About the authors Jay T. Ripton is a Scottsdale-based freelance writer in the fields of technology, economics, and lifestyle. He likes to write to inform, educate and provoke spirits. Peter Kowalke is a journalist and editor who has covered business, technology and lifestyle trends for over 20 years. When he's not writing, he runs Kowalke Relationship Coaching. It can be a daunting but important prospect. IDG research shows that digital transformations account for 40% of technology-related business spending in 2019, with an estimated investment of more than €2 trillion to date. And a survey by Tech Pro Research found that 70% of companies have implemented or are building a digital transformation strategy. But what is digital transformation really about and why is it so important? The simple version of this answer is that digital transformation uses the latest digital tools to dramatically improve operations. The proliferation of cloud storage, customer relationship management systems, automated billing platforms, and other tools allow organizations to increase efficiency, increase productivity, and streamline processes for better utilization. Your precious time. All SMEs can benefit from digital transformation, but finding the right tools is essential. Here are eight things you should know.
1. ZipBooks
The free option is ideal for new businesses, despite its limitations. User-friendly layout and design. Easy to install and get started Not as many support options as there should be Some features feel limited (like reporting) ZipBooks is a business accounting app with a low pricing model suitable for SMBs. Users can send invoices to clients, track time spent on tasks, monitor projects, create a record system, and register bank accounts for fast payment processing. The ZipBooks address is for new and growing businesses, with several packages to choose from. The free Starter option offers billing, unlimited contacts, and access to a single bank transfer. But the smarter version (€15 per month) upgrades the system with unlimited bank connections, automatic billing, and time tracking. A fancy option is priced at €35 per month and adds file sharing, unlimited users, and reporting. The top package (with custom pricing) provides companies with a dedicated accounting clerk to manage reports and recommendations.
2. Loomio
A discussion forum with proposal and poll features that allow discussions to reach an outcome, with a chronological record of key milestones and decisions made. Nurture a strong culture of collaboration across companies of different sizes, bringing even the smallest teams together despite geographic distance. Very easy to use and integrate into daily operations. The price jump from the basic plan to the professional level is a bit high, but it is still competitive globally An essential part of digital transformation is improving collaboration and bringing workers together from around the world, allowing more ideas to be shared, share skills and make decisions, regardless of location. Loomio is a collaboration tool designed to reduce the use of email meetings and discussions, which can affect productivity. SMBs can use Loomio to manage projects, discuss tasks/ideas, and keep employees connected conveniently. Prices start modest and increase with the number of people.
3. notebook
Switch between visual view and list view Easily break tasks into subtasks via list view Smooth charting and project metric visualizations. Completely free at least until the end of 2020 Relatively new, features may change (but probably for the better) No clarity on pricing once the company starts selling the service. Companies that have embraced digital transformation need better project management. Quire is an innovative cloud-based collaboration platform that makes it easy to manage projects in a variety of styles. The Quire platform allows teams to start modestly without much project management setup, easily creating checklists that can be developed and serving as the foundation for more detailed monitoring. It also places a lot of emphasis on visual project management, allowing teams to view their project as a Kanban board (in Trello) or as a list. Visually, employees can organize, prioritize, and focus on what matters most intuitively.
4. MailChimp
The generous free version offers SMBs a multitude of options and allows for automated emails at a decent scale. Full template editor for fully branded emails Clean and clear user interface Prices rise dramatically when you cross the 2,000 subscriber mark Some customers have encountered support issues MailChimp is a popular email automation tool, which provides SMBs a quick and easy way to manage email marketing campaigns. Email automation saves time and reduces the amount of human intervention required to reach new customers or existing customers. Businesses can choose a free package, with up to 10,000 emails per month and 2,000 subscribers. Pay-as-you-go options are ideal for a more personalized experience.
5. Quick foundation
Designed to make application development simple and fast Multiple packages for teams of different sizes. Integrates with Gmail, NetSuite, and Salesforce. The prices are very high, especially for SMEs with tight budgets. The communication and personalization tools are quite limited. A study by Clutch reveals that almost half of small businesses have a mobile app, while 30% have plans to launch one. But building an app can seem like a monumental challenge for new SMEs. Fortunately, Quick Base is an app development platform for businesses looking to build apps without coding. Instead, SMEs have the ability to create applications through a simplified, step-by-step process. There are several pricing options available, with a free trial for beginners.
6. Social driver
Quick access to all social media accounts for quick and easy interaction Detailed reporting system to improve performance monitoring Great block planning features Limited social listening and engagement features Over a quarter of consumers prefer to interact with social media accounts companies through social networks than by phone. They are likely to spend 21% more after a positive social experience with a brand. However, managing communications across multiple social networks can be difficult, which is why Social Pilot is a valuable tool for digital transformations. Businesses can manage all their social accounts and automate their post planning to maintain strong engagement in less time. SMBs can repost content multiple times over many dates, seamlessly share information across all accounts, and allow consumers to receive a faster response.
7. Eid
Expanded billing options for one-time or ongoing billing High-performance reporting tools. Quality development tools for easy integration. Not many customer service options. Some users reported unexpected account closures Making and receiving payments online is a daily process for SMEs. Stripe is a third-party payment processor designed to be as simple and easy to use as possible. Its development tools allow anyone with the required skills to integrate Stripe using multiple languages (Python, PHP, Node, etc.) and it offers over 300 integration associations for real flexibility. Businesses can accept payments with credit cards, electronic wallets and more, in different currencies, with automatic conversions.