Best Software for Small Business in 2024

Running a small business as an entrepreneur is challenging. An average entrepreneur who runs a small business spends 65-70 percent of their time on day-to-day tasks. They have very little time to devote to long-term objectives, strategic planning, and other tasks that will help their company grow.

Because of their limited operating budgets and staff numbers, small businesses can’t always afford the tools and systems that will help them streamline their daily operations, but having the right tool for the job can make a big difference in both workday and business performance.

The key is to find the right tool at the right time for your small business. You must strike the ideal balance between pricing and the features that your company requires. We looked at dozens of software platforms designed specifically to assist small businesses with tasks ranging from accounting to marketing and everything in between.

We’ve compiled a list of the best small business apps for 2024; if you’re in a hurry and need a specific type of small business tool, you can jump to the top of the list by clicking on the categories below. Also, we have picked two software in each category, so you can review them and choose the one best for you.

• Accounting & Invoicing
• Customer Management
• Project Management
• Team Communication
• Marketing Automation

Best Accounting & Invoicing Software for Small Business

QuickBooks 

QuickBooks Online is the most widely used accounting software among small businesses and their bookkeepers and tax preparers. It is a cloud-based software that can be accessed via a web browser or a mobile app. QuickBooks’ Dashboard always shows you a live view of your expenses, profits and losses, sales, income, and bank accounts. It has everything a small business needs in one place: point-of-sale, time tracking, payroll, and other integrated services.

FreshBooks

FreshBooks is one of the popular tools for invoicing and accounting. It offers more customizations compared to other accounting software. It’s more user-friendly, and you can add billable time and expenses, customize the invoice’s appearance, and set up recurring invoices, automatic payment reminders, and late fee alerts with just a few clicks. FreshBooks makes it easier for service-based businesses to send proposals and invoices, request deposits, collect client retainers, and track time on projects.

Best Customer Management Software for Small Business 

HubSpot CRM

HubSpot CRM is a free CRM for small businesses. allowing you to keep track of your business’s activities, including contacts and company profiles, assign and track deals, and manage all of this data in a detailed dashboard. You can add as many users as you want and keep up to 1 million contacts in your account. It’s not only simple to use, but it also includes features like live chat/bots, email tracking, and meeting schedules that are only available in paid plans.

Freshworks CRM

Freshworks CRM is one of the most user-friendly and clutter-free CRMs available, allowing anyone to jump in and use even the most advanced features right away. It allows you to automatically capture and group your website visitors as sales leads based on how they interact with your site. It also assigns leads to the appropriate salespeople on your team, allowing them to contact each lead with all relevant information.

Best Project Management Software for Small Business

Airtable

Airtable is a spreadsheet-style database program that can help you manage any project, from daily tasks to product development sprints. You can view the project in a variety of ways with Airtable, including spreadsheets and other formats like a Kanban board or calendar. The best part is that you can switch between views at any time. It is also free for an unlimited number of users.

Asana

One of the best planning tools for small businesses is Asana. It improves communication and streamlines teamwork by managing workloads. It uses a visual timeline to help members manage their schedules and plans ahead of time. You can add tasks and then sort them through different views, just like in Airtable. Asana’s free plan is excellent, providing access to the majority of premium features for up to 15 users.

Related Read: Software Buying Guide of 2024

Best Team Communication Software for Small Business

Slack

Slack is the best tool for improving team collaboration and bringing all of your team communication into one place. You can use multiple channels to keep track of your project, topic, and teams all in one place. It also comes with file sharing and a slew of integrations, ranging from productivity bots to help desk software and beyond.

Chanty

If you’re looking for an alternative to Slack, Chanty is the next team collaboration tool that comes to mind. It is simpler, more cost-effective, and includes the majority of the features that a small business requires. Chanty includes a project management board (similar to Trello) to track the progress of projects and tasks in addition to standard chat, voice messaging, and video. As an alternative to sending emails, you can leave comments on individual messages and tasks.

Best Marketing Automation Software for Small Business 

EngageBay

EngageBay is an all-in-one business solution that offers some of the best end-to-end marketing, sales, and customer service automation software on the market. Its marketing automation platform assists small businesses in automating marketing and sales tasks as well as various workflows in order to generate leads, close deals, and increase revenue more quickly. Landing pages, email broadcasts, sequences, autoresponder, live chat, lead grabbers, and video marketing are all included in EngageBay’s free plan.

HubSpot Marketing Hub

HubSpot Marketing Hub is an all-in-one marketing software suite. It also includes HubSpot CRM, which allows you to organize your content and view your entire sales funnel in a simple visual dashboard. Using HubSpot, you can schedule automated emails, live chat, and a lot more. It also allows you to use chatbots to automate your live chat marketing, as well as integrate with a variety of other popular services for automation.