Aren’t some programmes just amazing finds for all sorts of areas of your business? The tools that are available – often completely free of charge – seem never-ending. I just love to test them out when I’ve read about something new or someone suggests a previously undiscovered system!
Five of the top programmes I use and recommend in my business as a Virtual Assistant are detailed below. Each of these are available free of charge. Equally, they can make your small business (and life) so much more streamlined, organised and efficient. All of them offer amazing business support and help give a much more professional look and feel. Great for your customers too.
1) Wetransfer
If you’ve never used Wetransfer before, it will transform your life! No longer any need to send more than one email when sending a lot of data. You don’t have to make images smaller to reduce their file size, either. No login or registration is required, just a straightforward nil-cost system. It makes it so easy to securely send up to 2GB of files direct from one email address to another, via the internet.
2) Toggl
This one is an amazingly useful time management tool and available as an app. If you’re running a service-orientated business, juggling various clients, it’s invaluable. Fabulous for knowing how long tasks and activities take, it’s easy to sign up for the free version of Toggl. You can assign all sorts of projects to different clients and then record your time, either manually or automatically. The end result is that you can accurately track how many hours have been spent on any project and even produce a professional report with all the details per project/client.
3) Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a simple system and app to use. Facilities include being able to create and send branded, professional, templated emails with the additional capability to track customer behaviour on a mobile dashboard. You can easily receive sales alerts and performance reports making it a great one-stop shop for creating and monitoring customer newsletters and promotional communications.
4) Hubspot
Hubspot is a great CRM system with a mobile app for when you’re on the move. It makes it easy to streamline all the data for existing and prospective customers, offering up to 1,000,000 contacts, users and storage, completely free of charge. Similarly, the categories for client data and the tasks involved are easy to amend. It’s also simple to change the areas of information which are more relevant for your business to view. You can link Hubspot with your calendar and set task reminders to be emailed to you on any timescales you choose.
5) Brightbook
Although not able to be connected to any bank account, Brightbook is a free of charge, basic but fabulous accounting programme is available online but currently sadly not available as an app. With the facility to record and report on outstanding monies per client as well as generate, save and send invoices and statements whilst logging and storing in one place, all relevant bills and expenses, it’s an amazing free accounting tool for small businesses to feel on top of their accounts.
If you need any support on any of these programmes, please give us a ring today.