. Dropbox
    Cloud storage has been accessible to SMBs for some time now but there are still many who are not using its benefits. Dropbox is one of the most well-known platforms. It allows you to store documents in the cloud which makes it easier for you to access them across different devices, and give access to other users. Alternatives to Dropbox include Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.
  1. Scanbot
    With Scanbot you can scan documents using the camera on your phone. This turns them into PDFs which you can save. You can even sign the PDF, which makes the process of signing a new contract easier.
  1. Proposify
    If you send proposals to clients as part of your sales process you should check out Proposify. It gives you tools to create stunning proposals, plus you can store them in the cloud, collaborate on them with your team, and track your success.

These 10 tools for small businesses may or may not be a good fit for your business. If you do end up using one (or all!) of them, make sure to use the most important tool on Earth: fun! Because running a business should never be boring.

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