There are literally thousands of tools available these days for small business owners to make life easier. While not all of these will be suitable for each business, there are likely some particularly useful types of tools you can integrate into your operations that just make sense.
It’s worth noting, however, that there’s a fine line between enough tools and too many tools. The average number of tools for businesses in the UK with up to 9 employees is 4.7, with this rising to 8 for organisations with up to 250 employees. Finding the balance takes a bit of trial and error, so you get the result you need without wasting time, money, or resources.
So, where should you start and what are the top tools small business owners use to work more efficiently?
Communication Tools
Communication tools that streamline how you connect with your team can free up vast amounts of time and allow you to redirect your attention to focus on areas that need your attention.
Microsoft Teams and Slack are two popular go-tos for in-house communication. These tools allow you to combine real-time messaging, chat video, conferences, file sharing, audio calls, and more. This means you can cut miscommunication, keep everyone connected, and update them easily for fewer mistakes.
From a customer’s side, chatbots can be a really effective tool. They can help your customers get the information they need without taking up a sales assistant’s time. While it might seem impersonal, there are multiple benefits of chatbots for small businesses, and they can be instrumental in transforming your business when used correctly.
Project Management Tools
Project management software is a tool for small teams who want to work together without anything falling through the cracks. If you’re looking for better task management or increased productivity, you need to invest in software such as Asana, Monday.com, and Trello, as these are all designed to help you boost productivity and become more agile as a result.
CRM
CRM, or Customer Relationship Management software, is the leading tool for small businesses to improve their relationships with clients and customers. It allows you to streamline the customer journey, collect and organise data, and analyse it to help you better meet customers’ needs. From here, it can save you time and effort when liaising with customers, as you’ll know exactly what they want with ease, thanks to your CRM.
Top CRM software packages for small businesses include Zoho, HubSpot and Zendesk. Having just seen one of my clients through a Zoho implementation , I can confitm that it can seem a bit chaotic at first using a new system, and there is a lot to learn, but we are starting to see results in terms of better management information.
Email Marketing Tools
Emails are essential for all businesses, but how you use your email list can make or break you. You need to be able to drive engagement, grow your list, and increase customer loyalty. Creating your emails can be a challenge on its own, and that’s before you figure out how to segment your email list and deliver the right marketing to different customers.
From standard new release or update emails to abandoned cart emails, special offers, loyalty emails, and more, it’s a full-time job in and of itself. But tools such as MailChimp, Klaviya, and HubSpot can help you get things under control for improved results.
