Businesses of every size rely on software to be more efficient. For small business owners who need to run multiple functions, having the right software that's in line with their company's budget is crucial for startup success. Here is a list of business apps that get the job done.
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Stormboard
If you are looking to brainstorm with your partners and need to provide quick feedback efficiently, look no further than Stormboard. With Stormboard, you can brainstorm, organize and prioritize your team's work in real time, never missing a beat on what's important. Collaborate on prototypes and launch strategies and marketing ideas — all seamlessly synced on your iPhone, Android and desktop apps. Stormboard is free for up to five users, then priced at $8.33/user for more advanced features like reporting, document sharing and custom templates.
Basecamp
Basecamp is one the leading project management tools and for good reason, it delivers powerful collaboration tools for managing all of your projects. With features such as to-do lists, a Gmail-like message board, group and private chats, reports, scheduling, notifications and deep search, it's really the go-to for businesses of all sizes. It's free for the first account you create and $29 per month for a team account.
Proved
Market validation is one of the most important steps an early startup can undertake, after all, why build something if no one wants it? Proved provides a place to test your idea for free. It works by sending out your company's pitch and gathering unbiased customer feedback from a targeted demographic. The feedback will include what they like about it and most importantly, whether they would buy it as a customer. Proved offers a number of plans to choose from from free to pro, depending on the number of respondents you wish to include. Bonus: They offer discounts for startups.
Slidebean
When your company is looking to present its idea in front of potential investors, it's important to have a pitch deck that's not only captivating, but expertly crafted and tailored to the people you're meeting. Slidebean allows anyone to create a pitch deck in minutes. It also offers numerous resources, like pitch deck templates crafted by leading investors themselves. For $19 per month, it's really a no brainer.
FounderSuite
Finding a few investors is hard enough, but how do you find investors who are well matched for your company's idea? FoundersSuite gives you access to over 25,000 investors, indexed from the very popular AngelList. Along with a powerful search with filters, FoundersSuite offers a platform for managing the entire fundraising process. With their platform, you can host your company's pitch deck, non-disclosure agreements, term sheets and financial needs, making it easy for potential investors to see everything in one place. If you're looking to fundraise efficiently and cost effectively, look no further than FoundersSuite.
Divide.io
If your company creates mobile apps, you have to have a BaaS (backend as a service) solution. Divide is one that is quickly growing in popularity for its stable service and on-going development. Being fully open-sourced and free, Divide is perfect for mobile app companies that are just starting out. With Divide, you can sign up and login users, store and retrieve data, and set up push notifications. The service is ideal for mobile games, social media apps and apps that require data syncing.
Sage 50
Accounting for your company's finances doesn't have to be hard or cumbersome. Sage 50 online accounting tools let users track invoices, payables and receivables, as well as manage payroll. And with the software being in the cloud, you or your accountant can manage the company finances from anywhere where there's an internet connection. A perfect option for busy entrepreneurs on the go.
Small businesses need to run efficiently and to do that, they need to empower their routines. From accounting with Sage to presenting client proposals through Basecamp, small businesses need to make software work for them, all at the price points that make the company run lean.
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