If you’re thinking of opening a startup, you are probably wondering how many SaaS tools you really need to help you in achieving your business goals. As you’ve probably heard, “too much of something is dangerous”. Well, this also applies to your Saas tools.
For the number of SaaS tools, there is no specific number that has been settled for. You only need tools that are beneficial to your business. Keep in mind that SaaS tools are not responsible for any profits or losses or any other significant activities. They are just driving tools that help you in actualizing your ideas and get better results.
For example, you can’t say that Grammarly helps you write better articles. Still, instead, Grammarly enables you to polish through your already written work so that you can deliver high-quality content. That is how Saas tools work.
How to Choose Saas Tools for your Startup
Just because it’s marketed properly doesn’t mean that it will work for you. They are also trying to drive their sales higher. So how do you choose tools that work for you?
1. Time
For any startup, your time is gold. So you want to get as much done within as little time as possible. When choosing a SaaS tool, you want to choose one that will save you as much time as possible.
For example, when choosing accounting software, you want to choose one that will have all your finances put together. So that come tax season, you’re not going to start looking for a whole year’s receipts.
From that point of view, you know for sure that that tool will save you a lot of time so that you can invest in it.
2. Money
For a small business, you barely have enough money at your disposal, and every penny matters. You want to invest in a Saas tool that saves you as much money as possible.
For example; Investing in accounting software will save you the hustle of hiring a certified accountant for long hours to go through your receipts and file your taxes when it comes to tax season. Well, accountants are not cheap.
3. Long Term Cost
Many tools offer a free plan then the option of paying after you reach a specific limit. Most of the time, the open-plan might end up not being enough for your needs, and you might need to upgrade.
Will the upgrade run your pockets dry? Are there other Saas tools that can serve the same purpose without draining you financially? Your answer is probably yes. In that case, choose tools that fit your long term budget.
4. Efficiency and Effectiveness
The primary purpose of having a SaaS tool is getting faster, better, and quick results. Saas tools serve the purpose of making work easier for you. That runs down to efficiency and effectiveness.
If at the end of the day, if you do not see results from your tools, there’s a number you have to choose from before getting one that is in sync with your workflow.
Which are Some Of The Saas Tools that a Startup Could make use of?
The most we can do is make a few suggestions to what we think are standard Saas tools that any startup could use.
SaaS tools are categorized according to the services they offer. Below we have discussed some of the categories and what tools to use.
1. Accounting
Every startup needs to invest in good accounting software. At the end of the day, your business revolves around money. Money gives you the business direction. Is it doing well? Is your business giving you revenue?
Having accounting software enables you to stay on top of your expenses. This way, you would know of any unnecessary spendings that you could cut down.
Some of the accounting software you could use include Xero, Quickbooks, and Freshbooks.
2. Data Storage
You want to have all your startup company information and data organized and in one place. You could save the folders accordingly, i.e., registration, accounting, catalog, photos, etc.
There are several SaaS tools offering data storage services. For example, Google drive, gives up to 15GB of free storage, after which you upgrade once all the room is used up. Dropbox, the dropbox basic account offers 2GB of free storage, and more premium packages start with 2TB of storage space.
3. Productivity
For any business, staying on top of your employees’ productivity comes in handy in ensuring that you are not wasting the organization’s resources.
Softwares such as Toggl, Rescue Time, and Time Doctor have features that show how efficient your time management is. As a startup owner, it is easy to get carried away and find yourself doing on the wrong page, social media, maybe? Instead of keying in your expenses?
Analytical reports at the end of the day will probably create a sense of accountability.
4. Email Marketing
Tools such as Mailchimp enable startups to send up to 2000 emails at a go. For a startup, the free plan will probably serve you the purpose. With these tools, you’ll be able to get the open rate, click rate, and other statistics that will come in handy when sending out subscriptions.
Sendgrid is also another alternative to Mailchimp.
5. Social Media
An online presence is vital for any startup. Getting an active social media presence is one way to ensure your presence is noticeable. The best way to do this is by having a social media management tool that helps you reach your customers at the right time.
Tools such as Buffer, Hootsuite, and Zoho Social serve this exact purpose. They help in creating post schedules across multiple social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
They also give you insightful information that helps you in creating a working schedule.
6. Photos
Several sites offer free photos for you to choose from that will match up with the content that you are putting up.
They are categorized into different categories—anything from Tech, travel, blogging, management, and such.
Sites such as Pexels, Burst, and Unsplash are the best for free stock photos.
7. Design
If you want to make beautiful design templates, Canva is the tool for you. You can easily make logos, posts as well as models. Canva has a selection of pre-designed templates for platforms such as Instagram and Facebook for you to choose from.
8. Communication Tools
Communication tools such as Slack and Freshchat come in handy when you have a small team to manage.
They enable simple conversations that don’t require an email—basically bringing the casual in a formal environment.
9. Market Intelligence Tools
These are probably some of the most important SaaS tools that a business can invest in. They include Google Analytics, Piwik now called Matomo, and Hubspot.
They are quite helpful when it comes to gaining audience insight. Hubspot offers free CRM and enables you to track workflows that will help in generating quality leads.
Google Analytics gives you detailed reports and visual data that help you get a better insight into how customers interact with your website. Piwik is a substitute for Google analytics.
10. Video Conferences
With the rise of remote working, it is essential to choose a tool that will make virtual meetings easier. Tools such as Skype and Zoom make this possible.
Their global availability, as well simplicity is what makes them the number one option.
Conclusion
As much as there are multiple tools to choose from, be sure that you get tools that will be useful for your startup business. Be sure to do your research well and check for reviews before fully committing to a SaaS tool!
All the best in getting what works for you.
