Owning and running a small business is stressful and overwhelming. There are so many things that need to be done within a short amount of time everyday. From creating brand designs to sending emails, you have a lot of activities that need to be in place in order to effectively run your business.And with limited resources and the need to make every investment count, it’s important for you to choose the right tools to streamline your operations and improve efficiency.Â
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Top 10 Best Tools for Small Businesses Owners.
1. Google Workspace
Google, the world’s internet giant, has created easy and free tools for business owners to use to increase productivity, work effectively and collaborate well with team members.
Google Workspace includes Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Meet, Google Drive, and many more. With this software, you can create documents and spreadsheets, make powerful presentations, have team meetings, store all work documents in one place, access your work from any device and so much more.
There are so many advantages small business owners, especially new small businesses, will gain from using Google Workspace that we can’t mention it all.
2. ClickUp
ClickUp is a project management software that can help you manage tasks, track progress, and create timelines for each project you are currently undertaking. It also allows you to assign roles and organize resources for your team members.
This helps ensure everyone is on the same page, knows what they are supposed to do, and avoids any confusion.
3. Hubspot
Hubspot is one of the best customer relationship management software, and our favorite software, small business owners can use to manage their customers. To effectively understand how your customers interact with your business, you need to make use of a CRM system like Hubspot.
CRMs are great tools to use to effectively manage your customers’ data and track your leads. The data you get from your CRM can be used to improve your customer service, which in turn can lead to an increase in customer satisfaction.
Hubspot is an easy-to-use customer relationship software that provides basic tutorials for new beginners. So you don’t have to worry about not ever using a CRM before as Hubspot has made it simple to get started.
The best part about Hubspot though is that you can get started for FREE! As business owners, we all understand how quickly our expenses can pile up. This way, we can take our business to the next level without the burden of another cost being added to our bill. As your business continues to grow, you can then decide whether to invest in Hubspot by upgrading your account after you have seen tangible results in your business.
4. Slack
As a business owner, whether small or large, you need to be able to communicate with your team members regularly during the week. While you can go through the normal method of sending emails through Gmail, this tends to come across as very formal, and sometimes this isn’t the way to go for your team members to feel comfortable enough to share ideas.
Slack is one of the best applications/software that helps ease communication and create a calm, comfortable environment for collaboration among team members. It effectively balances out the formal and informal aspects of your business with your team. Making it easy to communicate in a professional setting but comfortable enough to share thoughts and ideas on a project or topic.
The team collaboration and communication software also allows you to create channels for different projects, making it easy to communicate and share files with team members. With Slack, you can also integrate other apps, such as ClickUp and Google Drive, making it a one-stop shop for team communication.
5. Canva
Your brand’s identity matters so much as a business owner. You need design software that can create aesthetically and visually pleasing designs for your business. Canva is the best graphic design tool to use for both beginners and professionals.
Canva helps small business owners (like you) create professional-looking graphics without the need for a graphic designer. It offers a wide range of templates for social media posts, flyers, posters, and more.
It is also easy to collaborate with your team on Canva, making it easier to make changes or comments on a particular design in real-time without delay or having to go back and forth with each other.
6. Buffer
In today’s digital world, we all know how vital it is to have an online presence. This involves having accounts across various social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and so on.
As a business owner, managing all these social media platforms can be challenging and stressful. This is why a social media management tool, such as Buffer, can help take off some of that burden.
With Buffer, you can schedule posts, monitor comments and messages, and track analytics across all your social media platforms. It is an excellent tool for your business that helps you to save time and streamline your social media strategies.
7. QuickBooks
As a small business owner, you need to be able to keep track of all your income and expenses. Inconsistent and inadequate management of your finances can lead to making bad business decisions and poor business management as a whole.
While you can use a well-created spreadsheet to track the cash flow in your business, using software like QuickBooks is also another effective way to go.
QuickBooks is a cloud-based accounting software that is specifically designed for small businesses. It is an excellent tool for managing finances, generating invoices, and tracking expenses.
With QuickBooks, you can easily keep track of your business’s financial health, which is critical for making informed decisions. While QuickBooks isn’t exactly completely free, it’s a great investment for small businesses as it ensures an easy flow of business.
8. WordPress
WordPress is a content management system that can help small businesses create and manage their websites.
It offers a wide range of templates and customization options, making it easy to create a professional-looking website.
With WordPress, you can also add plugins to extend the functionality of your website, such as e-commerce capabilities, SEO optimization, and social media integration. It is an excellent tool for small businesses that want to establish an online presence and attract more customers.
9. Odoo
If you own a retail business that requires you to take account of inventories then Odoo is the best tool for you to use to manage your inventory effectively.
Odoo is an inventory management system that offers so much in its free plan for users. It’s also completely unlimited, making it great for small businesses with huge inventories
In addition, you can tie the inventory software to Odoo’s dozen other sales and marketing tools for a small fee.
10. Clockify
Time-tracking software is a great way to make sure your employees are working when they’re supposed to be working. It can also help you track productivity, analyze performance, and create accurate payrolls.
With Clockify you can track and monitor your remote employees or freelancers, if you work with them and get the right billing expense to pay them. Clockify is also a great tool to use to manage teams on a tight budget.
Bottom Line
Taking the time to take the time to learn how to use these tools effectively and training your team members on their proper use can help streamline productivity and increase collaboration. Tools like Google Workspace, Slack, Buffer, and Hubspot allow you to focus on what you do best—delivering quality products or services to your customers.
In addition to this, you can save time, reduce costs, and improve your overall business performance. So, why not try out these tools and see how they can benefit your small business today?
