In a previous blog, we listed our top four financial management tools for your small business, in which we provided our most highly recommended online softwares and platforms that can help you manage your business’ finances. In this blog, we’d like to provide our list of four online tools and resources that can help you manage your small business operations. Once you have your finances under control, and receive small business funding as necessary, the resources you utilize for your small business operations should continue to help you stay efficient and organized as your business grows.There are several aspects to operational management, including inventory management, online storage and backup systems, and employee scheduling tools to name a few. In this blog, we cover these four common operational issues that can be automated, integrated and monitored with ease. See below for our list of four online tools and resources you should use in order to grow your business and stay productive.

Stitch Labs

Inventory management is one of the most important pieces of a business that provides products to its customers. According to statistics provided by Bain & Company,  businesses “are able to improve inventory levels by between 20 percent and 50 percent by employing sophisticated analytical tools, resulting in savings for years.” Stitch Labs has positioned itself as one of the most recognized brands for online inventory management. As the name suggests, Stitch’s goal is to become the thread that holds the backend of your business together. It is a cloud-based SaaS (Software as a Service) with many features and third party integrations. Since its launch in 2011, the software has increased its capabilities to also include accounting, billing, e-commerce, and shipping aside from inventory control. Best known for its ease of use and customer support offerings and functionality, Stitch can be a supportive and much-needed asset for your small business operational management.

Stitch’s goal is to become the thread that holds the backend of your business together.

Carbonite

For a small business, using a backup system for data is essential not only as an operational function but also as a preventative measure. In fact, “About 70% of business people have experienced (or will experience) data loss due to accidental deletion, disk or system failure, viruses, fire or some other disaster” according to recent data statistics. As a backup solution for small businesses, Carbonite is a cloud-based system that securely stores digital copies of your files that can be accessed and restored at anytime from anywhere. With its vast amount of capabilities, automation and integrations, Carbonite can also support all of your business’ computers and external hard drives, even at various locations. Its award-winning support options are also readily available seven days a week for your backup needs. In order to take control of your operational management and keep track of your files, data and online storage, a backup system like Carbonite is essential.

Google Apps for Work

A report released by the Cloud Alliance for Google Apps and Frost & Sullivan shows that 59% of Google Apps administrators say Google plays a key role in their organizational IT infrastructure, with another 29% saying that it is the core. With its myriad of capabilities, Google Apps offers a variety of operational tools and solutions for the workplace. In fact, there are now more than 750 solutions offered in the Google Apps Marketplace according to the Google for Work Official Blog. With a name you trust, you can count on Google to backup and store your documents through Google Drive, allow your employees to quickly and seamlessly communicate with each other over Google Hangouts, manage your meetings and appointments in Google Calendar, and much more! Google takes their ease of use even further by allowing you to integrate their apps with any of your other online softwares, all the while maintaining a minimal learning curve and a fully customizable interface. Your operational management is in good hands with Google Apps for Work.

Shift Planning

For those small businesses that require more operational effort towards scheduling and workforce management tasks. Fortunately, ShiftPlanning, a scheduling software, allows you to track and plan employee scheduling, time clock and attendance, human resources related paperwork and documentation, and also payroll. Too often businesses get caught up in scheduling conflicts, poor attendance tracking, and lost HR-related documents for tax and payroll purposes. ShiftPlanning removes these hurdles and integrates your needs into one place. According to the company, “ShiftPlanning was founded on the premise that online scheduling would reduce the time it took to schedule via other methods by 80%, which means less cost and more time for managers and entrepreneurs to succeed in other facets of their business.” Increase your productivity and efficiency with a scheduling and workforce management software like ShiftPlanning, one of our most highly recommended operational tools for small businesses.Businesses require reliable and secure tools for inventory management, backup support, organizational IT infrastructure, and employee scheduling management. Through the above recommended list of operational tools available on the Internet, you can begin to seamlessly manage your operations and watch your small business thrive. Learn more about Lendr and it’s opportunities for your business today!