5 Must-Have Tools for Online Entrepreneurs

Whether you conduct your business online or the traditional way, an entrepreneur should have the right knowledge and tools before he even thinks about launching his company. Otherwise, he is setting himself up for failure, a situation which no entrepreneur would like to end up in.

A wise businessperson, therefore, makes sure that he has gained the knowledge – feasibility studies, SWOT analysis, market research – and acquired the tools he needs before he embarks on his financial venture.

When it comes to tools, you can find almost anything there is out there. Most of these tools are packed with features that boast of solving any pain point you have. The question, however, is: do they deliver what they promise?

The truth is most of the time, those unassuming and straightforward tools are the ones that truly deliver what they promise. With that in mind, we present five of these online tools to help you as an entrepreneur.

1. Chip & Swipe

In this age of technology, it is surprising to find a business that does not accept credit cards as a form of payment. On the other hand, those who are doing such practice are barraged with questions from clients about the safety or security of the credit card reader they are using.

How safe is my information? How sure are you that no one can steal or extract my credit card information? These are just two of the valid questions customers often ask merchants.

If you’re looking for such credit card chip reader, Chip & Swipe has the features that address the paint points regarding security and safety. It is equipped with the latest EMV chip technology that protects your customers’ credit card data. It also follows industry-leading encryption guidelines; thus, it is no surprise that Shopify and Paypal use it.

The card is easy to carry and comes with a sturdy case with USB for quick charging anytime, wherever you are. In fact, you wouldn’t worry about it failing you because if fully-charged, it can last up to 700 swipes (imagine how many days it will take before your next charge).

There’s not a problem with compatibility as well. First, it works well with an Apple or Android mobile device and second, it accepts major credit cards like American Express and Mastercard.

2. Word Counter

Word count plays a crucial role in how Google and your visitors see your web or blog content. If your content is too long and grouped into huge chunks, they might prove to be boring and unreadable to your visitors. If they are too short, Google might think they are just SPAM and shows your site on the 10th page of every relevant search result where it remains buried away from people’s consciousness while you are left wondering why sales are too low.

Word Counter makes sure that you have a fully optimized and aesthetically aligned content that is both Google- and user-friendly. Not only does it work for long-form content but also helps you with your social media content, such as Twitter tweets and Facebook posts. The best thing about it is while it’s aligning and optimizing your content, it does not compromise your grammatical accuracy but even helps you improve that.

3. Captain Form

Forms are one of the easiest ways to aggregate user data and capture new leads. However, not all WordPress form plugins have features that grow together with your business. It is not the case with Captain Form, a WordPress form plugin that allows you to build forms, surveys, email fields, boxes, and many more that fit the needs of your business.

Its features make it easier for you to customize any form straight from your WordPress admin dashboard. It does not require any coding know-how because it has a drag & drop editor that lets you add new elements and functions with just a click. You will also never run out of ideas and inspiration as to how your form would look like since there are more than 30 customizable templates to choose from.

The best thing about Captain Form, however, is its advanced SSL encryption and password protection that ensures your data is adequately protected.

4. Lighten

Lighten is a life coach WordPress theme designed with women in mind. From the layout to the various features it has, the theme reflects not only the graceful femininity of a woman but also the quiet strength she exudes in different situations.

The theme targets female life coaches, but it doesn’t mean that it complements these careers alone. Lighten has features that are compatible with psychologists, educators, and other professions that are similar to these occupations.

One feature allows you to market and present your services, books, workshops, and courses. It also allows customization, so your overall design reflects your brand and your personality.

5. Novoresume

If you are an entrepreneur, why do you need a resume? That might be the question that is running in your mind. Resumes are useful tools to show not only your clients but also your business colleagues the credentials you have. These credentials can strengthen your reputation and build people’s trust.

However, you don’t put everything on your resume. You need to be strategic and put only the skills for resume that matter most. If this is a challenge to you, Novoresume can help you with this. This WordPress tool has many resume templates for different industries. Most of all, they have a resource blog that guides you what skills for resume attract people.

Another helpful feature is the layout optimizer which makes your content aesthetically pleasing to the eye. What’s more impressive about this tool is, it does not mess your grammar accuracy as it aligns your paragraph and sentence structures.

Conclusion

Being an entrepreneur poses many challenges but with the right people and the right tools, you can overcome them and take your personal and business growth to the next level.