As your business success begins to flourish, you may find your success comes at a price. As your enterprise inevitably grows, so do your responsibilities, yet the amount of time you have to complete these tasks is only diminishing. It’s at this point that most entrepreneurs and small business owners should consider utilizing a variety of software applications and online tools to help streamline their daily operations, enhance their productivity and keep their business success on track.
In this post, we’ll explore some essential software that your growing business should be using. Read on to find out more.
VAT Software
The pressures of accounting and financial management can quickly become overwhelming for small business owners, especially as your enterprise begins to grow. Whether you have minimal experience in handling company accounts or you’re still scrambling together receipts, expenses and financial reports, VAT software is an essential tool, you shouldn’t be working without. Using VAT software is easy to implement and makes navigating your tax obligations easier, allowing you to submit VAT returns to HMRC effortlessly.
No matter how complicated your VAT return may appear, small businesses can streamline their VAT responsibilities with just a few simple clicks. VAT software will also help you create a digital paper trail, one that allows you to register all your VAT-related actions and activities in one easy-to-manage location, highlighting how much you owe with monthly snapshots and giving you the knowledge to make better business decisions. With the right VAT software application, you can protect your business from penalties incurred through late submissions or inaccuracies in your reports.
Time Tracking Software
As your business flourishes, you may find that the hours available to tackle your responsibilities proficiently begin to diminish, and effective time management becomes an essential part of your working day. This is where time tracking software can help. By highlighting how long it takes you and your employees to complete specific tasks, you’ll be able to use this data to your advantage. By developing accurate time frames that streamline your daily operations, you can encourage employees to make the most of their working day and to meet the expectations of your clients, effortlessly.
Understanding how you and your employees spend your working hours keeps everyone accountable while still providing full control over the working day and maximizing efficiency across your business. If you’re working on an hourly basis, then time tracking software also helps to keep payroll/invoices as accurate as possible.
Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM)
Developing meaningful and beneficial relationships with your clients can drive your business success forward. By carefully managing those relationships and interactions using CRM software, you can also improve those relationships and use them to your advantage. This software provides a central location for all client (and prospective client) data to be collected, stored and updated, as well as building a library of individual customer interactions which can be used to curate unique and specific future interactions that can lead to a sale.
A CRM tool gives your customer service the edge, and can completely transform the way your clients view your business. And as this software is cloud-based, this information can be accessed securely from anywhere – so no matter where your working day takes you, your growing business can maintain strong customer relationships effortlessly.
Communication Software and Tools
As a growing business, you’ll already recognize the importance of strong communication. But as your enterprise continues to push forward, the importance of communication now applies to both external and internal situations. Maintaining strong levels of contact between you and your clients was something you undoubtedly managed via email chains and multiple messages across various platforms, but now your communications approach directly impacts the customer experience and employee collaboration.
Therefore, it makes sense for growing businesses to utilize communication software to improve communication workflows and to keep their employees organized. Tools such as Slack and Skype are perfect for businesses with remote teams, whilst video conferencing/calling applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and even WhatsApp can keep you and your clients in touch and improve the client experience.
Social Media Management Software
A strong online presence is one of the key factors of business success, and while your business is experiencing growth, you must take the management of your social media platforms seriously. SM management software can help you manage multiple accounts, using one login and an easy-to-use interface that helps you move from one platform to another. SM management software means you’ll never miss a notification or an opportunity to engage with your followers. You can also schedule posts ahead of time, freeing up more time for you to focus on other areas of your growing business.
Final Thoughts…
A variety of software and tools can help your growing business continue to flourish. Consider these options above to continue with your success.