There’s no question that 2020 has been a rough year for the event industry and in general. The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted how we have to think about business, whether that be ensuring that your place of business is meeting new safety standards or shifting your company over to remote work. While we’re all in this together, it can be hard to remember that when you’re suddenly trying to manage more aspects of your event business on your own to save money.

The good news is also that we are in 2020: we have plenty of software and technology options to help us manage our business challenges, and save us time and money in the process. Most of us are aware of and use Google Workplace regularly — it includes Calendar, Sheets, and Docs — and it’s free, with the ability to upgrade your services for a fee. We’re all familiar with Zoom and Slack by this point, too. At this time last year, I’m pretty confident that most of us didn’t foresee ourselves relying so heavily on these collaboration tools and softwares, but here we are.

But collaboration tools are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the plethora of business software available right now. Some of it is free and some of it isn’t, but they all have ways of saving you time and money.

1. Easy Accounting & Bookkeeping

Accounting is one of those areas that businesses can DIY, with the right tools. Managing all of your receipts and invoices, creating reports, and balancing your books are all things that can be taken care of in-house, so everything is ready to send to your bookkeeper or accountant quarterly. Keeping things organized as you go is a great way to save money in the long run, as you won’t have to pay your accountant to organize your financials or do data entry, too.

Look for a software that can integrate with other systems that you use to save time. For example, we integrated QuickBooks Online into Goodshuffle Pro so that our clients don’t have to spend extra time tracking down invoices, juggling data between softwares to create reports, or worrying about keeping their financials secure. It all happens within one system. Plus, their accountant has access to all their company’s financial records in one location.

2. Fast and Secure Payment Systems

If your company didn’t already have a digital Point of Sale (POS) system, now is definitely the time to get one! Not only will these allow your clients to securely make payments online, but you’ll also be able to take credit card payments in person. Many of these work with just a mobile phone (some software also uses a card reader) which allows you to take payments from anywhere. This is particularly handy for those in the event planning business, as clients often change their minds and/or find new things to add at the last moment!

At Goodshuffle Pro, we have seamlessly integrated Stripe into our software for this very purpose. Stripe has the added bonus of being able to manage automated payments and payment reminders right in Goodshuffle Pro, which takes the hassle out of trying to track down clients for payments.

3. Powerful Marketing Tools

It may seem like business demand is totally out of your control right now, but there is still marketing that can be done! Plus, there are many software tools available that are free or low-cost. HubSpot is one of the more frequently used all-in-one marketing, content management, and sales CRM services that has a free version, then pricing for levels to fit your needs. It is also great for helping to keep your remote team on the same page.

MailChimp offers a free, customizable email campaign service. They also provide insights into what really catches the eye of your clients, so you can create more effective campaigns. Finally, Canva lets you create beautiful images for social media, fliers, brochures, emails…the sky’s the limit. They offer multiple pricing options and the base version is free to use, and offer galleries so you can get some inspiration.

4. Major SEO Benefits

And finally, we recommend working on some SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for your company’s website, to make sure that Google and other search engines can find you. Not sure where to start with that? Don’t worry, we have you covered — click here to learn more about SEO for event professionals.

This is a strange time we live in, to say the least. There is speculation that we’ve moved into an era of remote work and that many companies won’t go back to the office-based model we are accustomed to. But none of us at Goodshuffle Pro are not here to make predictions one way or the other — we just know that good software can help us stay on top of our business needs whether we are at home or in the office, and can help all of us to provide better service to our clients.

Feature Image by Kaysha Weiner Photography