Small business tools are systems that make it easier for lean teams to work faster. These tools help businesses grow. That’s why the majority of small businesses use at least one tech tool.
Using them saves time, cuts costs, and increases small business productivity. This article shares 35 great tools that can help your small business succeed.
Kickstart Your Small Business Website with the Best Builders
| Provider | User Rating | Recommended For | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 4.6 | Beginners | Visit Hostinger |
 | 4.4 | Pricing | Visit IONOS |
 | 4.2 | Design | Visit Squarespace |
The Rise of AI and Automation in Business Software
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the biggest tech trend for small businesses. Businesses use AI tools to do repetitive tasks and write content. They also provide insights that make work easier. Here are the top AI tools for all industries.
1. Motion: The All-in-One AI Productivity Tool
Motion is a smart helper that uses AI to plan your day for you. It’s one tool that tracks tasks, manages projects, and organizes meetings. It can also arrange your schedule on a smart calendar.
Over time, the system learns how you work, your likes, and patterns. It uses this information to set up your day so you can be more productive without getting tired. Some of its key features are:
- It creates tasks with one click and schedules them automatically.
- It uses ready-made project templates for swift planning.
- It connects with other tools like Zapier, Google Calendar, and Microsoft Teams.
Use a 7-day free Motion trial to see how it simplifies work.
2. Microsoft 365 Copilot: Your AI Assistant in Office Apps
Microsoft Copilot works inside other apps in the 365 tool suite. It’s great at evaluating trends, automating repetitive tasks, and writing content. Copilot does manual tasks so your staff can handle other duties.
Using this tool feels like having a guru who can use all Microsoft apps. You won’t have to learn how to use any tool. The best part is that Copilot is easily accessible as it’s part of the Microsoft 365 cloud system.
3. Google Workspace AI (Gemini): Supercharging Your Productivity
Gemini AI is a part of Google’s cloud solutions. It works within Gmail, Google Docs, and Sheets. You can use it as a research analyst or smart assistant to search for answers and write down notes.
It works efficiently, understands context, and gives helpful tips. As such, you can use it to draft marketing emails. Some business owners use it to analyze data in spreadsheets before making decisions.
Its major features include:
- Email automation
- Advanced Gmail search
- Data Insights in Google Sheets
Gemini drives personalization and smart business decisions.
4. Zapier: No-Code Automation for All Your Apps
Zapier connects over 6000 smart tools and apps without coding. Through the no-code integration, you can automate workflows between apps. This way, there is more speed, less friction, and fewer errors when working with many apps.
Zapier has several use cases as it integrates with many business software and productivity tools. Here’s an example of how Zapier works. When web visitors fill out your contact form, it adds them to your CRM tool. It then launches an email sequence and automates follow-up.
Essential Customer Relationship Management (CRM) & Support Tools
Businesses that maintain good relationships with customers win their loyalty. That’s why a CRM tool is a smart solution, as it can manage your connection with customers.
Even though it’s helpful, a survey shows that only 22% of small businesses leverage CRM software. Those who use CRMs can retain customers and gain more revenue.
Customers sustain your business, and CRM tools help you to keep them happy so they’ll buy more.
5. Capsule CRM: The User-Friendly CRM for SMBs
Capsule is a simple and easy-to-use customer relationship management tool that tracks customer interactions. This platform also enables small businesses to watch customer journeys through sales funnels.
Startups that use this tool rate it highly as it simplifies processes with clear insight. Also, despite having powerful features, they are easy to apply. Noteworthy features include:
- Contact management
- Visual sales funnel
- An AI content assistant that automates workflows
- Integration with Mailchimp, Xero, and Google Workspace
Use the 14-day free trial to explore Capsule and find out how well it meets your needs.
6. HubSpot CRM: A Comprehensive Marketing and Sales Platform
HubSpot manages new customers, contact lists, and buyer journeys. With the contact management feature, businesses can upgrade from recording data by hand. It also automates lead scoring and tracks documents without manual input.
Besides CRM features, Hubspot handles content marketing. It acts as a one-stop hub for email marketing and content writing. It also monitors and controls social media activities.
Since it has many capabilities, you don’t need to connect multiple tools for full control. You can use it to build a cohesive experience for your customers on different channels.
7. Zendesk: An All-in-One Customer Support Solution
Zendesk is a helpful tool that makes customer service better. It gives teams a shared working space and also creates tickets. To improve response speed, Zendesk uses a ticket system for questions.
It employs active AI agents to provide 24/7 support so customers never feel alone. This tool can build your reputation and prevent missed opportunities through customer support.
It shows customer profiles in a single view. Guess what? It also works with other platforms to promote engagement.
Top Project Management and Collaboration Platforms
Working together as a team helps to get things done faster. According to a survey, 58% of small businesses focus on collaboration. Project management software is a must-have as it organizes joint activities.
Teams that use this software communicate better, meet deadlines, and enjoy greater coordination. A project management software is like a command center. It aligns team members and centralizes their work.
8. Trello: Visual Project Management with Kanban Boards
Trello helps its users to see and organize their work using boards, cards, and lists. It’s simple and suits teams with small projects that need to monitor activities.
One look at Trello shows you your entire project on the board. The compact view makes it easy to spot problems and redesign workflows. You’ll love Trello because it has:
- No-code automation with Butler
- Integrations with other apps like Slack and Google Drive
Trello is highly functional and less complex.
9. Asana: Robust Work Management for Growing Teams
Asana is an easy-to-use work management platform that helps to get things done. You can give tasks to team members, track progress on big projects, and talk about goals.
Asana isn’t for Small to Midsize Businesses (SMBs) alone. It scales to serve you as your business expands, providing better tools. Furthermore, it is interoperable and can connect with CRM, sales, and marketing tools.
10. Slack: Real-Time Internal Communication
Searchable Log of All Conversation and Knowledge (SLACK) is a team communication app. It enables messaging on public or private channels. So, it’s easy to find all discussions on a project in one channel instead of over email chains.
You can use this platform to text, have video calls, and even activate screen sharing. It also allows file sharing so team members can send documents, links, and pictures. Slack makes communication fun while keeping everyone informed.
11. Zoom: The Leading Video Conferencing Tool
Zoom is a premium choice for online meetings. Companies even use it more than Google Meet. Team members and customers can use the app to talk face-to-face, regardless of distance.
Businesses use it to host employee training, webinars, and meetings. Zoom supports virtual visual interaction, which builds trust. The platform offers key features such as.
- Meetings that last for up to 30 hours with as many as 1,000 people.
- Smart AI summaries and highlights.
- Recordings, voting polls, and whiteboards for drawing.
12. Google Drive: Secure File Sharing and Document Management
Google Drive manages over 100 file types, making it easy to save, arrange, and share them with your staff. It’s a Google Workspace tool with a free version that offers 15GB of storage space.
Growing teams can use Google Drive to identify different versions of documents. It also has features with which you can control who sees your document and what they can do. This tool pairs nicely with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
Must-Have Finance and Accounting Tools
Accounting tools handle bookkeeping, billing, and invoicing. Simply put, they monitor your business’s finances. They provide data that shows how your business performs.
13. QuickBooks Online: The Go-To Accounting Business Software
QuickBooks Online is a cloud solution for SMBs. It tracks how much money enters and leaves the business and divides expenses into tax groups. It also manages stock while performing difficult accounting tasks and creating reports.
You can use its reports to prepare for taxes and plan against the future. QuickBooks has several useful features, including:
- Built-in invoicing
- Custom reports
- Profit and loss statements
14. Wave Apps: Free Accounting and Invoicing
Wave Apps is a user-friendly business software. It can manage accounts, send invoices, scan receipts, and handle bookkeeping. It’s a great choice for new and small businesses that need simple tools to handle their money.
Even on a tight budget, you can still have good financial management. Small businesses that use Wave don’t need to pay every month; they’re billed annually.
15. Stripe: Seamless Online Payment Processing
Stripe enables businesses to collect payments for whatever they sell online. It lets people pay in different secure ways. It works well on many devices and technology platforms and is easy to set up.
With features like multi-factor authentication and data encryption, Stripe protects customers’ details. As a result of multiple safety checks, the rate of fraud is lower.
The high level of protection builds trust and makes people comfortable shopping online. Small businesses can use Stripe for fast, easy transactions and maintain it as they grow.
16. TurboTax: Simplifying Your Business Tax Returns
TurboTax uses custom questions to file tax returns. With this tax software, you can contact customer support for help in real time. That means easy access to professional guidance to ensure that you obey tax laws.
This process makes it easy to prepare for tax without spending much, as TurboTax helps you note deductions and avoid mistakes. Thus, you’ll be on the same page with tax officers and receive complete returns.
17. WordPress: The World’s Most Popular CMS
WordPress.com is a free, open-source Content Management System (CMS). It has a user-friendly interface, which means even those who aren’t tech experts can use it. When using WordPress, you can choose from thousands of free and paid themes.
WordPress can connect with many other business tools, making it easy to share content. It can even scale to meet several demands, like managing business blogs and web content.
18. Shopify: The All-in-One E-commerce Platform
Shopify is a game-changer for online retailers. It gives you all the tools to build and run an online store. Owners of Shopify stores can connect them to marketing, inventory, and shipping platforms.
Unlike traditional websites, you can manage all aspects of sales with Shopify. This platform handles technical matters, so your team will be free to attend to customers. It’s the go-to choice for SMBs that want to expand sales while keeping customers happy.
19. Square POS: Bridging Online and Offline Sales
Square Point of Sale (POS) is a system that aids physical and online sales. You can create a website on its platform and list your products or use the POS to accept card payments. Square also has additional features, including:
- Inventory tracking
- Sales reporting tools
- Customer relationship management abilities
You can use these features to manage and reconcile your physical and online store records. Square unifies sales, enabling customers to enjoy a consistent experience, which promotes loyalty.
Powerful Marketing and SEO Small Business Tools
Well-optimized content can help your business grow and become visible. You can use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools to create high-quality content. If you get it right, more people will visit your site and buy from you.
You can also use marketing automation tools to support your digital marketing strategy. With the right tools, you can target campaigns to get better outcomes.
20. Kit (formerly ConvertKit): Creator-Focused Email Marketing
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is an email marketing tool made to help small businesses and creators grow an audience. It uses automation, sign-up forms, and landing pages to help grow your email list.
Email marketing has a high ROI, which Kit can help you take advantage of. You can use Kit to send targeted emails and launch campaigns to engage customers.
It’s also good for nurturing subscribers and converting them into customers. With Kit, it’s easy to stay connected with customers and send them your latest offers.
21. Mailchimp: An Email Marketing Powerhouse
With Mailchimp’s drag-and-drop editor, you can create professional-looking emails within minutes. It offers several design templates that you can use to add a creative flair. Such emails are less likely to end up in the spam folder, so using this tool guarantees engagement.
But aside from design, a good email is well-written. That’s why this tool has an AI writing assistant. It also provides an analytics tool that can help you track the impact of your campaigns.
Finally, you can use Mailchimp to tie marketing and sales as it connects with business tools like Stripe.
22. Pardot by Salesforce: Intuitive Lead Generation Software
Pardot helps businesses find people who fit their ideal customer profile. You can then create campaigns and set up automated delivery. Automation helps to capture the right prospects. This marketing tool then guides them through the journey from awareness to purchase.
Within Pardot, there are tools you can use to create landing pages and forms. You can also use it to monitor how social campaigns perform.
23. Buffer: Simplified Social Media Management
Buffer can handle multiple roles. It goes from analyzing to creating and scheduling social media posts. It has a compact dashboard where brand managers can control multiple social accounts
Since creating posts takes time, Buffer lets users draft and schedule publishing times. Thus, it is an excellent tool for managers who are busy.
24. Canva: Easy Visual Content Creation for Everyone
Canva is a user-friendly tool for making visual elements for your brand. It has a simple interface, so you can use it even if you’re not a graphic designer. All you have to do is select and customize a graphic design template.
Canva makes it easy to create attractive visual marketing materials. Beyond design, it has built-in features, including:
- A word processor
- An OpenAI-powered text generator
- A brand kit
These features simplify AI content creation.
25. Moz: Your Partner for SEO Success
Moz provides data-driven insights that boost SEO and improve your page rank. Using it can help your small business gain visibility and traffic. It’s great for researching keywords and monitoring competitors.
As a small business owner, you may not have enough money to promote your business on a large scale. But with an SEO tool like Moz, you’ll reach your target audience easily.
26. SEMrush: Comprehensive SEO and Competitor Data Analysis
SEMrush shows you where your website’s performance is low so you can fix whatever’s wrong. Businesses can use it to find and target the search terms people are using.
SEMrush also assists with competitor monitoring. You can use it to check what they’re doing well and do better. SEMrush has many tools that scan your website for issues and check backlinks. If you want to excel in organic search, this should be your go-to tool.
27. HARO & Google Alerts: Free Public Relations Tools
Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is a free tool that connects business owners and reporters. If a reporter interviews you, they might mention your business in their report and link to your page.
Google Alerts sends you emails when people post about your business or topics you care about.
These tools are free, helpful, and great for PR. They help you build brand authority and put your business in the spotlight.
Streamlining Operations: HR, Scheduling, and Sales Tools
Using tools that improve efficiency can help you cut down labor costs. HR tools can help you hire the right staff, while scheduling tools can set up meetings.
The sales tool tracks leads and monitors sales funnels. These tools automate processes, save time, and make money with minimal resources.
28. Gusto: Simplified Payroll Management
Gusto is good for managing in-house payroll. It calculates staff salary and even helps to take out taxes. This software works accurately to avoid payroll mistakes that can create trust issues.
Gusto also ensures that payroll activities comply with federal and state laws. It has a huge difference in cost compared to external payroll management companies.
29. BambooHR: HR Management Software for SMBs
BambooHR is a staff recruitment tool. It performs a lot of HR duties and provides SMBs with the following:
- Hiring tools
- Employee database
- Reporting capabilities
This tool helps to obey labor laws, manage staff, boost productivity, and reduce turnover. Although BambooHR can adapt to the needs of growing brands, it has a steep learning curve.
30. LinkedIn Talent Solutions: Finding the Right People
Small businesses need qualified employees to operate smoothly. However, 86% of hiring managers find it difficult to get quality hires. LinkedIn solves this problem as recruiters can gain access to a huge network of professionals.
LinkedIn Talent Solutions is a platform where business owners and job searchers meet. You can post your vacancies and use filters to find ideal applicants. When you find someone who fits your requirements, you can easily send them a message or an email.
31. Calendly: Automated Appointment Scheduling
It’s sometimes difficult to settle on a suitable time when booking meetings. Calendly cuts to the chase by sending clients your available times so they can pick a slot.
To prevent you from missing appointments, it sets reminders on your mobile calendar. This process helps to prevent the loss of clients. It also eliminates the cost of hiring an assistant to plan meetings.
32. PandaDoc: Professional Sales Proposals Made Easy
PandaDoc is a tool that makes it easy to seal deals. You can use it to create, sign, and edit contracts and business proposals. It allows you to use electronic signatures, which are faster and more efficient.
Instead of creating new templates, this tool offers the option to customize templates. After sending a proposal, you can track it to know when the recipient opens it. With optimized proposals, people are more likely to buy from you.
Essential Cybersecurity and Analytics Tools
Every successful brand understands its customers. However, this means you must collect data on your customers and study how they behave. You can watch how they interact with your website.
However, this is risky as hackers may try to steal their information. That’s why you need AI website security and data analytics tools.
33. IBM Watsonx: AI-Powered Customer Engagement
IBM Watsonx provides businesses with AI virtual assistants, chatbots, and data insights. These tools are great for talking with customers. You can also use them to find leads and render support services.
Watson helps businesses provide instant messaging, which modern customers expect. Its chatbot gives automatic replies that feel real and friendly. With this, your customers can get help at all times.
34. Proofpoint AI: Advanced Email Threat Detection
Proofpoint AI is a tool that keeps your email safe. It uses smart technology to study patterns and provide high-level security. This tool can identify emails from hackers, scams, and attacks.
Most hackers steal from small businesses via email, so Proofpoint notes suspicious activity. It sends warning signals to protect your sensitive details and customer data.
35. Splunk: AI-Powered Security and Observability
Splunk is a proactive AI tool that ensures your website’s performance stays strong. It watches web activities and tracks logs and metrics. It’s a powerful, cost-efficient tool that also helps websites maintain a good infrastructure.
Splunk detects issues on time so your website can work swiftly and seamlessly. It also keeps your online channels safe so customers can shop with confidence.
36. HotJar: Understanding User Behavior on Your Website
With HotJar, you can see how customers use your website. This analytic tool watches customer behavior and shows you the following:
- Where they click
- How far they scroll
- What they view the most
As you examine heatmaps and watch how people use your site, you get data to shape your future digital marketing strategies. You can refine your digital experience to drive interaction on your website.
Building Your Online Presence: Website & E-commerce Tools
Creating a website or an online store fast-tracks the growth of SMBs. Selling online helps to gain customers around the world and make constant sales. It gives buyers a seamless experience, builds trust, and watches customer behavior.
Guess what? A recent study shows that if you optimize your website, your sales can go up by 80%. All these benefits come at a lower cost than running a physical store. So, if you’re an entrepreneur who wants control, your best move is to build a sleek, professional, optimized website.
Website builders like Hostinger and IONOS have rich features and user-friendly designs. Hence, you can use them without technical knowledge. But to make sure your site is fast, secure, and stable, you’ll need the best web hosting provider. If you don’t own a website, you can use existing e-commerce tools.
Conclusion
Technology improves business performance and aids SMBs in their growth journey. These 36 tools spread across eight categories can help optimize your business and relate better with staff and employees. It also improves operations and day-to-day activities.
Start with tools that can solve your biggest challenges and add to your tech stack as the business grows. The right combination of tools will help you build a profitable, sustainable business. Choose a business as a smart side hustle today!
Next Steps: What Now?
You can scale your small business if you:
- Find and use the right tools.
- Adopt AI and automation technology.
- Track the impact of tech tools and optimize your digital strategy for better results.
Further Reading & Useful Resources
Read these resources to learn more about running a business:
