30 Useful Tools for Small Businesses (organized by category)

Xero

Xero, often considered the QuickBooks alternative, is a great choice for businesses in need of a top-tier accounting system. While QuickBooks is a solid option, Xero brings its own set of powerful features.

What makes Xero shine is its ability to accelerate and streamline your processes, providing you with unparalleled efficiency. From invoicing to bank reconciliation, Xero simplifies complex financial tasks, allowing you to spend less time on paperwork and more time growing your business. Its user-friendly interface is a breath of fresh air, making accounting tasks comprehensible even for those without a financial background.

Xero is not just about making your work easier; it’s about saving you money. With Xero, you can potentially reduce operational costs significantly — up to $18,000+ annually!

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software

Salesforce

Salesforce, often recognized as a powerhouse for enterprise-level operations, might seem like overkill for small businesses, but it can be the best thing you’ll ever invest in.

Salesforce is a dynamic platform that can redefine how small businesses operate. It’s a robust tool that streamlines operations, strengthens customer relationships, and propels growth. Consider it not as an expense but as an investment in efficiency and competitiveness.

Salesforce is one of the most cost-effective CRM tools for small businesses. It centralizes data, automates tasks, and delivers personalized experiences. The result? A significant boost in efficiency and a considerable reduction in operational costs. 

According to industry statistics, businesses implementing Salesforce CRM have been able to close 30% more deals, reduce the sales cycle by 18%, and save 14% of admin time. This makes Salesforce key in making your business more agile and responsive, as well as gain a competitive edge in your industry.

HubSpot CRM 

Imagine having all your customer data seamlessly managed in one place, saving you not just time but headaches, too. HubSpot CRM does just that. It’s a comprehensive platform that simplifies your marketing, sales, and customer service tasks — a real game-changer that builds on efficiency and focus.

HubSpot CRM automates marketing, tracks customer interactions, and helps you nurture leads with ease. Whether you opt for the free plan or the $45 monthly investment, HubSpot is a strategic choice for small businesses looking to manage prospects and customers effectively without breaking the bank. 

Project Management Tools

Asana

At its core, Asana simplifies the complex world of task management and collaboration. It’s like having a virtual project manager, ensuring your teams are organized, meet deadlines, and communicate effectively.

Asana streamlines project tracking, empowering your teams to work smarter, not harder. Productivity soars, errors drop, and teamwork becomes a breeze. Plus, the efficiency gained through Asana’s scalable approach translates to significant cost savings. 

In fact, managers using Asana report an average of 56.9% completed planned tasks each week  — the highest task completion rate compared to other project management platforms. This means that businesses save more money since Asana helps them cut back hours’ worth of weekly labor costs.

Trello

For small businesses, staying organized and boosting efficiency are like golden tickets to success, and Trello is your key to unlocking them.

Trello is a visual tool that helps your team track any project, task, or workflow with ease. It allows you to see the big picture and all the nitty-gritty details, making sure nothing falls through the cracks. With this project management tool, you can streamline tasks, promote collaboration, and ultimately supercharge productivity. 

Email Marketing Software

Mailchimp 

If you’re in the eCommerce game or you’re a marketer aiming to create powerful email content, Mailchimp is your go-to tool. With Mailchimp, you can reach your customers more effectively, engage them like never before, and watch your small business thrive. 

Mailchimp also saves you hours every week by helping you automate key email marketing tasks, such as managing two types of users at once. Imagine what you could do with that time — focus on strategy, dive into customer relationships, or just enjoy a little more work-life balance.

The power of Mailchimp doesn’t stop at email campaigns though. It has user-friendly tools for website analytics, too. 

Constant Contact

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the complexities of email marketing and online surveys, Constant Contact is here to simplify customer relationships.

Just like Mailchimp, Constant Contact understands that efficient communication is at the heart of a thriving small business. It’s not just about sending emails but about managing customer communications with finesse, promoting your products or services, and ultimately, boosting those sales figures. 

And the best part? You don’t need a PhD in marketing to make it work for you.

Website Builders

WordPress

For small businesses, establishing a robust online presence is crucial. That’s where WordPress shines. It simplifies the tedious task of website creation and maintenance. With a user-friendly interface and an extensive ecosystem of plugins, it becomes a Swiss Army knife for your online presence.

What makes WordPress great is its customization capabilities. It allows businesses to fine-tune their websites’ design and functionality to their exact specifications, creating an online hub that reflects their brand’s unique identity. This means that managing your website becomes not just efficient but also highly cost-effective.

WordPress is a master in content management. It empowers businesses to publish high-quality content effortlessly, a key aspect of attracting and retaining customers. In addition, it offers tools to manage leads effectively, saving precious time and streamlining your marketing efforts.

Webflow

At its core, Webflow is about empowering small businesses to build and manage their online presence without the need for extensive coding expertise. It’s a godsend for those who want complete control over their website’s design elements, from colors to fonts, buttons, and placements — you name it!

Webflow helps you craft a digital storefront that resonates with your brand. The efficiency gained from having a platform that seamlessly integrates design and functionality is invaluable.

Social Media Management Tools

Hootsuite

Picture this: all your content organized in one place, ready to be scheduled and posted across all platforms without the need to juggle between different apps and tabs. Not only does Hootsuite help you boost efficiency, it also helps you reclaim those countless hours spent on manual posting.

Hootsuite’s automation tools seamlessly integrate with your content calendar, turning what would be hours of manual work into a few clicks. If you’re ready to revolutionize your social media game while saving time and costs, make Hootsuite your go-to.