The Australian economy is always changing, and with it come many new and innovative business ideas that new and aspiring entrepreneurs may want to try. Changes in foreign policy, new technology, and scientific progress all have an effect on the business world. With all the new changes and unknowns, it is time to adapt to the changing environment.
That being said, here are 7 affordable apps that help small australian businesses thrive:
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Microsoft Office 365
Even though there is a lot of price and feature competition, Microsoft’s Office 365, which was recently renamed Microsoft 365, is still the best suite for small businesses and a must-buy. It is the best pick for the best small business software.
You may remember when you bought Microsoft Office as a package and installed it on your computer. This is still possible, but now there are apps for both Android and iOS, so you can use Microsoft 365 on both Android and Apple devices.
Microsoft 365 includes Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, which are the three most important office programs. As part of the package, OneDrive can also be used for online backups, and you should use it even if you already use another cloud service like Google Drive or Drop Box. It’s important to keep your data safe, and having multiple backup options isn’t a bad thing.
Then there are the extra software programs that come with Microsoft 365, like Outlook (online), Publisher, and Access, which can only be used on a PC. Microsoft Teams is also included, but you can download it and use it on its own.
As was already said, there are alternatives to Microsoft Office, but they aren’t very good. They don’t have as many features and it can be hard to convert important office files to other formats, which is something you don’t want to deal with when you’re running your own business.
There are different versions, depending on whether you just want a license for yourself or a package for your whole staff. For enterprise users, there are more services and ways to manage the business.
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QuickBooks
QuickBooks is one of the best budgeting programs for small businesses that are not QuickBooks. It’s called the “paperless office solution” because it gives you a full picture of your finances. It’s a solution that lets you keep real double-entry books. ² You can use one app to do your billing, track your inventory, and pay your employees.
It also lets you keep track of your business’s spending, income, profitability, and taxes, and it has a number of scalability options, like QuickBooks Multicurrency, for companies that grow internationally.
The platform works with over 750 other business apps, so you can handle all of your money in one place. It also lets you send invoices, pay bills, and do your taxes.
It’s also easy to use, with a clear user interface and helpful tutorials. Users can have full access, limited access, or no access at all.
Think about the fact that it has a free trial and four price options that start at $22 per month.
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IDrive
IDrive is the best cloud storage service since it provides continuous synchronization of your data, including those on network devices. The online interface allows you to share files via email, Facebook, and Twitter.
Users who are cautious or click-happy may be relieved to learn that files removed from your computer are not automatically wiped from the server, so there is less risk of accidentally deleting something vital. All files backed up to your account are kept in up to 30 prior versions.
Another thing to keep in mind is that IT administrators have access to the IDrive Thin Client program, which allows them to backup/restore, manage settings, and more for all of their linked machines from a single dashboard.
For images, you have a useful facial recognition tool that allows you to automatically organize and sync them across all of your connected devices.
If you lose all of your data, IDrive Express will send you a real hard disk drive, allowing you to quickly restore all of your backed up information. This is true for the recently implemented disk image backup functionality.
There is a commercial edition that includes priority assistance, single sign-on, unlimited users, and server backup. IDrive Cloud, an enterprise-class cloud object storage solution, is also available.
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RingCentral MVP
RingCentral MVP is one of, if not the best option for the best business phone system. Not only does it have a lot of options and features, but the price may also be very low.
You get a cloud-based phone system built around business services. You can use it on any device with a browser, like a Windows PC, an Apple iPad, or an Android smartphone.
Basic subscriptions include call management and phone system management, as well as options to rent a conference phone or a desk. But RingCentral MVP really shines at the higher price points, where you can get a full range of services that should be standard in any modern phone service.
RingCentral also offers Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), which means it can provide enterprise-level service to small businesses.
RingCentral can also give you a Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) (opens in new tab), which gives you access to a developer network where you can use application programming interfaces (APIs) to make your phone system completely your own and connect it to other products you use.
Overall, the cheaper plan might work for small businesses, but the huge number of services that RingCentral MVP can offer is likely to be most useful to medium-sized and large businesses.
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PayPal
PayPal is the best credit card processing service, and because it is so easy to use, many online businesses use it as their only payment method.
PayPal has made it easy for major e-commerce platforms to integrate with payment gateways. It usually only takes a couple of clicks and an email account to get started. Often, copying and pasting an API key is the hardest part of setting up PayPal processing.
Web Payments Standard is a small company that charges no monthly fees and costs per transaction based on the number of sales. Even though PayPal is built into many shopping carts from the start, it can also be used as a stand-alone service to accept payments from clients by simply putting a code for a payment button into an email. By default, subscription payments are also possible.
PayPal also gives you extra tools for growth, like a card reader that lets you take payments in-store. PayPal is one of the easiest ways for startups and small businesses to get started. There are no hidden fees or monthly costs.
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Asana
Even if you haven’t used it before, you may have heard of the project management tool Asana. Even though it has a lot of features that can help improve productivity, it focuses more on tracking and is ranked as one of the best project management programs.
You can use the app to make to-do lists and set reminders to make sure you never miss a deadline. You can also add due dates, colleagues, project instructions, and comments to items. You can even send photos directly to Asana from other apps, like Google Drive. More importantly, you can keep track of everything you and your coworkers do to make sure the project goes well and is finished on time.
If you want to know who is working on which projects, you can look at a list of teams and people. You can also use the search feature to find jobs that have already been done.
Asana has a free basic tier, which has limited dashboards and features. When you move up to the Premium tier, you can add as many team members as you want and have unlimited access. You also get extra features like the new timeline tool and custom fields.
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FreshBooks
FreshBooks is a well-known cloud-based accounting service made just for small business owners. It is one of the best accounting programs for small businesses.
The package comes with a lot of features, such as invoicing, cost tracking, time tracking, a bunch of business reports, and the ability to accept credit card payments. The interface is easy to use, even for people who aren’t accountants, so you can get up and running quickly.
Even though this sounds simple, it has a lot of depth. You can charge in any currency, save time by making recurring invoices, let customers pay by credit card by checking a box, and even bill their credit card automatically to make life easier for everyone.
If you want more features, the system can work with PayPal, MailChimp, Basecamp, WordPress, Gusto, Zendesk, and other services.
There aren’t too many problems with management. Because the system is in the cloud, you don’t have to worry about backups. You can use it from your PC or the free apps for iOS and Android. If this sounds interesting, you can try FreshBooks for 30 days without having to use a credit card.
The basic plan lets you create invoices, estimates, time tracking, and costs, as well as accept online credit card payments and import expenses from your bank account. However, it only covers a limited number of clients.
Paid plans give you more of this and also let you make proposals. They also save you time by sending you regular bills and giving you the option to send automatic payment reminders.
Conclusion
When deciding which small business apps to download and use, you should first think about what you actually need. Free platforms may only offer basic options, so if you want more advanced features, a paid platform may be a better choice. Also, when it comes to the number of tools available, free and cheap software options are often limited, but high-end software can really meet all of your needs, so make sure you have a good idea of what you might want.
If you’re looking for a Microsoft 365 distributor all across Australia, Softvire AU has a wide range of discounted Microsoft for business products, that you can buy individually or in discounted bundles. Contact us today!
