Best New Apps for Startups

Starting a new business takes a lot of work. It requires planning, organization, and relationship building. With so many responsibilities, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Thankfully, there’s an app for that. Or rather, there are many apps for that.

We spoke with several organizations to learn what apps they use in running their businesses.

Toggl

Time management is hard to master, but it’s essential to lead a business efficiently. Toggl is a time-tracking and reporting app. Its goal is to improve efficiency and decrease stress.

Ely Khakshouri, Founder and CEO of Retrospec, claims, “The Toggl app is super easy and helpful for time tracking, which startups should be monitoring closely. It’s not about micromanaging employees, but it’s really important for startups to understand where time is going and where more resources are needed. That way, they can reassess, refine duties and processes, and hire freelancers or full-time staff as needed. It helps leaders create better workflow and balance across the board. Toggl is very easy to use – it’s basically just a button with other optional features – and there’s a browser extension and a mobile app.”

If you’re looking for an app to determine where time should be spent, Toggl may be for you. Another time-tracking option is RescueTime.

RescueTime

Martin Jones, a writer for CoxBLUE, states, “RescueTime can help you get a handle on where all your time is going by tracking where you spend it, sending you detailed reports and data to give you a full picture of how you spent your day.”

“Time trackers help us determine where to spend our time and resources,” says Marcus Hutsen, Business Development Manager of Patriot Coolers. “Seconds and minutes might seem unimportant, but they add up. If we’re neglecting one area, the entire project suffers. Allocating time is stressful and difficult, but RescueTime makes the process simple. It tracks your time automatically, blocks distractions, and sends you alerts during the best times to work. You can determine what’s distracting your work, and you can create better habits that suit your work style.”

Aside from time management, business startups have to consider other technical elements, including payroll.

Gusto

Gusto is a user-friendly app that allows small businesses to onboard new hires and keep track of tax information.

Amanda E. Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer of Nailboo, states, “Gusto is a game-changer. It offers plans for varying business needs. It provides payroll services, tracks employees’ hours and benefits, and offers human resource support. Business owners can have their payroll taxes filed automatically. Employees can view their pay stubs, savings, and other forms while easily requesting time off.”

GoCo is another app that provides tools for employee onboarding, HR support, and document management.

GoCo

Jones claims that HR is “complex, tricky to navigate, and often filled with paperwork.” HR representatives are responsible for connecting employees to their management, overseeing employee hiring and benefits, and settling disputes. Many companies require HR teams to ensure they meet these responsibilities.

“GoCo is an all-in-one software for all of your human resources needs,” says Reece Kresser, Co-Founder of Zizi. “You can integrate your favorite apps for productivity and payroll. GoCo allows you to personalize the software according to your needs and work style. It’s also fully automated, which allows for easy digital access to documents, workflows, and HR support without all of the paperwork.”

Business leaders must provide exceptional HR support for their employees, and they must ensure that their employees are connected to their management and to one another.

Slack

Every business needs communication tools to keep all team members up-to-date. Communication apps allow leaders to answer questions instantaneously. They can also provide outlets for private and group chats. One communication app growing in popularity among businesses is Slack.

Laura Berg, Chief Commercial Officer of KONG Club, claims, “I can’t stress enough how useful Slack has been to building community within our company. We rely on it for every level of communication in our business from direct messaging to department updates to team-building exercises and more. Use Slack with your teams and increase your workplace efficiency overall.”

Slack also provides tools for teammates to schedule meetings.

“The Donut app in Slack is an excellent way to connect startup employees for informal watercooler-style chats,” says Alyssa Berman-Waugh, VP of Marketing of Level. “This is so important for keeping remote teams connected and thriving. What’s nice is that it syncs with employees’ calendars and suggests times for them to meet. If the time slot doesn’t end up working out, they can quickly reschedule it right in Slack. It even provides topic suggestions in case employees need them, which is especially helpful when getting to know new employees. It’s a super-easy way for startups to maintain meaningful connections within their teams.”

Apps such as Slack keep employees connected. Other apps, like GetResponse, help businesses connect with their customers through effective marketing campaigns.

GetResponse

Email marketing is still necessary for customer engagement and retention. However, bulk email marketing isn’t the most effective. Emails should be personalized and contain relevant information. Creating these kinds of emails is difficult and time-consuming.

Zach Letter, CEO of Wonder Works, describes how GetResponse helps businesses craft effective emails to inform and engage customers.

He states, “For startup businesses operating in the eCommerce space, common bulk email marketing methods do not suffice, which is why you should consider GetResponse. Email marketing can have a significant impact on sales, with Hubspot reporting that it can impact a business by a staggering 4800%. With dedicated tools that can collect vital data, host extensive email lists, create newsletters, and automize communications, GetResponse provides start-ups with the sophisticated email marketing capabilities they require. Email is a business lifeline, and start-ups wishing to increase their market share must make certain the apps they use are up to the task.”

Brett Estep, COO of Insured Nomads, also uses GetResponse to engage his audience.

“Startup businesses hoping to enhance their customer growth and communications in 2022 should look at some of the newest email marketing tools available today,” he states. “If you are an e-commerce website, think about an application like GetResponse that allows you to incorporate eCommerce features and webinars with traditional email marketing or Sendinblue that goes beyond email and SMS marketing to provide any business with affordable content management, campaign management, and analytic tracking features. Such new apps will help you build a strong email marketing strategy and increase customer growth and engagement throughout the new year.”

When crafting emails and other marketing campaigns, correct grammar is essential. For grammar tips, many businesses have turned to apps such as Grammarly.

Grammarly

Grammarly offers free and paid premium programs to correct users’ grammar mistakes. It also offers suggestions for clear sentences and a stronger tone.

Max Schwartzapfel, CMO of Fighting for You, claims, “I can’t overemphasize Grammarly’s utility. All businesses rely on text to convey information. If the text is unclear and riddled with grammatical errors, customers aren’t likely to trust the business that produced it. Copywriters and editors can correct these mistakes and improve the quality of the text, but apps can be useful parts of the screening process. Grammarly takes your intended audience, purpose, and tone into account to offer the best suggestions.”

Correct grammar and clear information build your brand’s credibility, making customers more likely to purchase your products. Another way to attract new and satisfy existing customers is by offering a loyalty program.

Belly

Loyalty programs offer customers incentives to purchase your products regularly. There is no one-size-fits-all option for loyalty programs, and it can be difficult to create one on your own. Randa Kriss, a writer for fundera, suggests exploring Belly for building a customized loyalty program for your customers.

Anne-Marie Faiola, CEO and Founder of Bramble Berry, describes how Belly increases customer retention and satisfaction.

“Belly takes your customers’ preferences and designs a loyalty program that works for them,” says Faiola. “Loyal customers spend more per purchase and purchase more often than others. These customers should be appreciated and rewarded. If you direct all of your efforts toward gaining new customers, you’ll miss out on the opportunity to keep your returning customers happy. When your customer base is not satisfied, it is more likely to check out your competitors. With rewarding loyalty programs, your current customers will refer others to your business.”

If you’re a leader of a startup business and are looking for some tools that will support you and your team, we hope this list of apps has helped you. Remember, whatever your business needs, there’s an app for that.