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Running a small business can feel like chaos at times, especially as most of it (if not all of it) is being done by you and you alone. You’re juggling customers, invoices, emails, marketing, and probably trying to keep a life outside work at the same time. The right software won’t make everything completely effortless but it can take a lot of the strain off your day, so it’s worth spending time finding what actually helps. The challenge is spotting the tools that genuinely make a difference versus the ones that end up unused and forgotten.
Payroll software
If you employ anyone at all (even just one person) then payroll is one of those things you absolutely can’t afford to get wrong. Employees need to be paid on time and correctly every single time. Doing it manually can become overwhelming because you’ve got to calculate things like taxes, deductions, student loans etc and make sure you’re following all employment law requirements too. Using payroll software can take care of all of this for you which makes it much easier to manage, and just giving you confidence that everything’s being done legally.
Accounting software
Managing the business’s money really is a massive job. You have to track every expense, send invoices promptly and constantly monitor your cash flow which can be so time consuming. It can become a total mess if you rely on basic spreadsheets or loose notes, and so good accounting software is a necessity for keeping things organised. It makes preparing for tax season much less stressful too as you already have everything in order. Even if you’re using an accountant it’s still important as it will cost you less money and it will take a lot less time if your accountant doesnt have to spend hours making head or tails of your accounts.
CRM software
CRM (customer relationship management) software helps you keep track of customers, leads and all of your past conversations so you’re not digging through old messages trying to remember what you promised. For small businesses, Streak CRM can be good if you spend most of your time in Gmail, and Freshsales has some extra features like email tracking too. Even if you don’t feel like you need one right now, setting it up early is so worth it and will make life much easier as your business grows.
Inventory management software
If you sell physical products then having a clear handle on what’s in stock can save you from all sorts of headaches. Nothing can be more embarrassing as a small business than having to explain to a customer that actually the item they ordered isn’t available, it can make you look really untrustworthy and disorganised. Even a simple inventory tool can track stock levels automatically, flag and low quantity items before they become a problem, and even show which products are actually earning you their keep.
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