Small business owners face all manner of challenges when planning, starting, and maintaining their businesses, not to mention the extra complications that can arise when trying to expand. Cash flow management, accounting, government regulations, hiring, and providing health care are just some of the biggest problems business owners deal with. Fortunately, modern problems often have modern solutions, and there are plenty of choices out there for software that can help you get your startup off the ground. These are a few of the best.
Accounting Software
No business can be without proper accounting, both to manage your expenses and profits and to make sure your books are in perfect shape come tax time. You may not have the capital to hire accountants in the beginning, or you may not feel so confident with the numbers yourself, so there’s a good chance you need accounting software. Many consider Quickbooks to be the best option, and they’ve recently started catering more to small business needs. They have templates for virtually any kind of report you’ll need from inventory and accounts payable to time tracking and tax returns.
If you don’t want to pay for Quickbooks, or you feel that your business won’t take advantage of all its features, then Wave can be a good free alternative. Wave allows you to track expenses, manage receipts, and process credit card payments all from a mobile app. You can also create professional invoices and payroll sheets.
Programming Languages
It’s hard to overstate the value of knowing a programming language as an entrepreneur. Some of the most popular languages include Java, C++, and Python. Knowing these can help you design your own company website and create apps for your customers. Even if you don’t know any high-level languages yourself, you’ll want to work with people who do.
C++ vs Python is a long-standing debate in the programming world, and each language can produce perfectly good source code for your next project. The C language is a general-purpose programming language that lets you include both high-level and low-level features in programs. A downside is that C++ code can only be used on the operating system it’s running on. Python is a high-level programming language popular for its simple syntax and easy readability thanks to its use of white space, which makes it easier for beginners. Python code can also run on various platforms.
C++ is frequently used to program embedded systems, since it’s closer to the hardware, and it’s also the primary language used for videogame development. Python is frequently used in machine learning and data analysis. Which one is better for your business will simply depend on your goals.
Workboard
Speaking of your business goals, if you want to keep your business organized, maintain transparency, and encourage employee engagement, then you’ll want to invest in Work Board OKR software. OKRs stands for objectives and key results, and it’s a management framework used for goal setting, alignment, and ensuring accountability across departments.
Objectives are the strategic priorities you have for your company. These should maintain simplicity and be shared across the entire business, so each team can work toward them in some way. Increasing organic traffic to the company’s website by 40% next quarter would be a good objective.
Key results are the metrics by which you measure progress toward your objectives. These are specific and measurable, and they help you determine whether your objectives are realistic, too ambitious, or too easy. If you’ve taken efforts to improve your company’s SEO but found that organic traffic has only increased by 5% in the first month of the quarter, your objective likely needs to be adjusted.
OKRs have been used by companies like Intel, Google, and Microsoft, and adopting them for your business early on can give you the advantage you’ll need to achieve early success.
