Running a business can be really hard, no matter how big or small it is. Imagine doing everything by yourself without the right tools to make it easier!
Did you know that more than half of small business owners work six or seven days a week? And 62% of them spend over 50 hours every week on their businesses! Just think about having to organize everything, lead teams, plan projects, handle money, hire people, give out tasks, and talk to customers. It feels like there’s always so much to do! And on top of that, you also need to let people know about your products and services.
But don’t worry, there’s a way to make things better. Using technology can help a lot. It’s something more and more businesses are choosing to do. A big study from 2020 found that 66% of organizations around the world are trying out or already using automation to make their work easier.
If you want to use the latest technology, you need to know what options are out there and what they can do for you. That way, you can pick the best one for your needs. In this article, we made a list of ten really important tools that can help you run your business smoothly and do things faster. We’ll also talk about the good and not-so-good things about using different tools or one tool that does everything, like Caflou.
Let’s start by learning about these tools and finding the best one for you to manage your small business and make it successful!
What is Business Management Software?
Think of business management software as a super cool computer program that makes running a company super easy! It helps organizations by doing lots of tasks automatically. That means the owners and managers don’t have to waste time on boring and not-so-important stuff. These special tools make different parts of the business better, like keeping track of time, organizing work, talking to customers, and making invoices and reports.
But why should you use these tools for your small business?
Benefits of Implementing Management Tools for Small Businesses
There are awesome modern tools that can make your company stand out from others:
Special software is like a time machine, helping you focus on important tasks that make your business grow.
Using management tools is like having a money-saving superhero. They help you make customers super happy and keep them coming back with special tools for managing relationships. They also show you smart ways to invest money by keeping track of how it flows. Plus, they prevent expensive mistakes and make sure important documents are never lost.
These digital tools are perfect for the way business is changing. They help you stay safe and follow the rules, even when you can’t be there in person. They’re like a secret weapon for success!
Now that you know the secret, let’s check out the amazing tools you can use to make your business even better.
Top 10 Management Tools for Small Businesses
1. Project Management Tools
If you have lots of tasks to do, using special computer programs for managing projects is a great idea!
These tools can automatically make reminders and send them to remind you about the things you need to do and the events you shouldn’t miss. They will tell you important stuff like when and where the event will happen, and how much money you can spend.
Out of all the project management programs, Trello is our favorite. It’s super easy to use and helps teams work together better and get more things done. It does this by using boards, lists, and cards.
Trello lets you see your projects in a clear way, like pictures, so you know how everything is organized. You can give tasks to your team members and plan how much money you will use, and it even has special models you can choose to help you. It also makes sure everyone knows what’s happening and makes it easy to see how things are going.
If you want to check out other programs for managing projects, you can also look at Asana and Basecamp. They are two more examples that might be helpful.
2. CRM
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a super important tool for businesses. It helps small businesses know how well they’re doing with their customers every step of the way. With CRM, you can see who’s coming to your website and who’s reading your emails. It also helps you organize all the information about your customers, so it’s easy to find and use with other tools.
One awesome CRM tool called Pipedrive is all about making deals happen. It has a really easy-to-use screen and can connect with your calls and emails.
This tool is just perfect for small businesses because it’s so simple and looks great. You can even use it on your phone, and it works really well with other tools too.
There are also other choices you might like, such as Pipelinecrm and Salesforce. They can help your business in similar ways too.
3. Workplace Communication Software
When your business gets bigger, it’s super important to have special tools on the computer that help your team stay connected and share files easily. You can use cool apps like Slack, Skype, Whatsapp, Viber, or Facebook Messenger to talk to your coworkers right away. You can send messages, pictures, videos, files, and even web links to people in your company. Another way to talk to each other is through video calls, which is really handy if some team members work from home. It’s like having a meeting, but on the computer, and it helps everyone stay on the same page.
One really great computer tool is called Microsoft Teams. It’s perfect for connecting with your coworkers. You can have video chats in real-time, and you can also share your screen and files with them. You can even make it look and work just the way you want for your team.
This tool also lets you record your meetings, and you can use it with other apps too.
If you want to check out other ways to have video calls, you can also try Google Meet and Zoom. They have lots of awesome features too.
4. HR Software
If you have a small business with just a few workers, you might think you don’t need an HR solution. But even with a small team, there are HR tasks that can use up a lot of your time and energy. That’s where HR software comes in handy. It helps make hiring people easier and also helps with things like getting new workers settled, training them, and taking care of their benefits.
SnapHRM is a really helpful HR tool. It has basic features that can help you manage your team. It has a place to keep information about your workers, helps with paying them, keeps track of when they’re at work, and manages their time off.
You can even make job ads and share them on special websites to find more people who might want to work with you. SnapHRM is free for businesses with less than five workers, so it’s great for small companies like yours.
There are other HR software options that work well for small businesses too, like Freshteam and Eddy.
Read Also : Best HRIS For Small Businesses
5. Workforce Management
You can use special tools to help plan your team’s work in the future and make schedules based on what they can do. You can also look at how well your workers did in the past and use that information to make your team even better. These tools help you see how much your workers cost and how much money they make for your organization.
One tool that does this is called Skedulo. It has a screen that’s really clear and always up-to-date, so it’s easy to make complicated schedules.
This tool also has a special app that lets your workers who don’t sit at a desk see their tasks and any changes to their schedule.
If you have a small business, you might also want to try Planday and When I Work. They’re both good choices for managing your team.
6. Work Reporting Tools
A reporting tool is like a helper that tells you how much work an employee did and how much time they spent on a task. It helps you see if your team is doing a good job and if they’re working efficiently.
One tool called Toggl can track and give you important information about how your team is doing.
Toggl has a special feature that shows you all the important details in one easy-to-read screen. It helps you understand everything clearly and makes sure everyone is responsible for their work.
You might also want to check out ClicData and GROW. They have tools that help small businesses with reporting and analytics too.
7. Cashflow Software
Cashflow management software is like a special tool that helps businesses keep track of the money that comes in and goes out. It’s like having a helper that makes sure you have enough money and can even tell you how much money you’ll have in the future.
One software called CashAnalytics makes things easier for you by doing some of the boring tasks and helps you figure out how much money you’ll have in the future.
CashAnalytics also lets you make reports that show you how money moves in and out of your business right now. You can change it to fit exactly what your business needs.
If you want other tools to help you manage your money, you can try Pulse and Float. They’re also good choices for small businesses like yours.
8. Invoicing Software
Invoicing tools are like special helpers that make bills for the things you sell and tell you about the money you earned before. They have different designs you can choose to make your bills look nice and organized.
One tool called Invoice Simple is great for small businesses. It’s easy to use and can create bills based on the estimates you give. You can also add important details like when the payment is due and any discounts.
Invoice Simple even has a mobile app, so you can make bills even when you’re not in the office. It helps you save paper and be more eco-friendly.
If you want more choices, you can also check out Aynax and Blinksale. They’re also easy to use and let you make custom bills.
Read Also : Best Accounting Software
9. Document Management Tools
There are special tools called document management systems that can help you keep your electronic files safe, organized, and easy to find. They also let you work together with other people on the same files.
Google Drive is a great choice for small businesses. It gives you 15GB of free space to store your files, and you can easily share and work on them with other people.
Google Drive also makes sure your files stay safe and protected from viruses, spam, and people who might try to hack into them.
If you want more options, you can also try using Dropbox and SmartVault. They’re also good for storing and sharing your files online.
10. Calendar
Using calendar software can help you make the most of your time and be more organized.
An example of calendar software is Appointy. It helps you automatically schedule appointments, create better staff schedules, and keep track of your clients.
Appointy is great for industries like healthcare, wellness, retail, education, and IT. With this tool, you can easily manage your appointments, send reminders to people, and even let them book appointments through social media and pay online. It works well with Google Calendar too.
If you want other options, you can also try using Calendar and Teamup. They’re also good choices for managing your schedule.