Business tools for small businesses aid in the management and expansion of their operations. Project management, sales and marketing, financial management, teamwork and communication, customer relationship management, human resources management, and e-commerce may all be aided by these technologies.
Businesses may save time and become more efficient by using small company solutions to automate and simplify certain business operations. While some free business tools are more general-purpose and may be used by organizations in a variety of sectors, others are more focused on a specific industry or kind of company.
A lifetime free plan is available for some of the top business tools, enabling customers to utilize the product for free for an unlimited amount of time. Certain tools are available as free versions or free plans, while others need payment or a monthly, yearly, or subscription fee.
Top Business Tools for Small Businesses
1. Chat and Collaboration- Slack
As with anything in life, communication is essential, and this is especially true in business tools for small businesses. Keeping everyone informed and in agreement is vital to keeping things going well and preventing easily preventable communication issues. You thus need an app that allows for group communication.
Although Skype and WhatsApp work well for one-on-one communication, you should think about using something a bit more sophisticated, like Slack, if your team consists of more than two or three people.
Slack offers both group and individual chat, which greatly facilitates collaboration between disparate teams. For example, you may establish a different group for your web engineers or design team. You can even conduct video conversations (up to 15 colleagues with the Pro subscription and simply one-on-one with the free plan).
However, Slack’s connections with more than 2,400 other applications are where it shines. Because you won’t have to open each app individually, using Google Calendar, Zapier, Zoom, or a project management tool like Paymo, Asana, or Trello straight from Slack can expedite work significantly. For example, you will be able to get task alerts from Paymo or appointment notifications from Google Calendar straight inside the Slack UI.
2. Video Conferencing- Google Meet
Video conferencing has become essential for online meetings and even events in a world where many individuals work remotely or as freelancers. An increasing number of small companies are being compelled to connect with their team members, suppliers, business colleagues, and consumers online.
Google Meet is a viable option if your company needs a video conferencing solution. Although Zoom has been quite popular in the last year and is a terrific tool for video conferences, Google Meet could be a better choice for a small company, especially if you choose the free version.
Google Meet’s free plan includes a 60-minute restriction for each meeting, in contrast to Zoom’s 40-minute limit per video conference. If you’re attempting to decide between the two free options and your meetings tend to go on, this could be important. Additionally, Google Meet makes it easier to use in combination with other Google services. To use it, just sign in with your Google account; there is no need to download an app.
While Google Meet complies with IETF security standards for Datagram Transport Layer Security and Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol and employs multiple-step verification and unique encryption keys, many users have voiced security concerns about Zoom, which the company has addressed in its new version.
The free versions of Zoom and Google Meet both let up to 100 people join a call. They both also function well with scheduling software, which expedites the process of organizing meetings.
3. Project Management- Trello
Any owner of a small company will tell you that maintaining organization and oversight is a daily fight. And it is almost hard to achieve it with just a basic to-do list or calendar, or worse, attempting to keep everything in your brain.
Trello, one of the small business tools, is a great project management program for small organizations. If you’re a company owner and need to keep organized, particularly if some of your workers work remotely, you need something more sophisticated. Everything in Trello is divided into cards, lists, and boards, providing almost endless ways to arrange according to a company’s specific requirements.
With unlimited cards, members, and storage, Trello’s free plan could be all you’ll ever need for your team. However, if you require limitless boards and other amazing features, you might want to consider the $10/user/month Business Class plan.
Nonetheless, some users believe that Trello lacks the necessary level of automation and is too difficult to use. Because of the high learning curve and the fact that each person utilizes it differently, teamwork may sometimes be challenging. If a project management application seems too complex for you, consider Evernote or Paymo, which is a simpler option that also has other helpful features like invoicing.
4. Analytics- Google Analytics
It’s all about the numbers when starting a new firm. What kind of traffic is generated by your website? From where does most of that traffic originate? Which important demographics make up your target audience? Monitoring these inquiries is a challenging task, but they are all crucial to a startup’s success.
Google Analytics can help with that. Google is known for providing creative and user-friendly services, and its statistics tool is no different. Users may monitor key performance indicators by day, week, month, or year, as well as the countries in which their site has been viewed. They can also analyze the percentage differences in traffic drivers.
The best part is that Google Analytics makes use of properly labeled charts and graphs, making even the least tech-savvy person feel comfortable reading their data.
5. Social Media Management- Buffer
It’s important for small company owners, or any firm, to promote their brand on social media. If they don’t utilize a social media management platform and business tools for small businesses like Buffer, keeping track of posts and messages may be a daunting task. These may all help you save a ton of time and get valuable insights into your audience’s preferences regarding your goods and services, the times at which you publish, and the kinds of material that they find interesting.
Some customers, however, expressed dissatisfaction at the excessive pricing, poor customer service, frequent mistakes, and unsuccessful postings. Buffer has two distinct service offerings: publishing and analytics. Regarding publishing, small firms may benefit greatly from both the Premium and Business plans, which have monthly prices of $56 and $85 respectively.
Two users and eight social channels are available with the Premium publishing plan, while six users and twenty-five social channels are available with the Business plan. You will need to add on one of the insights plans, which starts at $28/month for the Pro plan if you also want in-depth insights. Shopify and Instagram Stories statistics are available with the $40/month premium analytics subscription, along with a few other reporting options.
6. File Sharing- Dropbox
Who anyone understands carrying a backpack full of devices with separate paperwork inside of them? Dropbox can create a virtual connection across all of your Internet-connected devices, making it the ultimate multitasking tool.
By using Dropbox’s cloud-saving feature, users may save all of their photos, documents, and video clips on the platform, making them accessible from any location. You should not be concerned about transmitting too-large files or misplacing documents. It’s simple to exchange files with other people using Dropbox.
Lastly, one of the less obvious advantages of using Dropbox for file storage is that it lets you keep your data organized. Make individualized folders and save your files in them so that the next morning, when you arrive, everything will be ready.
7. Accounting and Invoicing- FreshBooks
Managing paperwork, finances, and invoices is one of the most difficult parts of running a company unless you’re an accountant who enjoys managing books and finances; in that case, we appreciate you taking care of the grunt work for the rest of us.
However, there are occasions when even your accountant needs assistance sorting through your paperwork. This is where accounting software and invoicing tools like FreshBooks come in handy. Simple double-entry accounting software, FreshBooks offers additional capabilities like project management and time tracking in addition to standard accounting functions like estimates, reports, expenditures, and invoicing.
Nevertheless, some users express dissatisfaction about how difficult it is to utilize the time monitoring function. Additionally, given the large increase in the monthly charge from 50 billable customers to limitless, some would want to see a mid-range plan.
A $15/month Lite Plan with 5 billable clients, a $25/month Plus plan with 50 billable clients, and a $50/month Premium plan with an unlimited number of billable clients are the available plans offered by FreshBooks. For a limited period, they are presently providing 60% off on all of their plans for six months.
Wave or Sunrise are good options if you require free accounting software, particularly if you’re just starting a company and don’t have a lot of extra cash. Anytime you choose, you may switch to accounting software with greater features, like FreshBooks.
8. Creation- Wix
Wix offers a solution for every need. Wix is a fantastic tool for creating websites and blogs for those who are less computer-knowledgeable and more focused on design. Wix employs a drag-and-drop template, promising “no coding,” so you can freely design your website. If your company’s colors change in a few months, Wix makes it simple to replace your outdated template with a new one.
Conversely, those with more experience with technology may find value in Wix’s recently released market app, which enables users to integrate their applications with the Wix platform. This is great news for Wix users, who will have access to a wider selection of applications, and app developers since it opens up another possible market for their product.
Wix has enticing features like an online shop creation, 24/7 customer support, and readily trackable data, making the process of creating a website look simple. The finest aspect? Wix offers a free website creation tool.
9. Work Management- Upwork
Starting a company often entails using other people’s abilities. When project deadlines are approaching and you lack the resources to engage full-time employees, hiring a per-project contractor may be quite helpful. Upwork simplifies the process for you, so you don’t have to spend time searching for the ideal applicant. Utilize their extensive database of contractors seeking employment and adhere to their methodical approach to choose the most suitable candidate for your business.
Upwork profiles include past employment history, a sample portfolio, and customer testimonials to help you make an educated choice and schedule meetings with just the most qualified applicants for your team. After that, you can quickly allocate the project at hand to your selected applicant and schedule a virtual interview without ever having to step outside of your workstation.
Upwork’s tracking feature helps you along the way by letting you continuously monitor the progress of your project and make adjustments or remarks as needed. Lastly, don’t stress about the trouble of handling bank paperwork and payment problems. Upwork manages every transaction, allowing you to enjoy your finished product stress-free and pay your contractor with ease.
Why Do We Need The Best Small Business Tools
Business tools for small businesses are essential for a variety of reasons. The following are some of the key advantages of using the finest small company tools:
Enhanced productivity: By automating repetitive work and streamlining procedures, small company tools may save time and effort while managing different business operations. Small firms may benefit from this by being more efficient and concentrating on their core skills.
Improved organization: Small company tools may assist companies in maintaining their organization and monitoring their workload, which includes tasks, due dates, and timetables. By doing this, companies may better manage their time and resources, prevent missing deadlines, and stay on top of important projects.
Improved teamwork and communication: Small company tools may make it easier for companies to work together and communicate with their customers, team members, and other stakeholders. This may help to guarantee that everyone agrees and boost productivity.
Enhanced productivity: By optimizing workflows and fostering better teamwork and communication, small business tools can help organizations accomplish more in less time. Increased productivity and, eventually, more encouraging outcomes may arise from this.
Improved decision-making: Access to data and analytics via small business solutions may enable companies to make more educated choices. This may assist companies in making better-informed decisions about how to expand and enhance their operations.
Better customer service: Companies may monitor and measure customer contacts with the use of small business solutions, which will help them provide better service and forge closer bonds with their customers.
All things considered, a firm may expand by using free business tools, which provide them with the tools they need to handle many facets of their operations.
FAQ
Q: How crucial are tools for business in the workplace?
A: These tools may increase productivity, facilitate easier workflow, and improve teamwork. Every organization may find what they need, whether they require performance management tools or high-tech ones that function well on smartphones.
Q: Is there a basic tool that businesses may use to better understand their existing and future clientele?
A: One of the most cutting-edge tools available to businesses is CRM (customer relationship management), which combines a variety of technology and tactics to enhance client interactions.
Q: What distinguishes business technology from business tools?
A: “Technologies” are organizationally imposed systems that often limit, dehumanize, and disempower knowledge labor. In the same way that conventional labor tools like hammers and knives are extensions of our hands, so are “tools.” They support professional identity, stewardship, ownership, and craftsmanship.