Running a business is demanding and business owners all over the world are constantly looking for ways to ensure profitability without unnecessary effort. Luckily, technological advancement has brought us a variety of business tools that make business activities easier to perform.
If you’re trying to choose the best tool for your business, you’re probably overwhelmed with all the different types of top business tools at your disposal. However, there are some that stand above the rest. If you want to ensure success, take a look at the following business tools.
ETL software
You probably collect a significant amount of data on a daily basis. While data is certainly useful, the more you have of it, the harder it is to extract and process.
That’s where ETL software comes in handy. It has the ability to extract data from multiple sources, load it onto a cloud data warehouse, and transform it. There are many benefits to using this tool, some of which include:
- Simplified decision-making. With quick access to large amounts of data after it’s been added to the data store, you can more easily make crucial decisions.
- Providing a visual flow. Modern ETL tools include a graphical user interface (GUI) for users to create ETL processes with the use of a drag-and-drop interface. You can map data flows and visualize their flow to help you understand the data better.
- Enabling operational resilience. ETL tools automate and monitor data flows to catch any issues and alert the IT team, which decreases the risk for performance bottlenecks.
- Tracking data lineage. You will gain deep insight into your data catalog, which will allow you to see how every result was generated. Not only that, but you will also see where exactly in the warehouse the data was stored, how recently it was refreshed, and in which way it was extracted and transformed.
Daily time blocking
While daily time blocking isn’t exactly a tool, it’s still incredibly useful. Through daily time blocking, you break your day into blocks which are dedicated to certain tasks.
Time blocking gives you more control over your day. Additionally, it greatly reduces the overwhelming feeling all business owners and managers experience. Time blocking gives structure to all of your daily tasks. It also offers predefined intervals that will help you keep your focus on one kind of task at a time.
There are three main reasons why you need to implement daily time blocking into your routine:
- Gives you clarity on which tasks to prioritize.
- Helps you decide what to focus on at that moment.
- Gives you a sense of control over your day and to-do list.
Meeting apps
Over the last 10 years, remote work has seen a 91% increase. And while millions of people worldwide currently work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has been on the rise for years now.
This means that many companies need great productivity tips for virtual teams as well as a place to hold virtual meetings. That is where meeting apps such as Zoom and Google Meet come into play. These apps allow companies to organize meetings and have face-to-face discussions with all employees, regardless of where in the world they’re located.
Though HD video calls, encrypted video calls, and secure audio calls, these apps allow you to organize group meetings. They also allow you to organize one-on-one discussions without worrying about security. Most meeting apps come with cross-platform messaging as well as file sharing, all of which can come in handy in a business environment.
Communication apps
Every company needs to have at least one secure and feature-rich communication app. People spend as much as 44% of their time on their mobile using them, including your employees.
Most people use Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and similar apps for communication. However, businesses need more professional solutions like Slack and Microsoft Teams. These apps allow you to send messages, conduct video and voice calls, search for files and old messages, and much more.
No matter if your team works remotely or from an office, a communication app will allow for effortless brainstorming, exchange of important information, and day-to-day chitchat.
The biggest benefit communication apps bring to businesses is fast and accurate internal messaging. Since all communication is centralized and easily accessible via mobile, employees can respond to messages and new events without any delay.
Document management tools
Documents are an invaluable part of every business. No matter if you’re drafting new contracts or creating a proposal, you need to draw up a document. Instead of hoarding countless paper documents, your business can take advantage of a document management tool.
This type of software allows you to organize all of your documents in one place electronically. Aside from that, it also eliminates the concern you’ll lose a document or won’t be able to find it when you need it.
Some of the most popular document management tools are Google Drive and Bit.ai. The most important job of this tool is to keep track of all of your critical documents. Consequently, it will speed up your workflow.
And finally, one of the biggest reasons why you need a document management tool is because it eliminates the need for paper documentation and helps you be more organized with your files.
Final thoughts
All business tools were created to help owners run their companies more efficiently and to ensure business success.
It’s important to remember that not all tools were created equal and some just aren’t meant for every business. The ones you just read about can certainly help your business, so consider which ones would fit your business best.
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