Business Tools – I Use and Can Recommend
No matter what type of business you operate in you need the right tools.
This has always been the case from ancient times in history where builders crafted some of the most astonishing masterpieces to today, needing the correct tech, software and hardware to master your business model and lead in your market.
Without the right tools, physical or not, you cannot run a successful business model.
There are of course many types of business model, and no matter whether you choose a micro, small or medium business model you will need the right Business Tools to operate at optimum standards.
Whatever craft you master you need the right tools to enable you to get the job done effectively.
For example; if you started a mobile icecream business you would need a reliable van, icecream makers, food suppliers, a bespoke brand design and interior fittings and more to get started.
So I have included many business tools below which have helped me and can help you.
It is important to master whichever tools you need to support you in delivering the very best quality and standards.
And this may also mean hiring the right types of staff to operate these tools in their respective roles.
Remember that – tools are there to help us, not replace us, and we cannot assume we can sit back and allow automation to do everything, we must be on top of our game and operation, and act as intelligent human beings that master our operation.
Tools will assist us in our vision and mission, and will serve us to create great products and services, enabling us to build successful Small Business models.
But tools are continually changing, so we cannot simply assume that ‘what we have’ is always good enough or current, therefore we must continually research and keep our eye out for shifts in the market to help improve efficiency, effectiveness and output.
Before I continue sharing some the best tools for the job, I want to share a great book, that’s if you ever need help when exiting your business model.
The Future of Business
In today’s climate of rapid change in the landscape of business, and with the way business is always shifting, there may come a time when you wish to leave your business and sell it.
The economy is often uncertain so bear in mind that you may one day wish to part with your operation, and create an exit strategy.
So it will certainly pay you to know as much as possible if/when the time comes.
This means ensuring that your business is of maximum value, partly through the right operational processes, which means using the best tools to operate your enterprise.
For example, have you ever tried selling an old car that is past it’s prime?
As you may know, you will get less for that car if it has not been cared for.
However, if you kept that car in shape, by maintaining it, and ensuring that it was worth more, this would have given you the highest profit, as you looked after it.
Back to now; whether you work solo or lead a team of 100 – you have to look after your asset, and be on top of understanding what is required for you to get the most out of it.
Maybe you just want a quick exit, and if so you may accept a lower offer for a quicker sale?
Whatever your situation may be, I can recommend a book called ‘Vision to Exit’ By Guy Rigby, a well seasoned experienced entrepreneur. Who talks you through every single step of the process.
This book has helped me to safely sail through this anxiety provoking situation, to navigate out of an operation in many business models whether small, medium or large, and make a healthy sale.
Business Tools & Testing
I have spent over 20 years exploring the best business tools and resources both online and offline, and I cultivated my own Small Business Consulting brand name through using the right tools.
This means only using business tools that are of a high quality and standard.
I have supported and guided hundreds of other small business owners locally and globally in their models, through sharing great business tools and testing what works best by tweaking and adjusting what is most effective.
This means using what is required to maximize the flow and ease of business operation and to attract buyers and keep customers.
All whilst trying to reduce unnecessary risk.
Taking Risks and the right tools
Let’s face it, life is a risk every day to a degree, but if we never take risks we won’t get very far from home.
But just as we need the right inner tools to deal with life, we need to use the right tools in business to accompany us with our goals.
There are of course different kinds of risk, and some of this can avoided or at least reduced, but other risk is worth taking.
But take note: If we miss one step or area that needs our attention in business it could mean sabotage of the entire operation, negligence towards others and a bad reputation for life.
So, it pays to understand the value of morals, ethics and standards, and the various types of risk involved.
There may be times when creative risk (in order to stand out) could be required, and even necessary to survive, such as when you need to outperform competition, become a Maverick, or try out radical ideas have that edge in a market or sector.
This means taking measured risks.
And this means using the right business tools to help you achieve this.
Knowing your customers and products inside out is key, as is having the right goals, whilst measuring your data.
A.I. is the latest tool that can help you to operate more efficiently, and effectively, and I recommend exploring this tool, as A.I. can help you do the often boring admin tasks that others may find dull, where mistakes can easily be made through negligent actions.
Therefore A.I. may help your team to focus more on business growth, development and making sales.
A complete understanding of the marketing and plan, branding, PR, objectives, strategies, as well as forecasts can be your focus, as the A.I. tools work to help with the data.
This way we may solve customer issues as we also keep a constant eye on our customers.
So, applying the correct tools and resources can help us to take creative risks to drive growth and aim at becoming the monopoly.
Through this process of understanding how to measure risk and through determining where to place our focus, we vastly improve performance through tweaking or changing what is needed.
This is very different of course to taking mindless action, hoping for better results and creating unnecessary risk through negating a fundamental area/s of your business.
Invest into all areas strategically through working with your team and make those necessary adjustments and improvements as it will pay off.
Talking of a pay off, some companies will even create in-house technology to help support their strategic edge and to outperform others.
Explore The World of Propietary Technology Here with Investopedia.
Creating In-House Tech
It might be that you work with your own team to develop your own set of tools.
We may create and develop our own bespoke software for example, and in many startups it is not uncommon to create proprietary technology for the sake of a particular sectors needs and requirements.
This proprietary tech may also serve other businesses, which means you can even sell this to others that require it, as it may be an innovation of what stood before.
Many startups today are pushing the boundaries of what went before, so it is not uncommon to see new tools being developed, which may be sold to other startups and even emerging markets.
But it’s not just about having the right tools to help you succeed.
It takes the right people and management of these tools, it takes leadership, listening skills, daily clear action, testing and repetition, hard work, laser focus and consistency to reap the rewards of your efforts.
This means you need to cultivate the right culture and attitudes in your team, and ensure that each and every person understands the mission, values and vision of the whole.
Through each person’s commitment and passion it means you have a solid unit, a collective of sorts, that enables the creation of dynamic momentum.
Every person has to be able to operate in their own role with the best tools, to do their best job.
Business Tools Worth Using
I have learned to use what serves me best, and to use what is trusted and reliable, as this means aiming for quality, standards and reliability.
No matter whether you use power tools for DIY, repairs, or for creating and crafting, software, hardware and computers. You cannot simply afford to cut corners, but you can cut costs.
With the right tools you can save money, by making things yourself, or by improving what you have whether in business or at home, but you should never try to run a business or enterprise with shoddy tech or outdated systems. As that could cost you more money in the longrun.
So it is worth ensuring you don’t cut corners when choosing the right expert tools.
This means exploring the background of a brand, company or business you wish to invest in, through seeking to know the ethics, standards, history and reliability of the company.
It’s not just about the in-house tech or manual tools either, it is also about using and working with other businesses, partners, operations, suppliers and companies to support and realise your goals.
Each part of the process is like a cog or wheel in a machine, and this can enable each part to run as smoothly as possible.
But this may also require your team to deliberatly break things in isolation to test what is best.
Hiring or outsourcing tool testers or other experts may be useful in whatever area most requires a little help where you cannot insource these skills.
Just keep standards high!
Always take the high road and invest in your business by having the right morals when choosing what to help you.
For example; I am a great lover of coffee, and being half italian I feel passionate about half of my culture, so I looked into the very best coffee makers, coffee products, and set about going deep into discovering how these products were put together.
I did the same with artisan olive oils.
There are certain processes that create the highest quality olive oils that mass production and manufacturing does not always do. And being in the small business sector you can (for example) outperform giant companies that have very little care for quality by (let’s say) producing a better product in smaller batches.
This is where using the right tools comes in.
By researching the companies, looking at their ethics, care, transparency, customers, ratings and reviews and so on, and asking others that use these tools what their experienes are, you then form solid opinions about what decisions to make.
And where possible, aim to work with well established and reliable UK companies with great track records and great ethics.
Support local and national where you can.
Imagine for a moment you wish to become an electrician and start your own business; here are the top 10 tools you would need to be the best you can be. You would explore and research the best brands and companies that can supply you with these 10 tools:
CLICK TO SEE TOP 10 TOOLS FOR ELECTRICIANS.
Running A Small Business
How tough and resilient are you?
Working online or offline or both in any Small or medium business model, and making it survive in the first 1 to 3 years is very very tough.
There are no guarantees, and the majority will sadly fail – especially without the right tools.
Creating a constant flow of revenue generation takes a lot of hard work, and will likely be one of the biggest tests of your life, and will determine whether or not you have what it takes.
Not everyone is cut out to run or operate any business, and that’s just the way it is.
So find what you can do best, in a role, and with the passion to see it through in the tough times.
In today’s modern and busy world there is also far greater competition, so this means there is a vital need to be on top of our small business operation, and staying ahead of the curve.
If we are left behind today, we could become irrelevant by tomorrow.
We have to anticipate shifts and changes and always be eager to learn, develop and adapt where necessary.
This means we are applying specific daily routines and working on the most important tasks consistently in the right areas to grow and succeed.
As a Modern Small Business Leader this also means developing a strong mindset, becoming more resilient, mastering the art of focus, making persistence your norm, and fostering the ability to face challenges head on.
You must learn to find solutions quickly and effectively. This is a skill to cultivate.
And all of this must be actioned legally, ethically, and with complete appreciation of your people.
Now, to run an operation in the right way you must get the right insurance in whatever model you operate, so I will explain what you need to be aware of next.
Business Insurance
Delivering Trust and Value
In an increasingly fake world, we need to ensure we are speaking with clarity and transparency.
Through using the right online and offline systems and processes that are measured and managed, and having a solid vision or goal stemming from our core values, coupled with a purpose, you can learn to continually get better and evolve.
All from a core base of truth and authenticity.
Because if you are not transparent then you are no better than shady governments, corrupt corporations and cartels frankly.
Never put your reputation above human beings.
There are certain principles to follow which I always outline, and certain tools that are vital in the delivery.
Leadership
We need to be able to lead ourselves and our teams effectively every day, and conduct dynamic strategy mini meetings involving great open communication, opportunities for more business revenue, active listening, personal growth, metrics, customers and markets, ethics, awareness, and an energy of passion and drive.
Whatever is the most pressing topic and number one thing to focus on, all based around that clear mission and vision.
Your plan needs to be consistently studied and worked on, and each person needs to understand their contribution and value to the whole.
Each person a leader in their role, working at their best.
Using The Right Business Tools Share on X
Tools I Find To Be Most Effective
I have added here the business tools, services and companies that I have studied and used and these may change over time for various factors.
These tools and resources range from understanding A/B Testing to registering your company.
Do you need a live streaming tool? The tool I trust most from what is out there:
Need a Business Plan? LawDepot Has a Free Business Plan Template:
FREE ‘DO-IT -YOURSELF’ BUSINESS PLAN TEMPLATE CLICK HERE
FREE BUSINESS PLAN TEMPLATE BY HUBSPOT:
CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE BUSINESS PLAN TEMPLATE
7 STEPS OF HOW TO WRITE THE PERFECT BUSINESS PLAN:
CLICK HERE TO MASTER YOUR BUSINESS PLAN
THE ULTIMATE SALES PROCESS SUPEROFFICE ROADMAP TO BETTER SALES PERFOMANCE
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE ROADMAP TO BETTER SALES
FREE SALES PLAN TEMPLATE FROM HUBSPOT:
CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR SALES PLAN
UNDERSTANDING A/B TESTING BY OPTIMZELY:
CLICK HERE TO GRASP YOUR A/B TESTING STRATEGY
Want to run a UK business? Businesses For Sale in the U.K.:
CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR BUSINESSES FOR SALE IN THE U.K.
How to find the right funding for your business:
CLICK HERE TO HEAD TO FUNDERA TO CREATE A BUSINESS PLAN FOR FUNDING
How do you start a business? Click below to see my comprehensive guide:
START BY CLICKING HERE TO READ MY STARTING A SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGY
THE CHEAPER WAY TO SEND AND TRANSFER MONEY ABROAD PERSONALLY AND IN BUSINESS WITH WISE.COM
CLICK HERE TO SET UP A WISE.COM ACCOUNT
SET UP YOUR BUSINESS BASICS: SET UP A BUSINESS GOV.UK
TIDE COMPANY REGISTRATION:
REGISTER A LIMITED COMPANY AND OPEN A BUSINESS ACCOUNT ALL IN ONE
SMALL BUSINESS PENSIONS FOR THE SELF EMPLOYED:
EXPLORE PENFOLD SMALL BUSINESS PENSION EXPERTS
Start With Trust – BBB The standard for all great business:
EXPLORE OR JOIN THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU HERE TO STAY IN THE LOOP
A GUIDE TO V.A.T. FOR SMALL BUSINESSES BY SIMPLY BUSINESS
CLICK HERE TO READ THE GUIDE TO VAT
3 SOLID STEPS TO ENDING YOUR TAX YEAR THE RIGHT WAY:
CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO GET ON TOP OF YOUR TAX
THINK BUSINESS LOANS – COMPARE LOANS FOR BUSINESS FUNDING:
CLICK HERE TO SEE IF YOU ARE ELIGABLE FOR A LOAN
TRY QUICKBOOKS ACCOUNTING AND BOOKKEEPING SOFTWARE FOR FREE:
CLICK HERE TO START YOUR FREE QUICKBOOKS ACCOUNT
BUSINESS TAX COMPREHENSIVE LIST FROM .GOV.UK:
CLICK HERE TO READ THE GOV.UK LIST OF TAX DETAILED GUIDANCE
PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE OPTIONS WORTH CONDSIDERING IF A CONSULTANT:
CLICK HERE TO READ MONEY SUPER MARKET ARTICLE ON BUSINESS INSURANCE
BUZZSUMO GREAT TOOL FOR COLLABORATING WITH BEST CONTENT CREATORS
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT BUZZ SUMO
PAYMENT PROCESSORS:
Choosing a payment processor is not solely a decision just for the finance department. That’s because it’s an important (some would say the most important) part of the user experience, so choosing the wrong option could negatively affect your sales conversions.
Here are the top 10 payment processors in the world currently – and a professional explanation as to why each of these is in the top 10. You can decide which may be best for your needs and your customer needs in your business model. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TOP 10 PAYMENT PROCESSORS 2025
NEED A NEW PAYMENT PROCESSOR OR CARD READER?
CLICK TO COMPARE SOME OF THE BEST CARD READERS ON THE MARKET
CLICK FOR THE BEST PAYMENT PROCESSORS AND COMPANIES
EPOS IS THE COMPLETE AWARD WINNING PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR YOU TO Sell anywhere and everywhere
CLICK HERE TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW EPOS CAN HELP YOU
Did you know that success can mean learning more about your own team and individuals?
BUSINESS DIVERSIFICATION AND CHANGE INFORMATION
CLICK TO LEARN ABOUT BEING AWARE OF DIVERSIFICATION
A part of being an esteemed ethical expert in a small business means helping to keep standards high. This can also mean reporting corrupt business operations:
ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT A CORRUPT BUSINESS OR ESTABLISHMENT?
CLICK TO CONNECT WITH TRANSPARECY.ORG TO LET THEM HELP YOU FURTHER
Using The Right Business Tools Share on X
Business Tools and Laptops
Work Laptop Brands that are reliable and robust, that I can recommend for a variety of work including work at home, startups, creators, traders, and so on.
I am I personal fan of Lenovo, for their product and build quality and excellent customer service.
Lenovo my personal trusted and favorite brand for laptops You can search by clicking the link for a laptop that is right for your type of work or role and they also have a live chat to guide you to make the right choice when seeking to purchase a laptop.
ACER
ASUS
Dell
HP
CLICK HERE TO LOOK AT BEST LAPTOPS FOR 2024 BY LAPTOPMAG
BEST BUSINESS LAPTOPS FOR 2024 BY TECH RADAR
With the right laptop you also need to understand basic SEO. In order to be found on search engines.
SEO MASTERY
What is SEO?
Search engine Optimization, is the process whereby we craft carefully created content in order to help search engines understand our content, and this way it helps Google and particular people discover your site/s.
Once at your site the user can then decide whether or not to carry on and continue with the next action.
If you are not familiar with SEO for your website then study this section, or hire the right person for the role to manage your SEO.
SEO is always changing, and anyone who tells you that there is one solution is completely wrong. Thus we need to constantly monitor and shift as the demands change. As Google and SEO is always changing then it means that we need to be aware of what this means for us, and we must adjust our blogs and websites accordingly.
We need to consistently research and update our content to stay ahead of competition and stay ahead of the curve.
CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE BY SEJ TO LEARN MORE
On the subject of websites and blogs; if you want to create a high quality WordPress website like the one I have built here then consider a beautiful and trusted WordPress site:
CLICK HERE TO BUILD YOUR WORDPRESS WEBSITE IN 5 EASY STEPS
CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW WP ENGINE CAN HELP WITH YOUR SITE
Business Tools & Story Telling
What is a good book, TV show, blog or website without engaging stories?
Human beings love stories.
Use them!
Need help? This is where ‘Story telling experts’ come in.
I can recommend that you contact this company if you want your story told the right way for your brand, a product, innovation, technology, a launch, or anything else. They will help you get results by helping you use the right tools to tell your story the right way.
This could be using video, audio, animation, writing, presentations or anything else you may wish to get help with.
The Story Tellers have a solid track record with significant successful brands in their portfolio, so they can help you elevate your story beyond what may seem impossible for you now.
CLICK TO CONTACT THE STORY TELLING EXPERTS FOR SUPPORT WITH CRAFTING YOUR STORY
NEED A WORLD CLASS MARKETING EXPERT?
This person assists in INCREASING PROFITS AND GROWTH: For over 20 years Chris Cardell has been helping business owners and entrepreneurs increase their sales and profits, implement powerful cutting edge and traditional Marketing techniques, and vitally protecting businesses in the economy. You can CONTACT CHRIS HERE
In the South West of the UK? This is a useful resource for venture capital Startups:
21 VENTURE CAPITAL BRISTOL CONTACTS
UNDERSTANDING IMPORTANCE OF MEASURING CUSTOMER RETENTION TO STAY ON TOP:
NOTE: In this ever changing and often tech driven digital age you may find some of the tools ‘I use’ are powerful for you, or you may not.
But even if you have a flower shop, a bakery, a Tattoo parlor or a Pet grooming store, or anything else, you still need to use premium online tools – coupled with the right presence to be as effective as you can be.
It might be an e-mail autoresponder, a website, a blog, a payment processor or anything else which you need help with you most, and your job is to ensure you don’t negate any part of this business operation.
Of course if you have great products and services which is an absolute must, you can only promote and share these awesome products through the right channels by using the best tools.
Otherwise it is a bit like owning a beautiful red Ferrari with no engine. It may look appealing and present an excellent vision ‘but’ it ain’t going nowhere!
Even with an engine it won’t get far without you driving it correctly.
Driving it correctly means knowing your numbers.
Business Accounting
I was terrible at Maths in school. In fact I was scared of it.
I couldn’t take it in or absorb what my slimey Maths teacher was trying to get across. In fact he was too busy trying to chat up girls on the front row of class, for me to care what came out of his mouth.
But this isn’t about my school days, it is about you knowing your numbers – and it is the only way to survive!
This is where you may need to hire the help, as I did.
Just be aware that with no knowledge of the data and numbers there is no business.
If we want to manage our Small businesses and grow our passion in the right way, this means using the right accountant and accounting tools.
I can personally recommend a professional company I trust to support you here; Quickbooks software.
CLICK TO EXPLORE THE QUICKBOOKS SOFTWARE OPTIONS AND STUDY THEIR FREE ADVICE
If you any questions do let me know, I am more than happy to share my experiences and how to use this tool.
Using The Right Business Tools Share on X
BUSINESS TOOLS TEMPLATES: Whether it’s a Payments Form an Appointment Form, a Basic Business Registration Form, a Terms and Conditions form – or a Course registration form they are all here.
CLICK HERE FOR A VAST SELECTION OF 10,000 FREE ONLINE BUSINESS TEMPLATES
Startup Business Tools
TOP BUSINESS TOOLS AND TECH RESOURCES:
CUTTLES Number 1 Startup Planning Tools
STARTUP NATION BUSINESS TOOLKIT
Business Tools I Use
Website Hosting: Every website needs hosting and I have tried them all.
I would suggest you are careful with who you choose, because various companies
can charge WAY over the average costs.
So shop around and make sure your hosting company is priced according to your budget, and has great customer service.
As long as it has all the features and benefits you need and are reliable then it is enough.
NOTE: Most the expensive option in business does not always mean the best, and this can be in any area.
Look for what you need most, which could be a basic package.
SITEGROUND is a company I trust. Try them for just:
3 months StartUp hosting for £0.99
I can also recommend Fast Hosts, tehy have unrivalled price points, and their customer service is second to none. CLICK HERE TO TRY FAST HOSTS
ZOHO All-In-One Business Software Tool
that is incredibly useful and powerful.
CLICK HERE TO HAVE A CLOSER LOOK AT ZOHO
Productivity tool: Part Spreadsheet Part Database:
Entirely flexible way to manage productivity which is
Custom built for teams to organize their workflow their
way – built by industry experts enabling maximum
productivity and effectiveness.
CLICK HERE TO PERFORM BETTER WITH AIRTABLE
Business Tools & Banking
Online Banking: There are various companies which offer Online Banking
and I have used 4 different banks in my years of Business operation.
Personally I believe in good customer service and I think every good business
should have this in place.
I also believe in quick effective solutions.
There are good points and bad points about banks but for
features and benefits I would rate these as one of the best at the moment.
You can learn more about Starling Bank Here: CONTACT STARLING BANK HERE
Money Management: Another great tool I can recommend is a tool called YOLT.
It is a smart money management tool. If this sounds like something which
may interest you then:
CLICK HERE TO SEE A REVIEW OF YOLT
Ecommerce
Want to start your own income generating online store?
This isthe worlds Number 1 ecommerce platform.
Shopify TM CLICK TO GET STARTED ON YOUR DROPSHIPPING OR WHOLESALE JOURNEY
There are various great platforms for ecommerce selling including WordPress, Shopify, Woocommerce, and
Bigcommerce, and you can also explore these options.
Outsourcing or Insourcing?
Freelancers: If you are looking to hire experts and outsource some of your
Business tasks, a useful resource is Freelancer.com. I have used various freelancing companies including Upwork,
and Freelancer, but I personally found that Upwork were not as professional in communication. And that is important to me.
Look for good communication and collaboration, and effective responses from seasoned pro’s. I personally found with Freelancer’s service and delivery it works to the highest quality and standard.
You can even become a Freelancer yourself also if this is what you wish to do: BY CLICKING HERE
Need a low cost freelancer? There are many companies
which offer great service. But if you are just starting out and money is a bit tight you can find some great
gig offers here.
Always ensure you work with professionals that have great proven reviews.
Join Fiverr And Start outsourcing – note: you can also
start Earning Money for yourself as a freelancer.
CLICK TO JOIN FIVERR TO EARN / FOR FREELANCE OUTSOURCING BUSINESS
Important:
These resources are useful to online workers and for those who want a gig at reasonable costs, but if you require an expert in your area I recommend supporting local busineses and operators where possible.
It is far better for the U.K. small business landscape to hire those either in your company (insourcing) or to hire someone else in your own town or city if possible (outsourcing), in order to help the local economy.
Ensure you always communicate clearly with your workers, especially if they work remotely, or somewhere else other than where you work. This enables you to check competency and capability each role, and it helps to use various tools to help with this.
Team Communication: Do you have remote team members you work with every day?
If you need to message teams to ensure vital tasks are actioned, I can highly recommend a tool called:
SLACK – YOU CAN GET IT HERE FREE
Business contracts: It is always important to have contracts in place for various reasons.
Create Professional Electronic
Business Contracts with Adobe CLICK for FREE 14 day trial
I also highly rate ‘Hello’ Sign for contracts which you can access BY CLICKING HERE
Communication also means you need to have in place professional online customer relationship management tools.
CRM
Do you need a highly recommended CRM tool?
What is CRM?
CRM stands for customer relationship management.
It’s a category of integrated, data-driven software solutions that improve how you interact and do business with your customers.
CRM systems help you manage and maintain customer relationships,
track sales leads, marketing, and pipeline, and deliver actionable data.
I have tried various tools and personally love Pipe drive the most.
It’s features and benefits are what I needed and what work for me.
I suggest you implement some form of CRM software in your business in order to really know what’s going on every day with your customers, as missing this could mean lost sales and lost customers all through missing that vital connection.
Communication is the backbone of all organisations
So we must connect online to help build and invest in loyal customers, which gives us a distinct advantage over those that negate it.
Through monitoring customer activity and keeping the relationship strong, we can develop repeat custom, high standards, referrals from happy customers and the all important retention.
YOU CAN CHECK OUT PIPEDRIVE HERE
I also recommend you check out the top 10 CRM software:
CLICK HERE TO READ THIS CRM ARTICLE
Using The Right Business Tools Share on X
Business Tools & Business Planning
We all need to create a robust Effective Business Plan.
This is the foundation of all successful business operations.
Whilst some business have never used business plans, I believe it wiser to reduce risk and improve the probability of business success, especially in the first year of business. And LIVEPLAN are a great option. I have used them many times and highly recommend them.
As with all tools and resources there are many options when looking for what’s best for you, and all small businesses and ideas are different so, you have to choose what’s best for you.
Book creation: Do you want your very own high selling branded eBook
to position yourself as a leader? Here are some tips I created for you:
TO BE ADDED SOON
Business Tools & Website Builders:
Create a beautiful website yourself using WIX – Easily create a website, blog or online store.
Start your free trial today! No Plugins Necessary. 24/7 Customer Support.
Modern Templates. FREE 14-day Trial. Custom Domains. Services:
Modern Templates, Commerce, 24/7 Support, SEO, Drag & Drop, Mobile.
Hosting for WordPress: No1 rated Hosting For WordPress
Fast, Secure, Innovative & Expert Support. Our Hosting Plans Fit Your Business. Around The Clock Support. Enterprise Grade Security. Scalable Architecture. DIY Friendly Tools. SMB & Enterprise Plans. 100+ WP Support Experts. 60 Day Money Back Offer. Services: Startup Hosting Plan, Growth Hosting Plan, Business Hosting Plan, Scale Hosting Plan.
Need A Beautiful WordPress Theme?
One Of The best Online Business Tools Is WordPress.
To Start A Powerful WordPress Website or Blog –
Easy To Use and Set Up Click Here: http://buildawpsite.com/
START A BEAUTIFUL WORDPRESS BLOG HERE: https://wordpress.com/
WHY WORDPRESS?
This is probably ‘the’ most respected professional platform in the world today.
My blog is WordPress that I built myself.
As an authority site it works for me, and you can easily and quickly create one in your niche area to grow a brand and a business model.
Seasoned Business Experts and Mentors
Dropshipping: Have You ever thought about starting your
very own successful drop shipping business? I can highly
recommend a guy called Anton Kraly who is in my humble
opinion the greatest Dropshipping trainer on Earth:
And you can see what he does by clicking HERE
Professional Amazon Expert: If you prefer working with the Amazon platform
I can highly recommend someone called Sophie Howard’s Jetstream Income School.
I love Sophie’s mentoring techniques as they are extremely powerful
You can start by grabbing a book by her to see if it’s for you or not. HERE
Business growth expert: Here is a guy called Dan Bradbury.
If you Google him you will see that he is a guy who takes
already successful Businesses and significantly increases
their growth exponentially. You can join his list and learn from
a master of growing Multi Million Dollar Businesses.
I love his videos, emails and offers.
START HERE And grab a Mastermind Info Pack
Business Tools & Design
Design is everything.
Just look around at nature, it is perfect for human beings, and we can learn a great deal from nature, and we need to design lives and business that work for us.
An example of good design?
When you see an Ad on Facebook in your Newsfeed and it has a striking image and words to promote a product, brand, webinar, training or giveaway that pulls you in.
New Cars also offer innovative design, as do many new and bespoke homes and the furniture within them.
It is your job when considering design to be inspired by what is around you.
Think about ‘why’ you are drawn to something.
What does a product or service make you feel and why?
We are emotional creatures, and we want to feel things, preferably good things, so what do the best adverts, shops and companies that grab your attention do for you?
With the Canva tool you can create your very own elegant designs, using the right colours, textures and templates for
all your advertising needs.
This includes creating the right promotional tools for social media platforms. And used right this equals revenue.
Its easy to use: TRY CANVA FREE
Powerful Video Tool
ZOOM: As you may already know Zoom is a really great tool for hosting meetings, Q&A’s and calls.
I have used it with my consulting brand for many years.
Zoom helps me connect, communicate, and even create recorded modules for self study courses.
Hiring Experts Insource or Outsource?
TIP: We cannot be good at everything. And it never pays to spread ourselves too thin. Stick to what you are great at and hire others who are great at what you are not good at.
It is worth considering outsourcing certain tasks and projects, that’s if you cannot insource these tasks within your current team structure.
I believe we must work in our skilled area/s and hire others who are better than us in other areas.
If we are weak with communication then we may hire someone such as a personal assistant or partner that can hold vital meetings and huddles.
Weak at marketing, finance or PR or maybe business development?
Then hire an expert to help or use a capable and competent team member.
In fact – trying to go it alone can lead to burn out, and then this can lower performance output, so remember that – even if you work from home or have a hybrid work situation, ensure you focus on your core skills and what you do best, and bring in others who are strong in those other areas.
Business Tools – Your Role
Just starting out?
Have you created a business and marketing plan?
You must identify your skilled role, core vision, mission, ethics and goals.
Begin the process by understanding why these are your goals, and what your objectives are.
Plan out your growth plan by committing to research, knowing your core demographic, brand identity, costs, measuring all numbers, data, and understanding your performance systems and processes.
Hire the best only, and build a robust team and partners.
Be clear on every role and function, and master your craft.
Be passionate, as without drive it won’t last long – as you will lose interest.
Always aim for simplicity where possible and make it easy for your customer.
If you haven’t already; get clear on your core strengths, skills, abilities, talents, passions, interests, purpose, and from there carve out your ultimate role.
When we do our best work in what we love, we are more effective and consistent, as we have a deep connection with what we do.
I also advice you consistenly invest in yourself.
Read plenty of books in your area and in other areas, listen to podcasts, attend important events, and become known as the go-to expert in your sector.
Exercise every day and keep yourself sharp and aware.
And never forget that the main part of your toolbox is YOU!
Investing in understanding yourself means creating greater power, focus and growth internally and externally, equating to greater output, momentum and success.
This means not aimlessly using a scattergun approach to your business, but having a direct and purposeful identity in your role and sector. This is how your community will resonate with you.
We cannot throw money at a business and just hope it sticks, we need solid planning, clarity around goals, strategic objectives, an eye on the future, a good self education, ongoing awareness of customers, and an ability to keep on and even adapt when the going gets tough.
This may equate to pivoting in order to stay relevent, and/or diversifying in markets around what we promote or sell to add streams of income.
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Business Tools & Sales Pages
Sales pages are designed to draw in potential buyers and subscribers, so you can ultimately sell to them for many years to come.
This means not just having transactions but creating investments in your customers.
It is very important to get this right, and means using the right words, design, branding, message, content, and so on.
Aim to create loyalty in customers, to build retention, and always aim to build repeat customers that hopefully refer others to you.
In order to do so, you should only use the most trusted tools and companies to support you.
There are certain companies that I trust and respect in this area, these include:
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TOP 16 LANDING PAGE BUILDER TOOLS
LEADPAGES In my opinion the greatest tool for creating
HIGH CONVERTING sales pages and sales funnels. Not to mention
high converting webinar pages and Thank You pages.
START YOUR LEADPAGES ACCOUNT HERE
Thinkific: Online Course creator.
In my opinion the easiest and most effective tool on the market.
And you can create an income through course creation
Get Started FREE:
CLICK HERE TO START CREATING YOUR FIRST ONLINE COURSE FREE
ACUITY Scheduler: In my opinion the best tool for online scheduling.
Acuity is a professional expert tool for qualifying your leads coming into your website.
Imagine having an EASY SETUP form to capture details and send them to your
email direct so all you have to do is see whether you want to work with them or not?
Ideal for creatives, therapists, consultants and many other experts.
You can create as many options and designs as you like to brand your company and also choose times and dates you wish to work, and you may edit your acuity form as much as you like.
CLICK HERE TO TRY ACUITY SCHEDULER
Business Tools & Mindset mastery
We cannot operate excellent tools without excellent minds of course.
I know that mindset stuff can seem a bit woo woo, but it is the absolute foundation of all greatness in life and business and must be mastered through continuous development.
Without mastery of minds and direction, we are like an aimless ship without a rudder.
If your mind has not been through the ups and downs of business experience, or faced difficult challenges before, it is vitally important to train your mind to be able to lead and operate with power and resilience.
Study the courses required, read the right books, watch other experts, listen to podcasts and study business videos, and you will have an edge over others.
More tools that have helped me:
What is Mind mapping?
This is a way to help you perform better and become more productive.
Not only that – it will help you focus more and get stuff done to maximize your time effectively.
This equates to attaining greater results.
I also find this Mindmapping tool very useful: http://tinyurl.com/MindMappingTool
Mindset audios: Another favorite Mindset tool
which I use daily is by Guided Mind TM
and you can join them HERE
Business tools & Franchises
Perhaps you would rather buy and operate a trusted and proven franchise model, than start a small business from scratch?
Benefits:
- A system and model that is already established.
- A process that you can copy rather than figure out.
- A guide with how to operate a business and run teams.
- A brand that is already in the minds and hearts of people.
Downsides:
- Often a large investment to start requiring borrowing.
- Less creative ability to do your thing your way.
- Managing teams on potentially minimum or low wage, which can be very stressful as people come and go.
- May not be an area you have a passion for.
With that in mind, you can weigh up the pro’s and con’s to see if it can work for you.
History shows that established brands that are tried and tested and proven to perform offer reduced risk, so if that is more your thing then a franchise may be for you.
Always ensure you do your homework when considering a Franchise before throwing a large sum of money at something that you may have no idea about.
Here are some U.K. Franchise Opportunities you may wish to become more familiar with:
START YOUR VERY OWN FRANCHISE – CHOOSE THE BUSINESS SECTOR YOU MAY WISH TO WORK IN
Business tools & Membership sites
Could you start a dating site?
Or have you ever thought of owning and operating a subsciption model?
Niches include; dating sites, niche specific education, art and crafts, engineering, personal and professional development, tech mastery, Cooking, music creation and production and more.
One of the greatest Business tools I use for creating Membership Sites is called member mouse.
NOTE: There is a great deal of work involved when setting up a membership site,
so you may need professional help with this.
You will need to either employ an expert on managing your customer/client numbers, to handle losses and manage communication, or outsource.
Or you may be able to manage this yourself using the tools that membermouse provide.
If you want to start your very own Memembershup Site with subscription members paying you on autopilot monthly look at the FREE TRIAL HERE>
I believe the subscription model is a great area to become involved with, as many people love to spread costs, rather than pay lump sums, and can learn within their price point, plus prefer to pay monthly or quarterly for a large range of things. Think of Netflix, Amazon and Disney also.
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Google: Increase Web Traffic with these Business Tools
Google is searched more than 1 billion times every day–creating an unbelievable opportunity to get your business in front of thousands of eyes every minute…that’s IF you know what you’re doing. It is worth studying Google to master your marketing and advertising costs, and to learn the most effective ways to get the best ROI (return on investment).
Again – hire a Google expert if you are not skilled in this area.
Plus it is worth considering using Youtube as another tool, as this has many millions of viewers daily.
Creating your very own book: I have communicated with both of these
companies and they have helped guide me a great deal when
evolving my ideas and books for market.
CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED WITH YOUR BOOK WITH BALBOA
Balboa are a part of Hay House which you may have heard of before, and these particularly important to me because Louise L Hay’s book ‘You can Heal Your Life’ was the first book I ever studied and read.
Email marketing:
Having a great email list means you can share content and sell to loyal subscribers even when your business is not performing well.
In other words a list gives you an opportunity to create sales at any time.
YOU NEED AN EMAIL AUTORESPONDER AND LIST – or you have little in the way of a business.
This means investing into the right tools, so that others invest in you.
It is critical to growing a list to build trust and communicate, plus make sales.
Your loyal buyers and subscribers are like the life blood of your business, because when business goes up and down as it will, you still can affect the decisions they will make and still make sales.
This means leading with value, discounts, offers and so on.
Think of it as a business in it’s own right. I personally love and recommend AWEBER.
I have always used Aweber to craft my very own highly responsive List Of Subscribers and Customers to drive offers, give value and create that deeper investment:
Business Tools I Use – ecommerce
If you wish to start an ecommerce store which is very popular these days, you will of course need the righ tools to do so.
I recommend starting a shopify account and exploring the various resources available to you to help you build your store and succeed in this space.
There are various brands to choose from, but I believe Shopify are the best, with the greatest tools, resources and support.
ECOMMERCE BUSINESS TOOLS: Trade directory of wholesale suppliers and U.K. wholesalers
B2B portal featuring importers, distributors, manufacturers and wholesalers in the UK
Wish to start your own Shopify Store? Join Shopify by clicking on the shopify image. Explore the ALIBABA GLOBAL TRADE STORE to get ideas for products to sell – this is where you can BUY GOODS WHOLSESALE & DROPSHIP FOR ONLINE INCOME:
Business Tools & Affiliate Marketing
Have you ever thought about affiliate marketing to add more revenue streams?
Affiliate marketing is quite simple in it’s meaning; you are given a unique link or URL, from a particular company or brand, and this link is simply shared and promoted, and when others click on your link and buy through your link, you recieve a commission. This can be for many types of businesses.
Many company websites will show an affiliate option at the very bottom of their site.
As a part of my previous consulting business model I used Affiliate marketing to help grow a stream of revenue. It is not always consistent but can help you in many sectors.
Affiliate marketing is a powerful tool and you can earn by sharing the tools and resoures you use and rate highly.
I recommend considering it if you wish to focus on earning commissions by promoting other businesses, tools and services that you use and endorse. However; be aware that you need to focus on your primary business, so you could use AI tools, and potentially other members of your team to focus on the affiliate side of things.
If you are already familiar with Affiliate marketing then great, I suggest you master an area at a time, and be aware that you can earn from your subscribers and e-mail list also by sharing affiliate offers.
There are tons of videos on Youtube that explain how to implement affiliate offers to your e-mail list and many other ways to earn commissions using Google, Facebook, Instagram, TikTik and so on.
Always consider which affiliate products are right for you, and might create revenue in your chosen market area.
NOTE: Bear in mind that you should ‘only’ promote what you use, value and recommend, and not just try to sell anything and everything to anyone, if the products don’t relate to your niche area. Plus if you do it this way, you will probably fail in doing so.
Think of your core business passions, the relative demographic, specific niche areas, and choose what to share from that.
My personal favourite expert in Affiliate Marketing is Sarah Staar:
How To Sell Affiliate Products Step By Step By Sarah Staar
Business Tools and AI – Are you using it yet?
It is no great secret that AI is becoming more and more useful now, and many companies depend upon this tool to assist them in their daily operation.
But it can also be abused and ruin businesses, so it pays to know how to use AI, and what to use it for and why.
Whilst this tool is amazing in helping change lives in the health sector and in the porgress and development of business, it has a dark side. Beware: Don’t get dragged into the use of AI when it comes to manipulation and false information through video and other content.
You can explore some of the best AI tools here:
CLICK TO TRY OUT CUSTOMGPT WHICH IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE TOOL
CLICK TO SEE THE BEST AI TOOLS FOR 2025 BY SYNTHESIA
You might also use this guide to help you determine where best you should use AI.
A BUSINESS LEADERS GUIDE TO USING GENERATIVE AI
AND THIS…
31 WAYS YOU CAN USE AI TODAY BY ELEGANT THEMES
- How About Efficiency: It can work through vast levels of data quickly, which in turn can help you to improve and optimize your supply chains.
- Potentially customer service: I’m sure you have seen those chat bots and virtual assistants that can provide an answer in seconds.
- Greater Security and Safety: AI tools can even assist in creating better working cultures and environments.
- Saving Time: AI can automate many of those boring repetitive tasks, enabling us to do all the complex and sophisticated tasks.
- Solve Tech Issues: AI can deal with many technical problems through studying process and patterns, but it has to be managed correctly. But there is still a long way to go with AI, and lets face it, nothing is as personal as a human beings brain when it comes to the art of business and dealing with people.
- However – like all tech there are risks. And it’s not all good as AI can potentially take human beings jobs and roles away in certain environments, and it can also be impacted by security, and affect data safety and privacy. It may also damage ethics and transparency in the workplace. So we need to be extremely aware and responsible when using these tools.
Become aware of most powerful companies in this sector:
HERE ARE THE BEST PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS FOR 2025
THE BEST CHAT BOTS IN AI FOR 2025
CUSTOM GPT TOOL FREE TRIAL HERE – No code, no training, just results: The #1 no-code platform for creating custom AI agents for your business.
Also Check Out Essential Small Business Tools By PC MAG
CLICK HERE FOR ESSENTIAL SMALL BUSINESS TOOLS
Finally
The key in business is to create your brand from a strong foundation, and to have a clear message and relationship with your buyers, partners, customers, clients, suppliers, readers and subscribers.
No-one needs more complication these days, we all need simplicity, so be elegantly simple.
As you begin to reach your goals – keep expanding and continue to invest in yourself and your business, never rest and assume that things are ever good enough, seek to become better every day.
This means offering outstanding standards, quality, experience and value.
In doing so, you will create business momentum and long-term success, as it comes from consistent improvement.
That’s all for now, I sincerely hope this has helped you to understand how the right business tools are essential in helping you in your journey of business excellence.
Be aware also that the greatest tools in your arsenal are YOU! Your mind, heart, gut and your ability to keep learning and getting better.
Greg
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