Online Tools for Entrepreneurs: How to start in a world of Amazon and Co. (CEO Tells All)
Like most businessmen, I grew up wanting to do what my father does. My father is an entrepreneur. Both of my uncles are entrepreneurs, my grandfather was an entrepreneur and my great-grandfather was an entrepreneur. Looking at our modern world, tech giants like Amazon, Google, Samsung, Microsoft and Apple are threatening many traditional corporate companies and buying up smaller companies that are demonstrating high potential.
Psst – TL;DR? We know you’re busy. Scroll down for a quick checklist of the best online tools for entrepreneurs.
This kind of environment was an intimidating but exhilarating one to grow up in. So, while studying I was constantly contemplating: ‘Should I start my own company? Would it be worth it in today’s world? Would it be the same to run a company now than it was a few years ago?’
I then spent some years working in start-ups in Mexico and Turkey to learn as much as I can from industry experts at the time and I realised:: NOW, it is definitely the best time to start a company. In fact, it’s easier to start a digital business today than it ever was before.
Why? Because much fewer resources are required.
The digital era has made it easier for entrepreneurs to start a business with fewer resources. No longer do you need a lot of collateral to achieve success. You can get affordable server hosting, content creation, professional email addresses, and accounting automation through companies such as DigitalOcean, Fiverr, GSuite, and Xero. You can manage your team, communicate internally, and handle project management through free platforms like Slack, Asana, and Indeed. Tracking key metrics has been made simple with Funnel, RJMetrics, Google Analytics, Yotpo, and Stamped. Automating tasks can be done with Zapier. And, all your usernames and passwords can be securely stored with LastPass.
What’s the advantage of using online tools for entrepreneurship?
Most of these tools are accessible for free, allowing you to set up your company’s basic processes with a budget of around $1000 in just a few weeks. This is a significant change from the past when starting a business required a lot more resources and a bigger financial commitment.
However, the ease of entry into markets also means there is more competition. It’s important to differentiate yourself, grow quickly and choose a market that is harder to imitate. For instance, online printing that has achieved scale and automation becomes a difficult model to duplicate, offering cost advantages.
Scale quickly and defend.
I’ve learned that the entrepreneurial landscape has changed a lot over the years, which has made it that much more important to scale quickly and focus on a defensible market. Yet, the core challenges of an entrepreneur remain the same: you essentially need to solve a problem and stay relevant by adapting to your environment. This is what excites me the most and why I have become an entrepreneur myself. All the best, Alexander.
To recap, here are the best online tools for entrepreneurs:
- Affordable website hosting – DigitalOcean or AWS
- Freelance creatives – Fiverr
- Professional email addresses – GSuite
- Automated accounting – Xero
- Email marketing and automation – MailChimp, Drip or Mautic
- Recruitment – Indeed
- Tracking – Funnel or RJMetrics and Google Analytics
- Internal communication – Slack or Mattermost
- Project management – Asana
- Customer Reviews – Yotpo or Stamped
- Automation and integration – Zapier
- Password Management – LastPass
- Canva: Graphic design tool
More about Alex
Alexander Knieps is the founder of Printulu an online printing company in South Africa. Originally from Germany, in a short number of years, he has managed to build an empire with thousands of clients all over South Africa. He has his MSc in International Management and has several years of experience in managerial roles.
More from Printulu founder, Alexander Knieps:
- Print Money?
- Print is not dead, this business is proving it
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More about Printulu
Printulu PTY Ltd is South Africa’s first online printing company that specializes in printing offline marketing materials such as business cards, flyers, posters, leaflets, letterheads and much more.
We have served thousands of clients across South Africa such as Starbucks, Curves, Spur, Ackermans, Medicare Pharmacy and many more!
Coupled with excellent and reliable customer service, and the lowest possible prices, we aim at providing our customers with an outstanding printing experience and full satisfaction.
