You probably already know that Amelia is the top booking specialist, working 24/7 to make it possible for your customers to book appointments and pay online at any given moment.
And even though it is quite new, it has already been noticed by leading industry websites.
Amelia has always been perfect for the business owners who want to give their business a professional and trustworthy feel. And with the newest releases, Amelia gets even better! Let’s take a look at the new useful features:
2-way Google Calendar Integration
With the new 2-way Google Calendar integration, the employees will see all newly added appointments as events in their Google Calendar.
In addition to that, the customers now won’t be able to book a certain appointment if an employer already has an event scheduled at the same time.
WooCommerce Integration
With the new WooCommerce integration, Amelia now takes advantage of all the best WooCommerce payment-related features.
Not only does this widely extend payment options, but it also allows automated generation of invoices, taxation options, and more. Managing online payments has never been easier!
Add Custom Fields to the Booking Forms
Adding custom fields to the booking forms is now possible with the newest Amelia releases.
This feature will help you collect additional information from your customers through fields such as checkboxes, text areas, and similar added to the booking forms. In addition to that, the values entered in these fields can also be used in email notifications.
Employees can Manage their owns Schedules
While with the previous Amelia versions only managers and admins were able to manage schedules and appointments, the newest Amelia releases allow each employee to manage their own schedule.
Check out the new general settings, admin appointment settings, and schedule management for employees. Not only will this new feature save you a lot of time with organizing employees’ schedules but it will also minimize the scheduling mix-ups and errors.
New Auto-Update Feature
You will not have to search for the newest Amelia updates manually ever again. With the new auto-update feature, your booking specialist will always be up to date and you will benefit from all the newest features as soon as they become available.
Other features
If you still haven’t started to know Amelia well, here are some other cool features that this booking plugin has:
- Amelia’s easy-to-use Step-by-Step Booking Wizard
- Insightful dashboard and reporting
- Catalog view for services
- Calendar and list view
- Automated notifications
- Group appointment bookings
- Support for multiple payment systems
- Customizable design
As you can see, Amelia cares about the users and constantly works towards improving the features and offering the best possible user experience.
With every new release, the list of useful features is expanded to meet as many customers’ needs and requirements as possible.
Give the newest Amelia release a try and let us know what you think.
If you run a business and you have never heard about payroll software, you have come to the right place.
Free payroll software automates the process of paying wages and saves you a lot of time every month. However, how do you choose the best payroll software and accounting programs? We are here to help with that!
Here are some of the best payroll services for small business:
And before getting to them, you should also check Amelia, a WordPress appointment booking plugin. With its great UX, it’s a great addition to any website involving booking appointments.
Top Payroll Software for Small Businesses: Gusto
While there are many useful payroll systems out there, Gusto appears to be the best small business payroll software, and here is why.
First of all, it is very easy to use and it offers a variety of tools and features for maximum convenience. It is also not overly expensive; in fact, the overall cost is lower than with some of the other online accounting systems.
With Gusto, you will never have to manually fill and pay payroll taxes, write checks, update employee info, sit at your desk because Gusto is mobile friendly, etc.
Here are some of Gusto’s key features:
- Automated payroll filings and tax payments
- Unlimited payrolls
- Direct deposit
- Multiple schedules and pay rates
- Online employee setup
- Payroll on Autopilot
- All tax forms
- Payroll reports
And those above mentioned are just some of the best features Gusto provides. In addition to that, all of them are well explained and well organized so you should have no trouble figuring out how this small business payroll works.
It takes a few simple steps and you’ll be ready for automated payroll processing:
- Try 1 month for free and if you are happy with it, subscribe to Gusto for $45 per month
- Set it up quickly and easily
- Run payroll fast
- Relax and let your new payroll system do the heavy lifting for you
If you are still not sure whether or not Gusto is worth trying out, we recommend taking a look at Gusto’s payroll reviews. You will notice that people are quite impressed with some of the free tools for payroll.
Free HR tools with Gusto:
- Onboard new hires online
- Organize your employee info
- Manage time-off requests and approvals
- Try it for free before switching your payroll to Gusto
Top Payroll Software for QuickBooks Integration: Intuit QuickBooks Payroll
Intuit Payroll is one of the best payroll programs out there and it could help you save both time and money. QuickBooks Payroll is the best payroll service for you if you need some of the more advanced features for the best price.
When talking about the advanced features, we are talking about splitting direct deposits between multiple bank accounts, multiple pay schedules, and similar.
However, the biggest plus to Intuit QuickBooks Payroll is that it integrates perfectly with the world’s most popular accounting software – QuickBooks. Inuit payroll services are definitely worth considering if payroll for small businesses is what you need help with.
So let’s take a look at some of the most important features:
- Know tax calculations are right
- A faster direct deposit processing
- Easily manage payroll taxes
- Save time with integrated data
- Give your accountant the whole picture
As for QuickBooks payroll cost, there are several options to choose from with Intuit. First, you will have to decide whether you want to buy payroll only or you want to buy payroll + QuickBooks. We recommend the second option.
Then you will be offered three different plans (Basic, Enhanced, and Full Service) starting at $24 per month for payroll only and $29 for payroll + QuickBooks. Either way, payroll Intuit is a good choice.
The good news is that you will be able to subscribe to 30-day trial before deciding which plan to choose.
Top Affordable Payroll Software: Patriot Payroll Software
If you are looking for a more affordable option but you would still like one of the better small business payroll services Patriot Payroll Software is not a bad choice. It will cost you around $10 per month and while it covers the most important payroll features, the tax support is missing.
If you want a tax services upgrade, you will have to pay for it. The starting price is $25 per month + $4.35 per month per employee.
So when you calculate all the costs, it will cost you almost the same as Gusto which is probably still the best payroll software for small businesses.
If you check Patriot software reviews, you will notice that one of the biggest downsides is the fact that it does not offer a mobile app.
Top Payroll Software In India: factoHR
factoHR is a leading and award-winning HR and payroll software useful for all types and sizes of businesses to handle all the day-to-day HR tasks seamlessly. Beginning from administrating, calculating, and processing employees’ salaries by considering all aspects, including attendance, leave, reimbursement, tax, from one centralized platform.
This unified platform comes with varieties of modules, including recruitment, onboarding, performance, attendance, learning management, and time tracking that every business wishes to use to empower their employees and managers.
Its simple and intuitive interface gives away varieties of features like-
- Keeps the payroll process lawfully compliant
- Conduct arrear calculations automatically
- Generate multiple and detailed reports
- Integrate with performance management
- Administrates advances and loans given to the employees
- Generate payslip in multiple languages
- Offers dedicated mobile application and ESS portal
Square Payroll
Square Payroll is a payroll software free of charge if you decide to go with the basic version. The flexible pricing will always match the number of your employers so, for example, you will get a free subscription and you will only pay $5 per contractor per month.
Here are the key features:
- Worry-free payroll compliance
- Import timecards automatically
- Online accounts for your team
- Fair, flexible pricing
Paycor Perform
Paycor Perform is one of the cloud-based payroll processing companies and an all-in-one HR software solution.
It offers several different applications:
- Payroll & Tax Compliance Software
- HR & Benefits Administration Software
- Time & Attendance Tracking Software
- Recruiting, Hiring & Onboarding Software
- HR Reporting & Analytics Software
- Learning Management System
Xero
Xero is an award-winning payroll software for accountants and for small business owners. It is very easy to use and it offers a number of great features such as:
- Flexible pay calendars
- Multiple pay rates
- Built-in timesheets
- Detailed payroll reports
- Reimbursement of expenses
- Connects to other business apps
- Manages employee leave
It comes in three subscription plans starting at $25 per month.
ADP Workforce Now Software
While we mostly talked about payroll software for small businesses, ADP Workforce Now Software is better suited for managing a mid-size business.
With this software you’ll get:
- Accurate payroll processing
- Tracking of hours and schedules
- New-hire reporting
- Access to dedicated experts
- A smooth implementation process
And when it comes to the tax compliance, you’ll get:
- Tax filing
- Accurate paycheck deductions for federal, state, and local taxes
- Online reporting
- Regulatory and compliance support in every state
RUN Powered by ADP Software
ADP offers different services and products for small business, mid-size business, large business, and multinational business of any size.
RUN Powered by ADP Software is a great payroll and tax solution for any small business. You get a mobile payroll app or your Android or iOS device, log in, activate your account, and you are all set to manage the payroll.
Namely software
Namely is an all-in-one HR platform with a great and easy to use payroll center. The most important features include:
- Automatic Deductions
- Simple Tax Filing
- Year-End Reporting
- Time Integration
- ACA Reporting
- Employee Access
Summary
A payroll is a necessary part of every company and it can be really time-consuming if you want to manage it right. Luckily, with the help of the right payroll software such as Gusto, QuickBooks Desktop Payroll, PayCycle, IntuitPayroll, and others, managing payroll is easier than ever.
If you enjoyed reading this article about choosing a payroll software, you should also read these:
- How to create a booking website with great user experience
- Tips for creating a business coach website
- Law firm website design showcase
The world has changed, technology has advanced, and all of us live in the mobile era – including healthcare professionals. Being a doctor is not an easy task so if you can make it at least a little bit easier on yourself – you should. Luckily, there are great new medical apps for doctors that can help you with that.
But what are the best virtual doctor apps for doctors and physicians? With so many options out there, it is easy to get overwhelmed and not know which ones to choose. Well, we have done the research for you and we are presenting you with top medical apps worth considering.
Aside from these specialized apps, there are a lot of other options like Amelia, a WordPress booking plugin that can help with successfully managing your business.
The best medical apps for doctors to try
Epocrates
We’re starting this list of the best medical apps for doctors with Epocrates. This medical practice app is one of the most popular online doctor apps available for iOS and Android devices. It offers a wide variety of useful features which is why it has been downloaded millions of times.
From finding drug information such as effects and side effects through calculating the person’s BMI to describing different diagnoses, Epocrates is one of the best web doctor apps.
PEPID
PEPID is a doctor online type of app designed especially for emergency room physicians and paramedics to help them diagnose the patients as fast as possible.
This app could also be useful to students, interns and residents, nurses, and pharmacists because it is a great source of information and it could help with their medical education.
You can use this medical app for Android and iOS devices after logging in. You will see a library of medical conditions and associated symptoms, drugs used as a part of the treatment of each of those conditions, multi-drug interactions, etc.
It will help you diagnose patients based on their exam findings, symptoms, and lab results. It also offers useful videos featuring examination and clinical procedures, as well as push notifications with the medical news such as drug approvals, new research, black box warnings, etc.
UpToDate
Even the best doctors need to double-check certain medical information from time to time to be able to answer all the medical questions. Luckily, there is an app that can answer all those questions for them.
UpToDate can be used on Android and iOS devices and it will help you gather all the necessary medical information anywhere anytime.
Medscape
Medscape is one of those apps for physicians that you shouldn’t miss. It will help you keep up with medical news, new drug releases, and similar. You can download it to your Android or iOS devices and look for medical info whenever you need it.
MedPage Today
MedPage Today will let you choose your specialty and then customize the type of information accordingly. Thanks to this, you will always be up to speed with the newest discoveries, research, and procedures in your field and you will not get overwhelmed by all the unnecessary information.
For example, if you are a psychiatrist, you will receive news articles related to your medical practice instead of articles about, let’s say, pulmonology.
Another great thing about this doctor app is the fact that it is completely free of charge. All you’ll have to do is register and then you are all set.
DynaMed Plus
DynaMed is a great online clinical information resource for doctors and physicians. You can request a free trial to ensure this app is exactly what you need before choosing the subscription plan that best fits your needs.
The most important features this app provides include:
- Graphics & Images
- Overviews & Recommendations
- Precise Search Results
- Specialty Content
- Expert Reviewers
- Mobile App
- Drug Content
The app itself is pretty easy to use and you can access it through your Android or iOS devices. If you are a med student, you will be granted a student discount.
Lexicomp
Lexicomp is a medical app with a great database of diseases, particularly infectious diseases, oral diseases, and toxicology. In addition to that, it offers useful information about drugs and their effects.
You can also access calculators and medical dictionaries thanks to this app everywhere at any time. It is available for Android devices, as well as for iPhones and iPads.
However, this app is not free of charge but there are several different subscription plans available to choose from. You will surely find one that best fits your budget and needs.
3D4Medical
3D4Medical apps let you inspect the human anatomy with the latest 3D technology. You can see an entire human body, zoom in on the parts you need to see up close, rotate, cut, and adjust the images in any way you need. In addition to that, there are also useful animations available that are great for patient education.
You can get the basic app for free but if you want, you can upgrade it to one of the options with more features. Complete Anatomy 2019 is available on iPad, iPhone, Mac, Windows 10, and Android.
Muscle Trigger Point
Muscle Trigger Point will help you understand muscle trigger points and the points that cause pain. Once the trigger point is identified, the app will recommend the best course of treatment.
You can download it to your iPhone or Android device for just $2.
Visual DX
Another one of these apps for physicians is Visual DX. This one is all about images. With 90,000 images featuring all kinds of medical conditions, this app will help you understand all kinds of skin diseases and skin types. It is helpful both for diagnosing patients as well as for choosing the best course of treatment.
If you get your Visual DX subscription, you can download the app for free to your Android device or iPhone.
AHRQ ePSS
What makes AHRQ ePSS stand out is the fact that it was developed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. It comes in two versions; web application and mobile application.
The web application:
- Compatible with major Internet browsers
- Latest recommendations information updated by USPSTF
- User-friendly interface
- Print-friendly format available
The mobile application:
- Full functionality of the USPSTF web application
- Full mobility offline
- Compatible with Android, iOS, and Windows App
- Optional email notifications of available updates
- User-friendly ePSS data updates
Both apps are free of charge. However, you’ll need to subscribe to get access to all the features.
Mediquations Medical Calculator
Mediquations Medical Calculator is… Well, a medical calculator. However, a very useful one. It brings over 230 medical calculations and scoring tools to your Android or iOS devices. It is very simple and easy to use and it will cost you $4.99.
Drug Infusion – An IV Med Drip Rate Infusion Calculator
Calculating the exact amount of a particular drug the patient needs to receive is more complicated than you think, especially when it comes to intravenous medication drip-rate. Luckily, Drug Infusion – An IV Med Drip Rate Infusion Calculator will do the math for you.
This app could be particularly useful to ICU nurses and anesthesiologists. If you think you could use it too, you can get it for $1.99.
Anesthesiology i-pocketcards
Anesthesiologists have to take a lot of things into the consideration when calculating the right dosage of the drugs they have to give to their patients. With this app, it becomes easier and more accurate.
Anesthesiology i-pocketcards can be used on iPhones and iPads and it will cost you $4.99.
Ending thoughts on these medical apps
Medical apps are useful both for the doctors and the patients. The patients like to have a doctor on-demand or sort of an online doctor visit. The doctors now, on the other hand, can benefit from all the information about health conditions and their treatments available online.
So if you are one of the healthcare professionals that want to be prepared at any time, take a better look at the best medical apps for doctors and make your life easier during med school, residency, or regular work.
If you enjoyed reading this article about medical apps, you should check out this one on dental apps.
We also wrote about a few related subjects like clinic names, dental websites, medical appointment scheduling software, modern clinic website and best medical websites.
Unlike a decade ago, many aspects of our lives have been made easier with the continuous development of software, apps, and technology in general.
We use apps to read books, to communicate with other people, to count our steps during the day, and for who knows what else.
Many businesses turned to the help of various software for booking and payroll, such as Amelia, a WordPress booking plugin, in order to facilitate the process of client onboarding and management.
With the evolution of this branch of technology, it is only logical that dentists have decided to take advantage of them too.
If you need a good dental app but aren’t sure which one to choose, we have done the research for you.
You have probably heard about some of the most popular teeth brushing apps such as Disney Magic Timer, Brush Your Teeth Timer, and other kid brushing teeth apps.
However, today we are going to focus on the dental apps designed for dentists.
Good doctors and dentists treat their patients. The best ones educate them too.
dCStory: Patient Education is one of the great dental apps for dentists that helps them explain clinical information to patients in a way that is easy to understand. It provides 3D images, different treatment plans, and educational counseling, so the patients can better understand their course of treatment. The data from this app can be sent to the patients via email or printed out.
DDS GP (Dental Demo Suite General Practice): Patient Education
DDS GP (Dental Demo Suite General Practice): Patient Education is an app available on Android, iOs, and Blackberry devices.
It provides an image gallery where dentists can upload their own images or use stock photos. It also explains a number of common dental problems as well as their treatments. If the patient or the doctor wants to discuss some specifics relating to the dental conditions, they can be marked as a reminder.
Dental Expert
Dental Expert is one of the best dental apps related to hygiene. Not only does it explain a range of dental problems and treatments but it also provides useful information about good dental habits.
It explains different dental procedures and answers the most common questions about dental health issues, treatments, and dental care in general.
For example, if a patient needs a root canal treatment, with the help of this app they will know exactly what the problem is and what the solution of their health problem is, the recovery time, the steps of the procedure, etc.
Once the patient better understands what exactly is happening to them and why they need the dentist’s help in the first place, it will be easier for them to minimize the fear level and feel more confident about visiting the dentist’s practice.
People love to post the details of their everyday life on social media – and SocialDental was designed for that exactly.
It allows you to capture your own dental habits and post it online. If you are a dentist, you can capture your practice, your patients, different treatment processes, the before and the after pictures, etc.
It is a good way to promote your practice as well as to connect with your patients or potential patients on a more personal level and gain their trust.
Lexi-Dental Complete is an extensive library full of information about the dental conditions and their treatments, drugs and their effects, and high definition images to understand all of that better.
You can get a 30-day trial for this teeth app for free before subscribing to one of the plans.
While most of the dental apps are either simple tooth brushing timers or the libraries full of information about various dental conditions and their treatments, Dental Manager’s developers have taken a slightly different approach.
Dental Manager focuses on organizing treatment plans for patients which you can then send to your patients Smartphone devices. You can download the picture and plan the appointments ahead, and always keep your patients updated about everything considering their dental health and treatments.
One of the biggest issues with dental health, in general, is the fear of dentists that many people experience. The Mydentist app can help you with that.
This dental app was developed to enhance communication between dentists and their patients. The patients can ask questions or describe the problems they are experiencing to their dentists. The dentists can then respond with useful advice or they can set up an appointment. This is particularly useful in emergency cases.
Romexis is a perfect teeth app if you are looking for an app to view 2D and 3D images from X-ray units. The app offers high-resolution images which you can send to your patients while also explaining the necessary course of treatment. The images can be edited, zoomed in, adjusted, and shared across multiple device zones.
Every doctor has to deal with patient medical history forms – and only a few enjoy this process. However, Canvas Note Taker HD can make it much easier to organize patient history forms and notes.
The notes and forms can be saved on PC synchronized with the mobile phone, they can be edited, updated, and shared with the patient. It makes the administrative part of a doctor’s job much easier.
Box is one of the apps that allows you to manage your files, forms, notes, and other documents, and to share them from any mobile phone or computer.
If you are a dentist, this app will help you organize your dental records, patient history forms, and similar. You can then access them via any device that supports the app and you can easily share them with your patients or your staff.
Mavro: Dental Spanish Guide
It happens to all doctors and dentists from time to time; sometimes they have to treat patients that don’t speak the same language. This can be particularly difficult if the patient doesn’t know how to explain to you what the problem is as well as if you aren’t able to explain the course of treatment to them.
If you treat Spanish-speaking patients from time to time yet you don’t speak Spanish, Mavro: Dental Spanish Guide is the app you need. It will help you communicate with the patients with the help of the images and of the Spanish word database.
Summary
With the help of the right dental apps, our lives can get a lot easier; and that applies to dentists as well. Over the last years, many useful dental apps for dentists have been developed to educate the patients, provide information about different dental conditions and treatments, as well as to make doctor-patient communication easier.
If you enjoyed reading this article about dental apps, you should check out this one on medical apps.
We also wrote about a few related subjects like dentist WordPress themes, clinic names, medical appointment scheduling software, modern clinic website and best medical websites.
Big or small, managing a business has never been easy. However, it gets much easier with the right small business management software, like Amelia, our WordPress booking plugin.
Forget about the days of sitting behind a desk with a pen and paper to do your books; those days are long gone. Nowadays, we have so many great small business solutions that it all comes down simply to choosing a business software that best fits your needs.
You might have noticed that there are so many software programs out there that choosing the right one could be a long and exhausting process. Luckily, we have taken a deeper look at small business software for you to automate your business.
Table of contents
So what is the best software? Well, decide for yourself.
Amelia: Get more bookings with the right tool for the job
Staying organized has never been easier.
You can now manage your business and grow your brand with a single, powerful WordPress booking plugin that keeps all of your appointments in line, your clients organized and your business booming.
Amelia is perfect for business owners who need to streamline their booking experience both for their staff and their clients.
Amelia handles everything for you, even sending automated email or SMS reminders to your clients. No-shows? Not anymore!
The Amelia WordPress booking plugin adapts to different industries for a blissful online booking experience and employee management.
Want to know more? Check out Amelia’s awesome features to see what you are missing.
Trade Business or General Service
If you run a trade business or general service, you will find a fair share of business management software designed to fit your needs. There have never been as many business software solutions available as there are today.
Let’s take a look at the most popular small business management software and the best computer programs for your company.
Wave
Accounting from Wave is a top software for keeping your books balanced, crate and scan invoices, get accounting and reports functionality etc.
The features include:
- Fast setup with no training required
- Unlimited bank and credit card connections
- Unlimited income and expense tracking
- Bill and invoice reminders
- Exportable accounting reports: profit/loss, sales tax, cash flow, comparative, and more
- Bulk transaction updates
- Customizable sales taxes
- Connect to PayPal, Shoeboxed, and Etsy
- Instant updates for your invoicing, payroll, and payments data
- Unlimited customizable invoicing and receipt scanning
EquityNet
Business Planning from EquityNet is a small business management software that comes with a free crowdfunding platform for better and easier planning, analyzing, and sharing your business plan with the investors.
Anybody who is willing to reach your pitch can do so once you create your plan via EquityNet’s plan and analysis software and publish it online. Keep in mind that this is primarily a funding tool rather than a planning tool.
TurboTax Self-Employed
TurboTax Self-Employed is Intuit’s bookkeeping software for small business with great reviews and numerous awards.
Some of the key features of this business management system include:
- One-on-one help if you feel you are stuck and need a professional advice about how to best use this free business management software
- Track expenses in real-time throughout a year so you never miss a thing
- Capture receipts in a snap
- Track miles automatically for your business trips and similar
- Thousands of error checks
- Simplify asset depreciation
- Employee tax forms
- Top-notch security built into everything
- Automatic import of your W-2 info
- Education tax credits
The great thing about this handy small business financial software is the fact that you can try it out for free before you decide to commit to a subscription plan.
Pics.io
Pics.io is a digital asset management program (DAM) that saves time on the organization of the media library. Metadata and keyword tagging + search can help you find a picture or a photo in mere seconds, optimizing your marketing and sales campaigns.
Pics.io also boasts integrations with many popular platforms such as Shopify. Upload multiple product images at once without relying on CSV sheets and manual error correction.
Starting with $150/mo per 10 users, it is certainly worthwhile to look into if you’re working with media assets daily.
Avast
Endpoint Protection from Avast is not the best bookkeeping software for small business because its purpose is slightly different from the other software we mentioned here before.
However, this is the best software for small business if you are looking for a unique protection that best fits your devices, employees, and servers.
Endpoint Protection from Avast comes with:
- Antivirus
- Firewall
- CyberCapture
- Behavior Shield
- Web Shield
- Email Shield
- Anti-Spam
- Smart Scan
- Rescue Disc
It also comes with some additional features that depend on the subscription plan you decide to go with. There are three different plans to choose from.
Wrike
Project Management from Wrike is a cloud-based business application software that you can try out for free before deciding to subscribe.
It’s on the list of the best computer software because of the following options and features:
- Gain visibility with real-time reports and status for all of your team’s projects
- Simplify planning by turning strategies into actionable plans
- Enable Collaboration by centralizing the communication with stakeholders
- Streamline Workflow with the flexibility to track, manage, and support your team’s approach to work.
This software for business is highly customizable which will help you to get the most out of it while also saving you some time and money.
Manatal
Manatal is a modern all-in-one recruitment software tailored for HR teams, recruitment agencies, and headhunters. It leverages the latest technologies at every stage of the recruitment process to allow recruiters to source more and better candidates, speeds up screening, enhance team collaboration, and much more, all designed to hire the best talents.
Primaseller: Inventory management software
Centralized and synchronized inventory for multi-store, multi-channel businesses selling online and offline or offering dropshipping.
Whether it is a webcart like WooCommerce vs Shopify, or marketplaces like Amazon and eBay – your inventory needs to be accurate and it needs to be synchronized.
Video Conferencing from join.me
Video Conferencing from join.me is the best business software for those looking for an easy way to connect with their co-workers, clients, suppliers, prospects etc. It is a great video conferencing solution that you can test for free before subscribing.
You can choose the free small business software version of this useful app where you can invite up to 10 participants, share screens etc.
Zoho Recruit
Applicant Tracking System from Zoho Recruit is basically an advanced way of making the hiring process as easy as possible.
It helps you to:
- Rope in the right talent
- Parse resumes fast and easy
- Communicate with the candidates or clients; set instant messages, answer or make calls, record calls, set reminders etc.
- Automate the hiring process
- Join hands with other apps such as Google business suite, Zapier, and more
HootSuite
Social Media Listening from HootSuite is a useful software for business that will help you understand the conversations happening around your brand and make smarter business decisions.
It is the best business management software for those who want to better understand how people feel about their brand and to be the first to know when trends take off.
With this small business management software, you can:
- See the context with Conversation Maps
- Focus on what matters with customized Boards
- Save time with smarter, automatic Reports
Social Media Listening from HootSuite offers 6 subscription plans to meet everybody’s needs, including the completely free plan.
Financial Cents
Using this accounting practice management software, accounting firms can effectively organize their projects, develop workflows, develop teamwork, keep track of employees’ tasks, and supports client management.
Owners of accounting firms will find it simpler to arrange the different moving parts of their accounting operations because this project management software was made specifically for accountants. This will allow their staff to concentrate on providing exceptional client service.
MailChimp
Email Marketing from MailChimp is one of the top business computer programs for connecting with your clients, promoting your brand, and increasing sales. You can use these emails for all kinds of things such as tell a story, share important news, and sell a product.
If your company sends less than 12,000 emails per month to less than 2,000 subscribers, the MailChimp’s Forever Free plan could be a great option for you. If you need to reach more people with more emails, you can subscribe to another plan. Here’s an in-depth take on Mailchimp pricing with all available plans and offers.
WORKetc
WORKetc is an all-in-one business management system that has been around since 2009. If you want to find out more about all the useful features it has to offer, you should start the free trial, invite your team, and set it working.
BlueCamroo
BlueCamroo is a company management software helps you increase your profitability and reduce costs through the seamless integration of an intelligent online CRM and an awesome Project Management System.
Sellsy
Even though Sellsy is focused mostly on sales, there is more to this software business than just that. You can also use it to build and manage a website, track availability and returns of rented items (if renting is what you do) etc. It is one of the greatest small business software solutions if you work in sales.
Bitrix
This online business software might look like a simple CRM, but there is much more to Bitrix than just that. It comes with a bunch of useful features for sales, online meetings, human resources, and invoicing. You can choose from several different plans; the basic one is completely free.
ADIOS
ADIOS is an all-in-one business tool that comes packed with all kinds of features. One that really stands out is the so-called “buy-only-what-you-need” pricing tool.
1CRM
The name might apply that 1CRM is just another CRM, but this small business management software also comes with the marketing automation which normally isn’t present in the all-in-one solutions.
ExxpertApps
ExxpertApps is one of the most useful business management tools for those who have to handle an international customer base. It covers multiple countries, languages, time zones, currencies, and more.
kpi.com
kpi.com is a financial software for small business that offers all the basic business management tools and solutions one would expect from a small business management software.
YourTradeBase
YourTradeBase is an all-in-one solution that is extremely easy to use and it is great for almost all types of businesses.
mHelpDesk
When talking about business management solutions, we have to mention mHelpDesk because it can be very helpful to basically every business owner. The small business software reviews tell us that the users have been very happy with this one.
Jobber
Jobber is a great business tracking software for service business. One of the features that stand out is the GPS tracking system which makes it possible for you to keep an eye on your employees in the field.
Specific Business Type Solutions
We mentioned the best small business management software for general services and trade business but when it comes to certain types of business, they could benefit from small business computer programs specifically designed for them.
So let’s take a look at some solutions if you are running a small business:
Automotive Shop: Boss Shop Pro
If you own an auto shop, take a look at Boss Shop Pro because this could be the business management solution you have been waiting for. It will help you keep track of all kinds of auto parts and details you work with on a daily basis etc. It is also seamlessly integrated with other cool solutions including Edmunds, Epicor, and Carfax.
Residential Builder and Remodeler: Co-construct
Organizing all the details and getting a building project ready requires some pretty good management skills. Luckily, it is not the end of the world anymore if you are not the greatest manager in the world because Co-construct will do all the heavy lifting for you.
Technology Service: ConnectWise
Every IT consulting firm that is looking for a good small business management software should check out ConnectWise. This home business software is a great way for you to stay in touch with your clients and help them with all their needs.
Technology Company: HarmonyPSA
HarmonyPSA is one of the best business systems for companies that develop, sell, and maintain hardware and software. It was designed specifically for businesses that offer technology services and products.
Law Firm: CosmoLex
CosmoLex is an all-in-one solution for managing a law firm. If you are a lawyer, this could be the best small business management software for you.
Distributors and Manufacturers: OfficeBooks
If you are managing distribution and manufacturing, OfficeBooks is the best financial software for small business that you could stumble upon. It will help you manage inventory, purchase orders, control sales etc.
Ending thoughts on small business management software
Managing a business has by all means never been an easy job. In fact, if you are a business owner, you could probably use all the help you can get – and that is where the small business management software comes in.
Depending on the type of business you are running, there is a whole list of great business software products you could benefit from using. Take a look at the key features of each one of them, subscribe for the free trials, and see which one best fits your needs.
If you enjoyed reading this article on small business management software, you should check out this one on how to apply for a business license.
We also wrote about a few related subjects like how to start a small business, how to start a small business in Texas, small business management software, studio scheduling software, small business ideas for men, small business ideas for small towns, professional email address and contact management software.
It might seem like all the business opportunities are in big cities but the reality is actually quite different than that. Small business ideas for small towns might be just the thing you are looking for!
Starting a small business comes with many benefits but doing it in a small town has a whole set of perks you didn’t even know about. For starters, there are fewer competitors around, local people will probably support you, and it is much easier to find a free business niche.
Even better, you don’t need to have that insane startup culture within your company, and you can be a bit relaxed, while still focused on your goal.
Table of contents
Small businesses have been growing in popularity for quite some time and it would be a shame if you didn’t turn your business ideas into reality.
The List of Business Ideas for Small Towns
- Farmers’ Market Vendor
- Grocery Store
- Diner
- Specialty Restaurant
- Food Delivery Service
- Ice Cream Shop
- Roadside Food Stand
- Flea Market Seller
- Handmade Artisan
- Furniture Upcycle
- T-shirt Designer
- Clothing Alterations
- Water Refill Station
- Sale of Call Cards and Data Bundles
- Vegetable and Fruits Mart
- Retailing of Bread
- Open a Hospital /Medical Center
- Open a Maternity Center
- Open a Veterinary Clinic
- Elderly Care Business
- Open a Consignment Store
- Start a Landscaping Business
- Offer Lawn Care Services
- Pet Store, Grooming, and Boarding
- Gas Station
Now let’s look at these in detail.
Farmers’ Market Vendor
People in small towns often appreciate freshly picked fruits and vegetables that someone has grown in their backyard. If you have a green thumb, starting a farmer’s market vendor could be one of the best entrepreneur ideas for you.
Grocery Store
Small towns usually don’t have all those big grocery stores you can find in large cities. Starting a small grocery store is one of the best businesses to start in a small town.
Diner
While larger cities are all about getting food as fast as possible in fast food joints such as McDonald’s, KFC, and similar, opening a small and cozy diner is a much better way to go in a small town.
Specialty Restaurant
Everybody loves good food so if there isn’t a wide variety of restaurants in your small town, opening a specialty restaurant could be one of the most profitable small businesses. As it is easy to boost your business with the email marketing for restaurants and social media compaingns, which will generate new deals.
Food Delivery Service
Delivering food directly to people’s homes has also been growing in popularity over the last few decades. If there is no food delivery service in your town delivering food could be one of the best small businesses to start.
Ice Cream Shop
There is something particularly charming about a cozy ice cream shop in a small town, isn’t it? If your town isn’t already filled with all kinds of dessert options, opening a small ice cream shop could be one of the best small business ideas for small towns.
Roadside Food Stand
Do you have a signature homemade cookie? Or your famous lasagne? If there is a dish you are particularly proud of, you could always try and make some money off of it by opening a roadside food stand.
Flea Market Seller
At a flea market, you can sell your own handmade goods or you can resell all kinds of stuff.
Handmade Artisan
If you are into arts & crafts, you could sell your handmade goods on sites like Amazon, Etsy, and similar. The plus is that there is a chance you will find some cool and really unique supplies in a small town.
Furniture Upcycle
You can search for old, vintage furniture, do a bit of restoration and modification to it, and then resell it.
T-shirt Designer
You can easily design cool T-Shirts with platforms such as Redbubble, Printful, and Society6. That also goes for other stuff such as pillows, towels etc.
Clothing Alterations
If you know how to alter and sew clothing, staring a clothing alteration business could be one of your next great business ideas.
Water Refill Station
Opening a water refill station could be an awesome business to start in a small town where people struggle with accessing clean and portable water.
Sale of Call Cards and Data Bundles
Selling Call Cards and data bundles is one of the easy business ideas because it doesn’t require any particular skill, yet it could be one of the very profitable businesses as well.
Like most successful businesses, it starts with the research. First, you have to get familiar with the telecommunications companies that are operating in the small town of your choice. The more choices, the better for your business.
Vegetable and Fruits Mart
If you live in a small town where you can easily access fresh produce, opening a vegetable and fruits mart could be one of the greatest entrepreneurship ideas. You don’t need a huge startup capital and if you have some basic business skills, you should be able to run this business without breaking a sweat.
People in small towns usually support local farmers, gardeners etc. and they enjoy buying food that was produced in their town rather than imported from somewhere else. Having a vegetable and fruits mart with locally grown produce could be one of the best businesses to start with little money.
Retailing of Bread
You could always open a bakery but if you want to start a good business without investing as much money, you should consider retailing of bread. Your job will be pretty simple; you need to find good bakeries in the area, secure the delivery of bread from them, and simply display them in your shop.
However, what makes this job tricky is the time limit a business like this comes with. You can’t order too much bread if you can’t sell it as fast as possible because you will be losing money. Bread isn’t a long-lasting good so you will have to always plan ahead.
Open a Hospital /Medical Center
Opening a hospital is always on a list of small business ideas for small towns. And while hospitals and medical centers are really needed in small towns, this won’t be the easiest business to start. It takes some pretty big investments and a well-prepared and educated staff. However, if there are no other hospitals in the areas, this could be the best small business for you.
Open a Maternity Center
In some smaller communities, women often can’t afford standard hospital care for delivering a baby so they opt for a midwife of a maternity center. If, on the other hand, there is no maternity center in the area, starting one would solve many people’s problems. And we all know that the best businesses are those that offer a solution to a specific problem.
Opening a maternity center could be one of the best small business ideas for small towns for women, especially if you are a midwife. Of course, you would need to obtain the necessary licenses and permits but that should not be too big an issue.
Open a Veterinary Clinic
If you are a veterinarian, there is no question that opening a veterinary clinic in a small town is one of the best small business ideas for small towns ever. Choose a town with a lot of pet owners and/or livestock owners with no veterinarian in the area. Your business is bound to be successful if you do that.
Elderly Care Business
If you are a medical nurse or a licensed caregiver, maybe you’d like to consider starting and elderly care business. Those types of businesses are very profitable and growing in popularity so it should give you a good shot in starting to earn a steady income.
Find a suitable location, get all the necessary licenses and permits, find adequate employees, and you will have a great small business startup.
Open a Consignment Store
Consignment stores have always been popular in small towns and if there is no store of this type in your area, it could be the best startup business for you. Consignment stores are about selling used stuff of all sorts; from electronics to shoes. However, it could turn out to be the most profitable small business.
Start a Landscaping Business
If you are looking for small business ideas for small towns, starting a landscaping business could be the right thing for you. If you are interested in art, design, planning, management etc., do a bit of research to find out whether or not there is a demand for the business of this sort in your area.
However, don’t expect to make a huge profit right away. You have to have the necessary dose of talent and skill to make this a profitable business in the long run. No need to say that you have to deliver an excellent job every time and keep your reputation at the highest level possible.
Offer Lawn Care Services
The thing about small towns that makes it really different from the big cities is the fact that people usually live in houses instead of the big apartment buildings. Almost every house comes with a lawn and where there is lawn there is the need to care for it.
From lawn mowing to raking the leaves, you could offer lawn care services at a reasonable price and with almost no capital investment. All you need are the necessary tools and supplies such as the lawn mower, rake, wheelbarrow, shovel etc.
Keep in mind, however, that there are certain periods during the year when your services won’t be necessary. For example, if you live a town where the winters are usually snowy, there won’t be much need for lawn care services during those few months. On the other hand, you could offer snow shoveling services instead.
Pet Store, Grooming, and Boarding
People have never cared for their pets as much as they do now. From grooming to dressing them up, the pet owners want their four-legged friends to be in the best shape possible.
If there is no pet store in your area, one of the coolest unique business ideas would be to open one and offer additional services such as grooming and boarding. Ask around to find out where the local people currently get their pet stuff from to be sure that it makes sense to open a shop of this sort.
Gas Station
If you want to start your own business, you have probably not given too much of a thought to opening a gas station. However, try to give it another thought because the gas stations are absolutely essential in every community.
It might not be the most glamorous business ever, but it can be a very profitable one. In fact, it is possibly one of the best small business ideas for small towns. Not only will you earn money by selling gas, but you can also generate substantial revenue by selling all sorts of things, including tobacco and lottery tickets.
Small town business specifics
So what makes starting a small town business different than starting a business in a city? Let’s talk more about small business ideas for small towns!
Simplicity is the Key
Due to the huge competition, every business idea in a city has to be an innovative one. People in large cities have seen it all and they want to see more new stuff offered to them.
When it comes to small towns, the situation is the exact opposite. People cherish simplicity and traditional ideas –Â and that is where you should start with starting the best business.
Free Business Niches
While the big cities have seen it all, there is a good chance you will discover a number of free business niches in a small town. Your small business ideas should probably cover some of those instead of doing the same thing other people have been doing in the same place for years.
Lower Competition
Forget about fighting for every client. If you provide a good service or product, the clients will come to you.
Better Connections
In a small town, people usually know each other pretty well. Having better connections can really simplify your business organization and help you get things done faster and without too much stress.
A Limited Number of Customers
Unfortunately, increasing the number of customers in a small town can be really hard. For example, if you own a bakery and every single resident of the town visits it every day, there is nothing more you can do to attract more customers because there simply aren’t any.
The best business to start will probably be some kind of business you are able to expand or you have to be okay with the fact that there are only so many people living in the small town.
Smaller Salaries
It’s in every business owner’s interest to pay the smallest salaries possible (as long as they are fair to the employees). The good news for entrepreneurs in small towns is that people usually work for lower wages than in big cities and they will be happy with smaller salaries.
Lower Starting Capital
It will cost you less convert your new business ideas into reality in a small town than in a big city. From cheaper rent and supplies to smaller salaries you have to pay, you will need a significantly lower starting capital in a small town.
Spend Less on Promotion
Marketing and promotion is a huge deal in big cities and it can cost you a small fortune. On the other hand, promoting a new business in a small town is usually quite simple – and cheap. There is no need to invest in large advertising campaigns and similar. Promoting good business ideas shouldn’t be a problem.
Good Reputation is everything
In a town where everybody knows each other, maintaining a good reputation is crucial. After all, one of the best marketing methods is word of mouth.
Ending thoughts on small business ideas for small towns
If you want to start a business in a small town, first do some research and think about which small business ideas for small towns actually make sense. Get a better idea about how the things in your community work, which products or services are missing, and whether or not it is possible to start a business that will solve one of the local problems.
Best small business ideas are usually simple, traditional ideas. Don’t get too caught up in the big-city way of thinking and instead think about the businesses that could benefit the small community.
One way or the other, you should give it a try and turn your small town business ideas into actual businesses. If you do it smartly, there is a good chance it will pay off. No matter what business you will be into, you will need a well-organized website to manage the operations and promote your services. In order to make sure that your business is running 24/7, delegate all the booking management activities to Amelia, our WordPress booking plugin.
If you enjoyed reading this article on small business ideas for small towns, you should check out this one on small business ideas for men.
We also wrote about a few related subjects like 15 reasons why your small business needs a website, how to start a small business, how to start a small business in Texas, small business management software, how to apply for a business license, small business management software, professional email address and contact management software.
Growing your law firm is a challenging endeavor unless you have experience in marketing a law practice. Marketing for attorneys is not always about getting new clients, but about retaining previous clients. In the end, growing a law practice entails happy and satisfied clients.
You can’t focus all your efforts on lead generation, and you can’t focus all your efforts on hoping for your old clients to need you again. You must know how to get clients as a lawyer to come to you for their problems, whether they have worked with you before or not.
Here are some tips on marketing your law firm successfully and, hence, growing your law firm:
Make sure you are easy-to-reach
Legal problems don’t come knocking on your client’s doors upon appointment. People don’t know when their status will change to clients of a legal firm, so make sure you are there for them when they need you. Your availability is key to growing your law firm.
Given today’s technology, you have no excuse if potential and old clients can’t get a hold of you: cell phones, online booking systems, contact forms on your website, e-mail, etc. you should be able to answer your clients in time because legal matters are usually urgent matters.
Consider using professional services, such as Amelia, to assist you in taking on the challenge to keep up with the latest technologies.
Stay in touch with your clients
If you want to learn how to market your law firm, learn how to check in with your clients on a regular basis, either old or new clients. You can’t make house calls because you must use your time wisely to handle their legal matters, but you can always drop an e-mail or make a call.
Staying in touch remains one of the most efficient ways to market your law firm and one of the first things you learn when interested in how to market your law practice.
Improve social media strategies
A business without a strong, positive, and consistent social media presence is doomed for failure in today’s age of social media. Keep your social media accounts up-to-date; don’t create them to be able to say you have them. That’s not the purpose of a social media account!
Share and post regularly relevant and original content, not copied content that everyone shares! Make sure your posts get enough likes or shares and adapt your social media strategy accordingly if you lack in that area!
Adopt email marketing
One effective method of lead generation for lawyers and any business remains e-mail marketing. E-mail marketing is one of the most efficient attorney marketing ideas and an exceptional way of growing your law firm reaching a wide audience interested in your services.
Invest in digital advertising
Digital advertising is a new, but increasingly popular attorney lead generator and a great helper in building a law firm, be it a local law firm or a national firm. Investing in ads can prove to be unexpectedly efficient as an investment in growing your law firm.
Make a great first impression
As a lawyer, you probably want to know how to build a law practice, how to generate law firm leads, how to grow a law firm, how to market law firm, how to advertise a law firm, how to get personal injury clients, etc. You are probably wondering how do lawyers get clients?
One of the best ways to secure clients once you’ve reached them or they’ve reached you is to make a positive first impression. Make sure you treat your clients accordingly by making a good impression the first time you meet! It sounds simple, but many attorneys fail in that respect!
Play to your strength
Building a law practice takes a lot of effort and, in time, you develop strategies and key strengths that make your legal firm stand out from the crowd. A great strategy when you are focusing on growing your law firm is to start building on your core strengths.
Identify your core strengths, including cost flexibility, tailored customer service, agility, etc., and then play to your strength and it will help your law firm more than you can imagine. Playing to your strength is one of the best law firm building blocks and lawyer lead generation solutions.
Have a business plan
A method of growing your law firm is to have a business plan that will emphasize your vision and the strategy to achieve that vision. A business plan will showcase what you want your law office to do and what you don’t want your law office to do.
A business plan will also help you focus on growing legal practice areas that are in line with your mission. You may think that you are too small to write a business plan, but you will be wrong: no business is too small to know its mission and how to accomplish it.
Put marketing and business development costs in the budget
Many lawyers feel that opening a law office is enough and marketing is not something they consider from the beginning as if clients will be lining at their doors a week after they opened their law firm. It’s the wrong approach and marketing should be in the budget from the start!
Growing your law firm will not come for free. It is an endeavor that takes a lot of time in addition to money and energy. While you can’t put energy and time into your budget, you can put new business development and marketing costs in your budget!
Go with measurable marketing strategies
Chaotic marketing is not good if your focus is growing your law firm. You need measurable marketing strategies that will allow you to identify which strategy pays up and which doesn’t.
How will you know which marketing strategies work, and which don’t if you can’t measure outcomes? A client feedback program will also help you identify better the pros and cons of your business and adjust your marketing and new business development strategy accordingly.
Target existing clients first
New business development is not always about new leads for attorneys; it usually starts with securing new business from existing clients. If you want to grow your law firm, you must target existing clients first and try to get more business from them by staying in touch with them regularly.
Make sure you understand their needs and be ready to meet them with flexible services. Don’t expect clients to come to you when they need legal assistance. Make sure they know they can come to you when they need legal assistance. Make sure they know you can help them.
Get a professional website and keep it upgraded
When launching a law firm, many attorneys don’t feel like a website is a must. A site is often an aftermath thought, not an initial consideration. In today’s age of the internet, lacking in web presence is a significant impairment no matter how small or significant your firm.
Once you understand the importance of having a website to stay in touch with clients, capture new leads, explain your business, and grow your law firm, you have to understand the importance of having an up-to-date website that is user-friendly and SEO-optimized.
A website gives your law firm the legitimacy and trustworthiness it requires to stand out from the crowd. A good site is like an office in the best part of town. Would you rather trust a lawyer in a shady suburb or a lawyer in a safe, nice-looking neighborhood?
Get more clients with the right tool for the job
Staying organized has never been easier.
You can now manage your business and grow your brand with a single, powerful WordPress booking plugin that keeps all of your appointments in line, your clients organized and your business booming.
Amelia is the perfect appointment scheduling plugin for WordPress. It’s for business owners who need to streamline their booking experience both for their staff and their clients.
Amelia handles everything for you, even sending automated email or SMS reminders to your clients. No-shows? Not anymore!
The Amelia WordPress booking plugin adapts to different industries for a blissful online booking experience and employee management.
Want to know more? Check out Amelia’s awesome features to see what you are missing.
Use the internet to grow your firm
The problem of many independent professionals, lawyers including, is that they fail to realize that their knowledge, skills, and expertise are not enough to build and grow a successful business. A law firm has a business side and a professional side.
Do you neglect the business side? If you are not committed to the business side, you will not be able to employ your knowledge and abilities as a lawyer to serve clients. You need to win as a solicitor, and you need to succeed as a business if you want a successful law firm.
You can’t be successful as a solicitor without being successful as a business. There are business consultants that specialize in helping law firms get back in the game and adapt to the internet age because that will help them achieve your goal: growing your law firm.
The internet is your best ally if you know how to use it. The internet can generate business more than you can imagine and you need to use the internet to be visible in the legal firm, to appeal to clients the moment they reach your online venues, and to stand out from the crowd.
Increase your law firm’s online visibility
Many big players in the legal field have borrowed the expertise of other industries in an online business generation. You can compete with that if you use professional help because you can’t focus on delivering high-end legal services and be an online business generation expert as well.
You need people whose business is generating business online for attorneys, and there is a wide range of experts that you can choose from; you only need to understand the importance of web presence and being visible online. People seek help on the internet, no more than ever!
Are you there to meet their needs? Are your website and other web venues prepared to pop up when they search for the services that you are offering? Do your services stand out as the best in the field? Are you where they can see you? Be visible online and start growing your law firm!
Increase your online platform’s potential to generate business
Do not neglect the power of SEO! Some people tend to minimize or even eliminate the potential of Search Engine Optimization for online business generation. Any business with a web presence needs SEO to improve its online platform and grow its law firm.
There are technical aspects of SEO that only an SEO expert can handle. There is the content side of SEO that you can manage with expert advice. The point is to make sure you address your online platform’s SEO needs if you want to increase its business-generating potential.
Implement prominent calls to action
Users, buyer’s persona, B2B buyers, visitors, or however you want to call them, are potential clients, and what you need to know about them is that they stick to the “don’t make me think” philosophy. They must find what they need effortlessly, or they will go someplace else with a click.
If you want to start growing your law firm, you must have a high-converting platform online, and you can’t have a high-converting online platform without outstanding calls-to-action.
Calls-to-action must be present throughout your online platform, guiding users towards that ultimate action you want them to take. That final action can be achieved by downloading a whitepaper, filling out an inquiry/contact form, picking up the phone, etc.
Don’t make them think; make them act! It’s a valid statement for any business with an online platform. Make sure your law firm is in the 21st century and understands the role of calls-to-action! Don’t expect users to factor in any effort just because they need what you are selling!
Summary
Growing your law firm is a joint effort of every member of your team! Remember that networking, online and offline, remains the most effective marketing strategy. Building strong relationships means building a successful business so get your team to work on that!
Attend conferences, symposiums, and workshops that are specific to the industry, keep a close tap on existing clients and their needs, be accessible online and offline, blog your way to success! Don’t forget to factor in the time, money, and effort necessary to grow your business.
In the end, a law firm is a business and requires investment and planning to become successful.
If you enjoyed reading this article and the suggested tips on growing your law firm, you should check out this one about becoming a self-employed attorney.
We also wrote about a few related subjects like how to become a law firm website, law firm website plugins, themes, and law firm names.
Small businesses have been popular all over the United States for numerous reasons – and the same applies to Texas. But how to start a small business in Texas? We will try to answer as many of the most important questions as possible in this article.
After all, starting a business is always a bit risky and it is important to have as much information as possible to minimize the risks and have your business succeed.
In addition, some business-assisting services, such as the WordPress booking plugin Amelia, significantly ease the working process and might help to stabilize your growing business.
Internet businesses have been growing in popularity so you might want to check out some cool online business ideas. If, on the other hand, you want a more traditional startup business, you will see that the same rules apply to those businesses as well.
Table of contents
- Steps You Should Follow
- How to Establish a Company
- How to Start a Small Business in Texas
- Licensing Specifics
- Starting Business in Texas: Best Locations
How to start a business in Texas: Steps You Should Follow
So let’s talk about how to start a small business in Texas and break it all down to the most basic steps every new entrepreneur should follow.
Make a Good Business Plan
If you aren’t sure how to start a small business in Texas, the first step would be to write your business plan. A good business plan will serve you as a guide for achieving business success and to estimate the costs you will face down the road.
Write down the main goal of your new company, the structure of your business, its financing, and the advantages over the competition in your field. Do your research such as market analysis, the funding possibilities, and similar, and put it all on paper.
Pick a Business Location
When you decide to start your own business, one of the first things you will have to choose is the business location. This is not a decision to be made lightly because it can really impact your business in many different ways.
Do your research and choose a location that will help you stay within your budget while also having access to all the supplies you need as well as to your target customers. Once you pick a location, get familiar with all the laws and taxes that apply there.
Choose a Business Structure
You might already know how to start a company, but do you know which business structure to choose?
There are 2 basic options:
DBAÂ (Doing Business As)
Sometimes an individual or a company want to do business under a different name and that is where the DBA structure comes in handy. DBA, known also as “fictitious business name,” “trade name,” or “assumed name” basically helps you use a secondary name if you already own a business.
Corporation
Another option for starting a small business is creating a corporation. A corporation is entity separate and distinct from its owners. It is usually owned by the shareholders who in profits and losses.
The 3 characteristics of a corporation:
- Legal existence – a company can own, buy, sell, enter into a contract, be sued by other companies as well as sue them.
- Limited liability – the company and its owners are limited in their liability to the creditors and other obligors
- Continuity of existence – the company can operate beyond the life spans and capacity of its owners; the ownership can be transferred to another person as a gift of shares or through a sale.
Choose Your Business Name
When planning how to start a small business in Texas, you will have to choose the right business name. It sounds pretty simple but this is a decision that will impact your business in many ways.
Here are some useful tips:
- The name has to be unique, and easy to understand, pronounce, and remember
- Make sure that there is no other company out there with the same name; do your research before deciding on a name
- Do a trademark search with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to be sure the name doesn’t have any conflicts
- Be sure your company name choice is available by searching Texas’s Department of State: Division of Corporations business name database; search for variations of spelling, misspellings, sound-alikes etc. to be sure your name is unique
How to Establish a Company: the Financial Aspect
Do you want to know how to start a small business in Texas without money? Well, it is not impossible but only with certain types of businesses. In all other cases, you will have to plan your budget ahead and estimate all the costs down the way.
Luckily, there are several different ways to fund a business. You can apply for a bank loan, a microloan, or for credit through personal financing, crowd funding etc. You can also raise money from friends and family.
Obtain your Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN or “EIN”)
In EIN is an identification number that every company has to have. If you aren’t sure how to start a business in Texas and get your EIN number, you can learn more by visiting the Texas Department of Taxation and Finance website.
To obtain an EIN you can apply online with the IRS or via IRS Form SS-4.
How to do Business in Texas: Company’s Bank Accounts
When running a business, you can’t simply use your personal bank accounts. You need to keep the company’s finances separate from your own. Get your business credit cards and start to build a company credit profile (corporation or LLC required). As you do that, you will be able to qualify for larger loans later on.
You need to choose a bank or online business banking solution, file the paperwork and you will be good to go in no time.
Top Business Banks in Texas:
- Amegy Bank
- Bank of America
- BBVA Compass Bank
- Branch Banking and Trust
- First National Bank of Texas
- Comerica Bank
- Capital One
Get the Necessary Business Licenses and Permits
Different types of business require different licenses and permits so you might want to consult an attorney before you go apply for one. Visit the SBA site for this. They have lots of resources.
Ongoing and/or Annual Requirements
DBA:Â DBA is valid for 5 years unless you change company name or other basic information
LLC: Unlike most states, Texas does not require LLCs to file annual reports. They must file annual tax franchise reports with the CPA instead
Corporation: The “Statement of Information” or Annual report has to be filed every year. It updates the state on the basic info about your company. Keep in mind that you will pay a $400 late fee if you don’t make the May 1 deadline.
Franchise Taxes: When you start a new business in Texas, you will have to file an annual report with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, due May 15 every year. If you don’t do it in time, you will face a $50 penalty.
Other things to know about starting a small business in Texas
How to start a small business in Texas? First, you have to know that your corporation will be overseen by the Corporations Section of the Office of the Secretary of State (commonly known simply as the Section).
All your necessary paperwork will be submitted to the Section. Also, if you need additional permits and/or licenses, you need to get in touch with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
The cost to Incorporate in Texas
The cost to incorporate a business in Texas depends on a number of things. For example, if you want to start a for-profit corporation, you will have to pay a $300 filing fee. If, on the other hand, you want to start a non-profit corporation, the fee will be only $25.
Starting an LLC in Texas
How to start an LLC in Texas? You should provide all the necessary information to incorporate.com and submit the Texas LLC application online to the Texas Office of the Secretary of State.
We will continue to talk about LLC in Texas in more detail below
Texas LLC Forms and Filing
In order to start your LLC in Texas, you will have to file a Form 205 Certificate of Formation for a Limited Liability Company, as well as get a federal tax ID number.
Texas LLC Costs
When you think about how to start a new business, you should also take all the costs and expenses into account at the very beginning.
To get an LLC certificate in Texas, you will have to pay a fee of $300. It is a one-time fee that everybody submitting the form has to pay. However, there are some extra services that may cost extra.
Different services come with different fees. You should contact incorporate.com to get a better idea about all the costs for the services you might need to get your business running. For example, there is a good chance you will have to pay for specific licenses and permits. Consult an attorney to know exactly which ones you need.
Now let’s talk a little bit more about specific licenses and permits. Let’s say you have a successful business idea but aren’t sure whether or not you need to obtain any licenses.
I Want to Start My Own Business: Do I Need a License?
In some cases, you can start a business with no licenses and permits. However, in most of the cases, you will have to obtain specific licenses that apply to the type of business you are establishing. Let’s take a look.
Business Permits and Tax Registration
How to start a new business with the necessary licenses and permits? When it comes to Texas, the good news is that it has a cool business-friendly policy. What that means is that many cities don’t require a general business license.
However, it all comes down to the specific city or country where you plan to start new business, as well as to the type of business you had in mind.
To be sure whether or not you need to obtain a business license, you should contact the city clerk or the county office. They will help you with all your questions and give you advice as to how to proceed with the process of establishing a company.
Also, keep in mind that all businesses operating within Texas have to register for different tax-related purposes. You will have to file a Texas Online Tax Registration Application with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Registering Regulated Professions and/or Organizations
If you want to start a business in Texas, no matter what type of a company you are establishing, you will have to apply for a Certificate of Authority with the Texas Secretary of State’s Office.
You can easily do that with a 24/7 online service called SOSDirect. After the registration, you will be able to legally run your new business in Texas. The rest of the licensing for specific professions etc. will be handled by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
DBA Name Certificates
As we mentioned before, the DBA is for people/companies who want to run a business by a different name. In order to be able to do so, one must obtain the DBA name certificate. However, keep in mind that the new name can’t be the same or overly similar to the existing entity’s name.
To be sure you have chosen a valid name, contact the Corporations Division of the Texas Secretary of State’s Office or search online using SOSDirect. If you find a name you like, you can reserve it with the SOSDirect even 120 days before you actually start the business.
However, your business structure will determine where you should file the certificate in question. If you have a sole proprietorship, it should be filed with the county clerk’s office. On the other hand, business organizations regulated through the Secretary of State’s Office have to file the certificate at both the county and state levels.
I Want to Start a Small Business in Texas: the Best Locations
Besides knowing how to start a small business in Texas, you should also think about where to do so. Some locations are more business-friendly than the other ones. Let’s talk about why and how to start own business at specific areas.
Castle Hills, TexasÂ
It might be a good idea to start an online business in Castle Hills, Texas. If you already have a good online business idea, choosing the right location is the second logical step. Starting a new business is never entirely easy, but it can be easier in some places than in others.
Castle Hills, for example, had an average population growth of 7.07% from 2010 to 2015. You definitely want a location with the population growth. However, even more important than that is the fact that 34.75% of firms have paid employees and the unemployment rate is at 1.3%.
Roanoke, Texas
If you already know how to start an online business with no money, but you aren’t sure where, check out Roanoke, Texas. This place has many types of businesses (954 to be precise, which means 1 business for every 7 residents). Also, the population grew 22.5% from 2010 to 2015 and the businesses have extremely high revenue, with the average revenue for companies being roughly $5,425,719.
Shenandoah, Texas
So how to set up a business in Shenandoah, Texas? Easily. For starters, it sounds like a really good idea taking into the consideration that 40.68% of the firms there have at least 1 paid employee. Also, revenue in the town there is $953,444.
However, there are only 381 firms in the town, one of them being Mediafire which is one of the biggest websites in the world. That must have something to do with the great numbers we see here.
Addison, TexasÂ
How to start a small business at home in Addison, Texas? Is it a good idea? – Yes, it is. Addison is pretty close to Dallas and it is the home to many businesses. Get ready to hear some pretty impressive numbers now! The average business revenue is $40,072,856 while 40.57% of firms in the town have paid employees.
Westlake, Texas
People in Westlake definitely know how to start a startup or small business and how to take advantage of good internet business opportunities.
If you feel that you might need some professional help to manage your online business, you can always ask Amelia. Amelia can help you to take care of the hassle that is related to managing online booking appointments.
Westlake is a small community, but if you want to start a business, this could be one of the best places to do so. The average business revenue here is $4,678,268 and unemployment is at a very low rate of 1.3%.
Ending thoughts on how to start a small business in Texas
How to start a small business in Texas and why? First of all, Texas is a very business-friendly state with the second largest population in the United States. In fact, some of the largest companies in the United States are based in Texas.
But not only large firms maintain their headquarters here. In fact, there is a huge number of small business in the state and it might be the right place for you to start a business of your own.
So if you already know how to open a company but aren’t sure where you should do it, Texas should definitely be on your list.
If you enjoyed reading this article on how to start a small business in Texas, you should check out this one on how to start a small business.
We also wrote about a few related subjects like how to apply for a business license, small business management software, small business ideas for men, small business ideas for small towns, professional email address and contact management software.
How to apply for a business license? – If you are planning to start a new business, you have probably asked yourself that question.
Every new business requires a business license but you might not yet be familiar with the process of getting one and with all the legal requirements. So how to apply for a business license? We are about to answer that question in this article.
Of course, there are different types of licenses and they differ from business to business and from location to location. However, you should still be familiar with the answers to the most popular questions about a business permit.
Table of contents
- What is a Business License
- How to Get a Business License
- When do you need a Business License
- How do I get a Business License: the Requirements
- How much does It Cost?
What is a Business License
Business licensing is one of the necessary steps you have to take if you want to start a new business. Once you have chosen your business name, structure, location etc., you can apply for a business license relevant to the type of company you are starting.
If you have been asking yourself: “Do I need a business license?”, the answer is almost always positive. Getting a business license is important for the state to ensure that you have completed all the necessary steps to start a new business.
How to Obtain a Business License
How to apply for a business license? Well, it all starts with the application that you need to submit to your state. The application needs to include basic information about your business such as the name, the type (partnership, corporation etc.), and similar.
You should also provide the start date to ensure the application process is done in time for you to start your business according to your plans.
How to Apply for a Business License: Step by Step
Let’s break down the whole application process into simple steps that will help you understand how to get a business license.
Step 1
Where to get a business license?
If you want to open, for example, a business in Vancouver, you will have to apply for a local business license. Each state has different regulations so the best would be to consult an attorney before or to simply visit a county clerk’s office to determine whether or not you need to get a business license.
Not every city requires a business license and the costs may also vary. To be sure you know exactly what you need, consult a professional. You will need your personal identification and the business name and address with you.
Step 2
Once you have answered the questions such as, „How much is a business license?“, „Do I need a business license to sell online?“, „Where to get a business license?“, and similar, it is time for you to apply for one.
Now the tricky part is that the licensing process varies from place to place. For example, if you want a Delaware business license, you need to apply at the State of Delaware’s One Stop Business Registration and Licensing System. Find out how to apply for a business license in your town/state and do it accordingly.
Step 3
Get familiar with all the federal licensing requirements. Some types of business, for example, interstate trucking companies, firearms dealers, and investment advisers require a federal license. Consult your attorney and apply for a federal license via the agency that regulates the activity.
When do you need a Business License
Once you know how to apply for a business license, you also need to determine what the best time to apply for one is. So ask yourself: “When do I need a business license?”
In some states, you will have to obtain a license before you start operating while on other regions, you might not need a license until you reach a specific revenue threshold.
You should visit the SBA website to determine the specific legal requirements in your area. However, even if the license isn’t required by law, you might still want to get one. The business license comes with some pretty useful perks such as allowing you to claim tax deductions etc.
It also makes you seem more professional and gives your business more credibility which can be crucial when looking for new partners.
Where to get a Business License
There is no one right answer when it comes to this question because it depends on the area you are starting your business in. You should visit the SBA to be sure how it works. There is a good chance you will be able to obtain your license online.
How do I get a Business License: the Requirements
If you want to apply for a license, you will need:
- Determining legal structure
- A detailed description of your business’s activities
- A sales tax license obtained from your state agency
- Inspections and other permits, such as a liquor license or fire code inspection
Do you need a Business License to Sell Online?
If you want to open and perhaps one day sell an e-commerce business, there is a chance you will have to go through a zoning review of your business location or require a zoning permit. Basically, that means ensuring you are able to run a business from your home. There are several things you should keep in mind.
Some zoning laws restrict the following:
- Physical changes to the home’s appearance, such as signage
- Number of visitors and/or employees
- Nuisances such as odor or noise
Obtaining a business license should not be a problem but you should be familiar with the licenses you need to run an e-commerce website before actually selling anything online.
If you need help with organizing and managing your e-commerce website, let Amelia, our WordPress booking plugin, do the magic. Thanks to the extensive experience of the team behind Amelia, this automated booking specialist can rid you of the online booking management headache.
What Licenses do I need?
The types of required licenses depend on several things such as the business structure, location, type of business, and the number of employees.
Here are some of the business permits you might need:
General Business License
Once again, obtaining a general business license depends on a location. Let’s take a business license BC, for example. How to register a business in BC? You can apply for a Vancouver business license online, in person, by email, by fax, or by mail.
City of Vancouver business license protects the residents of Vancouver by identifying businesses operating in its jurisdiction while the licensing also revenue for the local government. However, keep in mind that the general business license has to be renewed annually.
The renewal process isn’t the same in every state. For example, if you run a business in Delaware, you should find out more about Delaware business license renewal.
Tax Permit
When you sell any kind of tangible goods in a store or online, you are obligated to collect tax from the customers. If you run a business that requires tax collection, you have to apply for a tax permit.
Professional/Occupation Licenses
Certain professions require state-issued licenses or certificates. If you are a tattoo artist, a hair stylist, a lawyer etc., you need to get familiar with your state’s laws to determine whether or not you need to obtain a permit.
Unemployment and Worker’s Compensation Registration
In some areas, you have to register even if you are the only employee.
Weights and Measures Registration
This permit applies to you if you run a business where you weight items for sale.
Alarm Permit
If you want to install a commercial alarm system, you will probably need a permit from the local government or a fire protection district. However, you will also need to have your home inspected by the local fire department if you are planning to run a business in your home, for example, a home-based childcare.
Health Inspection Certification
Any business that has to do with food requires health inspection certification.
How much does It Cost?
Business Licenses
It is hard to tell exactly how much a business license costs because depends on several factors; from the type of a license to a state that issues it. However, expect to pay somewhere between $75 and $100 for a general business license.
Professional Licenses
When it comes to the professional licenses, it is hard to tell you exactly how you are going to spend because these licenses range between tens and hundreds of bucks.
It comes down to your profession. For example, a license the auto mechanics doesn’t cost the same as the license for the real estate agents.
License and Permit Information
The SBA (Small Business Administration) is the best source of information you are going to need to start a business and obtain all the necessary licenses and permits. It allows you to choose your location and it informs you about all the licenses required within that area.
Payment Penalties
Not only do you need to know how to apply for a business license, but you also need to know how and when to renew it. If you don’t do that as the law requires, you could face payment penalties.
So when calculating the cost for your license, you should also take the annual renewal fees into the consideration.
Ending thoughts on how to apply for a business license
If you aren’t sure how to apply for a business license, the smartest thing you should do is consult a professional.
The rules and regulations vary depending on many different factors such as the location, the type, and structure of your business, and similar. However, knowing how to get your business license might not be enough. You also need to know which kinds of licenses and permits you need and when to renew them.
So do you need a business license? Yes, you probably do. It comes with a number of benefits while it also minimizes the risk for clients and helps you find partners more easily.
If you enjoyed reading this article on how to apply for a business license, you should check out this one on small business management software.
We also wrote about a few related subjects like how to start a small business, how to start a small business in Texas, small business management software, small business ideas for men, small business ideas for small towns, professional email address and contact management software.