As a small business owner, your time is incredibly valuable. So many of the core responsibilities of running the company – maybe even all of them – fall on your plate. With such a large number and wide variety of tasks to complete on a daily basis, it’s easy to feel like you’re spread too thin, particularly during this time of year. In addition to your usual workload, you also have the holidays to worry about.
Phew, take a deep breath. It’s completely understandable to feel a bit scatterbrained as a business owner. But, if you aren’t working efficiently, you’re compromising a precious resource – your time. And, as they say, time is money.
Luckily, there are countless tools out there designed to assist with every aspect of your business. Why learn a specialized skill or manually complete a task when there’s a tool that can do it for you? Consider it a perk of living in the internet age – there’s an app for everything. Here’s a round-up of some essential time-saving tools that can help you optimize your productivity.
Password Manager
For every online account you have, there’s another password to keep track of. If you’re smart about security, you don’t use the same password for everything, and your passwords are nice and complex with a variety of characters, numbers, capitalization, etc. But how do you remember this collection of complicated passwords? Enter the password manager. There are many options out there, including Dashlane, Sticky Password and LastPass, that safely store and remember your secure passwords, so you don’t have to.
Social Media Manager
By now you probably know the importance of maintaining a strong social media presence, but finding the time to consistently update your accounts can be a challenge. A social media manager, such as Buffer, Hootsuite or Sprout Social, lets you plan your editorial calendar in advance, automatically publish posts at your chosen time (or the most optimal time according to data), manage engagement, analyze performance and more.
Planning and creating your social media content in advance will not only result in more thoughtful posts, it will save you lots of time.
Website Builder
Perhaps you’re just getting started as an entrepreneur or you’re ready to revamp your existing website. What used to require months of time, thousands of dollars and the help of a professional can now be done in under an hour. No kidding. With GoDaddy Website Builder, you simply enter your business name and category, choose from our selection of eye-catching templates, customize your content and publish. You can even do it from your smartphone. A new website in under an hour? Talk about a timesaver.
Photo by Oliver Thomas Klein on Unsplash
Accounting Software
Unless you have an affinity for crunching numbers, accounting is probably one of the biggest chores of running a business.
It may not be fun, but it’s important – inaccurate financial management can be damaging to your business and lead to money loss.
Accounting tools, such as Quickbooks and Xero, do the heavy lifting for you and ensure your finances are accurate, up-to-date and in order. Carefully managed books are a lifesaver come tax time, and knowing exactly how your money is coming and going can provide peace of mind and insight for future planning.
Office 365
Office 365 from GoDaddy provides online versions of the Office suite you know and love. This cloud-based solution lets you work from anywhere, so you can really make the most of your time. Traveling for work? On the other side of town for a meeting? No problem. Even when you’re away from your desk, you’ll have access to the files and programs you need to get the job done.
Communication Tools
Quick and easy communication tools like Slack and Skype allow you to connect with employees and clients without the hassle of emails, phone calls or in-person meetings. Want to hash out a project with a group of employees? Jump into a group chat. Need to meet with an out-of-town client? Skip the trip and do it over Skype.
During this hectic season, take a moment to streamline your productivity with these essential tools. You’ll save time, money and a whole lot of headaches.
