From payment processing to project management, there are so many tools available to keep everything and everyone on track. And fortunately, even if money is tight, these tools are made so accessible that some are even free!
So let’s dig into which apps we consider to be complete lifesavers when running a startup.
5 Of The Best Apps To Help Run Your Startup
BILLING/PAYMENT PROCESSING
Price: Starting at $149/month
You are running a business, and that means, hopefully, you are racking up sales. While the number one goal is to grow your client base, you may quickly realize that billing can turn into a nightmare, especially if it is recurring. Sending out invoices every month is no longer scalable, and let’s face it, this is not an area that you can afford to slip up on…literally.
One of the top suggested apps for recurring payment processing is Chargify. Chargify can be white labeled- customized to your brand’s look and feel. Its user-friendly platform allows you to set up different subscription models, activate promo codes, and customize billing email reminders. In addition, you’ll never have to send out another manual invoice again, as your clients can set up automatic payments using either a credit card or bank draft.
Making a small investment in a payment processing platform like Chargify will pay for itself ten fold in the long run, letting you sleep better at night knowing your services are being paid for.
FEEDBACK COLLECTION
Price: Free
In a company’s earliest stages and beyond, feedback will prove to be almost as valuable as revenue. Without feedback, you will never be able to grow your business or evolve your product unless you know how your users feel about it.
That being said, you will need an easy method of collecting this feedback. One platform we can’t say enough good things about is Typeform. Typeform is a simple survey tool that allows you to create beautiful surveys and quizzes that look and feel like your brand. Their easy delivery methods consist of link sharing and even paste-ready HTML code for you to add on your website. When it comes time to exporting the data collected, it integrates with Google Sheets so all information can automatically be shared and stored throughout your organization.
TEAM COMMUNICATION
Price: Free, with upgrades available
Consisting of private and public channels, Slack is an amazing platform for teams to collaborate effortlessly, sharing updates, files, to-do lists, and so much more. Slack also integrates with a slew of applications like Google Drive, Zoom, and Drift. Teams will never lose files buried in an email, and Joe from engineering will never miss out on the free beer in the break room. Not to mention, the go-to platforms as team move to more and more remote workers.
Asana
Price: Free, with upgrades available
There are a lot of moving parts in a startup, and it can be overwhelming trying to manage each project running at once. Few people can store and stay on top of each project in their head and need a tool to stay on top of tasks.
For keeping your head screwed on straight, we recommend using Asana. Asana is a fantastic project management tool that allows you to track the progress of multiple projects at once. Tasks are much less likely to slip through the cracks or fall behind. Within designated channels, users can assign other team members tasks in a project, so everyone clearly knows what is expected of them. Notifications hold you accountable if an item is falling behind or past due. While the features are endless, Asana has downloaded templates that you can pre-load on various topics like event management or a content calendar.
PASSWORD MANAGEMENT
Price: Starting at $3.99/month
If you are investing in all of these apps for your company, that means you have a lot of accounts, resulting in even more passwords for you to keep up with. No longer will your pet’s name pass as an acceptable password, making them harder and harder to remember. On top of that, most platforms require it to be changed every 30 days for additional protection.
So you don’t spend half of your day submitting “Forgot Password” requests, you need a tool to conveniently store all of your passwords in one secure location. One of the easiest tools out there is 1 Password. This tool truly lives up to its name as you really only have to remember one password. This master password is your key to accessing all of your accounts. Even logging in is easier. Simply go to the page you want to log in, click on the 1 Password extension, and it will automatically fill in your account info. In addition, if you plan making passwords easily accessible across team members, this is the tool for you.
Blog provided by Clear Start Creative
