In this day and age, businesses are all about speed and efficiency. The competitor that wins is the one that is able to deliver quality service the quickest.
When starting a business, there is always that pressure of launching as soon as possible in order to get ahead of competitors and offer a unique product before the space becomes too crowded. But you know what they say, good things take time—except they don’t always have to.
There are a number of tools you can use to help you quickly get your business up and running, helping you accomplish everything you need right in time (or way ahead of!) for your big launch.
Five Tools You Need for Your Startup Now
You do not have to do everything from scratch. There are many tools that can help you accomplish things faster and also improve the quality of your preparations.
1. Business Consultation
If you are a first-time entrepreneur, the process will feel much less alien if you have an expert guiding you through the steps of turning your venture into an official business.
One of the first hurdles is choosing which kind of business entity you will have. Your venture also needs to receive a license from the government in order to legally conduct business in your location. There are also states that have requirements, such as pre-licensing exams for contractors, before providing a license for a contracting business.
Experts who have experience in the area are best equipped to walk you through the process. They can also help you double check your papers to make sure you don’t miss any legal requirements.
2. Business Planning Tool
Aside from fixing all your tax needs, drafting a formal business plan is probably one of the most intimidating parts of setting up a business. Good news! There are reliable resources online that guide you with samples and breakdowns of each section in your plan.
One great resource is available for free in the U.S. Small Business Administration website. Their business planning guide discusses different business plan types and provides downloadable examples for your reference.
There is also paid software that automates parts of your plan to make writing quicker. This software can also compute parts of your financials on your behalf and use AI to help develop reports and forecasts when your business is already up and running.
3. Credit Card Payment Services
eCommerce has undeniably grown globally through the pandemic, including the United States. Online shopping options are now an essential aspect of your business’s survival during the pandemic and moving forward from it. When setting up your online shop, make sure that credit card payment is an option from the get-go.
By partnering with a credit card processor, you enable future customers to check out your products using their credit card, debit card, and other digital payment options. A processing partner also secures your business’s and your customer’s information through encryption and authentication before the confirmation of a purchase. This serves as protection for both your business and your customer from fraud and theft.
4. Cloud Computing Services
Even before your business officially launches, you will already have tons of paperwork that you need to safekeep and refer to regularly. Aside from a good filing system for your physical documents, you also need to have a digital storage for your files online.
Subscribing to a cloud service provider helps you organize your files online. It also keeps your files safe from the threats they are vulnerable to.
Cloud services are also helpful in the future, should your office decide to implement flexible work arrangements because it allows employees to work on tasks together from home.
5. Project Management Software
Even with a small team, you will already have a lot of deliverables leading up to your launch date. A group chat and a few calendar reminders will not cut it in keeping you on top of every task. Use project management software to easily track your progress on specific projects, have a shared calendar among workmates, and keep track of which team member is assigned to which task.
Project management tools are also extremely useful once you have more work on your plate and your employees begin increasing, too. They streamline operations on your behalf.
Know that streamlining and pursuing efficient processes does not just begin when your business has already opened. If you begin this culture from the conception of your idea to its execution, then you will waste no time in building a great startup.
