Zoho Solo - Coming to the UK soon (hopefully) !
I was out in Chennai at Zoho HQ back in January this year and I was fortunate enough to be shown 1st hand a new app due for release, Zoho Solo. I was taken a back at its simplicity, and the amount of friends and contacts I could see this being incredibly useful for. I have sat in so many boardrooms where leaders say “ we do not want anything complex, we want to keep everything simple.” one thing often forgotten is that chaos is easy, simplicity is difficult to create., Yet with Solo, Zoho have nailed simplicity.
The app has had a successful launch in the USA and now has just been released in South Africa. It is only a matter of time before it makes it to these shores. But what is Zoho Solo?
You're a talented plumber, mechanic, or artist. Your skills are in demand, and you're ready to go solo, then reality hits. Running a business means managing customers, tracking tasks, handling invoices, and learning finance. All things that are outside of your comfort zone, when you have enough to think about. And there is little alternative without hiring agencies that cost more than you're making.
The Enterprise Software Trap
Most solopreneurs fall into the same expensive mistake. They sign up for software designed for teams, not individuals. I have a close freind that is a highly skilled mechanic that finally opened his own garage. His accountant recommended Sage accounting software. Sage has many positives although I strongly believe it is not best suited for solopreneurs. The hard truth here is that accountants will (typically) recommend the accounting software they use, not the one that is best for your business. Now he's stuck with a complicated system he barely understands, paying hefty subscription fees, and facing massive implementation costs if he wants to integrate other tools later. Sound familiar? You're paying for complexity you don't need while craving simplicity you can't find.
Mobile Native Changes Everything
This is where Zoho Solo steps in. It's not another desktop app with a mobile version thrown together as an afterthought.
Solo was built from the ground up for mobile, it actually is not available on the desktop. The interface resembles your phone's operating system, which means zero training required. You already know how to use it. Your customers come straight from your mobile contacts. Task allocation is straightforward and intuitive. You can run your entire business from your pocket without the bloatware that bogs down traditional software.
Crawl Walk Run Philosophy
Here's another truth many software companies won't tell you. You need to start slowly with the bare minimums.
Those all-conquering software packages look impressive from the outside. But they never discuss who's actually going to maintain those complex systems. Spoiler alert: it's you, and you don't have time for that. Solo gives you exactly what you need to keep your promises to customers. Nothing more, nothing less. You can focus on growing your business and serving clients instead of wrestling with software.
Free Means Freedom
The best part? Solo is completely free to use. This is because Zoho doesn't have to feed venture capitalists and is not about padding profit margins. It's about showing solopreneurs that powerful business management doesn't have to break the bank. You can start your business with professional tools from day one. Granted the hook for Zoho is that they can showcase the power of their apps and if your business grows, it makes sense to transition to larger apps with subscription costs. Although that is completely up to the individual user.
Ready to see what business management looks like when it's actually designed for you? Check out Zoho Solo at www.zoho.com/solo/ and discover how simple running your business can actually be.
For those of us in the UK, Zoho Solo not in our data centre just yet, comin soon
