Useful Software Every Small Business Needs

In the world of small business, every little bit helps—particularly when that little bit is cost effective. Truly, most business owners want something to help them deal with the day-to-day rigors of running their company, and even more want something to help their business pick up speed. It’s an ongoing desire, and one that oftentimes goes unfulfilled. Fortunately, this is not one of those times. Here are a few small-business-friendly programs that can make your work life easier, while perhaps putting you in a good position to improve your profits:

PDF Editing Software

If you own an online company, or commit most of your business, like many are now doing, then chances are you need some type of program to edit PDFs on a company-wide level. At first glance this may seem a bit obvious—after all, who doesn’t use PDF documents—but, if this is your reaction, you might not be well-versed in what a good PDF editing software can do. From digitally creating and signing PDFs, to simultaneous/group access to PDF documents, to easy form creation (for applications or new hire work) good PDF editing software can make paperwork a completely digital endeavor, while expediting the creation and editing process. No one likes filling out paperwork, but even fewer enjoy creating it; it’s a long, arduous process that is made even more difficult by software that just isn’t created for this type of work. With PDF Editing Software, this can be a thing of the past.

Online Scheduling/Task Assigning Software

Often times, it can be annoying having to constantly message and contact your employees to assign tasks—particularly if you have a constant influx of new work that isn’t quite analogous. Fortunately, online scheduling and task assigning software—like Trello and other such programs—can make really streamline your company, giving you an easy to access database that is designed specifically for employer/employee communication.

Not only can you give your employees tasks to complete, you can also outline exactly what they need to do, set due dates, communicate over the message boards, and signify the state of the project they are currently working on. It’s extremely customizable and can be used to outline pretty much everything, so you don’t have to do so over and over again. Best of all, it’s easy to use, taking only just a few minutes for a moderately intelligent person to understand, and it’s absolutely free (if you use Trello). Again, this is probably more applicable if you own a digitally run company; however, it’s still quite useful across the board, and should be used if you are having trouble communicating and assigning tasks down the line of command.

Online Conference Calling

For those in a line of work that are in constant need of conference calls—with employees, peers, or whatever—Skype sometimes just isn’t good enough. Fortunately, there is a ton of great, mostly free software online that you can use to communicate simultaneously, with video or not. From GoToMeeting, to ConferenceCalling, these programs give you an extreme amount of customization so you can do whatever you need during your meetings (like screen sharing, drawing, etc.).

VOIP

This one is kind of cheating, but if you don’t want to use cellphones as your primary mode of on-the-fly communication, a VOIP system within your company might be extremely useful. With less expensive installation and data/minute rates, as well as a host of fantastic features not included with most business lines, VOIP is a great communication solution that brings an air of professionalism to your workplace.

Keep these in mind, and keep on looking! There’s tons of software out there, and a lot of it that’s free, that could very well help you in your day-to-day operations. Let me know if you have any others in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Tyler Fleck is a multi-purpose blogger who’s had his work published throughout the web on a variety of different subjects; this time, however, he is writing on the behalf of FoxIt Software. For the best PDF editor software, make sure you check out their site! Good luck with your business!