Essential Productivity Tools Every Small Business Owner Needs

Want to boost your business in 2018? Staying current with the latest technology is key to making your small business more successful. The right tools can help you consistently meet your goals.

Many online tools promise to increase productivity, but choosing the right ones for your business is essential. We’ve compiled a list of five top productivity tools that can elevate your small business.

Basecamp is a standout tool for small business owners. It’s user-friendly, simple, and offers advanced functionality. It has remained popular for over ten years. The dashboard lets you view all your projects at a glance, highlighting high-priority ones. A calendar tab shows deadlines and important events.

Basecamp is perfect for complex projects with large teams. You can easily assign tasks, set deadlines, add notes, and upload files. It also allows you to create templates for recurring projects, saving you time. Completed projects can be archived for future reference. Basecamp supports over 20 apps, adding functions like report generation and Outlook syncing. It works on both Android and iPhone and offers a free 30-day trial. The pricing plan is straightforward: $99 per month for unlimited users and projects.

Evernote helps you take and organize notes efficiently. You can use it to take notes in various formats, including text, audio, video, and images. It centralizes all your important ideas and to-do lists. The app syncs across multiple devices, ensuring you never lose your notes. Evernote supports iOS and Android. It’s free for basic use, with a premium version available at $5 per user per month.

For accounting software, Xero is a top choice. It’s designed for small- and medium-sized businesses, offering user-friendly, web-based financial collaboration. Xero’s powerful features allow you to manage budgets, cash flow, invoices, multi-currency transactions, and stock control. The software also integrates with third-party apps for inventory, payments, invoicing, time tracking, payroll, CRM, and more. After a 30-day trial, paid plans start at $9 per month.

GoodHire streamlines background checks for hiring. This award-winning software automates and simplifies the process, offering fast and accurate screening. Features include credit score checks, international checks, peer-to-peer screening, personal background checks, and drug screening. It’s optimized for both mobile and browser devices. Basic checks start at $29.99.

HubSpot CRM is a leading platform that allows your sales team to get up and running without changing existing workflows. It helps you manage and grow customer relationships with ease. The intuitive user interface lets you monitor customer communication through email, phone calls, and meetings. Surprisingly, many of HubSpot’s features and integrations are free. You can track leads and customers from your website at no cost. For more advanced features, the Starter Plan costs $42 per month and includes meetings, content creation, messages, and email marketing.