The Best Startup Tools for 2021

It is another new beginning, with the advent of a brand new year, and we, the humans, are equally delighted by the marvel of technology and the technological advancements. In recent times, the business sector has benefitted a lot from different tools and equipment, thus enlarging its sales and revenue. It is timesaving and cost-effective, are secure to use because of the security and regulatory guidelines that one has to abide by. Besides, technology ensures smooth functioning of businesses and seamless operations.

Startups and Technology

For startup organizations, especially in the year 2021, running a small business becomes a big challenge, especially without any technological implementation. For new entrepreneurs who want to set up online e-commerce stores, it is always advantageous to rely on technology since multiple aspects can be managed at one time. There is a variety of online business tools, which help retailers, build a strong online presence so that they can generate more leads, maximize sales and therefore increase profit. Hence, no business can completely undermine the benefits that they can attain via technology.

In this blog, we have discussed some of the most important and easily accessible tools that will help startup businesses survive and sustain for a long-term engagement, especially in this quick phased world.

1. Slack

The secret of a majority of startup businesses lies here. Slack is a cloud-based communication platform, an efficient messaging tool which is compatible to use in several devices including smartphones. It enables seamless connectivity between employees, across cities, states and countries. Its user-friendly interface makes it suitable for file sharing and emails too. You can chat on direct messaging and talk via group channels. Slack also allows easy video and audio calling, another feature which is easy to use. You can set up separate meeting rooms, with fewer distractions like promotional advertisements.

For small startups, this is ideal. If you are a small group of 10 people, you can use the trial version for free. Besides, you will only need 5GB storage space to gain from 100 various app integrations.

2. G Suite

An application launched by Google itself, GSuite easily integrates with Google Drive, Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, hangouts, Calendar, Google Vault etc. this powerful business tool gives 100% data security, unlimited space for storage, real-time and efficient team collaboration, saved in the cloud system, and more. It has an inbuilt chat system and more capabilities for sharing files and communication. For startup businesses, therefore, it is the ideal tool, affordable and user friendly.

The costing of the business starter plan is Rs. 125/month while the standard version is Rs. 672/month.

3. Notion

Notion is a customer-friendly project management tool, especially for use by small businesses. The team can increase its productivity without any hesitation, in this all-in-one comprehensive workspace. It is also known to provide strong building blocks for the project where the users can structure layouts according to their requirement. You can also use the calendar, record and capture the flow of the work, alongside formulate real-time collaboration.

For small businesses, it is useful to plan and allocate tasks, track the progress etc. the members can have access to it, along with up-to-date versions. You can also utilize custom keywords and tag the team-mates wherever needed. The free version provides multiple features and the team version costs only $8/member per month.

4. Figma

This is a cloud and browser-based, UI and UX design collaborative tool, loaded with features and functionalities. It works on Linux, Windows. Mac and various other operating systems. It enables simplified designing, efficient teamwork, and real-time data analysis. The multiple plugins ensure seamless work performance and output. There is an option for text-based communication. The familiar interface also allows easy sharing of files, in an uncomplicated manner. You can also get review and feedback on designs.

Besides the free trial version, the professional mode is available at $12 while one for the organization can be availed at $45 per month for one user.

5. Zeplin

Another necessary business tool for design collaboration, Zeplin has extraordinary features which make way for productive business output. You can export codes and design artefacts, snippets in HTML, CSS, React Native and other languages. It saves both money and time, the specifications are user friendly, the interface is easily navigable, enables maintaining consistency in designs, and finally is an extraordinary tool for collaboration.

You can bring advanced development context and features to the design, train your team members to get familiarized with the process, and include new skilled engineers to design your UI components better. The free trial version allows only a single project. The starter pack is for $17/month for three projects together.

6. Tailwind UI

A renowned designing tool, this is appropriate for use by small and new startups since it allows advanced functionalities – customization, a robust built-in design system, simplified onboarding options with any project, and a high development speed. There is no need for context switching, this utility CSS framework is comparatively easy to create multiple components, and is also highly responsive. Hence it makes web and application development work easy and smooth.

For startup businesses, they can avail it at $32/month.

7. Airtable

Airtable is one of the best collaborative tools, which can be utilized by startup businesses to automate their workflow, organize their data and output and meet the required company specifications. This efficient project management solution has a centralized database where teammates can work seamlessly, and aim for greater productivity. The interface is like an excel sheet, where you can gather and input data. You can also migrate them to other databases without the fear of losing it.

The costing factor makes it affordable and easily accessible to all. For 1 year, you can avail the pro version for just $20/month. The plus version costs $10/ month, providing more scope for growth.

8. Zoom

Zoom tool has proven benefits for small businesses and startups. It is flexible, executing each functionality smoothly and seamlessly. It serves every individual business objective and goal, not to forget its simplicity in usage and affordable pricing. It can be set up easily, without hassle. It enables communication, video interaction with team members, and is compatible with multiple devices like smartphones, laptops, computers etc. This business tool is thus the best value for money, also providing more return on investment.

9. Mixpanel

Mixpanel is the most suitable business tools for both analytical work and business engagement. Appropriate for small businesses, you can track your data via this program, analyze and evaluate your metrics and then undertake actions accordingly. It is highly influential for startup businesses, where you can monitor all your sophisticated business data, metrics, see the entire journey of the customers, find anomalies or discrepancies, and consequently influence the behaviour of the consumers as well.

Besides the free version, you can also avail the next version at just $17/month. Here, all features are accessible.

10. Intercom

The intercom system is basically a CCTV camera monitor, which provide startups access to a variety of different features. It is for efficient communication, through which messages can be exchanged. It is flexible and versatile too. Most importantly, the owner can avoid happenings like theft by using intercoms since it is difficult to trust people in a relatively new company. Besides you also need to ensure structured cabling, secure electronic system, speciality system, design service and more.

11. Typeform

A personalized software tool for use mostly by small startup enterprises, you can build optimized workflow, conduct surveys and structure questionnaire for employees, segment people and qualify them under CRM, filter categories and remove irrelevant questions. Finally, you can boost productivity for faster growth of the company.

Here you can prepare forms to engage your audience, collect feedback, on a real-time interface. For further engagement, you can set up quizzes, build constructive conversation among teammates, integrate with other tools like Slack, HubSpot, Dropbox etc. The starting/essential version of Typeform is $35/month. There is no free trial version.

Conclusion

Getting your business ideas and transforming it into a reality is extreme hardwork. Especially in the case of a startup business, you have to utilize all your funds, effort and time wisely. Integrating the latest technology adds to the benefit of these organizations in manifold ways. Seeking support via business tools expands the company growth, thus helping your venture succeed, even with limited startup resources.

From all these tools, you can select the one, which best suits, your requirement, business goals and objectives. Also, ensure that the investment you make is valuable and revenue-oriented