8 Important tools for startups that will make your life easier

20 October 2020

You want a good idea for a startup? Create a platform for helping startups! In an industry where the chance of success is a mere 10%, no one will reject a helping hand. That is why there are already dozens of such projects. And if you’re not using them, you’re missing out on the opportunity to simplify your job and demonstrate your project in a more elegant way.


1. For task management

Managing one’s tasks is a more straightforward process than that of a whole team. Logical, right? But even so, startups often limit themselves to the messenger and quick phonecalls. It seems like an easy way to get the job done, but in reality, you’re losing a lot more time than you’re gaining.

It’s time to give your project a more organized look. In other words, settle on one platform where all your and your teams’ tasks will be organized.

Asana is one of such platforms. Here you can write down your tasks with due dates and assign them to specific people from your team; you can track the processes easily; you can create a calendar where you’ll get a full picture of who’s doing what and when; you can link different tasks and people so that there are no delays and misunderstandings, and you won’t have to worry about forgetting to assign someone on a task. You can also upload necessary documents and share them with the rest of your co-workers.


2. For managing digital marketing

Being present on social media requires a lot of time and effort — especially when there are so many opportunities on the horizon. In a newly created startup, digital marketing is often assigned to the team’s leading members, who have tons of other stuff to do. Having one platform to keep track of all your marketing efforts makes this job so much easier.

Hootsuite gives its users an excellent experience for this. With the platform’s use, you can manage your marketing campaign through different mediums — all in one place. You can also schedule posts in advance, compare the results from various marketing platforms, and so on.


3. For your pitch deck

PowerPoint and Google Slides are the most used tools for creating a pitch deck. But, if you want to take a step further and make your pitch stand out, there are alternatives for this service, too, like Prezi.

Prezi is a free platform where you can create interactive presentations. Its main advantage is zoom-in/zoom-out function and dynamic graphics.

When you’re presenting your idea in front of the investors, the main challenge is to get their attention. Because of its dynamic nature that comes close to a video presentation, Prezi helps you stand out from the crowd and get more eyes on your slides.


4. For visualizing your product

The road from idea to product is tedious and full of uncertainties. What looks good in your head may not be applicable in reality. Of course, you can always change the product, but some platforms make this process even simpler.

InVision is a service used for creating the design for digital products. With it, you’re building the main skeleton of your product with minimum efforts and time. It’s like PowerPoint for digital products. And the most significant advantage of it is the ability to work with your team where everyone can comment on their ideas or make the changes they find necessary. Visit the main page of their website, and you’ll see how it all works.


5. For free images

An image is indeed worth a thousand words. For Facebook posts, for your website, or your articles, you’ll always need high-quality photos. Stealing them straight from the internet is not a good option anymore. This practice is replaced by websites that offer free images for you to use as needed. The two most popular sources are Unsplash and Pexels.

If you’re looking for specific product images (ex.: Apple’s smartwatch) or pictures of a celebrity, you can look them up at CreativeCommons. The photos are free, but they come with usage rights, so be sure to check those up.


7. For creating your own visuals

When you don’t have a designer on your team, it’s hard to create visuals that correspond with your brand identity. Canva will help you solve that problem.

The platform’s database consists of millions of visual elements that you can easily modify. Canva is free to use, but it also offers premium services for a broader range of options.


8. For creating documents

As your company grows, you have tons of documents that need to be created or updated. Business plans, strategies, offers… The process is so much easier when you have a library of templates of all sorts.

Xtensio is a platform for precisely that purpose. You can choose any template you like, and modify it as needed.

Ana Mikatadze

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