Whether you’re thinking about launching a business in 2021 or working on growing one, you probably recognize and understand the importance and value of tools.
Now, a goal without a plan is just a dream. To turn your side project into a money-making business, you need a sound plan and the right startup tools.
Here’s the list of eight awesome startup tools we’ve prepared for you:
Marketing Tools for Startups
Use these marketing tools for startups to optimize your online presence and do more with less.
AnswerThePublic
Digital ads are a waste of time and money. Content marketing is the best tool startups have for reaching targeted audiences and building brand awareness. AnswerThePublic can help you churn out hundreds of content ideas.
Sumo
Sumo is a free tool for capturing email addresses and collecting lead information. Take your pick from over a dozen different welcome mats, triggered popups, smart bars, and more. Sumo offers a paid version too, but the freemium is adequate for most startups.
2. Kissmetrics
Kissmetrics gives you a comprehensive view of the buyer’s journey and customer behavior. Use the data to create personalized website experiences and reach your leads with more effective content.
Productivity Tools for Startups
Pocket keeps you focused while collecting content and reading online.
Toggl
Use the Toggl drag-and-drop calendar to keep everyone focused and productive.
Startup Tools for Employees
Use these startup tools to keep your team unified and engaged in 2021.
TINYpulse
This offers a streamlined dashboard for tracking employee sentiment in real time, understanding your team, and improving workplace culture.
This is the classic team collaboration tool for keeping everyone engaged and productive.
Fond
This helps you showcase employee appreciation with corporate discounts, awards, social recognition, and more.
When I Work
When I Work helps you track employee time, manage schedules, and boost team communication.
45. JazzHR
Streamline your recruiting process, improve employee advocacy, and optimize onboarding with JazzHR’s customizable solutions.
Social Tools for Startups
These top social tools will help you grow your startup’s social media presence in 2021.
36. Buffer
An all-in-one tool for scheduling social media posts, prioritizing engagement, and more.
37. Hootsuite
Centralize your social media scheduling, engagement, and posts from one convenient dashboard.
38. Canva
Use Canva templates to design custom and professional graphics for social media and your website.
39. Sprout Social
The ultimate CRM for social media. Keep track of your connections, find influencers, track analytics, and more with Sprout Social.
40. Narrow
Build a targeted Twitter audience based on your industry and relevant topics.
More Tools
Google Workspace – ideal for startup collaboration
Overview
Google Workspace is something most businesses can’t imagine functioning without. It’s a pillar for every business. From emails, document management and sharing to scheduling meetings and form building, Google Workspace is something every business needs.
Key features
- Gmail – custom business email
- Meet – video and voice conferencing
- Chat – messaging for teams
- Calendar – shared calendars
- Drive – cloud storage
- Docs – word processing
- Sheets – spreadsheets
- Slides – presentation builder
- Forms – surveys builder
Pricing
Business Starter – $6/user/month
Offers custom and secure business email, 100 participant video meetings, 30 GB cloud storage per user, security and management controls and standard support.
Business Standard – $12/user/month
Offers custom and secure business email, 150 participant video meetings + recording, 2 TB cloud storage per user, security and management controls, standard support (with a paid upgrade to enhanced support).
Business Plus – $18/user/month
Offers custom and secure business email with eDiscovery and retention, 250 participant video meetings with recording and attendance tracking, 5 TB cloud storage per user, enhanced security and management controls, including Vault and advanced endpoint management, standard support (with a paid upgrade to enhanced support).
Enterprise
Offers custom and secure business email with eDiscovery, retention, S/MIME encryption, 250 participant video meetings with recording, attendance tracking, noise cancellation, and other advanced features.
More Tools
CallHippo – easily manage your sales and support
Overview
CallHippo is a business telephony system that helps you connect with your customers and clients. It’s easy to use, but it also offers advanced features like Power Dialer and Automatic call distribution. It offers extensive reporting and integrations that help sales and service teams have effective conversations with customers.
Key features
- Auto Dialer
- Call Center Management
- Call Monitoring
- Contact Management
- IVR / Voice Recognition
- Predictive Dialer
- Reporting/Analytics
- Telemarketing Management
- VoIP
Pricing
Bronze – $14/user/month
Includes free number, forward-to-device, SMS, voicemail, teams, SDAP, and shared inbox.
Silver – $24/user/month
Offers everything in Bronze plus unlimited incoming calls, call recording, IVR, live call, call queuing, and intelligent reports and analytics.
Platinum – $35/user/month
Offers everything in Silver plus power dialer, call transfer, 3-way calling, the route to the external number, and custom caller ID.
Enterprise
Offers everything in Platinum plus personalized onboarding, advanced integrations, custom integrations, custom reports, and a dedicated account manager.
IdeaBuddy
Overview
IdeaBuddy is an innovative business planning software that helps aspiring entrepreneurs and teams to develop their ideas, create a business model, validate a business concept, and get a modern business plan.
If you just came up with the idea for your business, with IdeaBuddy you can sketch it out in Idea Plan.
You can develop your idea further with Business Guide, which will take you step-by-step through the entire business planning process and provide relevant examples along the way. Also, the Financial Plan will help you make your financial projections in a simple way (no hard maths needed).
Key features
- Business canvas – quickly sketch out your business idea
- Step-by-step business planning guide – develop your business idea
- Automatic financial projections – easily forecast for performance
- Business plan builder – get a modern business plan
Pricing
Dreamer plan – $15 per month/$45 per year
This plan allows you to work on 1 idea (project). It includes a business canvas, a step-by-step business planning guide, and a financial plan, which you can export and share.
Founder plan – $25 per month/$85 per year
You are getting 3 ideas (projects). It has everything included in the Dreamer plan, plus you are getting a business plan builder.
Team plan – $55 per month/$245 per year
Up to 30 ideas (projects), and it has all the features included in the Founder plan, plus you are getting a business plan builder.
***Lifetime plan***
This is a time-limited offer and it includes a lifetime subscription to a Founder plan with 3 ideas for only $155.
ZOKRI
Overview
ZOKRI is goal setting software for companies that want to move away from goals created only by management and then stored in spreadsheets. The type of goals that aren’t looked at by the teams doing the work. These don’t work. High performing teams are trusted and empowered to discuss, propose and create Objectives and Key Results that align with company objectives, then deliver. This way of setting goals as evolved over 20 years and has been adopted by pretty much every start-up and fast-growing tech company. ZOKRI has a free plan for SMBs and small teams with paid plans starting from just $5.
Key Features
- Create a Mission, strategy and goals that align in one place
- Use OKRs to define ambitious stretch goals with measurable outcomes
- Track KPIs and set targets for business-as-usual metrics
- Get updates on progress, plans and problems weekly
- Alerts and notifications keep everyone on track and focused
- Free guides and video tutorials coach you how to use OKRs
Pricing
Team – Free
1 team of up to 10 people. Includes: Strategic Objectives, OKR Management, Check-ins, Notifications & Alerts, Meeting Management, Knowledge Base, Email Support and SSO User Management.
Essentials – $5 per month / per user
OKR Software for unlimited teams. Includes: Strategic Objectives, OKR Management, Check-ins, Notifications & Alerts, Meeting Management, Knowledge Base, Email Support and SSO User Management.
Performance – $10 per month / per user
Performance Management Software for unlimited teams. Includes: All Essential Features, Personal OKRs, Personal Development Plans, Wellbeing Surveys, Custom Surveys, Manager Support, Culture & Values and HRIS Support.
Conclusion
Depending on the business you plan to start, the set of startup tools you need will certainly change, but these are the must-haves for every type of business. For example, if you’re planning to start a retail business, you’ll certainly need POS software. In case you want to start an online business, you will need to select a merchant service provider.
We picked some basic tools for startups across 10 categories to make sure you cover all your bases. Evaluate your startup’s needs before jumping into any paid tools.
Identify inefficiencies or areas you feel your startup has fallen behind. Next, look for tools to solve those specific problems. After some time, evaluate the results from each tool to make sure it’s living up to the promise.
That’s the only way to ensure you won’t end up draining your budget on a bunch of tools you’ll never use.