8 Great Tools to Use When Building Businesses from the Ground Up

With the rise of the internet, entrepreneurs now have access to fantastic tools that can help us make better, well-informed business decisions. According to a study published in ResearchGate.net, the digital tool knowledge of micro-enterprises owner-managers has a great impact on their success. With that, we’d like to recommend eight tools that can help you build your business from the ground up.

1. Google Workspace

As basic as it may seem, Google Workspace is popular among businesses and various workplaces because it provides different productivity and collaboration tools. These tools include Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Chat, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and so much more. MyTechDecisions.com also reports that although the pricing has changed for some Workspace offerings, there are still Business Starter Plan and Annual Plan options. 

Widely used and recognized Extensive range of tried and tested work tools Optional Business Starter Plan and Annual Plan options

2. Wave

Waveapps.com or Wave Accounting calls itself a one-stop money management application for small business owners. Its main purpose is to simplify the process of handling invoices, sales tax and collection tracking, and general management. Unlike its biggest competitor FreshBooks, Wave’s software is completely free to use, which is great news for startups who want to get their finances in order but with a limited budget. 

Handles invoicing, sales tax & collection, and activity tracking. Includes a dashboard for easy navigation of financial statuses Completely free, but with optional paid services

3. Dropbox

Dropbox has multiple competitors when it comes to cloud storage and file hosting services, but it continues to grow with more than 700 million users across 180 countries. Dropbox allows teams to work together on terabytes of audio and video files, preview Adobe design files, and compile input via frame-accurate commenting. Its security features are also higher than that of Microsoft and Google Drive. 

Integrates well even with files from both Microsoft and Google Password-protected file-sharing enabled Rich media integration especially with Adobe products

4. Monday

Moving on to the more client-facing side of things, every business benefits from Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software. One we’re keeping an eye on is Monday.com – a flexible, cloud-based CRM that is best for collaborative teams. It allows users to visualize work in Kanban-style boards where you can add progress updates, due dates, comments, attachments, and even forecast sales. 

Offers a robust free plan for 14 days Pro plan can help users forecast sales iOS and Android apps available

5. Namechk

Part of the process of creating a website is choosing a domain name. But this step can be tricky, as there are nearly 2 billion websites on the internet. You can use the domain name generator, Namechk.com. Simply input relevant keywords and receive suggestions in mere seconds. You can also use the site to check for name availability, learn more about web hosting, and check out website builder reviews. 

Learn about web hosting, website builders, and registering domain names Free domain name generator and availability checker

6. WordPress

43% of the web is created on WordPress, and businesses constantly rely on this Content Management System (CMS) thanks to its thousands of pre-built website templates, extensions, themes, and plugins. For instance, there are various Google Translate plugins compatible with WordPress.com that can help your website reach global clientele. WordPress also works with most third-party tools and services seamlessly. 

Features lots of pre-built designs, extensions, and themes Suited for a variety of website uses such as business, blog, portfolio, or online store Good for first-time website owners

7. YouTube Content

There’s much to learn from successful people. Fortunately, there are quite a lot of them that are also willing to help startups and budding businesses, and some entrepreneurs openly talk about their experiences on YouTube.com. For instance, Louise Henry is a tech expert with 134K subscribers – she went from zero sales on her first product launch to selling $100,000s of that same online course. You’d be surprised at what they have to say.

8. Online Courses

Lastly, online courses for entrepreneurs have become increasingly popular since the onset of the pandemic. We think it’s a good thing, as it’s never too late to start learning, and there’s no such thing as knowing too much. You can check entrepreneurship courses from Coursera, Udemy, or Edx. Also, keep your eyes peeled for free online short courses offered by various universities.