You probably already know that software has transformed how we work – enabling us to do more work for a fraction of the time and cost it took us years ago.
It is only 30 years ago (which is the average work-life of the person) that typewriters and paper-based processes were how work got done.
Today software has eaten the world. Every single business needs to be technically savvy to thrive. Show me a business that is resisting the adoption of software for the productivity of their teams and I will show you a business that will not thrive in the long run.
Here is a list of 10 essential software tools we recommend every business should have in their arsenal to run an efficient business
Every business needs to have a home on the internet, and that is your domain name.
With your domain name e.g. yourbusiness.com, yourbusiness.co, yourbusiness.net, etc - you can have a website as an address where your clients and stakeholders can find you.
You also get professional emails when you own a domain (Please stop using yourbusiness@gmail as your business email) PS.
If you are looking for a .co.ug domain name, we recommend https://i3c.co.ug/about-us/services/domain-registration/
If your teams need to move around for business – Uber for business is something we highly recommend.
With Uber for business, your team members order a ride using the Uber app when they need to take a ride, and instead of paying with cash or their personal cards – they bill the business.
Your business can apply policy to determine who takes rides and when they can take rides and you get a detailed log of where team members traveled too.
With Uber for business, you avoid ad hoc travel requests, reconciling travel receipts and people traveling out of policy e.g. going to the club at 11 pm and billing the office LOOL.
Get started with Uber for business here https://www.uber.com/gb/en/business/
Microsoft has been the leader in office productivity tools for the last 30 years bringing us tools we all know and trust like MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, etc.
Today all those packages are packaged as Microsoft 365.
With Microsoft 365 you get online and offline licenses for office applications as well as Microsoft teams for team meetings and collaboration, MS Exchange for email, One-Drive for document storage, and SharePoint that you can use to create company websites to store, organize, share and access company information.
Get your Microsoft 365 licenses here https://www.microsoft.com/en-ww/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-products?market=ug
Online meetings were already gaining in popularity as you can have business meetings with people across geography and time.
Covid-19 accelerated this trend making Zoom a verb.
Today it is commonplace to see people in coffee cafes, in their cars, or even walking down the street attending a business meeting.
Zoom is an essential tool if you need to set up online meetings and whilst they have a free version that limits meetings to 40 minutes we suggest small and medium businesses that usually hold large meetings pay for a license starting from $14.99
Get Zoom license here https://zoom.us/pricing
Online advertising is an effective way to find new customers. One of the most, if not the most effective way to find new customers is through Facebook ads.
You can put on your message in front of a large, relevant audience and they have many tools to drive awareness and conversion for your product or service.
Start advertising with Facebook here https://business.facebook.com/
Every business needs to keep books of accounts to account for how they make money, how they make money their profitability/loss position.
There many accounting solutions including Tally, Wave accounting, SAP accounting, NetSuite – just to mention a few. Preference will depend on the size of your business, levels of automation and complexity of your business environment – however, we recommend that every business have an accounting package and Quick books are one of the best for small to medium enterprises as it is easy to use, cloud-based and versatile when it comes to connectivity.
Get QuickBooks https://quickbooks.intuit.com/global/
If your company provides software to clients/customers or you have custom software for internal use – you need to have the ability to host the websites, web services, databases, and other services that run your software.
Today cloud hosting is very popular as it reduces the headaches of managing your own data center with associated hardware and software. It also reduces the headaches of scaling as you do not need to buy new hardware or software as your business and transactions grow.
They are several cloud providers including Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud services, Herouko just to mention a few – so whichever you choose will probably work for you.
That said Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a solid choice for your business.
Get AWS here https://aws.amazon.com/
Businesses and their teams need to connect to the internet to get work done. Most (if not all) internet providers like MTN, Airtel, Africell, Smile, Roke, and Liquid have business packages that will work for your businesses so the choice will come down to coverage, accessibility, and price – and MTN is very competitive on all those parameters.
Get MTN internet here https://www.mtn.co.ug/product/internet-for-business/
Client/customer conversions are important for your business to engage with potential new customers as well as support existing ones who might have any issues with your service. We have tried many – some very pricey and we like Whatsapp business the most.
The base product is FREE to use and almost everyone has Whatsapp installed on their phones so it is very easy to start engaging your customers. With API connectivity it is now possible to automate Whatsapp conversions making it an apt choice for many businesses.
Get Whatsapp business here https://www.whatsapp.com/business/?lang=en
Last but not least, we recommend that every business sign up for Xente to manage everyday payments and company spend. All the tools we have mentioned in this article need to be paid for and the best way to do that is using Xente Visa Virtual Cards.
Cards issued by banks are prone to overcharging and fraud as they don’t have smart spend control. With Xente Visa virtual cards you issue a unique card for each vendor making it easy for finance and admin teams to have visibility into online spending on vendors and also control overcharges and fraud.
"Introducing Xente, the ultimate partner on your journey towards efficient financial success. "
"With the powerful combination of Uber for Business and the Xente Visa Card, simplifying your company's travel expenses has been made easier."
" According to a survey conducted by GetApp, 38% of SMEs cite budget constraints as the main reason for not investing in software and technology"
"Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. Without proper management of cash flow, even a profitable business can fail."
"Managing travel expenses can be particularly challenging for businesses, especially when employees are required to travel frequently for work."
"According to a survey conducted by Hub Spot, 61% of marketers said that generating traffic and leads was their top challenge in 2021. "
"Business travel can be a headache, especially when it comes to managing transportation for your employees. "
"Xente has amazing deals and discounts for you to take advantage of! As a Xente customer, you can enjoy exclusive discounts with the Xente Visa Card"
"Automated payments offer numerous benefits to engineering and construction companies in Uganda, allowing them to save time, control their costs, and streamline their processes. "
"Secure Online Payments: What Businesses Need to Know to Protect Customers' Data"
"Securing Your Business Against Risk: Tips for Managing Risk with Online Payments"
"Online payments for businesses are becoming increasingly popular, allowing businesses to quickly and easily accept payments from customers and clients. "
"Xente offers a range of products and services, including a digital account that simplifies company finance. Their aim is to make financial services accessible to everyone, regardless of their location or financial status."
"Xente has developed pricing plans that cater to the diverse needs of their clients. By upgrading to the Pro account, businesses can save up to 54% on transaction fees and gain access to deals and discounts."
"Businesses in Africa face a unique set of challenges in their day-to-day operations. One of the most common challenges for small businesses in Africa is the lack of effective expense tracking, leading to overspending and mismanagement of finances. "
"Are you having trouble managing your finances? Are you constantly worrying about a lack of cash flow? If so, you’re not alone. Money management can be tricky, especially when you’re dealing with multiple sources of income and expenses. "
"Uncontrolled spending in businesses can have a devastating effect on companies of all sizes. When a business spends more than it earns, it can quickly fall into financial trouble and even bankruptcy. Businesses should be aware and take steps to avoid it. "
"As businesses continue to grow, managing the financial operations becomes increasingly complex. The need for efficient and accurate financial management tools is more important than ever. "
"It is important for businesses to understand the benefits of these technologies, as well as the potential risks. To ensure businesses make informed decisions, they need to be regularly informed on the benefits of financial technology inclusion. "
"With the Xente Visa card, business owners can monitor, track and manage their employee's transactions in real-time."
" Personal credit or debit cards for business expenses can lead to a number of issues, including difficulty reclaiming expenses, lack of payment records, surprise unplanned payments, and more"
"In this article, we will explore 7 ways businesses can utilize the Xente Visa debit card in their operations."
"In this article, we will explore 7 ways businesses can utilize the Xente Visa debit card in their operations."
"Finance and finance processes should not be a bottleneck to your business meeting its needs. Technology will make you become faster, report more accurately in real-time, and empower your teams to make better business decisions. "
"This article aims to provide a simplified explanation of the three main categories of licenses issued by the Bank of Uganda: Payment System Operator (PSO), Payment Service Provider (PSP), and Issuer of Payment Instrument."
"With Xente’s partnership with Visa and Ecobank, businesses and their teams can make payments for online and offline purchases, anywhere in the world, and their finance and administration teams will be able to control and monitor this spend in real-time."
"With the Xente platform, businesses and their teams can make simple payments to teams, suppliers, and other beneficiaries using cards, mobile money, domestic and international bank transfers, pay bills, send airtime & data, and more."
"The license opens up opportunity for Xente to provide world-class financial technology solutions to businesses in Africa "
"When we pitch businesses to adopt digital payments, many of them say no. Here are the 5 worst reasons they have given us for saying no. "
"It goes without saying that businesses that survive and grow are those that are able to bring in more money than they spend. Save time and money whilst managing company spend. "
"Today, many companies require team members to submit spend reports on paper. With teams working remotely, businesses have to find new ways to ensure that their workers have and accurately account for the funds they need. What can businesses do?"
"Here is a list of 10 essential software tools we recommend every business should have in their arsenal to run an efficient business "
"Uber for Business is an effective way to power all your travel operations. Pay your Uber bill using Xente's virtual Visa card."
"Xente has partnered with Hima Cement, a world leader in the building and construction industry in offering a wide range of building materials including Plascon paint, Roofings materials and other DIY Products."
"Reimbursement fraud is committed when company team members claim funds for fictitious or inflated expenses. Learn how you can mitigate against it"