Resources for Business

Toisc Limited uses some amazing tools, and below you will find those tools that we use or have used in the past. These Resources for Business will set your business up till you can hand over some of the responsibility once you start getting customers through the door.

Resources for Business, Email and Social Media, Toisc LimitedTools To Support Your Customers

Your customers are key. You want them to have the very best experience of your business and you want them to tell others about your great products and services.

You’ll need the following resources:

– A great website
– An active email list
– Current Social Media accounts

You’ll find further advice on the blog to help explain key concepts and ideas, below you will find the key tools you’ll need to establish yourself.

Websites

It is important for potential customers to find out what it is you do and useful information like contact details and a platform for your products. It shows thoughtfulness and professionalism to your business.

Website Hosting

Every website needs a place to sit, called a domain. If you use a free service you can use a free domain, but the domain will never allow total flexibility for your growing needs.

Hostgator website hosting: Easy and affordable hosting with a range of tools to use straight out the box. We use Hostgator and their service has been brilliant.

WordPress Platform

If you are building a website or blog today, WordPress is the #1 publishing platform. There is a wealth of tutorials, free themes, paid plugins and the ability to edit as much or as little as you like.

WordPress.org: Download the WordPress program, learn how to install and set up and get help with the New to WordPress Guide.

StudioPress: A highly optimised theme and plugin framework that supports greater customisation.

Thesis: A different theme provider with options to customise different components to StudioPress.

Virtual Staff

You may wish to use the services of a virtual assistant when setting up a website, organising your work or for other normal day-to-day tasks:

Upwork: As with any staff, use caution and be very clear about what you want and when you want it.

Virtual Staff Finder: Outsource your time and energy to a virtual assistant who has the necessary skills, freeing you up to do what you do best.

Email Automation

Gone are the days of having to keep lists within an email program, then type your email and then send it out all manually. Having an automated system really helps and meets customers in their own time zones and with set delays.

AWeber: An excellent broadcast email provider, that allows for easy newsletter setup, full membership control and signup form customisation. 30-day free trial and excellent tutorials.

MailChimp: Offers a free service to small websites that will allow you to begin emailing your members and set up signup form.

Social Media Tools

Social media has a massive impact on your business today. You need to be constantly updating, keeping an eye on re-shares and know what others are talking about. That is a full-time job in itself, but there are some tools which can help the small business keep track.

Hootsuite: An industry leading social media “All-in-One”, and I don’t say that lightly. They have tutorials, easy dashboards and mobile integration to keep you in touch with multiple streams of social media. Free trail too.

Buffer: An alternative to Hootsuite with some great social media tutorials too and social media integration.

Tools for Business

To be organised in business is key to keeping your customer happy, your workforce less stressed and your life a little less stressed. These are some of our favourite tools that are used daily.

Document Management

If you have to be in sync with documents, share files between staff and customers and work together then these tools will certainly help a whole lot.

File Syncing

Dropbox: This is a simple easy to use document sync program that can easily transfer large files, share with others and use wherever you are.

Online Working

Google Drive: You’ll need an email account which is easy enough to create, after that, work online with word processing programs, spreadsheets and presentations. Even collaborate with others in a different location.

Office 365: This is an equally powerful program from Microsoft, and offers all the features of Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel. If you sign up to their yearly schedule, you’ll get 1 TB of storage too. Now that is perfect for having your digital life in the cloud. They have a Home and Business Plan.

Digital Brain

Evernote: Ever wanted a program to remember everything for you? This is the program for you then. It is one to store reminders, encrypt passwords, share work documents and access on most devices, whether it is a mobile, tablet or computer.

Financial Tools

Payments and Accounting

It’s important that you have a financial accounting system in place. Where you can create invoices and keep track of your payments. Equally important is the way you get paid.

Accounting Tools

Wave: An all in one program designed to take the task of accounting and make it a pleasure. Scan receipts, send invoices and receive payments. Oh, and it’s free to use until you make or receive a payment.

Quickbooks: Easy accounting software, with payroll and HMRC recognised, this accounting program may just be the right one for your business.

Payments

Paypal: For the most recognised form of electronic payment, use PayPal. They have also introduced credit card payments via card reader and mobile phone.

Stripe: A different form of payment processing and if you decided to use the free accounting software from Wave, this will be the payment provider anyway.

 

We understand that a lot these resources you may never have heard of before so we are really pleased to introduce them to you and if you need any help with them we’ll do our best to help you out. We’ll even set them up for you if you are interested. Let’s talk about your pain points – make an appointment.