Top Tech tools for (food) entrepreneurs
Part 1
At Crowdfooding, we love Tech and probably all secretly dream about being able to code complicated stuff (ok maybe that’s just me…).
Luckily nowadays we really don’t need any advanced computer skills or knowing how to code. There are so many (virtually) free tools out there that allow you to work efficiently as a team, market your business, and recruit new customers, without writing a single line of code, and while being convinced Javascript is a dance move from Fiji Islands.
That’s why I decided to list down our favourite tools in a few articles. While some of these may sound obvious, our experience with many entrepreneurs suggests that these tools can still be helpful for many, so here we go! The first few tools tackle productivity and the admin aspect.
1. Google Apps
Let’s start with an obvious one. Having spent four years at Google I might be a bit biased about this one, but Google Apps is a revelation! I was used to things like Lotus Notes (yes, really) and countless time consuming processes. Google Apps, on the other hand, allows for agility and efficiency, combined with a low price.
Using real time collaboration on Docs, Sheets, and Slides allows you to save some precious time, while using Drive to store and share documents will make the life of all team members much easier. I still recieve far too many email attachments these days — just please stop.
Oh and also, make sure you store your files in the Cloud, it’s safer…
2. Calendly
How many back and forth emails does it take to find a convenient time for a meeting? Far too many but luckily, Calendly will help you solve that. It integrates with all the main calendar tools out there and allows you to send links for people to pick a convenient time, and cancel/reschedule when needed, without having to email you. THANK YOU Calendly!
3. Trello
For project management tasks, interacting with your developer to build a website, or keeping track of activities within your team, Trello is brilliant.With a system of boards, lists and cards, that you can assign to different people and add deadlines, it’s really intuitive and easy to use — you should definitely try it out!
4. Xero
As an entrepreneur, time is too precious to be spent on accounting. Luckily some smart people out there developed Xero, which will free up your busy days. Really intuitive and easy to use, I would definitely recommend it if you aren’t on it already. Features like sending invoices, collecting payments via debit and credit cards, or automatic bank feeds will make your life much easier.
5. Strikingly (and its countless competitors)
I recently spoke to an entrepreneur who despite not having a prototype, not a concrete plan to bring their future product to market, was about to spend 1.5K on a designer to build a website. I hope I stopped him on time! With Strikingly and other websites offering a similar service, you can easily build simple websites or landing pages like this one, without coding a single line or paying a single pound. It’s especially important for early businesses, which need to identify their priorities and spend their money wisely.
And…that’s it for now!
You have some tools to recommend ? Want to share how these tools help you run your business? Please tell us via THIS FORM and we will feature you in our next article !
Next article will focus on social & growth hacking, stay tuned!
