Tools and Services That Can Help Small Businesses Bloom

Connecting your business with success doesn’t have to be a challenge. These days, you can find a wealth of inexpensive or free services and products that can easily take your small business to the next level. So, if you are ready to really see your business prosper, you need to pay attention to the following tips for success.

Don’t Shortchange Your Business Revenue Streams

Once upon a time, all you needed to run a successful small business was a cash register. However, sticking with outdated payment methods, such as only accepting cash or using complicated credit card machines, will slow down your revenue and can cut out potential customers if you’re not careful. Picking up an all-in-one card reader is the easiest way to simplify this area of your business and help you bring in more sales, process all payment forms with ease, and even streamline receipts — all with a single device.

Still, being able to ring up customers in-store should not be your only method for generating sales. If you offer services or products, putting some time into adding an e-commerce section to your business website. Setting up an e-commerce site can be a simple and inexpensive process, but those online sales can add up quickly. Check with your card machine provider to ask about adding online payments for an even quicker setup.

Stop Fumbling with Marketing, Start Connecting with Customers

Having a few different methods for taking payments is wise, but you also have to work on attracting people to your business. One of the top marketing tools that can help your business succeed is also virtually free: word of mouth. Consumers are increasingly turning to reviews on Yelp and Google when looking for new shops, restaurants, and services.

Those reviews tend to get shared on social media sites as well, which is another potential source of free marketing for your small business. Use social media to strike up interactions with current and potential customers, but have some clear objectives for what you want to achieve with those likes and shares. Social media can also be a valuable resource for networking with fellow business owners in your industry or community. Connecting with other businesses will build your reputation and offer the potential for cross-promotion. Using these tools can help your business grow, but to truly thrive, consider consulting with a local marketing pro.

Get Help Managing Your Projects, People, and Payroll

You have to stay on top of your revenue in order to sustain a successful business, but managing operations is critical as well. If you need help boosting productivity, you may find a few simple project management tools to be useful. You can generally find task management systems to fit any need, size of team, or budget, but do your homework if you plan on investing in one.

Payroll can be another source of pain for small business owners, especially if your staff is continuously growing. To keep up with the demand, and keep your staff paid on time, look into adding a payroll service to your operations expenses. These services take a lot of the guesswork out of deductions and taxes for your employees while making sure you have support if a mistake is made. Of course, you’ll also need help with other accounting tasks in your small business. Investing in efficient accounting software can make keeping track of finances a snap, and there are even cost-efficient options to keep your budget on track too.

Improving your business’s bottom line while streamlining costs and operations may seem difficult. However, effectively engaging and satisfying your customers, as well as your staff,  shouldn’t cost a fortune. Luckily, it doesn’t have to anymore. You can do it all and help your business thrive by looking for services that will save you time and money. Best of all, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of stress in the process.

What other tools and services are you using that help your business prosper? Leave a comment below.