Five Must-Have Tools for Your Business

If a plumber is only as good as his toolbox, an entrepreneur is only as good as the tools they have at their disposal as well. With the advances made in technology and accessibility, there’s no excuse for not having the right tools to succeed.

To be a successful business owner, there are many tools you could use to stay on track and run a profitable business. Here are five of the best tools for the modern business owner.

Humanity

Scheduling is often a point of contention and can be a logistical nightmare. Humanity is a scheduling app that does so much more. The Humanity software not only makes scheduling easy, it also creates a centralized system for employees to handle putting in vacation requests and swapping shifts. It also sends employees reminders to their phone, so there’s no excuse for missing time.

Humanity can track scheduling patterns and help forecast employee needs. It also integrates with most payroll software for a streamlined system that’s easy to use.

MarketMuse

Search engine optimization (SEO) has become a bit of a buzzword in recent years. Unlike many buzzwords, however, it has a lot of substance to back it up. Having digital SEO content on your website, through the use of keywords, meta descriptions, website speed, etc. can make a significant impact on your rankings when someone searches for something relevant to your business. The higher you are on the list, the more likely you are to be selected during a search.

MarketMuse is a tool that allows you to analyze your content for keywords and compare it to the competition. It can tell you what words to use and how many times you should use them to improve your SEO. This tool is great for going back and improving previously published content.

Forest

Forest is an app that uses the Pomodoro technique to keep you on track. When using the Pomodoro technique, you commit to 20-30 minutes of uninterrupted, distraction-free work, which will be rewarded with a 5-10 minute break after. This allows you to stay on track with the promise of freedom to come. Not only does it bolster your productivity, it ensures you’re getting up and moving, improving your health.

What sets the Forest app apart from similar apps is that it implements a webpage blocker while the clock is running, preventing you from checking social media when you should be running. It also uses a visual aid in the form of a tree or bush that grows as the timer runs. You can then plant the tree in your forest at the end to track your overall productivity. If you decide to veer away to a blacklisted site, your tree dies and guilt ensues.

Streak

Streak is project management software that integrates into your Gmail account, so you can keep track of everything you have on the go in a simple, visual manner while linking back to your original email chains. This approach to project management is perfect for freelancers and entrepreneurs who need an innovative way to keep track of daily, weekly, and monthly tasks.

With Streak, you customize the columns and buckets within the app, which you access on the sidebar of your Gmail folder. It’s especially useful for content publishing schedules and for tracking pitches and queries to potential customers.

Buffer

Buffer is one of many social media posting apps that makes social media management a breeze. What sets this one apart from the rest is its easily integrated system that can help you schedule something without leaving the page you’re browsing on. It is also one of the few social media scheduling apps that posts directly to Instagram. There is a free version, but the business version is very affordable and worth the upgrade.

When you have the right tools with which to do your work, everything becomes a little easier. Try out these five must-have tools, and you’ll see your productivity– and success– skyrocket.