You can no longer go on without the digitisation of the business if you aim to scale a digital consultancy. For this reason, we are sharing this list of the essential SaaS solutions with business owners and managing directors. While this is one of many possible builds, it is known to be effective and we can therefore place our bets on it.
In our day and age, there isn’t a single business that’s not utilising at least one digital solution. A fast-paced modern environment, combined with the recent need of most companies to move online, as well as huge volumes of data, makes it mandatory. From retail and hospitality to manufacturers and consultancies, software became an irreplaceable part of the business.
But the era of clunky disk-based programs is now gone - the new format is Software-as-a-Service, also known as SaaS. It doesn’t require hardware to support it, has no installation and is easily accessible to anyone on your team as long as they have internet access as it runs in a web browser. The best thing is that different SaaS solutions can be integrated with one another, and this is something consultancies interested in scaling should utilise ASAP.
You Need a Digital Toolbox
A stand-alone software will never meet all the needs of the business, and thus companies use multiple solutions for different areas. However, if they are picked haphazardly and are only used by one department at a time, it’s very likely you’re not getting your money’s worth. And, instead of uniting your teams, you are only siloing them further.
For this reason, the best solution is to build a digital toolbox - a set of digital tools that are linked together through integrations. Such an approach does wonders for team alignment as different departments now have visibility of one another, therefore can tailor smoother workflows and build up efficiency. Additionally, when integrated, software solutions enrich reports with data collected across different platforms, essentially putting it into a different context and thus potentially discovering new opportunities. Finally, linked tools easily exchange data between themselves, meaning there will no longer be the need to switch between the tabs to export/import data from one solution to another. Time is money and therefore every minute counts. With that said, we would like to introduce one of our favourite SaaS solutions build.
1. Timesheet Portal for Time Tracking, Invoice Automation and Expense Management
When handling client work, it’s crucial to keep track of the time. Especially because most of the digital consultancies run on the retainer model. The very name of Timesheet Portal suggests it’s well suited for the job. The time tracking aspect of the software is highly customisable as you can either calculate your time spent by hours, days, or even deliverables. Timesheets can then be easily exported as different format files. However, the very said timesheets then feed into other functions found in Timesheet Portal a consultancy of any size that will benefit from. For example - invoice automation.
Based on the data captured within the timesheets, the software will then generate an invoice within mere seconds, saving your staff possibly hours and reducing the risk of an error. Similarly to the timesheets, the format of an invoice can be customised to your needs and branding. When integrated with financing software, you can easily export said invoices into it with a couple of clicks, not switching the tab. Additionally, Timesheet Portal helps you keep track of your expenses, as well as simplifies the expenses claim process. The functionality such as bulk receipt upload and smooth approval workflows combined with accessibility across different devices really take the expense management out of the grey area many businesses seem to have it in. These are just a few pay and bill features Timesheet Portal has to offer - here's the complete list.
2. Xero for Payroll, Quotes and Accounting.
Since Xero is among one of the most popular accounting solutions, chances are you are already using it. Or have at least heard of it. Similarly to Timesheet Portal, it has a wide functionality that is necessary for finance teams across different business sectors. Its most prominent feature is an automated payroll system that calculates taxes, pensions and leaves, then emailing your workers their payslips to be accessed online. Xero payroll feature also helps you stay in compliance with the HRMC requirements, taking yet another worry off the shoulders of the finance department.
A clean, modern dashboard helps you stay on top of the accounting by presenting all your spending, sales and expenses in a digestible visual format. It allows you to easily follow up with owed invoices, monitor specific areas of the business and remain aware of the cash flow. It is also a useful tool for creating quotes - either from scratch or using a template. In addition to that, Xero easily converts quotes into invoices, which can sometimes save a good chunk of time. Most of the integrations actually feed into Xero, expanding its already wide capacity and helping to personalise the software to each business's unique requirements.
3. HubSpot for Marketing, Sales and Customer Support
Another multi-functional tool you need for your toolbox is HubSpot. It’s best known for its wide range of marketing automation features, as well as being a great tool for aligning your key customer-facing teams. For marketers, it’s a crucial tool for effective lead generation and nurturing campaigns, SEO and social listening. Sales utilise it as a powerful and flexible database of contacts, recording every smallest detail and interaction with them. Including those handled by the customer support teams. All in all, the software makes it very easy for all three teams to have visibility of each other, therefore creating smooth client journeys in which the right people are served the right information, at the right time.
Furthermore, through its wide selection of integrations, HubSpot can feed its recorded data into other tools you use. And, additionally, it can receive the data from them, then allowing you to build automated workflows that activate triggers outside HubSpot’s native functionality. For example, when integrated with Xero, you can create a workflow in which HubSpot will send an automatic reminder email for the customer who hasn’t paid an invoice instead of requiring you to chase them up yourself.
Summary
Business Digitisation is inevitable, but just like everything in the world - it doesn’t stop progressing. Being caught up in the old digital strategy that involves separate software solutions for different departments or utilisation of hardware-tied tools will most certainly prevent you from growing for these methods are outdated now. In a world where everything now relies on flexibility, your go-to is SaaS solutions.
It’s important to remember that the higher number of tools you have doesn’t translate into success - it’s the way you link and use them together that brings the difference. In this article, we’ve suggested a build that only consists of three solutions yet is powerful and covers most of the areas crucial to a scaling consultancy. The number of different combinations for a digital toolbox is unlimited and it all depends on your needs and approach.
Timesheet Portal has a list of possible integrations. Whether you want to try the suggested toolbox or build your own, consult with us today and we’ll be happy to provide support.
