There are so many things to remember when planning anything in life, but this could not be truer when planning to open your own business. From the idea stage through to the grand opening, big and small details must be taken into consideration. For some budding entrepreneurs, they are being faced with the tough dilemma: do they open a business amid another national lockdown or ride the storm and wait until the seas a bit calmer. While the idea of opening a business during the current restrictions might be a business owners’ worst nightmare, we are confident that there are some people out there who are itching to jump at the challenge and to make the most of the lull in the market.
If you are one of these risk-taking, thrill-seeking company owners, you have come to the right place! We have listed below a helpful guide of the must-have digital tools for setting up a business. While there are usually physical tools required for these setting-up processes, in line with current government restrictions regarding lockdown, online tools are the focus for today. Get that pen and notepad ready and read on for more!
Website Hosting and Content
The first and most important aspect of running a business online is much like having a physical business; you need somewhere to base your business from. Having a company website is an excellent place to start and will provide your business with the means to access the online business world proactively and effectively. You cannot promote a business online if there is nothing to show for it! Several different digital tools are available for building websites, with the most common including the likes of WordPress and Squarespace.
Both website designing software come with a variety of customisation tools, allowing you to create a website that reflects your company’s products and services in the way you want them to. While it is crucial to have access to tools that allow the customisation and development of a website, you will also require the means for hosting a website on a server, allowing your website to be produced for the customer upon searching. These are the first steps to launching your business in the online world, which will benefit your growth in the long-term.
Social Media Management
In tandem with launching a website, you will want to ensure that you also have social media accounts set up. Not only does this allow you to extend the reach of your business and its brand, but it provides you with an excellent opportunity for corresponding with customers and a wider audience while building levels of rapport with them. Social media business posts can be both engaging but possess a call-to-action, encouraging the audience to go to your website – which should always be linked on the social media channels – and to purchase or hire the products and services you are providing.
While social media is an excellent and free digital tool, it can often seem time-consuming, especially when planning the posts’ content and the schedule for which they will be posted. This detail might not seem important to some, but it does affect how successful a post is. By using digital tools such as Hootsuite, you can monitor the traffic that is on each social media post, enabling you to alter your schedule to post when your audience is most active. What’s more, you can schedule social media posts in advance, so you won’t need to spend your evenings sorting that out!
Internal, Everyday Use Digital Tools
Microsoft Office is the staple in many businesses worldwide and provides many packages to suit a variety of tasks. While some have grown up using Microsoft, others might be at the beginning of their journey of learning about the ins and outs. Companies far and wide provide personal and professional support when setting up Office and Office 365 for home or business. Regardless of whether you have a large or small company, there are packages out there suitable for you and your business’s needs. Whether you are searching for Office 365 Edinburgh support or Office 365 support in Exeter, there is something out there for you! Texaport is an example of a company that provides Office 365 set up and support to businesses big and small, teaching you and your employees all you need to know about using this helpful digital tool. Perfect for the online, working-from-home environment we are once again faced with, this is a cost-efficient digital tool for your business in the long term and one that is an asset to any company.
Communication and Correspondence
While e-mails are useful for transferring documents and information, there are often times when we wish that we could discuss something face-to-face, rather than in writing. With more people than ever working from home than ever before, usage of Skype, Zoom, and other video calling platforms has increased exponentially. Digital tools like this enable you to communicate with the broader workforce at a click of a button and ensure that inter-department communication levels remain high. Allowing the workforce to stay connected, even while apart, is vital to not only the business but to your employees also. Ensuring that they manage their workloads okay and have adequate support during unprecedented times, such as the present, is paramount as a business owner. Not to mention, these digital tools can also be utilised when wanting to have a social function as a team. Zoom quiz, anyone?
While these digital tools are crucial to everyday working life, they will also be necessary when businesses eventually make it back to the offices. Some companies are considering using working from home more in the future, and therefore, these digital tools will be necessary then just as much as they are now. Investing in these digital tools is sure to pay off in the long term and be cost-efficient too. The work completed as a result of the digital tools being in place is sure to pay off the cost in no time!
