From cybersecurity solutions to collaboration software, businesses need a full toolset to ensure security and productivity. This article will go over five tools your business of any size should start using today to build a solid foundation for success.

Use These 5 Tools To Jumpstart Your Business

1. Cloud VPN

A cloud based vpn like Perimeter 81, allows employees to connect to corporate systems remotely. These cloud-based VPNs provide the speed, privacy, and security that remote teams need to work and collaborate from anywhere in the world.

Static legacy VPNs are quickly becoming outdated and can no longer ensure the data security they once did, but cloud VPNs are rising to the challenge of tackling modern cybersecurity concerns.

Whether your business is 5, 50, or 500 people, cloud VPNs offer a fully customizable and scalable solution, so your business is ready to grow at a moment’s notice. 

Since users can connect to your company’s cloud-based resources over any internet network in the world, you’re not restricted to hiring and collaborating with people in certain geographic regions. This creates new opportunities for both you and prospective employees, who can connect to your enterprise network as if they were in the same office as you.

All data transmitted over a cloud-based VPN service is fully encrypted, regardless of the device connected to it or the location data is transmitted back and forth from. This ensures the highest level of cybersecurity for your business, protecting your cloud environments, staging servers, company databases, and everything else you need to keep private and secure.

2. Team chat platform

A robust team chat app, such as Slack, is an indispensable tool for communication and collaboration. This is especially true if your team works from different locations, instead of being co-located in an office.

Team chat platforms allow you to quickly ask questions, discuss projects and tasks, and search for important information from past conversations to get the job done. 

When you’re searching for the right team chat tool, make sure to look for the ability to create group chats or different chat channels. This allows employees to see what’s most relevant to them without getting distracted by messages regarding projects or teams they are not involved with.

3. Project management software

The next tool you need to set your business up for success is a project management platform, such as Trello, Monday.com, or Asana. 

Project management software allows you to create project boards based on different project management methodologies that are proven to help get things done, including the Kanban, Agile, and Scrum methodologies.

Especially when you’re working with remote team members, you need a central workspace where everyone can see their tasks and responsibilities, as well as those of others. That way, everyone knows exactly what the progress on specific tasks and projects is. 

Project management software also holds each person accountable and helps identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement in your company’s workflows.

4. Video conferencing app

With so many people working from home since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, video meeting apps like Zoom and Google Meet have become an integral part of the day-to-day work culture.

Even if you have an office where some of your employees go to work, the trend of hybrid workforces (those with people working remotely part- or full-time) is something that’s here to stay. So, you need a reliable video conferencing platform to ensure everyone on your team gets to join face-to-face meetings, no matter where they are located.

Team chat tools are great for having quick text-based conversations, but sometimes you need something a little more personal, and that’s where video meetings come in. Video meetings can help team building, save time, and promote overall collaboration for distributed teams.

5. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a powerful platform for businesses of all sizes to market, advertise, network, and find talent. 

For B2B companies, LinkedIn is an excellent place to concentrate some of your sales efforts. Your sales team can connect and chat with the relevant people at companies in your industry, and your marketing team can target ads to reach the audience you want to sell to.

For any type of company, LinkedIn allows you to create recruiting accounts that you can use to look for new employees with exactly the skillset you’re looking for — anywhere in the world — and start the interview process to bring new talent on board ASAP.

Regardless of what functions you use LinkedIn for, having a business profile on the network establishes credibility and helps your business gain exposure. If you don’t want to run paid ads on the site, it’s a great place to publish content and grow an organic following, which can lead to sales down the road.

Summary

Whether your business is an early-stage startup or an established mid-sized business, it’s never too late to start exploring new tools that can build a foundation for maximum success. 

The best place to start is with a secure cloud VPN, which will allow your employees to securely connect to your company’s resources from anywhere. After that, you can be sure that your business’s data and systems will be safe and private while your team collaborates using the other tools on this list.