Startups tend to run on limited time, lean teams, and ambitious goals. To make growth possible, you need the right startup tools—for everything from project management and communication to accounting and payments.

Below, you’ll learn what tools are necessary for startups and how they can help young companies with organization, customer relationships, cash flow, and other tasks.

What’s in this article?

• What tools do startups need?
  
• How do project management tools help startups stay organized?
  
• How do communication tools keep startup teams connected?
  
• How do financial tools help startups manage accounting and cash flow?
  
• How does customer support software help startups build loyalty?
  
• How do marketing and sales tools help startups grow?
  
• How Stripe Atlas can help
  

What tools do startups need?

Startups run on urgency. Every choice shapes how long you can last. The right tools give structure to chaos so that small teams can work like big ones.

Startups often rely on a core set of tools that create the foundation for everything else:

• Project management and collaboration tools: Plan, assign, and track work so everyone knows what matters, what’s next, and who’s responsible.

• Communication platforms: Keep your team connected across time zones, which makes sharing information easier and decision-making faster.

• Customer support software: Route customers’ questions to the right person, and respond fast enough to turn early users into loyal advocates.

• Accounting and finance tools: Automate bookkeeping, track every dollar, and project your cash reserves so you can make decisions with confidence.

• Marketing and sales systems: Secure new customers, nurture relationships, and drive data-informed growth.

• Payment tools: Accept payments, automate billing, and handle multiple currencies from Day 1 with providers like Stripe.

How do project management tools help startups stay organized?

Startups exist in a constant state of motion. Project management tools give founders a way to stay organized and nimble when everything is occurring at once.

Here’s what these tools make possible:

• Clarity and accountability: They break big goals down into tasks, assign owners, and track progress, all in one place. Everyone can see what’s happening and what’s late.

• Real-time visibility: A shared dashboard gives teams a single source of truth, which is especially important when your team is remote or distributed. More than 8 in 10 companies use some form of project management software to keep teams working efficiently.

• Real-time savings: Workflow platforms minimize repeated updates, version confusion, and unnecessary coordination. That helps the average employee reclaim hundreds of hours per year.

• Smarter use of resources: Poor project performance can waste about 5% of a company’s investments. A good tool helps you reduce duplicated or wasted efforts.

• Adaptability: Startups shift direction quickly. When your projects live in a flexible system, it’s easier to adjust timelines or priorities without losing track of who’s doing what.

How do communication tools keep startup teams connected?

The right communication tools help teams move fast without experiencing miscommunication or losing context.

Here’s how communication tools make that happen:

• Instant answers: Real-time chat tools let teams solve problems in minutes rather than days. They replace long email chains with short, clear exchanges that maintain momentum.

• Face-to-face connection: Video calls build trust and clarity when words alone aren’t enough. They’re how remote teams recreate the energy of working side by side.

• Shared knowledge: Collaboration tools such as wikis and cloud document systems keep company information in one place. When your company’s knowledge base is searchable, teams avoid silos and repeated work.

• Fewer mistakes and delays: Poor communication can lead to startup failure, with 86% of employees blaming it for workplace problems. Teams that communicate effectively can see their productivity rise.

• Cohesion across time zones: As remote work becomes standard, 96% of business leaders say communication tools are important for success. These platforms keep distributed teams in contact and help new hires catch up quickly.

• Culture through transparency: When updates, decisions, and discussions are visible, people tend to feel included and informed. Companies with open communication report 4.5 times higher employee retention, an advantage that matters when every hire counts.

How do financial tools help startups manage accounting and cash flow?

Many new companies fail because they run out of cash and didn’t see the warning signs soon enough. Using the right finance tools can give you the visibility you need to avoid that.

Here’s how financial tools help:

• Real-time clarity: Accounting tools automatically track income, expenses, and invoices. You see your numbers update as money moves, instead of waiting for a quarterly surprise.

• Cash flow visibility: Dashboards show your burn rate and reserves (how long you can operate before you need new funding). With 82% of small business failures tied to cash flow issues, that visibility is necessary.

• Automation that saves time and avoids mistakes: Cloud-based software can pull in transactions, categorize expenses, and send invoice reminders. Startups that automate these tasks can save up to $18,000 a year.

• Faster payments: Automatic reminders and integrated invoicing help startups get paid faster. That extra cash flow can cover bills or fund growth without outside capital.

• Integrated payments: Accepting payments online should be simple, secure, and global. Stripe connects payments directly to your accounting system so every sale is recorded instantly. This minimizes manual work and gives founders a real-time view of revenue.

• Payroll and compliance management: Finance tools can handle payroll, taxes, and filings automatically. That means fewer errors and less time spent on spreadsheets.

How does customer support software help startups build loyalty?

Early users are your best source of revenue, feedback, and credibility. Customer support tools help you serve them well, even when your “support team” is one person who wears five hats.

Here’s how the right software makes that possible:

• Centralized conversations: Support tools capture all inquiries in one place, instead of making you sort through emails, calls, and social messages. You can assign, track, and resolve issues without missing anyone’s query.

• Speed and consistency: Automation can send instant confirmations or suggest help articles so customers feel heard right away. Faster responses can turn frustration into trust.

• Retention through service: Great support directly creates loyalty since good service can make customers more likely to buy again. Even a small increase in retention can increase profits.

• Integrated insight: Support platforms connect easily with customer relationship management (CRM) tools, which gives your team context about each customer’s history or reported bugs. That means fewer repeated explanations and more personalized responses.

• Data that drives improvement: Support tools track response times, satisfaction scores, and recurring issues. Those metrics show where your product or process needs work before customers leave.

How do marketing and sales tools help startups grow?

Growth is the heartbeat of every startup. Marketing and sales tools help startups scale their outreach, track what’s working, and build systems that create momentum. Meanwhile, CRM tools keep track of every prospect and conversation so that no opportunity slips away.

Here’s what these systems make possible:

• Targeted outreach: Marketing tools help startups identify the right audiences and reach them through email, content, and social channels. Email marketing alone can generate an average return of up to $36 for every $1 spent—proof that consistent, data-driven communication works.

• Automation that compounds results: Lead-nurturing systems can increase qualified leads by over 450%. They handle follow-ups automatically so every potential customer gets timely attention.

• Visibility into what works: Analytics tools reveal which campaigns increase traffic and conversions so you can double down on what delivers results.

• Connected marketing and sales: Shared tools and dashboards create a coordinated pipeline from first contact to closed deal.

• Product-led insight: Growth tools show how users interact with your product, which is especially important for software-as-a-service (SaaS) and subscription models. This insight helps teams refine onboarding and improve retention.

• Integrated payments for faster conversions: Connecting your marketing and sales systems to your payment provider improves checkout stats. The right tools help startups accept payments globally and automate billing so customers buy when interest is highest.

How Stripe Atlas can help

Stripe Atlas sets up your company's legal foundations so you can fundraise, open a bank account and accept payments within two business days from anywhere in the world.

Join 75K+ companies incorporated using Atlas, including startups backed by top investors like Y Combinator, a16z and General Catalyst.

Applying to Atlas

Applying to form a company with Atlas takes less than 10 minutes. You'll choose your company structure, instantly confirm whether your company name is available and add up to four co-founders. You'll also decide how to split equity, reserve a pool of equity for future investors and employees, appoint officers and then e-sign all your documents. Any co-founders will receive emails inviting them to e-sign their documents, too.

Accepting payments and banking before your EIN arrives

After forming your company, Atlas files for your Employer Identification Number (EIN). Founders with a US Social Security number, address and mobile phone number are eligible for IRS expedited processing, whilst others will receive standard processing, which can take a little longer. Additionally, Atlas enables pre-EIN payments and banking, so you can start accepting payments and making transactions before your EIN arrives.

Cashless founder stock purchase

Founders can purchase initial shares using their intellectual property (e.g. copyrights or patents) instead of cash, with proof of purchase stored in your Atlas Dashboard. Your IP must be valued at $100 or less to use this feature; if you own IP above that value, consult a lawyer before proceeding.

Automatic 83(b) tax election filing

Founders can file an 83(b) tax election to reduce personal Income taxes. Atlas will file it for you – whether you are a US or non-US founder – with USPS Certified Mail and tracking. You'll receive a signed 83(b) election and proof of filing directly in your Stripe Dashboard.

World-class company legal documents

Atlas provides all the legal documents you need to start running your company. Atlas C corp documents are built in collaboration with Cooley, one of the world's leading venture capital law firms. These documents are designed to help you fundraise immediately and ensure your company is legally protected, covering aspects like ownership structure, equity distribution and tax compliance.

A free year of Stripe Payments, plus $50K in partner credits and discounts

Atlas collaborates with top-tier partners to give founders exclusive discounts and credits. These include discounts on essential tools for engineering, tax, finance, compliance and operations from industry leaders like AWS, Carta and Perplexity. We also provide you with your required Delaware registered agent for free in your first year. Plus, as an Atlas user, you'll access additional Stripe benefits, including up to a year of free payment processing for up to $100K in payment volume.

Learn more about how Atlas can help you set up your new business quickly and easily or get started today.