Your small business is infinitely more efficient when you take advantage of today’s latest and greatest tools and platforms. Here are some of the best of the best you can utilize today.
Accounting
1. Wave (Free & Premium options)
Wave offers a free way to organize and track income and expenses for your small business. By syncing bank accounts, expenses, invoices, and payroll, Wave is a great free way to stay organized for tax time. A paid version includes automation and direct payment services. You can pay-per-use with a processing fee for payments or pay a monthly fee for payroll integration.
Automation
2. IFTTT(Free & Premium options)
“If This, Then That” is an automation system that connects all of your favorite apps to create custom chain reactions. The options are endless, ranging from smart device integration through Amazon Alexa and iRobot, to business integrations with social networks, Evernote, Hubspot, and more. You select a “trigger,” such as receiving or making a phone call, and the resulting action, like logging the call on your Google Calendar. There’s a wealth of applets to choose from.
The pro version is just $3.40/month.
Point of Sale
3. Loyverse (free with paid add ons)
Loyverse is a sophisticated POS app that functions through Android or Apple devices. Data syncs across these “cash registers,” no matter how many you have. There’s no hardware to buy, and services are free. Other add-ons, like employee management, inventory, and other integrations, cost monthly fees ranging from $9USD to $25USD.
4. square (starts free)
Square is one of the most popular point-of-sale systems for modern small businesses. An individual can get a single magstripe reader for free — only having to pay a nominal processing fee per transaction. More sophisticated readers and registers are available, ranging in price from $49 to just over $1000. They offer solutions for in-person and online sales as well as hardware for appointments.
Communication
5. slack (free & premium options)
Slack is THE communication platform for small businesses. With different channels organizing your digital correspondence, it’s easier than ever to manage and communicate with teams. There’s video calling and GoogleDrive integration for document sharing. Slack starts free, with premium versions offering full message history, larger video calls, and enhanced security features. These paid plans start at just $6.67/month.
6. hootsuite (premium options)
Hootsuite is a social media marketing and management platform that allows you to connect multiple social networks across platforms, schedule posts, track responses, and see analytics. For a single account and 10 social networks, you’ll pay $49/month. It’s one of the more expensive options on the list, but there’s no denying its power! Plus, a free 30-day trial for each plan helps you decide what you need, risk-free.
7. mailchimp (free & premium options)
MailChimp is your one-stop shop for email marketing. While they offer other services, email and social campaign management are the most beloved. You can analyze your audience, view analytics, create email and social marketing campaigns, and schedule deliverables. Beyond the more limited free option, premium versions range from $9.99/month to $299/month — depending on features needed and volume of email contacts.
Organization and Project Management
8. mixmax (free & premium options)
Keep losing track of important email correspondence? MixMax is an effortless browser plugin that helps you track and manage emails. You can schedule, use sequences, and utilize reminders. MixMax is free for up to 100 tracked emails and 10 scheduled emails per month. If you have a higher email volume, paid plans range from $9 per user/month to $49 per user/month, depending on your business size and needs.
9. Asana (free & premium options)
Asana, a beautifully designed project management platform, allows for task management, calendar tracking, goal setting, form creation and completion, workload analysis, and more. Asana is hailed as one of the best options out there — worth checking out, especially since it starts free.
Premium options are available at $10.99 per user/month and $24.99 per user/month, depending on your business size and needs.
10. wrike (free & premium options)
Wrike, like Asana, offers a platform for organizing and assigning tasks to your team in a highly visual way. It’s easy to see what needs to be done and current project status. The service is free for basic task management, with premium options for bigger teams and more features. The most popular version is $24.80 per user/month.
11. evernote (free & premium options)
Evernote is the better way to take notes. Whether you’re jotting down moments of brilliance or in for a brainstorming session, Evernote helps you keep track of everything. With searchable notes, web clipping, documents scanning, and more, Evernote ensures you never lose track of great ideas. The service starts free, with premium versions at $7.99 a month for individuals and $14.99 a month per user for businesses.
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