In a recent survey, the average entrepreneur reported spending 68% of their time tackling day-to-day tasks and only 32% on strategic planning and business growth.
Most small business owners can relate, but to succeed, it’s crucial to put your energy where it counts. And that might mean relying on software to help you manage and execute the day-to-day tasks.
In this article, you’ll learn about five software programs to streamline and organize your business and a few on my radar for 2021.
#1. Slack
If you communicate with contractors and service providers frequently, you may consider using a communication tool like Slack.
Slack is a messaging app that allows team members to communicate in real-time in a format other than email. There is a tiered payment model, and a free option.
Slack enables you to share files, collaborate on brainstorms and stay connected throughout the day. If you’re working with a number of freelancers on different projects, you can create channels organized around a topic, team, or project.
Slack features a handy search function, so you can easily pull up a conversation, mention, or user and share it.
If you’re looking for a way to cut down on emails and communicate quickly, Slack might be your answer.
#2. Grammarly
There is a tremendous amount of writing to do as a small business owner. Even if you lean on a copywriter or a marketer, you’re likely sending emails and writing short copy all day for your business.
Grammarly is a free online editor that checks grammar, syntax and spelling. Before writing, you can set goals based on audience, formality, intent, tone and domain. The app will make recommendations and give you a score in four categories — correctness, clarity, engagement and delivery.
You can install Grammarly in your browser, so it automatically checks everything from emails to blog posts to presentations.
#3. Canva
Canva is a free, easy-to-use image design app that allows you to create, edit, share and download images.
You can design flyers, social media images, presentations, and logos easily using Canva’s drag-and-drop software.
If you have a brand guide, you can customize your designs with a wide selection of colors, fonts, text style and effects. Canva even has a Brand Kit feature to save your logo(s) and color codes to your account.
If you don’t have a graphic designer on your team, Canva is an excellent option to create everyday graphics for your business.
#4. LastPass
Imagine never wasting 30 minutes looking for a forgotten password again!
LastPass is a secure password management system that saves, stores and organizes all your login details and passwords in an encrypted vault. In other words, you can access all your passwords with a single sign-on to LastPass.
You have the option to share your passwords with other members of your team or contractors for specific programs without revealing the password.
Another useful feature is the secure password generator. When you sign up for one of the 1200+ pre-integrated apps, LastPass will generate a secure password and automatically save it to your account.
#5. Hootsuite
Social media demands are intensifying for every small business owner. Hootsuite can help you post and keep track of all activity on most of your social media channels in one place.
It’s easy to set up and simple to schedule posts. Small business owners tend to prefer Hootsuite because there is a free option, and it satisfies most needs of a sole proprietor.
Hootsuite will alert you to activity on your accounts, so you can engage with your audience in a timely manner.
Three Software Programs on the Radar for 2021
#1. MoneyGrit.
If you’re a solopreneur who doesn’t have to process payroll, consider MoneyGrit. which was released in early 2021. MoneyGrit. is a new, comprehensive, easy-to-use and secure money management software designed for small business owners.
It’s the only software on the market that teaches entrepreneurs how their spending decisions affect the bottom line.
The platform is robust and allows users to customize it to their business needs. Unlike other programs, it accounts for periodic expenses (something many entrepreneurs disregard) and periodic income.
The monthly and annual planning functions empower small business owners to create a spending plan and see if it will work before they take action.
MoneyGrit. also allows solopreneurs to adjust in real time to make up for any overspending before the month ends.
#2. Microsoft Office
Microsoft 365 is a subscription service consisting of the whole suite of software tools. It’s currently available for a monthly payment of $7 for an individual plan. Many small business owners reported that they prefer to pay annually for such services, and Microsoft has heard their call.
In 2021, Microsoft will release a new, one-time price for its Office software, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, plus Exchange Server, SharePoint Server, and Skype for Business Server.
#3. Dynamic View
2020 was the year of the video conference, and the trend is likely to replace in-person meetings for the foreseeable future. While necessary, videoconferencing can be dull.
Microsoft Teams is launching a new feature in March 2021 to add some excitement and personalization to online meetings. It will allow attendees to see meeting participants and presentation content side-by-side. Attendees will also be able to customize how that information appears on their screen.
If you host many webinars or meetings, Dynamic View might be the ideal solution to make video meetings more captivating and productive.
Invest the Time to Streamline and Organize
Entrepreneurs spend so much time working on their business that taking a step back or integrating new tools seems … like more work!
But by figuring out which software programs work best for your business and spending plan, you’ll be able to dedicate your valuable time and energy to the things that move the needle.
If you want to scale your business by focusing on growth instead of maintenance, I recommend testing out a few of the tools above.
I have used some of the programs you mentioned in this article, but haven’t heard of lastpass. I think it is worth testing it in my company. Thanks for the opportunity to learn something new! 🙂