In a fast-paced working environment, it can often be overwhelming to try and manage everything going on around you. I.T. has continued to change and mold the way we do business, and the plethora of tech tools and platforms out there can make running a startup or more established company much easier.
With so many to choose from, finding tools that will support the business flow, rather than hinder it, can be a fine art – often it’s a case of trial and error. The right tools can simplify so many tasks, such as HR, accounting and project management.
Here’s a list of 6 tech tools that will help your business get more from every working day, boosting productivity whilst also helping employees collaborate more.
1. Quickbooks – online accounting software
Quickbooks is incredibly quick and easy to set up – if you’re looking to streamline your accounting processes then this is an essential tool for any business. It makes light work of fairly complex accounting and payroll requirements.
The integration with multiple bank accounts, the auto-import of transactions and the fact that Quickbooks remembers how you analyse each transaction so that after a month or two, the process of posting your cashbook is incredibly quick and painless.
The reconciliation and instant reporting functions are handy tools for any business as it clearly shows how your business is performing. Another exciting feature is that you can flexibly integrate payroll into the platform, making Quickbooks one of our top recommended tech tools.
2. TallyPro – time tracking software
Time tracking software such as TallyPro provides a 360-degree picture of who is doing what and how long it’s taking them to do it – a key element for any business if they are looking to boost profitability.
TallyPro offers an extensive range of features, from logging and allocating time to projects and activities through to reporting, expenses, invoicing and billing.
The ease of use, flexibility and capability TallyPro delivers helps customers maximise recovery of time spent, save time on admin, and generate accurate and insightful reports. Its tailored option is perfect for clients looking to customise their time tracking preferences at absolutely no extra cost.
This time tracking software can answer the key questions. Who are the most profitable clients? Or, on the other hand, which employees are bringing in the highest billables? Using the tool effectively can highlight where profit margins are made – an essential piece of knowledge for any business looking to succeed and boost their bottom line.
3. Slack – team communication
Communication is key for any company, whether you’re office based or working remotely. Keeping track of the endless email threads, Skype conversations, text messages and WhatsApp chats becomes confusing and important messages get lost.
86% of employees blame ineffective communication or lack of collaboration for workplace failures, according to a survey by leadership development firm, Fierce.
Slack brings all team communication into one place and can be segmented into “Channels” for various topics with different people. Don’t let ineffective communication be the reason for failures within your business.
Slack also makes it simple to find that tidbit of information that someone posted five weeks ago that you just now need to find. Not only is the search fast and friendly, but it’s also filterable, creating a collaborative communication tool in which no message gets lost!
4. Trello – project management
Trello is the easy, free, flexible, and visual way to manage projects and organise yourself and your team. The visual list tool helps to manage almost anything – whether you’re organising work projects, family chores or even travel plans.
It’s perfect as a way of managing tasks around a team of employees – and what’s even better is that the free version is brilliant. You can easily see everything that is going on in real time and alerts let you know when anything happens. It makes collaboration simple, and actually kind of fun!
Trello cards are like sticky notes you arrange on a corkboard making organising all aspects of work and life in a visually appealing and clear way. These digital sticky notes are searchable, shareable, and come with reminders. We all need a little nudge once in a while!
5. Realtime Board – collaboration tool
This tool is an exciting way of documenting, saving and sharing collaborative work with teams. The interactive, online whiteboards allow a vast variety of information to be documented and shared, which creates versatility for businesses in its use of real time boards.
The concept is perfect regardless of whether you are all in the same room or spread out around the world. Collect references and screenshots, create mood boards, and analyse user insights easily.
Work on user research together with your team and clients — create persona models, empathy maps and user journeys using pre-made templates – it’s really simple to use and brings remote teams closer and working on the same goals and projects together in real-time.
6.TriNet – Human resources outsourcing
TriNet provides an HR solution for businesses so that they can free themselves from the complexities of HR and focus on their goals. TriNet assumes many of the responsibilities of being an employer and helps these companies contain costs, minimise employer-related risks and relieve the administrative burden of HR.
Every company is looking for ways to become more streamlined and efficient in its everyday practices. Outsourcing non-essential tasks is key and Trinet provides a way for businesses to offload virtually all HR functions. The company handles payroll, benefits management, and compliance, and all the associated data.
HR is obviously something that varies at every firm, and that’s what’s great about TriNet. It provides industry-specific HR teams – its hedge fund, hospitality and technology clients are each supported by a different team that is expertly equipped to handle their unique HR needs.
Streamlining your business practices has never been easier. If HR is dealt with – the focus can move towards boosting the company to achieve its goals.
