Software-as-a-service technologies that can help you grow your Small Business
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Technology has changed the way we do business. Startups and small businesses are now able to catch up to big brands with the help of web-based tools that are not only affordable, but also packed with useful features to serve customers better. Software as a Service, better known by its acronym SaaS, gives small and medium businesses the ability to use tools which are typically out of their budget. Whether it is for customer relationship management, file sharing, or communications, there’s usually a SaaS application that you can use for your business.
SaaS solution providers for Small Businesses
Salesforce is perhaps one of the most well-known customer relationship or CRM tool available today. It enables businesses to manage their contacts, track and analyze their activity, and ultimately use it to improve their service and provide better customer experience. And yes, Salesforce is a hosted service, meaning, you don’t have to worry about maintenance costs. Your staff can just do the tasks required for the job, like setting up tasks to follow up with prospects, check-in calls with existing clients to ensure that they’re satisfied, and more.
One of the biggest selling point of Salesforce is that it can easily integrate with other web-based services including RingCentral and Box.
If your business goes through massive storage space every business cycle, perhaps it is time to go the SaaS route and ditch the physical hard drives and servers. A good candidate for your online file storage search is Box, a web-based platform that enables file storage and sharing securely through the cloud. With Box, you can upload and share files up to 5GB via the Internet. This file is accessible wherever you or your recipient may be, as long as you have Internet access. Box is an essential tool for businesses who are looking to go “mobile,” since it gives employees access to work-related documents even when they’re out of the office. Stored documents can be accessed through the Box web interface, or through mobile devices like tablets and smartphone. Premium subscription starts at only $15 per user per month.
RingCentral
Communication is one of the biggest factors that contribute to a company’s success. It is not only about communicating with your prospects and existing clients that matter, but also communication between employees, as well as information exchanged between offices, especially if you are operating in multiple locations. RingCentral started as a virtual phone system provider, but now it has totally embraced a bigger role in helping your business succeed.
RingCentral is probably one of the most complete cloud communications solution in the market today, catering not only to small and medium business, but also to enterprises and global brands. Regardless of the size, RingCentral has the cloud-based solution to all your business communications needs. They have a cloud phone system that’s flexible and scalable, so that your communications system grows as your company expands.
SaaS applications go beyond what you’d normally expect a computer software can do. Take SmartRecruiters for example. This web service provides applicant tracking systems to companies, regardless of their size. You would not expect a startup or a small business to have such a system in place, since this is usually common for large companies going through large volumes of applications. SmartRecruiters help you organize candidates as well as relevant communication around hiring. It also integrates with third-party services for related tasks like job postings, background checking and more. Plus, it updates the job postings you have open across the web easily, no need to change them one by one. In a way, it gives you a big-business approach to finding the right people for your company.
With the above mentioned services, more and more businesses will be equipped with the right tools to compete even with the big names of their respective industries. These SaaS technologies are more affordable and easier to use than ever before, so there shouldn’t be anything that will hold your company back when aiming for success.
Author Bio: Francis Mansueto has been writing for more than a decade now, focusing on Digital Marketing in the last couple of years. He is currently in charge of writing web-optimized content for RingCentral, an industry-leading cloud phone systems provider. Francis is also a voracious reader, spending most of his free time immersed on fictional worlds. You can reach him through Twitter.
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