Essential Tools for Small Business Owners

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by recommendations, free trials, and researching various tools for small business owners that are supposed to make your life easier. I can’t tell you how many free trials I signed up for before finding some tools for small business owners that worked for me.

I want to share what I found out with you that I actually use. Because there’s a lot out there that I’ve tried and chose not to use today.

1. SEO Research

SEO is how your website is found on Google. If you don’t have a strategy behind it, Google won’t know when to show your webpages in search results. A tool for keyword, competitor, and traffic research is so helpful to see where you stand.

My Recommendation: Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is super easy to use. Even if you aren’t savvy in SEO, you can learn how to use this tool. I love it for keyword research and to see how my website has improved in search rankings. I also use Ubersuggest with all my clients!

2. Website Analytics

It’s important to know how your website is performing in search results, including which pages are driving the most traffic and the keywords people are using to land on those pages.

My Recommendation: Google Search Console

This free tool is perfect for looking at website analytics. I like seeing trends in search traffic and impressions over time. I also see which pages are driving the most traffic for me (it’s currently this blog!) There are a lot of good nuggets to find in Google Search Console to influence your strategy.

Google Search Console is also the place to manually request indexing on your pages to get them approved to be shown in search results even faster!

3. Project Management Tool

Small business owners wear many hats. You have a say in finance, marketing, operations, administration, sales, and everything in between. That’s why you need a tool to keep all those thoughts, tasks, files, and meetings organized.

Depending on the size and needs of your organization, there are many free tools out there to help with project management. When picking the project management tool for you, I recommend finding one that has everything you need. 

My Recommendation: Asana

Asana saves my workweek, and I don’t say that lightly. I have a “project” for each of my clients so I can keep track of weekly tasks for each of them.

You can choose the view that works best for you: list, timeline, or calendar. I prefer the calendar view of all my tasks, so I know what assignments have priority.

I also like to look at the calendar view of specific projects if I’m batching work. That way, I’m focused on one client at a time and can see what needs to be done for the month.

I use the free version of Asana since it’s just me for now, but they do have a premium version if you have a large team. I would be so much more stressed and probably would have lost clients by now if I hadn’t found Asana. I’ve used Asana for years and highly recommend it to small business owners!

4. CRM

A CRM helps you keep track of your clients throughout the buyer’s journey. From filling out a contact form to booking a discovery call, signing the contract, paying an invoice, and onboarding. It’s miserable trying to keep track of everyone in your brain.

My Recommendation: Dubsado

I didn’t know how much unnecessary, manual work I was doing until I got Dubsado. The automation and workflow functionality is unmatched.

I hired a Systems Strategist to help me get it all set up – I literally spent a few hours in there when I first signed up for the free trial and was like, nope. Someone do this for me 😂 Since she got everything set up for me, I’ve saved SO much time and my clients have a much better experience with me.

5. Social Media Scheduler

I can’t stress enough how important a scheduling tool is. It saves so much time and energy. Now, there are several tools out there that have different features. Pick one that meets your current needs and allows you to grow when your business does. 

For a long time, I used Hootsuite and recommended it to all my clients. But, at the time, I was booking a lot of social media clients and I found myself spending a ton of time logging in and out of multiple Hootsuite accounts. It didn’t work for me anymore, so I needed to find something else.

Then I switched to Sendible, and still really like that tool! I just don’t prioritize social media enough to invest in it for my business.

My Recommendation: Tailwind

I primarily post to Instagram and Pinterest, so Tailwind is perfect for me. I can see a calendar of all my posts and easily schedule new ones. Social media isn’t a huge priority for me right now, so this tool meets my needs.

6. Content Organization

With so many marketing channels and types of content you’re creating, it can be difficult to track it all. I use a content organization tool to help me plan content, and it’s been amazing for my content creation workflow.

My Recommendation: Airtable

I love Airtable. It’s the best platform that I’ve found to stay organized with content. I use it as a blog content calendar for myself and my clients (copy the template for free here!)

I also use it for my social media content, email newsletters, and freebies. It keeps all the content organized for me. When I hire team members to help me, I can see updates in my business in one place.

7. Email Marketing

Every small business owner should start building an email list and nurturing the people on it. You have an opportunity to be inside someone’s inbox whenever you want – what an opportunity to grow your business!

My Recommendation: Flodesk

When I was a Virtual Assistant, I tried so many email marketing platforms. It wasn’t until I tried Flodesk that I really felt like I had everything I needed for a fair price. With lots of options to customize and design emails that feel on-brand, Flodesk is the best email marketing platform, IMO.

8. Website Builder

Every business needs a website, and the platform you choose matters. Again, I’ve had my hands in a lot of different website builders while uploading blogs for clients.

My Recommendation: Showit + WordPress

Showit + WordPress is what I use for myself and love when my clients use it. Showit designs are completely custom and beautiful, while WordPress makes it easy to post and optimize blogs.

9. Graphic Design

I’ll admit that I’m not the best graphic designer, but there are instances where I need to design a graphic or resize an image.

My Recommendation: Canva

I’ve used the premium version of Canva for many years and absolutely love it. The templates are pretty. It’s easy to pull in your branding. For someone who doesn’t do a lot of designing, Canva is perfect for me.

Choose Your Toolkit

I’ve given you the essential tools for small business owners I use in my business. I gave my recommendations for each one, but I encourage you to research and find a tool that works best for your business.

Many factors come into play, so I want you to find processes that make your life easier, so you can focus on growing your business.

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FAQs About Tools for Small Business Owners