What Is Small Business Software?

Small business software refers to any solution or tool that assists a smaller organization with fewer resources in functioning and operating efficiently. These digital solutions enable a small business to manage and maintain all aspects of its operations, from high-level strategic planning to day-to-day task management, and from office administration and accounting to client engagement and support.

Small business software offers a complete solution, but with less depth and fewer advanced features. What the software lacks in specialization is more than compensated for by its ease of setup and use, intuitive design, low cost, and simple integration with other applications. Furthermore, many small business platforms are scalable and customizable, allowing businesses to add advanced features when they are ready.

Best Small Business Software and Systems

Small business software offers numerous benefits, especially when adopted and implemented at the appropriate stage of the business. Here is a list of the best software for small businesses that can increase revenue, save time, cut costs, and increase workforce productivity.

1. Monday.com

Monday.com is a work operating system that offers a new way of working for small businesses. Because it is highly adaptable, users can tailor many of its features to their specific requirements. It centralizes all work and connects teams through a single source of accurate and up-to-date business data.

Monday.com offers tools for managing the entire company’s workflow. With its automation builder, customizable templates, dynamic dashboards, and integrations, users gain greater control over company processes. The software’s user interface is also simple enough for all staff to use without extensive training. Personalized support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a variety of self-learning tools available in its support center.

2. Asana

Asana is team-based online work, project, and task management software. It is one of the best apps for small businesses, with a free plan for up to 15 coworkers and scalable paid plans. Users have access to an unlimited number of tasks, projects, messages, activity logs, and file storage to help organize and focus the company on important work.

Asana enables onsite and remote teams to collaborate and manage work with minimal effort. Users can work more efficiently and streamline processes with built-in automation. Teams can use templates to develop best practices by saving common projects. The Status feature extracts critical data and converts it into charts and visuals that users can easily report and share. Request forms, multiple work views, and integrations are also available.

3. Squarespace

Squarespace is a small business website builder with an integrated POS system. With the addition of e-commerce features to a content-based website builder, the software provides tools for easily selling products and services while also building the brand. It includes a library of adaptable website templates that users can personalize to fit their company’s style and needs.

Squarespace also includes tools that allow website visitors to easily browse merchandise, manage their cart, and check out with direct integration to global payment methods such as Stripe, PayPal, and Apple Pay. It enables users to accept payments in-person using Space hardware. The software is mobile optimized, supports Instagram shopping, and includes email marketing, shipping integrations, blogging and SEO tools, and business analytics.

4. Workspace on Google

Google Workspace is a cutting-edge solution for companies of all sizes. Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Meet, Chat, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Keep, Apps Script, Cloud Search, Jam board, and Sites are among the productivity and collaboration tools available to small businesses. It offers several paid plans to meet the specific needs of a business.

Google Workspace seamlessly integrates its small business apps to improve information access, communication, collaboration, and user experience. Some of the advantages for small businesses include 99.9% uptime for business email, cross-device access to secure cloud storage, real-time co-editing of documents, compatibility with Microsoft file formats, and world-class security.

5. Xero

Xero is small business accounting software that allows you to organize everything business-related in one place. Invoices, contacts, accounts, and reports are all accessible from a single online platform. They can automate tasks, obtain a complete financial picture of the business on-demand, and simplify end-of-year tax returns. The software can also be customized through add-ons and integrations.

Xero small business software helps owners spend more time doing business. When owners connect to their bank, transactions automatically flow into the software, allowing them to reconcile transactions and get updated cash flow data every day. Users and their accountants and bookkeepers can access the same up-to-date information because collaboration is built-in. Employees can also submit expenses, manage their time off, and send invoices.

6. Zoho One

Zoho One provides businesses with a single work operating system that can replace multiple cloud applications. It is a unified system that provides end-to-end business productivity software for sales, marketing, support, finance, human resources, and operations. Users can collect leads, close deals, create quotes, send invoices, sign contracts, get paid, and track metrics, all from a single solution.

Over 40 Zoho applications are integrated into Zoho One to manage, connect, and automate business processes. Zoho Projects, Bookings, Marketing Automation, Survey, Forms, Sites, Commerce, Desk, Mail, Cliq, Sprints, Meeting, WorkDrive, Writer, Sheet, Show, Invoice, and other applications are included. It also has tax, CRM, and inventory management apps for small businesses.

7. Wrike

Wrike is a versatile project management software that can be used for a variety of purposes. It is a viable small business software with a free plan for up to five users, making it ideal for startups. It can serve as a work management solution for businesses that are developing products or providing professional services. Users can tailor its tools, such as dashboards, workflows, and automation, to their specific needs.

Wrike promotes better collaboration, allowing a small business to easily share files, tasks, and reports in real time. It includes visual proofing, automated approvals, and shared calendars to ensure that everyone follows procedures. Other features include multiple work views, task management, project templates, time tracking, resource management, in-app communication, reports, analytics, and integrations.

8. Wix

Wix includes hundreds of professional templates as well as a drag-and-drop editor, making it simple to create a professional business website in minutes. Every website is optimized for mobile devices and includes engaging effects such as animation, video backgrounds, and scrolling.

Wix’s advanced e-commerce features can be used by businesses that want to sell online. A simple, intuitive dashboard allows users to create an online store, manage inventory and orders, and view revenue and conversion rate reports. Wix also allows store owners to accept payments through Wix Payments, PayPal, and Stripe, as well as integrate with Instagram and Facebook.

Although creating a basic website is free, the only way to access Wix’s business and e-commerce features is to upgrade to a paid plan.

9. Mail Chimp

MailChimp’s free email software makes it simple for new email marketers to get started. Premade email templates, opt-in popups and signup forms, audience segmentation, and basic personalization are all available on the platform. Users also receive a mobile app that allows them to track campaign performance and send emails with a few clicks.

Users with no design skills can create professional, branded emails using MailChimp’s drag-and-drop templates. A built-in analytics tool tracks open rates and clicks, as well as segments data to show what works and what doesn’t. Users can send targeted emails based on user behavior, such as a welcome message for new signups or a related product recommendation for a recent buyer.

10. Fresh Team

Businesses can use the software to manage hiring, onboarding, time off, and employee information. We selected it as the best hiring software because it assists small businesses in hiring new employees through an easy-to-use and low-cost online platform.

Small businesses can use Freshteam’s applicant tracking system (ATS) to post jobs, screen resumes, track applicants, and even send offer letters. Users gain access to job description templates as well as the ability to post positions on free job boards such as LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and Adzuna.

Freshteam assists users in creating custom workflows to track candidates from application, to interview, to hiring. The software can also convert emails into applications and add senders as applicants automatically.

Which small business software is right for you?

When deciding which small business software to download and use, consider your actual needs first, as platforms that aim to do a lot of different things may not offer as many tools as one that focuses on one specific area.

Furthermore, budget software options may not always provide all of the tools you require, but higher-end software can truly cater to the specialist, so make sure you have a good idea of which features you believe you will require to avoid the pain of switching to a different software platform later on.