Are you thinking of starting a business from scratch? One of the things that you must know is that times have changed, and the world of business has experienced dramatic changes. Competition gets stiff by the day, irrespective of your choice of industry. You shouldn’t be discouraged to dive in, though. Business is doable, and with the right tools and attitude, you can grow your business to incredible heights. This post highlights common must-have startup resources (services) that will guarantee a near-smooth take-off and continuous growth of your baby business.
Here we go:
- Ideation tools
The ideation phase of a business is perhaps the most challenging. However, it becomes easier once you know which industry you wish to venture into and the types of products you want to sell. Activities such as finding a business name can be tasking, but with the help of valuable tools such as squad help, clarity, germ.io, and MindMeister, the burden becomes lighter.
- Startup launching tools/services
Startup launching follows the ideation phase. By now, you’ve settled everything that has to do with your business, and you are ready to let the world know of its existence. Take advantage of one of the various startup launch services available to ensure a successful launch. Some of these tools and services include Product hunt, Beta list, Presentation Design, Cloudways, Presskite, etc. Check them out and see which ones would come in handy when launching your business.
- Startup marketing tools/services
The world must know of your business existence lest it fails. Have you established how to get the word out there about your product offerings? A successful startup must have a solid marketing strategy in place. Among the things that make this possible is identifying the right tools for monitoring, analyzing, and evaluating your marketing campaigns. As much as you bring marketing experts on board, you may want to consider investing in startup marketing tools as this will facilitate effectiveness in all the implementation processes. Popular marketing tools for startups include Mailchimp, Hootsuite, Mangools, CallHippo, and Google analytics, among many others.
- Finance tools/services
The finances of any business, including a startup, require proper handling. This is a delicate aspect and, if mishandled, could cause an abrupt end to an otherwise viable business idea. Startups must deliberately focus on financial balances. You must pay attention and keep records of where the money is coming from, where it goes, and even project the startup performance for the next couple of months. You’ll need more than paper and pen to accomplish this critical task. Tools such as inDinero and Fresh Books will be of great help. If you are looking for funding, Crunchbase, gust, and Foundersuite are some of your go-to tools.
- Startup customer-relationship management tools
Once you’ve found a couple of loyal customers, it is wise to invest in dependable customer relationship management tools. The paradigm shift in business places customer relationships top on the list of items that a business cannot afford to ignore. Failure to pay attention to your customer relationships can be costly. You don’t have to spend time taking care of your customer relationships while you should be busy converting new leads. Let technology handle that on your behalf, as there are plenty of CRM tools out there. Check out HubSpot CRM (one specifically designed for startups), Intercom early stage, and Salesflare and see which one aligns well with your startup.
Nothing good comes easy. You desire to succeed in business; you must put in the work, including investing in things that matter, such as the above services. Customers and other stakeholders appreciate and invest in a startup that holds professionalism in high regard. The above tools will help give your startup a professional face, besides ensuring its growth and success.