October 2024

Essential Small Business Tools and Apps for 2025

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Famously, Thomas Carlyle once said, “Man is a tool-using animal. Without tools, he is nothing, with tools he is all.” Tools lie at the heart of our business and personal lives; without them, life would be much harder.

If you need to manage your business and personal finances, Quicken Classic Business & Personal offers both in one convenient package — see them separately, with the convenience of managing all your money in one place.

For everything else, let’s take a look at the best small business tools you can use today in 10 different categories.

Business tool and app categories

1. Customer relationship management (CRM)
2. Email marketing 
3. Social media management
4. Project management
5. Team communication and collaboration
6. Marketing automation
7. E-commerce
8. Design and productivity
9. Analytics and SEO tools
10. Accounting and bookkeeping

Let’s take a closer look at these tools and how you can use them to help you in your business endeavors!

Tools for customer relationship management (CRM) 

Before the convenience of storing information and contacts on our computers, some of you may recall the Rolodex, a rotating card-filing device whose very job it was to manage the many numbers, names, and miscellaneous everyday information in a person’s life. 

A CRM is your business’s hub for managing customer relationships. It’s like having a supercharged version of that old Rolodex, not only storing contact info but also tracking interactions, sales progress, and customer satisfaction. 

Think of it as a tool that helps you nurture leads, close deals efficiently, and build lasting customer loyalty.

Here are a few options:

Salesforce

Forbes magazine calls Salesforce the best solution “for large or scaling businesses and sales teams that need a very customizable solution.” Having been out there in the trenches for over 20 years, it has an amazing number of integrations that’ll make your business life better.

HubSpot

The new version of Hubspot is powerful — and has a great free version to try out — but the truly unique features are on the higher tiers so you do pay a premium. Great for mid-sized businesses, it’s in the running as one of the best solutions out there.

Zoho

For a unique and robust feature set for a lower price, Zoho could win you over with its customizable interface and fantastic tools. But, like HubSpot, it hides its best features, including AI, in the higher-priced tiers, where smaller businesses might hesitate to tread if they’re on a budget. 

Apptivo

This tool received an “Outstanding! 4.5 Stars” from PCMag. Hailed as a solid example of an “all-around CRM solution that anticipates and meets the needs of SMBs,” its powerful features, affordable pricing, and intuitive interface make it a natural top choice in CRMs.

Monday.com 

One of the newer players, it has a well-designed interface with customizable workflows, integrations, and dashboards. There are so many great ways to collaborate and communicate right in the app. Expect to hear great things from them in the future!

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Email marketing tools

Imagine having a direct line to your customers’ inboxes and being able to offer a personal touch that traditional marketing can only sometimes achieve. Email marketing is targeted and tailored, allowing you to send specific messages to specific audiences. 

This is a focused approach that helps build stronger relationships, keeps your brand at the top of the customer’s mind, and often leads to higher engagement and conversions. It’s marketing, but with a twist that uses more intelligence and heart and a little less old-school bravado.

Top email service providers:

Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

A powerhouse for creating newsletters and all your other email marketing needs, you can also sell subscriptions, automate multiple email marketing sequences, and monetize your content. Kit has long been among the elite of email marketing tools, with all the features you need to believe that this truly is one of the best.

Features:

• Landing pages
• Email designer
• Integrations

Mailchimp

One of the first pieces of software that springs to mind when you think of email marketing, Mailchimp is easy to use and has a slick, user-friendly interface. One of the most full-featured of the list, you will no doubt find all the tools you need for your email marketing efforts.

Features:

• Email automation
• Reporting & analytics
• Audience management

Constant Contact

This software has been around in the email marketing arena since 1995 and seems to cater mostly to a few very niche markets. It still has quite a few flashy features that will appeal to some.

Features:

• SMS marketing
• Social media marketing
• Event marketing

Mailerlite

Free for up to 1000 email addresses, this no-frills solution may be what you’re looking for if you’re just starting out in email marketing. It may be one of the cheaper solutions, but its features help it keep up with the others, at least for a while.

Features

• Website and blog builder
• Newsletters
• Email verifier

EmailOctopus

An affordable, intuitive service that offers great customer service and some great marketing tools. It truly is email marketing made easy. Offers some of the same features that the more expensive packages do.

Features:

• Build beautiful emails
• Tailor your messages
• Connect and integrate with your favorite apps

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Social media management tools

These tools can help your small business by making it easy to post content on various social media platforms and guiding people to engage with your posts. They save you time by automating boring and repetitive tasks, allowing you to focus on creating powerful and fulfilling connections with your customers. 

Popular platforms include:

Sprout Social

Sprout Social is great for most if not all, social media management tasks. It also offers excellent analytics and reporting options. Sprout Social is one of the most robust offerings we’ve included in our list.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite has been around a long time and has developed into a powerful suite of tools for social media management. It integrates with Canva and Grammarly and has stock photos available for your social media posts.

Buffer 

Behind a simple user interface lies a powerhouse that helps boost your social media management potential. Allows you to create social media content using their content library or even their AI tools. Then you can analyze the data and create reports that will help your future campaigns.

HubSpot

Built alongside its powerful CRM, this suite of social management tools may be all you need to run and maintain your social media campaigns.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social’s real-time monitoring dashboard helps business owners discover what’s being said about their brands and products. Easily search and track a keyword, and respond when you need to. Zoho Social is ultimately a robust solution from a powerful suite of tools, including CRM and social media management.

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Project management software

These software solutions help your business stay organized, meet deadlines, and keep everyone on the same page. They create project workflows by letting you assign tasks and track progress on those tasks. Most importantly, they make communication central to the project, which offers smoother and more efficient teamwork. 

Leading project management tools:

Asana

Consistently rated the best project management software with a very capable free version. Business owners who live and breathe productivity love Asana for its ease of use and powerful standard features.

Trello

A long-time favorite of web developers back in the day, Trello helps you plan and maintain massive websites and build new ones. It’s still a great option for any kind of small business in need of tracking productivity.

Monday.com

A new favorite among content teams, Monday.com has become a favorite for its powerful ability to trim massive workloads and create customizable boards to keep track of projects and tasks.

Jira

Jira is project management software developed by Atlassian for Agile teams and has been great for managing difficult workloads in many ways since 2002. The software uses Scrum and Kanban boards to visualize workflows and run Agile sprints. If you use the Agile system, this could be a great tool for you.

Notion

I mention Notion because it offers both free and paid versions, and it has a massive army of followers creating templates you can use for whatever type of productivity problem you’re confronted with. I’ve used it for years in my personal and business products, and it’s powerful enough to scale to even bigger businesses. One of the most unique uses of Notion is to create a second brain for yourself.

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Team communication and collaboration tools

At this point, who hasn’t used Zoom for business conferencing?

These types of tools improve your business by making communication seamless, whether your team is remote or in the office. They help with scheduling meetings with prospective clients and setting up projects. They bring everyone together in real time, making it easier to collaborate and make quick decisions. 

Popular tool options:

Slack

Slack is the workhorse of many organizations, helping to keep teams on the same page and communicating through text, with the option to add images and other files too. It’s also a great collaboration tool, allowing teams to share documents in chats with colleagues, or even to organize them for yourself. A massive number of integrations make it worth its weight in gold.

Zoom

Zoom is the G.O.A.T. for video communications. With its new workspace, you can arrange and set up meetings and even use AI to help users improve productivity and work together more effectively.

Google Workspace

This list wouldn’t be complete without  Google Workspace. Emails, meetings, and document collaboration — it has everything a growing business needs to stay afloat, supplemented by the easy consonancy of the specific Google apps for your needs.

Microsoft Teams

This is Microsoft’s offering in the communications space, a suite of tools that also includes messaging, file sharing, and more. If you already use Microsoft for your other needs, it may be a good idea to stay within the ecosystem.

Discord

You may think Discord is only for YouTubers and gamers, but it’s actually a powerful suite of tools to help you stay connected to your team, collaborate, and share files. It has easy-to-navigate channels that you can create to organize discussions and topics, without overcrowding a space or losing track of information/details.

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Marketing automation tools

Marketing automation tools are all-in-one solutions for repetitive tasks that run across more than one marketing function, such as email campaigns, social media posting, and customer segmentation. They help organizations save time, personalize outreach, and nurture leads more effectively. 

Popular marketing automation platforms:

HubSpot

HubSpot offers everything for your business, from  CRM and social media management tools to operations management and list segmentation. This tool is expensive but powerful enough to run every part of your small-to-medium-sized company.

ActiveCampaign

It almost feels like everyone, from SaaS & tech companies to online creators and influencers, is using ActiveCampaign. It’s no surprise when you realize that this service offers businesses 900+ app integrations, like Instagram or even DocuSign and Google Sheets for the technical aspects of your business, improving an owner’s clientele reach and engagement across email marketing, content creation, and audience management, with the added utility of ActiveCampaign’s built-in AI for more help.

Marketo

Adobe Marketo Engage — also referred to as simply Marketo — is, according to them, the “world’s largest marketing automation platform.” It’s a suite of tools for creative businesses that will help in their marketing efforts. It’s backed by Adobe, but expect to pay a premium for their help. A powerful option with its profiles, audiences, and personalized content.

Drip

Drip is a niche email marketing platform for online sellers geared toward e-commerce. If you sell online, you should check out their pricing, features, usability, and support.

GetResponse

Not only does GetResponse help with email marketing and automation, but it takes care of SMS marketing and paid ads as well. It’s a powerful and robust platform for a reasonable price.

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E-commerce platforms

The best e-commerce platforms share a few key features: they’re user-friendly, offer customization options, and provide secure payment processing. They also support seamless integration with other tools like marketing automation and inventory management, and they have strong customer support to help businesses succeed online. 

Top e-commerce platforms:

Shopify

Shopify is the leader in e-commerce. Easy to set up and run, you can open a store in minutes and start earning money. The interface is intuitive and easy to use, and the platform is powerful through its use of integrations.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce made a name for itself by helping businesses create online stores on their WordPress websites. A powerful plugin that can help bloggers, business owners, and service-based businesses add products and services to their existing websites.

eBay

eBay is a selling powerhouse that’s been around for more than 25 years, helping regular people and various businesses to sell online even without paying for a custom website. eBay boasts more than 1.3 billion visits per month, so there’s no shortage of customers looking to place their bids.

Amazon

Everyone knows Amazon, but what many people don’t know is that people and small businesses can sell their own products under the umbrella of Amazon. With more than 2 billion monthly visits, anyone can be a successful seller on the platform.

Etsy

Etsy is known for supporting creative businesses and offering items like T-shirts, stickers, posters, jewelry, clothing, and templates. If you sell creative products, you can leverage Etsy’s 500 million monthly visitors and turn them into customers.

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Design and productivity tools

If you’re a graphic designer, you already know what tools like Photoshop and Illustrator can do for your business. But other businesses can harness the power of design tools too, helping them create a brand, documents, and graphic elements for their websites. 

Popular options:

Adobe Suite

Adobe Creative Cloud has long been known for software like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premier Pro. They also have an awesome selection of stock images online. Industry-standard software that works flawlessly and will always be cutting-edge. Expect to pay a premium for quality.

Canva

Canva is quickly becoming a tool in the arsenal of many businesses that can’t do without it. A free-to-use graphic design tool, you can build your brand, brochures, social media assets, and templates all online. Powerful and multi-faceted, if you want ease of use here as opposed to the learning curve of some of the more professional offerings at hand, this is the software for you.

Google Drive & Workspace

Since Google is so accessible and an incredible cross-functional tool, it’s quickly become the go-to for many businesses that want to keep all their documents and information in one place. Add to this a cloud drive to store every asset and document, and you have a powerful, complete suite of tools for your business.

Microsoft Office

If you know Microsoft, you might remember when it offered a unique user experience and software support with Clippy, the ever-eager paperclip. While he’s no longer a part of Microsoft Office, Microsoft has since adapted to offer users what they really need:  a suite of powerful productivity tools that can help every aspect of your business, from creating PDFs to slide decks, and from email writing to database configuration. Microsoft can do it all for one low subscription price (and one less virtual paperclip’s critique of your choices as you create and design.)

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Analytics and SEO tools

Analytics and SEO are powerful tools for staying ahead of your competition. They provide insights into customer behavior, website performance, and market trends, helping businesses make informed choices. 

Essential analytics and SEO tools:

Google: Search Console, Analytics, Trends

Google Search Console is used to improve website performance, giving your business insight into how Google sees your site in the search results. 

Google Analytics tracks website traffic and user behavior with precise data about your audience and content performance, as well as providing you with reports of your business needs. 

Google Trends can help you see which products and services are trending, helping you navigate the market in the future.

SEMrush

This is a paid tool that goes a bit deeper than Google. It provides helpful insights into keywords and your competition. SEMrush breaks everything down into data that can be used to make critical decisions for your company.

Moz

A similar tool to SEMrush, Moz can help you target your content marketing, digital PR, and local marketing efforts.

AHREFs

AHREFs is best for creating backlinks and, more specifically, for its backlink authority checker and backlink analysis. It also implements a keyword explorer tool and a site audit tool, giving rise to strategic insight into competitors.

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Accounting and bookkeeping software

Accounting and bookkeeping tools keep track of where your money is going and where it’s coming from. These tools help you manage income, expenses, and taxes by automating the most difficult tasks, giving you more time to focus on running and growing your business. 

With everything in your business organized and accurate, you’ll have a clear picture of your finances and be ready for tax time without the usual headaches.

Quicken Classic Business & Personal

If you want a clean, easy-to-use business dashboard and custom reports galore — plus the most personal-finance tools of any accounting and bookkeeping software — Quicken Classic Business & Personal offers all the features you need for your growing business.

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Setting Business Goals That Work — Create Your Roadmap for 2025

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We’ve all been there — you’re thinking about what’s next for your business, and you’re pumped to achieve new heights. Everyone tells you the way to do it is to set business goals that will serve as a roadmap. You put together a haphazard list of objectives; maybe even arrange them on a vision board like you did in college, but a few months later, they start to feel more like you were wishing on a star than valid, actionable plans.

Why does this happen? Many times it’s because we stick too closely to the same old strategies, forgetting that innovation is what truly drives growth. We have to set goals that take this into account.

Imagine not just setting financial targets but redefining how you reach them. Short-term goals can help maintain momentum, but it’s the long-term, innovative vision that will really push your business forward.

Setting goals doesn’t have to be intimidating; it just means thinking differently and being willing to explore new opportunities.

So, how are you setting your goals and objectives? Will you stick to the usual path or try something bold?

Understanding business goals 

You might be asking: What is a business goal? 

A business goal is a specific, measurable objective that a company aims to achieve to drive growth and success.

You might think that setting a business goal is as simple as just promising to “make more money next year!” Instead, you have to look really deeply and think about adding value to the web design services you offer by building a new service offering in Q1 and measuring the results. 

You might also plan to reduce the cost of doing business by using sustainable business practices. What about creating viral marketing videos with industry influencers to boost your business’s brand visibility and drive an increase in social media engagement? 

It’s not just about putting a line in the sand; it’s how you plan to move your business to the next level.

Using business goals to drive innovation

Business goals can be the spark that challenges you to think creatively about how to achieve these goals. It pushes you to explore new strategies and ideas. 

When your goals are tied to growth and you’re always striving to improve upon the vision and methods for your business, they become more than just benchmarks — they’re opportunities to experiment and evolve.

So what’s the difference between conventional and innovative goals? It might be as simple as getting more specific.

A conventional goal might be to “increase sales by 10%.” Seems a bit bland, right? 

What about “boost sales by 10% by launching a virtual reality shopping experience?” 

The first is straightforward, but the second adds creativity and excitement to the mix!

New trends like AI-driven customer insights and sustainable business practices (think switching to eco-friendly packaging) are transforming the way informed business owners set goals. This big-brained way of thinking makes it essential to stay ahead of the curve. 

Goals aren’t just checkboxes; they’re guides that keep your business moving forward on the path to success while helping you adapt and thrive in a constantly changing landscape.

Speaking of AI, it can play a big role in goal-setting by analyzing data trends and predicting future outcomes. It also helps business owners set more accurate and achievable targets. 

Imagine having a personal strategist, offering insights on everything from customer behavior to how the market is behaving in 2025.

Business goals vs. objectives

First, you have to set your big, overarching goals, like “doubling customer growth.” Then you break it down into specific objectives, like “by launching a targeted marketing campaign in quarter one.” When your objectives are focused on your goals, every action moves you closer to the end of the trip.

Aligning objectives with your goals is like having the perfect bespoke roadmap for your road trip on Route 66 — without it, you’re just driving aimlessly looking at tourist traps. 

Choosing your business goals

When choosing business goals, the key is to dream big but keep it real, so your goals are inspiring and doable at the same time. Why make goals you know you can’t achieve? On the other hand, you must be aware of your capabilities so that you don’t underestimate yourself.

Here are a few other things to consider:

Overcoming challenges

With rapidly changing technology and market volatility, running a business can feel like you’re riding a rollercoaster. 

For example, is rapid change in technology overwhelming you, causing you to continuously learn new tools or ways of doing things? Set goals and objectives for yourself and/or your employees to invest in a certain number of hours of training so that the skills of the team are prepared for anything! 

Or are you struggling with a volatile market? Consider proactively changing your service offerings each quarter to better address market challenges. 

What if you want to foster strong collaboration within your teams? One measurable objective could be hosting brainstorming sessions that could lead to innovative ideas and help tackle problems from multiple angles. 

The key is to make sure you set enough time aside on a regular basis to review your goals and objectives, making sure you’re tracking your progress and setting new goals along the way. 

It can be hard to find the time, especially when you’re running a small business, but it’s one of the most important things you can do for your company’s financial health.

Types of business goals

A well-thought-out business strategy includes various types of goals, such as financial, operational, customer satisfaction, and digital transformation goals. Having a wide range of goals ensures that different areas of the business are improving the balance of the business, helping the company stay agile and better equipped to handle challenges from multiple fronts.

Consider newer types of business goals, like digital transformation goals, which push businesses to use technological innovation in exciting ways. Consider spending time observing how your business uses technology, and set goals based on that. You might choose to fully automate your customer service using AI chatbots by next year — a goal that could help keep your business ahead of the curve.

Short-term and long-term goals

Short-term goals are the quick wins — things you can knock out in a few months — while long-term goals are the bigger visions, like where you want your business in 5 years. 

Think of short-term goals (or even objectives) as the building blocks that lead to your long-term success. For example, hitting monthly e-commerce sales targets (objectives) in order to double your business revenue in three years (end goal).

Using AI and modern tools to create your goals

It’s now easier than ever to use a chatbot or virtual assistant like Chat-GPT to help you set realistic goals for you and your business. These large language models use data to help you create goals as well as objectives that are tailored to your business.

Just like Tony Stark from the movie Iron Man, having your own pocket assistant to help you make decisions and complete simple tasks can free up more of your time to plan ahead for your business, or even just appreciate its successes through the goals you’ve set. 

The technology is getting advanced enough to provide unique solutions for each business situation.

Setting objectives and KPIs to meet your goals

Once you’ve decided on your goals, objectives are the specific ways you intend to reach those goals. 

Let’s say your goal is to grow revenue this year. Your objectives might include adding a certain number of new products to your online store or bringing a certain number of new customers to your website. 

With your objectives in place, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the measurable ways you track progress toward those objectives. They let you know if you’re on the right track. Every week, you’d look at the number of new products you’ve added to your store and the number of new customers you brought to your website to see if you’re on track to meet your specific objectives.

By setting the right KPIs for each objective, you can stay focused and see how well you’re doing at achieving your business goals.

Key elements of effective objectives to drive business goals

The SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) is a solid map to make sure you’re setting the right objectives to meet your goals. 

For example, if your goal is to grow your revenue, one objective might be to increase your customer base. Here’s how to make sure that objective fits the SMART framework. 

Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve.
To make it specific: “Grow my email list.”
Adding “email list” shows specifically what you want to achieve.
Measurable: Make sure you can track your progress.
To make it measurable: “Grow my email list by 25%”
Adding “by 25%” makes this objective one you can track in a meaningful way, to see whether or not you’ve reached it.
Achievable: Set a goal that’s realistic for you.
Think about: Is growing your email list by 25% realistic?
If you have a list of 100, that might be reasonable. If your list is 5,000, then increasing it by 25% might be too aggressive as an objective.
Relevant: Ensure it aligns with your broader goals.
Reflect on: Will this objective help you reach your goal of growing your customer base?
Yes, it probably will. While you can’t be sure that your email subscribers will become customers, it’s a good step as long as the people you’re adding are interested in your products and services.
Time-bound: Give yourself a deadline to stay motivated.
Adding a deadline: “Grow my email list by 25% per year.”
By adding a time frame, your objective becomes more measurable, and you can more easily determine whether that objective is achievable, too.

Tools and techniques for tracking your objectives

Tracking business goals, objectives, and KPIs has evolved, and tools like AI-driven analytics are now game-changers. These tools give you real-time feedback, letting you adjust quickly and improve on the go. This new way of tracking means you’re always refining and growing, making your goals smarter and more achievable every step of the way.

Taking action

In today’s challenging business world, setting goals is no longer just about checking boxes on nice-to-haves for your business; it’s about using innovation and embracing new solutions that push your business forward. 

By creating goals that challenge you to think differently, incorporating tools like AI, and setting clear, measurable objectives, you create a map that keeps your business adaptable in a changing market.

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How to Create an Electronic Signature

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Have you ever been asked to e-sign a document or PDF? Have you ever signed anything online?

You never know when you might need to create an electronic signature. As more transactions shift online, chances are you’ll need to digitally sign something soon, if you haven’t already.

This article demystifies the process of creating electronic signatures by answering some common questions and walking step by step through the process.

How do we use digital signatures?

Common scenarios for using electronic signatures are:

Sales contracts

Purchase orders

Vendor/supplier agreements

Change orders

New customer forms

Real estate contracts 

Intellectual property licensing & other legal agreements

Non-disclosure agreements

Employee onboarding

Parental consent and age verification

As you can already guess, there are quite a few reasons why using electronic documents and signatures is better than paper documents and traditional handwritten signatures. A huge one is the environment. Imagine being able to process millions of documents without printing them out, saving all that paper as well as the landfill space when the documents are eventually tossed out.

Another is the way this technology enhances workflows by reducing turnaround times because you don’t have to print anything out and mail it. Everything changes by only having to manage a PDF file. 

Types of electronic signatures

Electronic signatures can take several different forms. These range from image signatures (just dropping an image file with your signature in the document) to formal document-signing platforms like DocuSign. 

Electronic signature apps and platforms are fast and easy to set up and use. E-signatures can be used in just about any type of document, including:

Business contracts 

Offers of employment

Invoices

Purchase orders

Sales contracts

Digital signatures are like the next-level version of electronic signatures, using advanced technology certified by trusted third parties called certificate authorities. They meet the strict requirements of highly regulated industries by providing better security and enhanced authenticity, ensuring your documents are tamper-proof and verifiable. 

Step-by-step guide to creating an electronic signature

So, how do you digitally sign a document?

Paid software method

Step 1: Sign up for an account.

Choose an e-signature software. There are many to choose from—these include but are not limited to SignWell, DocuSign, and Adobe Acrobat Sign.

Step 2: Upload your document

Navigate to the document on your device and upload it to the server.

Step 3: Add your signature

In general, there are three options for adding a signature (type, draw, upload a signature image) to your doc.

Using your chosen method, place the signature on the document. Most software will employ a helper “wizard” to guide you through the process.

Save and finalize the signed document.

Alternative methods for creating electronic signatures

Using Microsoft Word

If the Word document contains a signature field, you can place your signature image directly on the signature line and sign.

If you are using the Word app on your phone or other mobile device, place the cursor where you want the signature and choose “insert” and “signature line” from the menu, signing with your finger. Using this method, you don’t need special electronic signature software.

Using Google Docs

You can place a signature image, but to create a new signature, you need an add-on with Google Docs.

Using Adobe Reader DC

First, open a PDF document in the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC application. Click the “Fill & Sign” button in the right pane. Click the “Sign” button on the toolbar and select “Add Signature” to add your signature.

Save the document.

FAQs about electronic signatures

Are you who you say you are? A word about authentication

Just like in a paper world, there is some trust involved. When you go into a bank, they trust you’re the person you say you are. The use of Qualified Electronic Signatures uses a key to ensure who you are, and one day, electronic signatures may even be more secure than signing in person.

Already in countries like Estonia, they are supplying digital citizens with cards they can swipe that will allow them to sign any document, start a business, and transact with a bank.

Should I use my full name?

You don’t have to use your full name unless you’re matching a previous authorized signature. You have the flexibility to use just your initials or any variation that feels right to you. This allows you to choose the option that best suits your needs and comfort level.

You can use any set of initials, or combinations of your first, middle, and last name.

Legal equivalence to a handwritten signature 

Using electronic signatures lets you sign documents digitally with the same legal weight as putting pen to paper. By using e-signatures on your documents, you’re simplifying your processes and saving time, all while knowing everything is official and secure.

Is this true for both a Mac and Windows computer?

Yes. All the above information is equally applicable to a Mac or Windows environment.

Do I need a stylus to sign my name on a touchscreen, or can I use my finger?

You can sign your name with a touchscreen if you’re using a laptop computer with a touchpad, or you can use your finger or a stylus on a touchscreen. You can also use a mouse to draw your signature directly onto the screen. 

What’s an electronic signature audit trail?

An electronic signature audit trail is basically just a log that tells who signed the document and when. E-signature companies use secure software to capture and protect this information.

The future of digital signatures

The more time we spend in the digital world, the more work these apps and platforms will need to do to ensure that contracts and transactions are on the up and up. 

Technology will help save time, reduce costs, and enhance the accuracy and security of all our transactions. It’s more convenient in our day-to-day lives and ensures compliance with the ever-increasing regulatory standards and the needs of businesses worldwide. 

As we continue to embrace this and other technologies, like AI and quantum computing, there is a call to developers to further streamline the process, making it even more accessible and user-friendly.

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How to Make a Business Plan: 9 Easy Steps to a Solid Financial Plan

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Twenty years ago, I was starting a new business. I had started businesses before, but nothing on the scale of this startup. Back then, I didn’t have the online resources to the degree I do today. But every piece of information I found told me that to be successful, I had to start with a business plan.

A business plan is a detailed document that outlines your business idea, its market potential, and the strategy for execution. I learned that every entrepreneur and business owner needs a business plan to attract potential investors, secure lenders, and ensure the successful growth of their new business.

With tools like ChatGPT, making a business plan has never been easier, but I’ll outline every step of the process so that you understand the why and how of a business plan.

Let’s get started!

Why do you need a business plan?

A complete business plan is a guide for business owners, detailing plans and outlining the milestones for reaching business goals. It allows you to share your findings with lenders and investors, as well as the all-important stakeholders who are helping to create this new business. It contains detailed market research and analysis, two of the most important tasks you must explore before you start any business. These help to identify target customers or ideal users for your product, service, app, or software. They also expose any competitive advantages you may have over other businesses. 

The business plan is the who, what, when, why, and how of your business.

It provides well-thought-out financial projections and demonstrates the business’s vitality and potential to generate profit to your stakeholders, future lenders, and investors.

9 steps to create a business plan

Creating a business plan is a critical step for entrepreneurs aiming to establish a successful business. Each section of your business plan should be thoroughly researched beforehand and documented in a clear, concise manner. While this is a high-level document, you should avoid heavy-handed business jargon, unless it’s technically appropriate. Be mindful of the varying audiences that will go through your business plan. 

Here’s a friendly and straightforward guide to help you craft a comprehensive business plan. Let’s go into each part of a business plan and its specific purpose.

Step 1. Write the executive summary

Let’s do the fun part! Summarize the key points of your business plan in the executive summary. This is the hook for your document. Doing this part right will ensure the whole document is read completely by potential investors and stakeholders until the end. Because this will be at the beginning of your business document, it sets the stage for your entire plan.

The summary provides a brief overview of your business, including both the mission statement and value proposition, and states the clearest benefit that customers receive in return for giving you their business. 

Craft the company description

Include the company description in the executive summary.

Use as many details as you can to explain your business idea, the type of business, and its legal structure (e.g., S-Corp, LLC). Here you will also want to speak to the company history (or origin story), and the products or services offered. Include information about your management team and their qualifications and credentials. If this is a single member-managed LLC, this is a good place to talk about yourself and what you bring to the company.

The stakeholders and investors want to know that those running the company are stable and trustworthy, have no conflicts of interest, and will be looking out for the welfare of the company and its shareholders.

Step 2. Analyze the market and create a plan

Thoroughly conduct market research on your consumer base and customer segments. This helps you decide who to market to and how to pursue them. To do this correctly, you must conduct a competitive analysis to understand your rivals and gather demographic details to find out who your customers are. 

You also must identify market trends that impact your industry. For example, imagine building a new search engine and knowing nothing about Google. Ignorance about your society’s business trends or innovations can hurt your reputation and impede your growth. That’s why it’s so important to stay up to date on global happenings.

If you present this information clearly in your business plan, it’ll create a picture of the current market landscape and show opportunities as well as potential roadblocks. This will demonstrate to stakeholders and investors how your business will meet the needs of the target audience you’ve introduced them to.

This is one of the more difficult parts of your business plan. If you’ve never used artificial intelligence (AI), now might be the time to open ChatGPT or Google Gemini and start plugging in questions about your target market, or use other software tools like Semrush to research your competitors.

Market research and the marketing plan

Conduct market research. If you can’t afford to have someone do it for you, try doing it yourself on a budget. From the data you receive, analyze your target market and customer segments. Gather intel about your competitors. Use this data to decide on your business strategy.

Now you’ll choose the methods for your marketing, like social media or direct mail, and develop a marketing strategy to reach the target market you identified based on your market research. If you’re using social media, identify which platforms you’ll focus your attention on. Learn how to fully capitalize on your platform of choice and decide whether you’ll only try to reach your customers organically, or targeted means such as paid ads.

Include in the documentation your pricing strategy and other marketing activities like direct mail or email marketing. 

Step 3. Define your business idea and vision

With the market research done, you’ll next want to document your business idea, putting down every detail of the processes and procedures involved in selling your product or service. Then, create a mission statement and reveal your vision for your business. Identify the type of business. Lastly, create your unique value proposition (UVP) to prove how you stand out from your competitors.

Business goals and a strategic plan

Ambition is the lifeblood of any business. To boost your momentum as you work out the kinks of the business, outline your short-term and long-term goals. Look at successful business models and chart their progress and breakthroughs, so that you can gain a sense of how to reach your business ideals accordingly. Include specific milestones — maybe ones that you look forward to for the joy of the reward, or perhaps for the challenge in achieving it — and let your plan lay down the roadwork to your goals.

Brainstorm what you want for your business and outline your goals. Next, set up milestones to use as a roadmap. Finally, include a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). This document is invaluable. The main objective of a SWOT analysis is to help you gain a complete understanding of all the factors involved in making business decisions. By completely assessing your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, you can make confident and informed choices.

Step 4. Detail your product or service offering

Now let’s dive into your product or service.

Describe what you’re selling and document it in detail, highlighting any unique features, patents, or intellectual property. If you’ve done a market analysis, explain how your products or services will meet the needs of your target customers.

Knowing your product or service is key and solid research will help define the strength of the product. Imagine you’re going on Shark Tank and you need to be prepared to answer any question asked by the Sharks. Your investors will be looking at your business in much the same way, so be prepared.

Step 5. Design a sales plan

Develop a comprehensive sales strategy. Explain the data behind your pricing, the channels in your marketing plan, and how you’ll reach your target customers — all these pieces work together to really get the ball rolling, and there are so many ways to get people’s attention on your business if your plan has a savvy sales plan. 

Because it’s so easy to organically market to your audience through mediums such as social media, your initial efforts should either involve creating a presence on one or more social media platforms or using alternative marketing solutions. I’d suggest you pick the platform that best represents your market and focus on that. From there, you can gauge interest and engagement and look to diversify your social media or marketing avenues further!

Step 6. Prepare financial projections

Projections help you see where you’ll be financially at points in the future and provide needed information for your and your investors’ future funding endeavors. Depending on how aggressive your funding goals are, you may want to get the stakeholders to sign off sooner than later. 

It’s been said before that if it’s not written down, it means nothing, so provide an income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement to demonstrate the financial stability and profitability of your business.

Step 7. Plan your operations

When you create the operational plan, you’ll detail your supply chain, production processes, and the daily operations of a smooth-running business. Make sure you identify key players and the supply or production partners involved in your business.

Operating plan

No doubt by now you’ve thought about countless details when it comes to running your business. Document every process and explain the day-to-day operations of your business in your operating plan. This document should include specific information on your supply chain, production processes, and operational workflows.

Step 8. Create a funding proposal

Now’s the time to detail your funding requirements and how the funds will be used. This is how investors and funding agencies recognize your needs and what you’re asking for to ensure future growth. In your proposal, you will need to talk about methods and strategies, a budget, and a statement of need. 

If you plan on applying for grants in the future you may want to do some deep research into how to write a grant proposal.

Step 9. Compile and review your plan

Gather all the needed sections of your business plan into one master document. Spend some time rereading, reviewing, and revising the plan to ensure clarity and accuracy. Make sure everything you’ve written is in alignment with your business goals. 

Additional business tips

Seek feedback from stakeholders

Revise your business plan accordingly. Before you finalize anything, everyone who matters to your business should weigh in and give advice and guidance, which you can use to revise your business plan accordingly. revise and document.

Regularly update your business plan 

Reflect changes in the market or in your business structure. Throughout its life, your business will change and pivot based on its progress and your response to the ups and downs. The business plan document should change with it, serving as an up-to-date guide.

Use artificial intelligence

Don’t be afraid to use AI to help you gather and create the documentation for your business. While you do need to ensure that the output from the AI is accurate with thorough fact-checking, chatbots like ChatGPT are invaluable for gathering research, creating outlines, and checking and revising your finalized documents. It’s also good for creating example documents so you don’t have to work from a blank page. 

Twenty years ago, I was looking for answers, and they were a lot harder to find than they are these days. Now, you can ask Google or Siri anything and have ChatGPT help you create a business plan from scratch that can, after a little tweaking, be used as the document that drives your business.

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