Starting a business is one thing and managing it is something else. In this era, it’s very important to use the best tools for business startups—thanks to technology. With the best tools in place, it can make a difference in managing your startup.
In this blog, I will give you the best tools for business startups, which are either free or budget-friendly for a start-up. While free tools can have certain limitations, they will be a great start for your business and you can upgrade according to your growth.
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Top 8 Tools for Business Startups
1. Communication Tools
Communication is very important in any business setting. Mastering the best way to communicate within your business is one way you can set it up for success from day one.
With so many channels and different ways to pass communication in this digital era, it may be tough to select the best communication means for your business startup.
So now, for a professional setup, you need a reliable communication channel that fits well with your employees.
- Slack. This tool is ideal for instant messaging, team channels, and integrations with tools like Google Drive and Trello. Slack has a free plan while paid plans start at $ 8.75 per month.
- Zoom. This tool is perfect for video meetings, screen sharing, and virtual webinars. Zoom is free for a 40-minute meeting. From there, you will pay starting from $13 per user per month.
- Microsoft Teams. This tool combines video conferencing, file sharing, and team chat all in one platform. MS Teams is free. However, you will get more features if you’ve paid for the Microsoft 365 plan, which starts at $6 per user per month.
- Google Meet. With your team, this tool enables video conferencing, presentations, and file sharing. Google Meet is free for anyone with a Gmail account. You can invite up to 100 people to your meeting and host a meeting of 60 minutes per meeting.
2. Social Media Management Tools
Social Media is one of the most popular areas where businesses are getting clients in this era. And that’s one reason why your business should have social media across the channels where you can find your target audience.
It might be so overwhelming to manage all those channels individually. And that’s where the social media management tools come into play. With these tools, you can easily plan your content across all channels.
Some of these tools are free, while you can get others at a small cost.
For instance, the Meta Business Suite is a free tool where you can schedule and manage your Facebook Page and Instagram posts. In addition, the Facebook Mobile app allows you to schedule your posts for up to 30 days for free.
Furthermore, with LinkedIn, you can still schedule your posts for up to one month. This will help you to focus on other things to build up your business.
Other tools you can use to manage all the social media channels include the following:
- Hootsuite. This tool has a free plan available; while paid plans start at $99/month.
- Buffer. Free plan for up to three channels; paid plans start at $5 per channel/month.
- Plannable is another social management tool you can try for free or pay starting from $33 per workstation per month.
At Cecilia Wayua Tech, we can help you manage your social media marketing, from choosing the right channels for your target clients to creating and publishing your social media content.
- Email Marketing Tools
Email marketing is one of the few ways you can own your audience. If you start building your email marketing today, you can have thousands of audience in the next few months/years. However, the growth rate depends on your strategies to turn your audience into committed email subscribers.
A smart tip for growing your email marketing audience is to have a lead magnet that’s gonna draw people to your list. However, to keep your audience glued to your email list, you should at least share helpful tips and some free pecks frequently. In short, you have to convince them to stay around.
Some of the email marketing tools you can rely on are:
- Mailchimp: Free plan available; paid plans start at $10/month for 500 subscribers for the first year, then the price doubles for the coming years.
- MailPoet: You can have a free account for up to 500 subscribers and send up to 5000 messages per month. The paid plan starts from $10 for every 500 subscribers and you can send unlimited emails, segment your subscribers, plus other benefits not available in the free plan.
- Aweber. This is a good email marketing tool for startups. You can start with the free plan that allows you to have 500 subscribers and send 3000 emails monthly. You can also access the stats of your audience and emails sent. If you grow your audience past that, you can upgrade to the Lite plan where you pay $15 monthly or $150 annually.
At Cecilia Wayua Tech, we can help you draft proper email marketing for your business. Your deliberation in this era starts with you creating a reliable audience. Let’s do that together! Allow us to manage your email marketing through sending newsletters, and creating landing pages and campaigns suitable for your products and services.
- Tools for Business Startups: Accounting/ Invoicing Tools
Of course, you need to keep your business afloat, and you will do that by setting your finances straight. That’s one reason that every business should have accounting and invoicing tools in place.
These tools help you to keep track of your sales, purchases, taxes, and all expenses for your business. With the right personnel and tools, you can be sure to have accurate financial data about your business.
Some of the most reliable accounting tools are:
- Quickbooks. With this accounting tool, you can keep track of all purchases, sales, invoicing, taxes, salaries, and any other expenses related to your business. You can start with the free trial for one month, then pay a 50% cost for the first year.
- Tally Solutions: This is an accounting software you can use to keep track of your business. With Tally Prime, you can link your bank, do inventory management, payroll management, accounting, invoicing, purchases, and any other data related to your business. The pricing for Tally Prime starts from Ksh.43,000 inclusive of VAT.
- Tools for Business Startups: Cloud Storage
Data is very crucial for any business. And that’s one reason you should have secure storage for your business data. Right now, in this era, we are all trying to go paperless. Furthermore, it’s now safer to store your important documents in the cloud than to keep them somewhere in your office.
That said, there have emerged multiple cloud storage to facilitate the secure storage of documents in soft copy. These storages also facilitate secure transfers across different channels. Thus, this is something you should have for your business.
Some of the best cloud storage tools include:
- Google Workspace. With Google Workspace, you can access special cloud storage in different apps. Furthermore, you can also boost productivity with Gemini AI in Google Workspace. The plan starts at $6 per user/month.
- Microsoft OneDrive. Included with Microsoft 365, starting at $6 per user/month.
- Dropbox. Free plan available; paid plans start at $16.58/month for 3 TB of storage for one user.
- Project Management Tools
You need to keep your team clean and occupied. And that’s why you may need project management tools, especially with remote workers. Project management tools help you to assign tasks to your team.
You can also track the progress of each project and act accordingly. Your team members can also share tasks within these tools for easy collaboration.
Some of these tools include:
- Trello. This project management tool has a free plan available and paid plans start at $5 per user/month.
- Asana. This also has a free plan available while paid plans start at $10.99 per user/month.
- Monday.com. This project management tool has a free version that can have up to two people. While paid plans start at $9 per user/month.
- Tools for Business Startups: Analytics Tools
Data is very important for any organisation. Thus, you need to have clear ways to access your business data anytime you wish to. You can only do this with an analytics tool in place.
For instance, if you have a website or a YouTube channel, Google Analytics will be great to keep track of your growth.
With Analytics tools in place, you can monitor where your business gets much traffic from when they visit, and their buyer preferences. This data will help you make the right decision for your business.
Google Analytics is free for startups, while big enterprises can use Analytics 360 and pay $50k per year. You can take advantage of the free version and use it to learn more about your audience preferences.
Google Search Console also works wonders for businesses. With GSC, you can get data about where your website visitors come from, and what they search to get to your site.
- Graphics and Design Tools
It is high time to make a difference with great visuals for your brand. It’s simpler to grow your business brand using visuals than trying without—this is from my experience in building Cecilia Wayua Tech.
However, to make your brand stand out from the crowd, you should ensure to use design tools to sharpen the look of your brand visuals.
Visuals play a vital role in attracting and retaining customers. Quality design tools help you create brand assets, social media posts, and promotional materials easily.
- Canva. This design tool is good for startups. It has a free plan available, while the Pro plan starts at $6.5/month.
- Adobe Spark. This tool has a fee plan available, while the Premium plan starts at $9.99/month.
- Figma. This tool has a free plan available, while paid plans start at $15 per editor/month.
Tools for Business Startups: The Bottom Line
The right tools can transform how startups operate, helping teams stay organised, maintain communication, and reach customers more effectively.
Investing in essential tools can help startups to set themselves up for scalable growth and lasting success.
Let Cecilia Wayua Tech run your social media channels, email marketing, and graphic design. Allow us to take your brand to the next level.
Tools for Business Startups: FAQs
1. Why do startups need multiple tools?
Startups require various tools to handle distinct functions such as marketing, finance, team collaboration, and customer engagement. These tools help to streamline tasks, improve efficiency, and foster growth.
2. Which tools are best for small budgets?
Many essential tools offer free plans, such as Google Workspace for basic document sharing, Trello for project management, and Canva for design. These free versions often provide sufficient functionality for startups on a budget.
3. Can tools replace a marketing team?
While tools can automate many tasks and improve efficiency, they’re not a replacement for strategy and creativity. A marketing team or consultant is still valuable in guiding brand direction and campaign management.
4. How do I choose the right tools for my startup?
Start by identifying your startup’s primary needs, whether it’s marketing, customer engagement, or financial management. Try free trials, prioritise scalability, and choose tools that integrate with others in your tech stack.