When it comes to setting up a business there are plenty of considerations to think about. If you’re setting up as a freelancer, working remotely, then this is far easier but when it comes to creating a workforce and dealing with the logistics of managing people, labour hire rates, goods and services then that job is made all the harder.
Harder, but not impossible and there is certainly plenty of technology out there that’s going to make your job easier. Nothing can ever replace your human guidance and your decision making but why not gather up some technology that’s going to save you time and money when running your business?
In this blog, we take a look at some of the best, most reliable business technology and explore how it might benefit you and your business.
Xero
When it comes to finances, even the most straightforward of businesses demand accurate accounting and the need to keep on top of the figures. If you’re a one-person set up this can feel overwhelming and very quickly you’ll find yourself behind in one aspect or another.
Rather than wait to get to this point, start as you mean to go out with accounting software like Xero. This smart programme might take a day or two to get used to, but once you’ve mastered it you’ll have your books well and truly under control.
Use Xero to track all your income and expenditure, to log and pay out expenses, pay your workforce and invoices and produce monthly reports.
Your staff will also be able to book time off through the system, providing all the information you need under one handy roof. There are other software packages available but we find Xero to be consistently at the top of its game.
Asana 
When your workforce is spread around the country, maybe you have satellite offices or maybe a lot of your team work remotely, it can be hard for everyone to stay on track when working collaboratively.
Having access to shared documents isn’t quite enough and you’re going to need something a little more focussed to get everyone working towards the same goals without overlapping or missing out vital, key steps along the way.
Asana allows your team to do just that. Everyone involved in one project will be able to pin tasks to do and see what everyone else is working on. Tasks can be assigned, completed and ticked off by the project leader and any changes to the task or work will be flagged up as a notification sent to all team members. There’s no excuse for not knowing or missing deadlines with this truly collaborative software that might just revolutionise how you work.
ProofHub
Hot on the heels of Asana is ProofHub, which arguably drills a little deeper than Asana when it comes to project management. Use this programme to do all of the above but you’ll also be able to create dynamic reports on the status of your business project and plot the time spent to better understand the life cycle of a project and make adjustments as appropriate for the next one.
You also have access to file and document sharing and a powerful app version so everyone has ProofHub on the go, on their tablet or mobile phone as well as their laptop or PC.
Zoho One
If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution than this piece of software might just meet all your needs. With 40 applications on this one platform your staff will be able to use this integrated system for their CRM needs, to manage accounts, send business emails, project management, document and file management, social media marketing and so on.
The list just goes on and covers just about every aspect of your business. The great thing about Zoho One is that with everyone working from the same software your file sharing and task management are seamlessly integrated. Whether every individual application is up to the standard you need remains to be seen.
Timecamp
This clever software will help you keep track of the time you spend on projects. This is particularly useful if you bill by the hour or day or run a consultancy business or work as a freelancer.
You can also use it within your team and will be able to generate invoices based on your team’s input. There are desktop and mobile app versions available and best of all this software is very simple to use and get to get started on. A smart, simple and effective piece of software that just makes life easier.
Dropbox
We know this isn’t new to the market but Dropbox is one of those programmes that comes up time and time again as one of the most reliable and straightforward online file storage sites. What’s great about it is that even the free version has a great amount of storage capacity but it’s easy to upgrade where necessary. Just set up your account and off you go.
A more recent addition to the Dropbox system was the introduction of Paper, which now allows teams to not only file share but to work collaboratively on a document.
Being the boss, your team looks to you for guidance and to make their jobs as straightforward to do as possible. Software and technology isn’t always the answer and doesn’t compensate for poor management skills but if you’re giving your team a fighting chance of working in an integrated and logical fashion, then you’re already ahead of the game.
Look at software that allows your remote and office-based workers to interact through smart shared filing and document management system. Find task management software that encourages team members to organise and execute tasks in a way that keeps projects on track and make your life easier with accounting software that does the hard work for you.
Get the basics in place and your business and build on those firm foundations for a business that has longevity and success built into it.
