If you crack open the dictionary and turn to the entry for “busy,” you’ll find that a synonym is “entrepreneur.”
Maybe that’s not true. But it should be. By definition, an entrepreneur is “one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.” Sounds pretty demanding to me.
As someone who’s
responsible for the success of an entire business, increasing productivity throughout the workday is essential for an entrepreneur. Thankfully, technology has worked its magic and helped businesses boost their productivity. However, with so many tools available, how can an entrepreneur decide which ones to use?Well, fear not. I did some digging and discovered 21 tools and resources that will help you be more productive, kick more butts, and take more names on a daily basis.
Meetings Made Easier
According to the ‘2013 Wasting Time at Work Survey’, employees cited “too many meetings” as the biggest waste of time in the workplace. Here are three great tools to help entrepreneurs have more productive meetings:
1. Speek- is a conference call platform that enables you to do away with the 15-digit, almost-always-misdialed call-in numbers. Although there’s a free option, Speek’s team version is ideal for entrepreneurs. Each time I have a conference call, I can send a personalized link that has Influence & Co. branding. It’s painless for the end user, and Speek then gathers data from the call, including who was present and how long each individual spoke.
2. Skype-is an essential tool for the internal communication of our team. Instead of cluttering our inboxes, we use Skype to have simple conversations, ask quick questions, or send files. It’s also useful in communicating with remote employees.
3. Perch-is an always-on video communication platform that offers features such as face detection, intelligent connection between users, and snapshot usage. This app takes the hassle out of scheduling meetings with clients and co-workers. It’s a great tool for entrepreneurs and businesses to optimize communication with individuals working remotely or in other offices.
Simplified Social Media
Meetings aren’t the only challenges for entrepreneurs. Being engaging and relevant on social media can be a full-time job. Streamline your social media presence with these resources:
4. Buffer-allows simple, scheduled sharing across all social platforms. By scheduling personal or company tweets, I can ensure that I’m posting at key times throughout the day to reach the most people possible. I also enjoy Buffer’s Chrome plugin, which makes sharing content that I'm interested in as simple as the click of a button.
5. TweetDeck- is a fantastic tool to use for following your influencers and organizing your Twitter lists. You can add columns based on hashtags, keywords, custom lists, and much more. If you’re looking to follow a webinar or conference, just type in the designated hashtag and watch the conversation live. Our content strategist swears by TweetDeck.
6. HootSuite- is similar to TweetDeck, but it’s a “one-stop shop” that lets you monitor and update all your social media platforms and retrieve analytics on your social media engagement.
More Manageable Email
When I open my email to see hundreds of unopened messages, sometimes I want to cry (on the inside). To avoid those tears of defeat, I discovered a few email management tools that help me stay sane:
7. Inbox Pause-allows you to pause all incoming messages and choose times throughout the day to update your inbox. This allows me to focus on the mail I already have in my inbox and periodically lets new emails come in, rather than a constant flow of new messages.
8. SaneBox- allows you to automatically filter spam and unimportant messages so you see the ones you actually need to address or respond to.
Relationship Builders
All the previous tools are geared toward creating more streamlined processes. But in any business setting, building positive and mutually beneficial relationships is vital to becoming influential in an industry. Whether you’re building relationships with your employees, other businesses, or customers, these tools will help:
9. Contactually-provides true relationship management in a user-friendly platform. It is easy to use, syncs with Gmail, and can significantly increase referrals. I’ve found that the data gathered in Contactually is extremely valuable when managing sales teams.
10. BuzzStream- is a great tool for marketing teams, especially when rolling out campaigns. It helps organize and keep track of each team member’s contacts, saves each email thread, and allows you to formulate pitch templates to boost consistency.
11. 15Five- is perhaps the team favorite at Influence & Co. This software allows us to give feedback to leaders in the company and vice versa. We utilize it to identify any problems, inefficiencies, big wins we need to recognize, and the overall temperature of employee satisfaction.
Task Managers
Entrepreneurs’ to-do lists never shrink, but these tools will make your to-do list a little more doable:
12. Momentum Dashboard-is a Google Chrome app to help you manage your tasks. I like it because it asks you to focus on one major task for the day and offers a smaller to-do list for the rest of your agenda. As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to get sidetracked from what originally started as your main focus or need. Did I also mention how amazing the photography is? The background photo changes throughout the day, one breaktaking, exotic photo after the next (which explains why our entire team uses this app).
13. Zapier- allows teams to easily automate tasks among web apps. For example, a person could receive a text every time an email comes in for a new lead that needs to be created in his CRM. Automation is every entrepreneur’s best friend, and Zapier allows for hundreds of useful integrations and automations.
Influencing the Internet
Positioning yourself as an influencer and expert in your field is an important way to build a stronger business. Here are resources to help all entrepreneurs be more influential online:
14. BrandYourself- allows professionals to control which results show up in search engines when someone searches his name or company and helps build his personal brand online.
15. Weebly- is a free website builder. Choose from free templates and layouts to showcase your brand in the best way possible. Entrepreneurs who have a company website but haven’t begun working on their individual brand should look into creating a personal blog.
16. Quora- is the queen of shareable, engaging content and a place to receive and share your answers to questions about your industry. It’s a great resource for entrepreneurs looking to showcase their expertise and build influence.
17. HARO- (Help A Reporter Out)is a place where experts and journalists can help one another. The journalist gets the source, while the expert gains exposure in publications that are relevant to his industry. Journalists can sign up for free and post queries when they need quotes or interviews on a certain topic. Experts can sign up for a fee and respond to queries. The reporter then identifies the most suitable candidate.
18. ProfNet- is similar to HARO in that journalists are matched with sources and qualified experts. ProfNet’s volume of queries, however, overruns HARO’s. ProfNet is fee-based, but it’s great for entrepreneurs looking to gain exposure.
Entrepreneurial Lifestyle
When you’re always on the go, it’s nice to have resources to make the ride a little smoother. Check out these general entrepreneurial lifestyle tools:
19. Bodeefit- gives you daily workouts, plus health and fitness tips that are bite-sized and can be done anywhere. It alleviates the burden of finding a time or place to work out on the road.
20. Dash- is the easiest way to pay at bars and restaurants. Instead of waiting for your check, close the tab right on your phone. Entrepreneurs can use this app when they’re traveling and want to network with clients outside an office or event. You can impress your clients by snagging the bill before it even arrives and avoid the awkward glances around the table asking who should take the check.
21. Square- gives everyone the chance to run a business from any location. There are already more than 100,000 retailers using it. The Square device hooks up to a mobile phone, lets you swipe customers’ credit cards immediately, and effectively processes the payment without any hassles. Being able to sell their product from anywhere can give entrepreneurs a leg up in their industry.
Now that you’ve freed up your time with these life-simplifying resources, get a massage or take a nap. You deserve it after being so productive today.
by... Ryan O'Connell
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