The Best Software For Your Small Business

Simple To Use Tools That Will Make Your Life Easier

Whether you are starting a new business or running an existing one, no doubt you need to wear a lot of different hats, especially if you are a sole trader. There never seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. Here is some exceptional small business software, which will make your life a lot easier.

Lynda

Lynda is one of the first websites you should visit when you are looking for small business software, as it provides lots of courses on hundreds of different subjects. Do you want to learn how to upgrade your computer to a new operating system, how to optimise your website for search engines or how to set up your email? Lynda has short courses which cover all of that … and much more. For a small monthly fee you have access to all the tutorials. There are no contracts so you can cancel at any time. Courses are broken up into bite-size pieces, so you can do a little each day or as your schedule allows. If you don’t have several days or even weeks that you can take out of your business to attend a training course, this is the ideal solution.

Find out more about Lynda.

Wordtracker

People use different words when they search for your products and services online. In order for visitors to find you, you need to use these ‘keywords’ in your website copy. Wordtracker finds keywords that customers use when they are ready to buy and also shows you valuable competitive data as well as helping you identify and target profitable niche markets. You can try the software for free.

Find out more about Wordtracker 

GetResponse

GetResponse makes email marketing simple. You can create newsletters and autoresponders which will look great on desktops, laptops, tables and even smart phones. The software allows you do split testing, so you optimize any part of your email messages. Getresponse also lets you create landing pages for different products/services, build forms and share data via your social networks.
Find out more about GetResponse 

Paypal

If you would like to accept online or credit card payments, but don’t have a merchant account set up with your bank, then check out Paypal. There are no start up or monthly fees, no cancellation fees and no minimum payments. It can be quickly set up and you don’t need any extra software or hardware. Paypal has top security and many anti-fraud tools. You can accept payments in different currencies or even pay your suppliers.

Find out more about Paypal

LastPass

Are you having problems keeping track of all your passwords? Then check out LastPass – it manages all your passwords and login details. All you need to do is remember one password. The software is free to use and will save you hours of frustrations.
Find out more about LastPass

PicMonkey

PicMonkey is a free photo editing software. You can easily apply special effects to your pictures or create great collages including Facebook cover photos. You don’t need to download any software – simply upload your photos to the website and when you are done with your masterpiece, save it to your computer.

Find out more about PicMonkey

Shopify

Want to create your own online store? Then check out Shopify. You don’t need to have any technical or design knowledge, as you can simply choose from one of many pre-set templates. All designs can be customised, so your shop will look different to everyone else.

Find out more about Shopify

Google Analytics

If you have a website or are thinking of creating one, then it’s important to set up a system so you can understand who is visiting your site, what pages they are viewing, how they found it and more. Google Analytics is a free tool through which you can easily access your website’s the statistics. The data is displayed in easy to read graphs and charts, giving you the opportunity to quickly see what is happening with your website. To set it up all you need to do is add a little code to your website. If you are unsure how, your website designer would be able to help.

Find out more about Google Analytics.

Dropbox

Dropbox is a lifesaver if you have a number of computers and devices from which you need to access your documents. It is simple to use – all you need to do is save your data into a Dropbox folder. Whenever you edit your files or images on one computer, all your devices are automatically synchronised with the latest version. Another advantage of using Dropbox is if your main computer ever crashes, you can carry on with your business without any interruptions, as you are able to login to your Dropbox folder from any other computer, providing you have access to the internet.

Find out more about Dropbox

There is plenty of small business software available online for just about everything you need to do. Most of it is simple to use and either free or very cost effective, so invest some time in checking out these great business tools – you will be glad you did.