Must-Have Software for Entrepreneurs

11 min read

Entrepreneurs use their adventurous spirit to succeed in business and sometimes, even to blaze new trails. Without that entrepreneurial sense of daring, we’d never have gotten the social media platforms, financial services, or many other businesses we rely on today. However, in order to be a business success, you’ve got to have the right tools to succeed.

Software for entrepreneurs can be just as vital as having the capital to pursue your business goals. As you probably know, our world is a digital one, and anybody who hopes to succeed has to participate in the business world with help from a wide range of digital tools.

Shopping for software involves more than just buying the right word processor. Sure, it’s fun to overpay to type text into a white rectangle, but there are other tools that you need to succeed. The right software can boost productivity, help you manage your company wisely, and even take a few of those extra hats off your head. Where do you turn for an entrepreneur’s new best friend?

There are fun, easy-to-use, and practical tools for your startup or young business venture. Best of all, some of these services are actually free! It’s time to take advantage of some free services, and save the overhead funds for the real entrepreneurial necessities, like a coffee machine with more features than you’ll ever use. Here are the top must-have software products for aspiring entrepreneurs like you.

Planning Software

As the saying goes, “Fail to plan, and plan to go back to your day job working for someone else.” Enloop is a business planning platform that offers plenty of free features. This is your tool for writing out a business plan, doing some financial forecasting, and even getting performance scores that tell you how good of an entrepreneur you are (if you dare to look).

There are plenty of other business planning tools for you to use (like a good old spiral notebook), but Enloop is an excellent companion to your business for several big reasons. First, it has simple tools for you to fill in the facets of your business plan, then keep these ideas/visions/goals for future perusal. Then, you can actually build your company from the ground up with tabs that help you formulate management, personnel, marketing, and other business tasks.

Enloop also gives you a perfect, neat package you get to show and tell for investors, banks, and anyone looking for a smart place to drop some cash. Why should they choose you? Gather the info you’ve entered into Enloop and create your presentation. Make sure your business plan is richly detailed and specific. You’ll be more likely to come out as a winner.

Accounting Software

Ideally, your business becomes so successful that you can hire on a high-rise full of accountants in crisp, white button-downs to do your accounting. For now, it’s just you and accounting software called Xero. As its name might suggest, it costs nothing to get started. Track billing, expense reports, and more all from one virtual platform with Xero.

This is an essential program for entrepreneurs who may be full of big, bold ideas but not so interested in boring stuff like bookkeeping. Don’t get yourself into financial or legal trouble. Keep track of all of your spending, income, and more in Xero.

Tools like this are vital for getting the big picture of your company. How profitable are you? How likely are investors to be very, very angry with you? Be a good business person and keep all your finances in order (and in one place).

Productivity Software

Depending on the industry you’re so bravely foraying into, you may need a variety of productivity tools. Spreadsheets and presentation software could be part of your daily routine, whereas some employees may spend most of their time web conferencing. However, every member of your team needs a place to keep track of tasks, manage assignments, appropriate work, plan meetings, and stay on top of deadlines. (And no, talking over a game of golf doesn’t cut it).

Websites like Trello are your virtual workplace. While it may seem like a simple list-making app, it does far more — and it’s compatible across multiple platforms. Arrange tasks, meetings, notes, and deadlines in an easy-to-use tool that’s free to start and likely free for the rest of your team to use alongside you, too. Trello has a lean and attractive interface that makes managing assignments easy and helps to supervise staff identify each individual team member’s workflow. Trello is gracious enough to send you email notifications — you know, for that thing you’re supposed to be doing right now. They include generous customization tools, too, if you feel like putting a little team spirit into your productivity board.

Marketing Software

Marketing ends up chewing up so much of your budget that entrepreneurs need a few productive ways to cut corners. While most businesses are encouraged to devote as much as 10% of revenue to marketing, it helps to have some free places to start-up campaigns. Sure, social media is a great place to get the word out, but software like Mailerlite can help you design robust email marketing campaigns — without being designated a spambot.

Mailerlite is free and includes simple tools entrepreneurs can use to design email newsletters, incorporate links and photos, build landing pages to welcome clients to your site, and even review analytics. The latter is especially important because you can evaluate your email campaigns, determine if anyone gives a darn about what you’re sending out, and adjust accordingly. With Mailerlite, you get to take advantage of a free service that can generate leads and even boost company revenue. Talk about a return on investment.

Messaging Software

You need a platform to stay in contact with your team that isn’t your private phone number. Enter Slack. This simple tool creates a conversation platform between you, your partners, and your employees.

Get in touch with teammates, collaborate on projects, and even start virtual team-building events on Slack’s snappy interface. It’s a more professional place to chat than social media, and unlike giving out your phone number, you maintain some semblance of privacy. Build channels centered around tasks, topics, or even teams, and then stay in touch on the go. You can use tags and hashtags to draw attention to topics, direct conversation with certain individuals, or even use direct messaging channels to plot things in secret.

Slack is a great tool for keeping remote workers in the loop with each other. Who needs a drab, fluorescent-lit office when Slack allows you to interact and collaborate from any location with the Internet? If anything, software like Slack expands your horizons, so you aren’t limited to building your team locally.

Ecommerce Software

Finally, every business needs a virtual place to exchange goods. It just makes sense for 2021. Design a unique virtual store where potential customers can browse your product line, read in-depth product details, and fill their shopping carts — all without the expense of building a brick-and-mortar storefront.

Don’t turn to big ecommerce shops like Amazon or eBay, either. These virtual stores are designed to funnel money to the top, rather than benefit you in any significant way. Also, there’s no way to customize your store. If you want to sell goods and build a successful business — all on an easy-to-access virtual platform, choose Ecwid.

Ecwid is an ecommerce platform that entrepreneurs can use to set up shop online. Create your virtual store, launch your big opening — no giant scissors required, change up your inventory, and even market your business right from the platform. You get to selling while also reducing overhead costs in an attractive virtual marketplace. You can even sync your online Ecwid store with social media sites, your company website, and other ecommerce marketplaces!

Get in touch with Ecwid today to learn how to take your business venture from an idea to a live online store. We’ll help you build the foundations for a successful business — no experience required.

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Jun 11, 2021

About the author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.