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One ofÌýtheÌýmost frequent questions weÌýget asked isÌýabout what tools orÌýapps someone should use toÌýlaunch their startup. InÌýaddition toÌýºÚÁÏÃÅ, ecommerce entrepreneurs need aÌývariety ofÌýtools toÌýmake launching their business asÌýhassle-free asÌýpossible. But itÌýcan beÌýoverwhelming toÌýsift through all ofÌýtheÌýother options out there. SoÌýour recommendation when you’re evaluating tools forÌýstartups is: first think about theÌýtop functions you will need, andÌýwork from there.

Our list ofÌýtheÌýbest tools forÌýstartups includes these main categories:

• Project management
• Sales tools
• Marketing management

Project Management

There are aÌýlot ofÌýproject management tools out there, but theÌýones that qualify asÌýtheÌýbest startup tools have aÌýfew things inÌýcommon. First, theÌýmanagement tool you choose should come with aÌýfree trial and/or beÌýlow-cost. Why? Because theÌýway you manage your business will beÌýunique toÌýyour style. Some like drag andÌýdrop planning, others like Gantt charts. Some like task lists andÌýothers work best from spreadsheets.

For this reason, weÌýthink theÌýbest option forÌýmost startups isÌýtheÌýcollection ofÌýbusiness management tools from . There are too many options from Google toÌýcover inÌýaÌýsingle article, andÌýyou may not know that they even have aÌýGoogle Startups portal, but there’s noÌýdenying that theÌýking ofÌýmost things online has thought ofÌýeverything forÌýaÌýgrowing business.

For our purposes ofÌýidentifying theÌýbest tools toÌýhelp you launch aÌýstartup, let’s discuss Google Drive, Google Sheets, Google Data Studio, andÌýGoogle Keep.

Google Drive has become many people home toÌýsafely store all ofÌýtheir documents, spreadsheets, andÌýpresentations inÌýtheÌýcloud. This means you don’t have toÌýworry about losing anything ifÌýaÌýcomputer crashes, asÌýeverything isÌýbacked upÌýasÌýyou work inÌýreal-time. Google Drive lets you share documents with collaborators easily, track changes, andÌýeven sync across your devices soÌýnoÌýmatter where you are, you can easily record your thoughts without losing aÌýbeat.

Google Sheets isÌýaÌýlifesaver forÌýpeople who want toÌýcreate easy-to-use spreadsheets, andÌýthere are even time-saving templates toÌýchoose from forÌýaÌýlot ofÌýcommon tasks like timesheets andÌýproject management tracking.

Google Sheets isÌýalso aÌýplace toÌýrecord data like offline sales that can then easily sync with your web analytics using Google Data Studio. This tool gives you easy-to-understand visualizations that are updated inÌýreal-time forÌýpresentations, andÌýdashboards toÌýkeep track ofÌýanyÌýmetric ofÌýyour business you can imagine.

isÌýone ofÌýthose tools that aÌýlot ofÌýpeople don’t know about. It’s anÌýeasy drag-and-drop task management tool that allows you toÌýcreate lists andÌýassign other users tasks toÌýcomplete. You can create multiple lists with different accesses, andÌýeven link toÌýdocuments orÌýspreadsheets you’ve created inÌýother Google tools. And because Google is, well, Google, their tools integrate with almost anyÌýother tool out there orÌýcan beÌýeasily transitioned toÌýaÌýnew tool asÌýyour needs grow.

Sales Tools

Our choice forÌýtheÌýbest sales tools isÌýlikewise aÌýwell-known name that has gone above andÌýbeyond toÌýsupport startups: . Hubspot has made aÌýbusiness out ofÌýpremium sales tools forÌýcontent marketing, SEO, email andÌýlanding pages. Out ofÌýtheir success grew aÌýmission toÌýprovide all ofÌýtheir tools “free forever” toÌýhelp businesses start andÌýgrow, andÌýthey’ve lived upÌýtoÌýthat promise with sales andÌýmarketing tools asÌýgood asÌýtheÌýbest onÌýtheÌýmarket forÌýlarger enterprises.

For free, you will get aÌýcustomer relationship management (CRM) tool toÌýkeep track ofÌýyour client communications. You can even create custom sales pipeline stages toÌýtrack upÌýtoÌý1,000,000Ìýcontacts with noÌýtime limit orÌýexpiration.

What can you doÌýwith these contacts? Automatically look upÌýtheir companies andÌýpopulate their records with what Hubspot knows about them. Track their emails toÌýget notified when they open important communications. Create groups andÌýdoÌýemail marketing through personalized bulk email orÌýnewsletters. Schedule meetings with aÌýcustom calendar link that connects toÌýGoogle Calendar, provide customer support, host documents you often send, create landing pages, andÌýeven track your contacts asÌýthey interact with almost anything you do.

Hubspot truly lives upÌýtoÌýits reputation asÌýone ofÌýtheÌýbest tools forÌýstartups, andÌýifÌýweÌýhaven’t mentioned itÌýenough, gives you tons ofÌýcapabilities forÌýfree!

Marketing Management

AÌýlot ofÌýwhat might beÌýconsidered marketing management tasks were covered inÌýour summary. But startups are unique inÌýtheir needs toÌýget out ahead ofÌýtheÌýmarket inÌýsocial media asÌýthey launch. SoÌýeven though Hubspot could beÌýconsidered aÌýmarketing tool inÌýaddition toÌýits many sales uses, there isÌýone tool you’ve likely heard ofÌýthat weÌýthink noÌýstartup should live without: Hootsuite.

Hootsuite isÌýaÌýsocial media management tool that integrates all ofÌýyour social media accounts andÌýprovides you aÌýsingle dashboard toÌýpost, measure andÌýschedule from.

Many other tools doÌýanÌýokay job atÌýproviding centralized social media management, but none doÌýsoÌýquite soÌýwell orÌýhave done soÌýforÌýasÌýlong, asÌýHootsuite. The interface isÌýuser-friendly, andÌýinÌýtheÌýwords ofÌýmany business users, makes them “feel more connected” toÌýtheir audiences because ofÌýtheÌýtool’s ability toÌýquickly respond toÌýcomments andÌýmentions from aÌýcentralized inbox that can beÌýshared with members ofÌýyour team.

But team collaboration goes beyond thatÌý— you can assign tasks andÌýeven chat with your team members about theÌýbest social strategies right inside theÌýtool. And like many ofÌýtheÌýbest tools out there, Hootsuite provides aÌýfree trial forÌýthirty days without obligation, andÌýnoÌýtricky way toÌýget more money from you, orÌýhard upsells.

The Best Startup Tools

WeÌýwill mention again that theÌýbest tools toÌýhelp you launch your startup are going toÌýbeÌýtheÌýones that are easiest forÌýyou toÌýuse. The best tools are those that match your style andÌýtheÌýamount ofÌýcommunication you need toÌýdoÌýwith your partners, customers, andÌýteam. For this reason, always look forÌýthose tools that offer aÌýfree plan orÌýfree trial andÌýcheck them out until you find what’s right forÌýyou.

Ìý

• How toÌýChoose theÌýBest Tools toÌýHelp You Launch Your Startup
• Federal Funding Programs forÌýSmall Businesses Startups
• How toÌýCrowdfund Your Online Startup
• Getting Started with Business Loans forÌýStartups