7 Tools for Small Businesses I Can't Recommend Enough
You’re doing it all as a small business owner. Customer service, employee training, day-to-day operations—you name it, you’re involved in it.
That’s what I love most about working with entrepreneurs. They roll up their sleeves, they do the work, and they adapt as needed along the way. It’s incredible to witness!
But just because you’re willing to do whatever it takes to see your business succeed doesn’t mean you have to. (Trust me, it’s a lesson I wish I’d learned earlier in my own entrepreneurial journey.) You can rely on tools for small businesses to fill in a lot of the gaps!
Remember, your business benefits majorly when you’re able to focus your efforts where they matter most—and so does your personal wellness. Yet entrepreneurs are notoriously known for sacrificing their own time, energy, and mental health in order to see their ventures thrive.
Here are the facts:
42% of small business owners say they’ve experienced burnout in the past month
Only 29% believe they have a healthy work/life balance
The average entrepreneur spends 68% of the time working “in” their business (tackling day-to-day tasks, putting out fires, etc) and only 31% of the time working “on” their business (long-term goals, strategic planning, etc)
The bottom line? You deserve to feel confident about how your business is functioning without having to personally manage every detail, and using the right small business software and tools is the secret to making it happen.
That’s why I’m sharing my own list of must-have small business tools with you today. They’ve completely transformed how I work daily, and I’m confident they can do the same for you!
Let’s get started.
7 Tools for Small Businesses I Can’t Recommend Enough
DISCLAIMER: I’m a proud affiliate partner for some of the tools mentioned in this post. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend platforms I find genuinely helpful and useful. I will never include links to products if I don’t believe they’ll help you achieve your business goals.
1. Dubsado
When I tell you I can’t imagine not having Dubsado, I truly mean it. This client relationship management (CRM) platform is the backbone of my business. It’s specifically designed for service providers (think business coaches, event planners, home organizers, etc)—which makes it perfect for me.
What I love most about Dubsado is that every aspect of my client experience is managed in one place. I log in and I’m able to:
Send proposals
Schedule appointments
Create client questionnaires
Manage automated workflows
View, edit, and send invoices
Plus, Dubsado has a convenient, user-friendly reporting dashboard where I can easily track my income, expenses, outstanding payments, etc, which has been essential for keeping my finances on track.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one CRM to streamline how you interact with and cater to your clients, this platform is a must-try!
Click the button below to get 20% OFF your first year or month of Dubsado.
2. Squarespace
I built my business website in Squarespace in 2017. Over the last eight years, I’ve gotten deeply familiar with its website building and hosting solutions, using them not just for Dee Higdon Creative, but for clients and other projects as well.
Squarespace is an industry leader when it comes to visually stunning websites that are simple to set up and customize. Their templates have responsive web design built-in, and they offer a huge selection of color palettes, fonts, buttons, etc to make your website your own.
I’m also a diehard supporter of Squarespace’s online stores feature. Unlike its primary competitor, Shopify, Squarespace e-commerce sites offer drag-and-drop design capabilities, making customization easy regardless of your experience level.
But what really makes Squarespace stand out for me is its in-house SEO options. A lot of other platforms require you to install third-party plugins to obtain full control over metadata for your online store (at an extra cost). That’s not the case with Squarespace! You can customize URLs, meta descriptions, alt text, and more all within the standard version of the platform. I highly recommend choosing Squarespace as one of your small-sized business tools if you want to set up an online store that performs well in search results!
3. NORD VPN
Nothing brings productivity to a halt more than a cybersecurity breach or leaked customer data. In today’s world, you have to be ahead of the game in terms of security to mitigate these risks.
I use NordVPN to prevent unwanted outsiders from connecting to my network and to make sure all my browsing activities are encrypted. I absolutely love the peace of mind it provides, knowing I’m protected from snoopers, trackers, and ads.
This doesn’t just benefit me, it benefits my clients too—and that’s always top priority!
4. CLEAN EMAIL
Not long ago, I was sorting through the hundreds of emails in my inbox, thinking “There has to be a better way to do this”. Sure, using the built-in Gmail filters helped, but they didn’t catch everything and I still had to set them up manually. I needed a solution.
That’s when a Google search led me to Clean Email—one of the best small business tools I use. Such a game-changer! Its advanced filtering capabilities make it a breeze to stay organized. I love that I don’t have to constantly mark spam emails anymore. I’ve trained Clean Email to get rid of them for me!
I’m also a HUGE fan of the Auto Clean feature. It performs routine email cleaning tasks without me having to remember, eliminating one item from my “to-do” list. It’s so satisfying to log into my account and see Clean Email has already done its thing!
Give it a try. I’m confident you won’t regret it.
5. Social Pilot
There’s no shortage of social media management tools for small businesses. One quick online search will bring up an endless list of them. The problem? They all make similar claims, making it nearly impossible to tell which one is best for your business.
For me, SocialPilot has been nothing but incredible. It isn’t overly complicated, yet it offers all the app integrations and scheduling tools I need to do my job efficiently.
One little feature in particular sold me on Social Pilot: You can find and mention accounts you want to tag directly within the platform itself. It’s a feature a lot of other small business marketing tools don’t offer, and it’s a tiny convenience that makes a big difference—especially when you’re managing multiple client accounts.
Also worth mentioning is SocialPilot’s Canva integration. It allows you to export designs straight from Canva into your SocialPilot Content Library. No more manually downloading and uploading. I’m obsessed!
6. MAILERLITE
When clients ask me for easy-to-use, quick-to-master email marketing platform recommendations, MailerLite is always my first choice. It’s categorically one of the best small business tech tools for simplifying email communication.
I use MailerLite’s automation features to increase efficiency when it comes to my email campaigns. I can choose from a range of triggers to activate email sequences, like when a subscriber completes a form or when they click a link. Then I can set up emails to send on their own, without needing to manually hit send each time.
But what I love most about MailerLite is their pricing. It’s completely FREE to use if you have 1,000 subscribers or less and their paid plans start as low as $9.00. At that price, it’s a no-brainer!
7. ROUTINE.CO
Looking for timesaving apps to manage your daily tasks and personal calendar? Routine is a productivity lifesaver! It’s been on my list of must-have small business tools for awhile now, and I can’t see that changing anytime soon.
The best thing about Routine? Its minimalistic design. It’s clean, uncluttered, and just generally pleasing to navigate. I prefer organizing my tasks, meetings, etc in Routine versus Google Calendar for this reason alone.
But there’s more! The desktop versions of Routine.co include an amazing feature called “console”, which allows you to capture events, notes and tasks whilst being outside the application. I use it while I’m in Zoom meetings to jot down action items or other important details, without having to switch back and forth between applications.
Focus Your Efforts Where They Matter Most.
HIRE ME AS YOUR CONTENT MARKETING CONSULTANT
It’s my job to empower business owners just like you to focus on what you do best—running your business! By removing the stress of creating and managing content, I provide you with more time to innovate, lead, and grow.
If you’re ready to partner with a skilled expert you can count on to handle the strategy and execution of your content marketing, I’m the right person for the job.
Reach out today and let’s explore your options together!