“Improved productivity means less human sweat, not more,”
- Henry Ford, Founder, Ford Motor Company
Whenever you decide to start your business, there might be several apprehensions surrounding you. There is hope for success, fear for failure, and confusion regarding the management of business functions.
One of the reasons why most Americans (74%) back out from the idea of starting their own business is because of lack of funding, but at the same time, 1/3rd of businesses also start with less than $5,000.
But the eye-opening revelation here is that about 47% of the would-be entrepreneurs back out from the idea of starting a business because of lack of access to business tools and 46% of them are likely to start a business if they had better knowledge about business tools.
If you are one of those aspiring entrepreneurs who are unable to start their business or struggling to manage one due to limited knowledge about business tools, this article will serve as a useful guide for you. You will learn about the concept of SaaS and beginner-friendly SaaS tools for e-commerce startups.
Let us begin with the basics.
What is SaaS?
SaaS is an acronym for Software as a Service that provides specific services via applications or through cloud computing over the internet. It is a type of web-based model maintained and updated by software developers over a secure cloud network.
In layman’s terms, SaaS applications are software that offers you services to simplify and streamline complicated manual functions. In simpler words, it is a platform offering a productive replacement for critical, complicated, and time-consuming manual work.
The best thing about SaaS is that you don’t have to install it on your desktop or computers, you can simply access it on the internet, eliminating the cost of purchase, maintenance, and upgrades, some of which are even completely free. Some of the common examples of SAAS are Amazon Web Services, Google Workspace, and Hubspot.
The SaaS market is a booming industry whose value is projected to reach $168.6 billion by 2025.
All successful companies and businesses use SaaS to streamline their business functions and be easily integrated with the team. According to the 2020 State of SaasOps survey by BetterCloud, SaaS applications make up to 70% of a company’s software use.
5 Must-have SaaS Tools for E-commerce Start-ups
Managing an e-commerce business, especially when you are just starting out is not an easy job. There seems to be a pile of activities that calls for your attention but you are not sure how to attend to them. There is inventory management, customer queries, marketing, and most stressful of all - sorting out your orders and shipping functions.
The whole point of technology is to simplify work for human beings, and SaaS tools for startups do exactly the same.
Here are some of the beginner-friendly SAAS tools to enhance productivity for your e-commerce small business along with some pros and cons.
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Shopify (for online e-commerce store)
Subscription: 14-day free trial, 3 plans available
Shopify is an online platform that helps you create and personalize your online store. Shopify stores are one of the best ways to launch your online business if you are just starting out and low on resources.
It offers you a platform to buy, sell, ship, and promote your products online with an easy interface that is beginner-friendly and affordable. From handcrafted goods to electronics, you decide what you want to sell.
Launched in 2006, Shopify currently serves 176 countries and has over 1 million business users. Shopify offers 3 monthly plans starting from $29/month, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes to operate their online store without any hassles. As a new user, you get a 14-day free trial. If you are satisfied with your experience you can go ahead to subscribe to one of the Shopify plans.
Pros
- Low startup cost.
- Beginner-friendly and easy to use.
- Great for dropshipping.
- Attractive themes and templates for personalization.
Cons
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Add ons can be costly.
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Transaction fees.
- Oberlo (for dropshipping and inventory management)
Subscription- Free, Basic ($29.90 USD/month), Pro ($79.90/month)
If the concept of dropshipping sounds appealing to you, say Hi to Oberlo.
Oberlo is a dropshipping tool and platform that allows you to import inventory online from your inventory supplier and sell it directly on your online store. You don’t have to own, store, maintain, or ship the inventory. The inventory supplier will ship the items directly to the customer.
Oberlo dropshipping offers a direct integration between the platforms Shopify and AliExpress. You can import the products from Ali Express and add them to your Shopify store with a simple chrome extension.
The Oberlo Shopify integration is a smooth and hassle-free process, all you need is a stable internet connection. You are eligible for a 30-day free trial once you sign up and choose your plans according to your needs after you are satisfied with its utility.
While not fully optimized for mobile and tablet functions, you can easily operate Oberlo on your laptop or computer.
Pros
- Easy and secure product imports.
- Automated order processing and fulfillment.
- Easy product customization.
- Ample learning resources available.
Cons
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Only compatible with Shopify and AliExpress.
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Restriction on some products without clarity on terms.
- Canva (for image editing and design)
Subscription- Free
Upgrades- Pro ($12.99/month or $119.99/year), Enterprise ($36/month)
Managing your e-commerce business is not only about processing and shipping orders. One of the most crucial aspects here is how well you present your brand and products to your prospects.
The human brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text and about 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual. As such, there is no second-guessing the fact that visual content can make or break your brand.
But guess what? You don’t need to be a graphic designer or a photoshop expert to create your own product and marketing designs, Canva online can save your day. It has a range of custom design templates available according to the need and specifications of various social media platforms.
You can design carousels, catalogs, and ads with a few creative uses of the features. Canva is adored by its users for its simplicity and uncomplicated nature.
Canva is also fully optimized to operate from a mobile phone. All you have to do is download the Canva app and use it anywhere, anytime at your convenience. And the best part is it’s free for everyone! Of course, there are upgrades available but the free version seems to be working just fine.
Pros
- Easy and simple to use
- Custom templates as per social media requirements.
- Supports many picture formats and storage
- Easy access to everyone
Cons
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Limited free version
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Can’t create your own elements. You have to develop designs from the templates provided.
- Shipstation (for managing online orders and shipping functions)
Subscription-30 days free trial, Multiple plans available.
Shipping is hands down one of the most stressful functions you have to manage as an e-commerce vendor, and I don’t even need statistics to prove that.
Shipstation is a SaaS platform that helps you manage your shipping functions across various e-commerce platforms effectively. Shipstation lets you integrate with over 70 best-selling sites and manage all your essential shipping orders through one platform.
You can easily administer your inventory, generate discounted shipping labels, and build banded shipping with the help of this SaaS application. Once you sign up, you are eligible for a 30-day free trial, and if you are satisfied with your experience you can go ahead and purchase their monthly plans.
Their monthly plans range from $9/month for beginner-level entrepreneurs with up to 50 shipments per month to $159/month for growing businesses supporting up to 1000 shipments per month. It is a great platform for early-stage entrepreneurs and businesses who can’t afford to rent a warehouse or hire staff to support their shipping functions.
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Excellent features and automation.
- Multiple integrations.
- Discounted shipping labels
Cons
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It may require some time to understand the features
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Conflicting reviews regarding customer service.
- Grammarly (for error-free content writing)
Subscription- Free
Upgrades- Premium ($12/month), Business($12.50/month)
Grammarly is a great SaaS tool to ensure that you create grammatical-error-free, clear, and concise content. As an entrepreneur, you have to look into the most crucial aspect of your business which is marketing and content creation. Grammarly helps you to keep your content faultless, clear, and concise that is easily comprehensible to all.
Grammarly is free to use with limited features that check your grammar, spelling, punctuation, and detect your tone. You can upgrade to Grammarly premium for advanced writing features that help you pick the right delivery and create engaging content.
Grammarly Business is for businesses wanting to enhance their team communication in a professional and clear manner. Plagiarism detection is also available in both upgrades.
Pros
- Real-time grammar correction.
- Easy to use (only requires a chrome extension).
- Adequate free version for basic grammar correction.
- Customization ( select preferred language, add new words).
Cons
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Does not guarantee 100% accuracy and correctness.
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Limited free version.
Summing Up
It is astounding to witness how far technology has come in substituting and simplifying manual work. Things that seemed impossible to comprehend 10 years back are now a reality. Starting your business today is a lot easier than a few years ago with an array of convenient and inexpensive business tools available at your disposal. You just have to know how to look for it.
Good luck!