Why the right tools matter

Running a small business means wearing a lot of hats, from doing the work to keeping the books and finding the next customer. The right tools take some of that load off and help you stay organised.

These are common choices in each category. Each one has alternatives, and the right pick depends on your business, so try the free versions or trials before you commit.

Customer relationship management (CRM)

A CRM keeps your customer details, conversations and sales in one place, so nothing falls through the cracks.

  • HubSpot CRM: easy to use, and a common starting point for small businesses because it has a free version.
  • Salesforce: suited to growing businesses that need features like lead scoring and custom dashboards.

What a CRM gives you

Organised customer records, a clear view of who you need to follow up, and a better picture of where your customers come from.

Accounting software

Accounting software makes it easier to track income and expenses, send invoices and prepare your figures.

  • QuickBooks: invoicing, tax calculations and financial reports.
  • Xero: cloud-based, and connects to a wide range of other apps.

Project management tools

Project management tools help you keep track of jobs, deadlines and who is doing what.

  • Trello: a simple card-based board, good for seeing everything at a glance.
  • Asana: more detailed task and workflow tracking.

Email marketing

Email tools let you keep in touch with past customers and people who have asked to hear from you.

  • Mailchimp: a popular choice for newsletters, with reports on how each email performs.
  • ActiveCampaign: more advanced sequences and connections to other systems.

Saving time

Many of these tools can handle routine jobs for you, such as sending a reminder or a follow-up. Setting that up once frees time for the work that needs you.

Communication

Messaging tools keep conversations with your team and suppliers in one place.

  • Slack: team messaging and project channels.
  • Microsoft Teams: messaging, file sharing and a close fit with Microsoft Office.

Choosing tools that fit your business

Start with the problem you want to solve, not the tool. Pick one thing that wastes your time each week, try a tool that fixes it, and only add more once it earns its place.

One tool every business relies on is its website. If yours is not bringing in enquiries, see my web design and SEO, or get in touch.