6 Useful Tools for Any Small Business
Operating your own business can sometimes seem overwhelming, after all you are the go-to guru. Oftentimes juggling different arms of the business such as marketing, sales, operations, accounting and more. In this article we’ll explore some free tools and resources you can take advantage of to alleviate some weight off of your shoulders and make certain day-to-day objectives more seamless.
1. Google Drive
Google Drive is the backbone of many small businesses, including mine. With 15 GB of free storage it’s an excellent place to start organizing files, documents, photos, and more – all in one place.
Collaborating with coworkers or clients is easy with Google Drive, simply create a folder and invite your contacts to share it with them.
This has personally come in handy for me when I need materials for clients’ websites. I simply create a folder unique to their business and ask them to upload photos and copy material that I can then use to create their website.
No need to sift through countless emails or local files and with everything being in the cloud, you can access your files on-the-go from any device.
There are countless uses for Google Drive, in fact this blog post was written using Google Docs. You can also create presentations, spreadsheets, and much more.
2. SmallPDF
SmallPDF is a powerful tool for any business owner that handles PDF documents, whether you need to convert images or word documents to PDF format or protect your PDF documents with passwords.
The most cherished feature of this nifty little tool however, is the eSign PDF. This allows you to upload your PDF document and insert signature boxes. You can then invite signees to collect their signatures, SmallPDF will then email your document to the signee and notify you via email when they have signed it.
There are dozens if not hundreds of use cases for this feature alone and for that it is a must have for any business that requires signatures on their paperwork.
3. Asana
Asana is a task management platform that I have utilized for many years on a variety of different projects. What makes Asana stand out is its intuitive user interface and ease-of-access. With both desktop and mobile apps you’re sure to stay on top of what’s important.
Get started by creating a workspace for your organization and then projects that are on-going in your business such as Operations, Marketing and Customer Service. Invite your team to assign tasks and due dates to the appropriate persons. Prioritize your tasks with labels and attach necessary documents and materials unique to the task.
What makes Asana great is its ability to organize tasks, manage your workflow, and collaborate and communicate with your team all under one roof.
4. ChatGPT
There may be a lot of stigma surrounding artificial intelligence but there is no denying how helpful AI tools like ChatGPT can be, especially for small business owners.
Utilizing a tool like ChatGPT can be like having your own personal army of content writers and legal advisors – the opportunities are endless.
ChatGPT can help you brainstorm ideas and content for many things such as social media updates, blog posts, email newsletters, marketing materials and much more.
By utilizing a tool like ChatGPT, small business owners can enhance productivity, improve customer relationships, and drive growth in their business by saving the most valuable asset which is time.
5. Canva
Canva is a free versatile graphic design platform that can greatly assist and enhance small business operations. Whether you’re a novice or advanced graphic designer, the platform is very user-friendly and easy to use.
Create professional looking designs in minutes with ready to go templates and design elements for marketing materials including social media posts, flyers, brochures, business cards, presentations and more.
Overall Canva provides small business owners with a user-friendly, cost-effective, and efficient solution for creating high-quality graphics and marketing materials to promote their business and engage with their audience effectively.
6. Pexels
Pexels is a platform that provides high-quality, royalty-free stock photos, videos, and music that can be highly beneficial to small business owners in several ways.
With a vast library of professional-quality media, business owners can enhance their marketing efforts, websites, social media posts, presentations and more. Access to high-quality visual content can help small businesses maintain a professional image and attract and retain customers.
Using stock photos and videos from Pexels ensures that business owners are legally compliant and avoid potential copyright issues. All content on the platform is licensed under the Creative Commons Zero license, which allows for commercial use without attribution. Although crediting the creator is highly encouraged!
Overall Pexels provides small business owners with a valuable resource for sourcing high-quality visual content that can enhance their marketing efforts, save time and money, ensure legal compliance, and spark creativity.
