Self-employment is enjoying its golden years, as more and more people leave their 9 to 5 jobs to pursue their dreams and open their own businesses. There are a lot of self-employed job ideas floating around, but the true work starts when you find your passion and want to make a living out of it.
Starting a business is a daunting task, to say the least, and it may feel overwhelming to go at it on your own. But most young entrepreneurs don’t have the budget to hire specialists, especially in the first phase of the company. Thankfully, there are apps and software that can help you in the first steps of your company.
Starting a company entails a lot of different responsibilities from administration to finances. These apps make tasks like marketing, data analytics, and more seem like a walk in the park for people who have a small insight into these specialties.
Startup Checklist & Apps
As mentioned above, there are a lot of things to take care of before you can say you have a foundation for your company. It’s hard to keep all this in mind, which is why most people follow a checklist, especially when they plan on doing the bigger part of that list alone.
But even if you have a well-established checklist, you still need some assistance. Today, the best way to make your life easier is with apps and software. In this checklist, each point/task is paired with the best apps on the market today.
Legality
Firstly, you must choose a legal name for your company, and establish the business’ legal foundation and structure. The structure of your business will vary depending on your location, so it’s recommended to consult with a lawyer when establishing these aspects of your company, even if you’ll oversee the legal processes on your own in the future.
Domain & Social Presence
You’ll also need an official domain, e-mail address, and business accounts on social media platforms. These are the easiest to do by yourself, and only take a few hours to create a presence online.
Best apps for monitoring social media: Zoho Social, Hootsuite, Sprout Social
Business Strategy
You need a business strategy, containing marketing plans, and your legal and financial structure. There are a lot of apps, websites, and software that can help with this process, but some people prefer consulting with a specialist for this task as well to ensure the best outcome.
Best apps for business planning and management: nTask, Enloop, Bizplan, GoSmallBiz
Finances
Your financial foundation will rely greatly on your official company bank account. It’s very easy to open a business account, even under your existing account in most places. Still, for the best results, it’s better to consult with a banker in your area rather than doing it yourself online. Through research, you’ll surely find the best bank in your city for business purposes.
Once you’ve set up your business account, the first thing to do is to set up your accounting system, using the right software, or hiring an accountant to oversee the financial process.
Best apps for finances and accounting: QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks, Wave, Expensify, Gusto
Office Space
If your office isn’t home-based, you’ll also need to rent office space. This too can be done easily on your own, because nowadays, you can find most deals online. But depending on your location, you might need a federal permit to rent an office space under your company name. You might also want to obtain business insurance depending on the size of your business.
Order Business Cards
As the owner of a startup, you’ll be doing a lot of networking, especially in the first few months. To make that easier, and classier, it’s recommended to order a heap of business cards. There are a lot of free apps and sites where you can design beautiful cards easily.
Best app for design and online business cards: Canva, Contxts
Find the Best Suppliers and Service Providers
Finding the best source of inventory for your budget and news is crucial, especially if your business sells products, or you make your products at home. But even services like nail design, eyelash building, etc. rely heavily on the quality of your inventory.
Best apps for inventory management: SOS Inventory, Shopventory, Sortly
Cybersecurity
Depending on your industry and mode of work, you might want to invest in cybersecurity. There are several user-friendly software that can help you get started in simple security, but if you want the best on the market, you’ll have to hire an expert to create the foundations for your security systems.
Best apps for basic cybersecurity: Prey, Keeper Business, Flashstart
Systemizing & Organizing
Organizing everything from your desk to your projects is key when trying to oversee an entire company on your own. Some people prefer using a pen and paper, but nowadays it’s recommended to start using an app or software that makes it easier to oversee everything.
Best apps for organization and project management: Asana, Trello, Basecamp, Evernote, Wunderlist
In conclusion, there are just as many – if not more – apps to assist you, as there are tasks that you need to focus on. It’s not impossible to start a business on your own and manage it by yourself in the first phases of your company.
And although it might be harder, and it might require more time and energy, it’s much kinder on your budget, which might be a priority for most startups.
