If you’re wondering how those other business owners do it, we’re here to let you in on some of the secrets. A few tools can elevate your business, and these are some of the five best: Google Docs The power of Google is incredible, and Google Docs is no exception. It is an online word processor that allows much of the same formatting capabilities of Microsoft Word. Main Features:
- Store all your documents online. Any computer with an internet connection can pull them up, not just the one at home.
- See previous versions of your documents. If you made changes and didn’t mean to, you can go back to changes that were made hours, days, or weeks ago.
- Share documents with colleagues, with editing capabilities. You can share a document with other people and control how much access they have. More than one person can edit the document at the same time, making collaboration easier than ever.
Slack
Slack is a business messaging tool that allows all contributors to have access to many different threads for group or one-on-one conversations without getting lost in a sea of cross-talk. Main Features:
- Organize conversations. You can separate different topics into channels, so that teams can be focused depending on the thread they’re in. Access to each channel can be granted or denied to contributors.
- Search through past conversations. A really handy feature is the search tool, which will let you look back through the history of your conversations looking for the right word or phrase.
- Connect other apps. Over 1500 of them can connect to Slack, including Google Drive, Dropbox, Zoom, and calendar apps.
MeetUp
MeetUp is a website and app that allows you to either create or join events that are based on your interests. It’s a great way to meet professionals, network, and present your business to customers. Main Features:
- Find potential customers. Meeting up with people who would be interested in your services can boost your visibility instead of waiting for them to find you on social media.
- Network with professionals. There are meetups for every type of professional group out there. You can find people in the same or similar industries to swap ideas.
- Build a new skill. Meetups can also give you a chance to hone new skills, including public speaking, business IT, and more.
Adobe Spark
Adobe Spark is a free graphic design app that has professional templates, fonts, and images to spice up all of your business materials. This is a great way to spice up your marketing tools. Main Features:
- Beautiful designs, no experience required. You don’t have to have a background in graphic design to make these pages pop. Their templates are easily customizable, and can be resized for any platform.
- Projects sync up online. Similar to the Google Documents perk about being able to save your information on the cloud, Spark allows you to do the same and switch between any computer you need.
- Upgrade your brand. With the paid Spark features, you can customize even further to reflect the colors, logo, and style that best suits your brand.
The Flight Club
When you feel like you’re flying solo, The Flight Club provides technology, training, and support for all your professional needs. This premium service will take away your stress so you can focus on other parts of the business. Main Features:
- Access QuickBooks®. Sign on to the quintessential accounting software remotely, and get access to training so that you’re using it to your full advantage.
- Store your documents. Connect your Google Docs, DropBox, Office365, or more to this electronic storage cabinet for easy access and sharing.
- Get discounted service and advice. The Flight Club’s “Trusted Allies” gives you access to business consultants, CPAs, insurance brokers, and more.
