If no-one else is going to say it, we will.
Running a small business is a bit like juggling flaming torches… while riding a bicycle… during a windstorm.
Sort of.
And to keep up, you need to be using the right tools that help you hold it all together. But with so many solutions available, how do you actually know where to even start – and what to use?
Well, we can help with that. Over the years, we’ve tested a lot of tools – some brilliant, some… not so brilliant – and have narrowed down five that have genuinely made our lives easier, our team more productive, and our clients happier.
Our top 5 small business tools are:
- Google Workspace
- Trello
- Fireflies
- Xero
- Flodesk
And yes, we love them so much we’ve partnered up with a few of them. So if you decide to give them a try through our links, you’re also supporting our business… win-win!
So, let’s break down where each one really shines.
Small Business Marketing Tools for Planning
You’ve probably heard us say it before, but great marketing doesn’t happen by accident.
It takes preparation, a solid plan, and the right tools. Which is why we use these religiously to help keep on top of our work, which spans multiple clients.
1. Google Workspace
We genuinely don’t know how we’d function without Google Workspace.
From shared calendars and collaborative documents to spreadsheets that track campaigns, budgets, and new plans – everything lives in one place and everyone has access.
Plus, the ability to work on the same document in real-time has saved us from endless ‘final_v3_ACTUALfinal.docx’ chaos… which can end up confusing everyone and delaying approvals.
Google Workspace is the perfect tool to keep our ideas organised, our clients in the loop, and our team aligned – and we couldn’t be without it.
If you’re still emailing attachments back and forth… come over to the Google side, you won’t regret it!
Looking for a Google Workspace new user discount? We’ve got you covered. Simply sign up using this Google Workspace discount code and get 10% off your first year!
2. Trello
Now, if Google Workspace is our brain, Trello is our visual game plan.
We have a running joke among the team that ‘if it’s not on Trello, it doesn’t happen’. And for the most part, that tends to be true.
Because we use Trello Every. Single. Day. for:
- Monthly content calendars for all our clients
- Comprehensive campaign tracking
- Daily task management
- Full client workflows
There’s something incredibly satisfying about dragging a task from ‘To Do’ to ‘Done’. It gives the whole team visibility over what’s happening and stops things slipping through the cracks, which is easily done in a fast-paced environment.
For small teams especially, Trello is simple, intuitive, and doesn’t require a three-hour onboarding session to understand. Can you tell we love it?
3. Fireflies
Ever finished a client call and thought, ‘Wait… what did we actually agree on?’
That’s where the magic of Fireflies comes in. No, not little bugs that light up the night sky, but the AI meeting tool that ensures you don’t miss a second, and can go back over the conversation again and again.
This clever tool records, transcribes, and summarises meetings automatically.
Which means:
- You don’t need to be frantically note-taking
- You won’t miss any action points
- You can re-listen/read key moments to ensure you understand everything
As a flexible-working small business with many online meetings, Fireflies has saved our skin countless times and ensured we don’t miss a beat when it comes to our clients. It helps us stay organised and turn conversations into action quickly – especially when those conversations spark new campaign ideas.
Want a Fireflies promo code to save you money? Sign up using our Fireflies referral link to get a 10% discount off any plan!
Small Business Accounting Tools
Let’s talk about the not-so-glamorous side of business: the numbers.
While we like to see money coming in, most of us are not financial experts, and managing it can feel overwhelming.
But ignoring your finances is not a strategy. Trust us… we may have learnt the hard way (like the time we forgot to set aside our tax bill!).
That’s why we recommend…
4. Xero
We use Xero because it makes accounting feel manageable.
We’ve found that the invoicing is simple, our expenses are easy to track, and the reporting (we love a good report) is clear. So, when the end of the financial year approaches, everything is already organised.
It saves a ton of time too, giving you both clarity and cash flow visibility, which for a small business, is everything.
Plus, it can also integrate with other systems – which means even less admin and more time spent actually growing your business.
Small Business Email Marketing Tools
We are huge champions of email marketing, as it’s still one of the highest ROI channels out there – but only if you use it properly.
With so many email marketing tools available, we know it’s tricky to find the right one that works for you. That’s why we’re huge fans of our final tool, because it does everything we need it to, and more.
5. Flodesk
We love Flodesk for one big reason: it makes beautiful emails ridiculously easy to create.
You don’t need to be a graphic designer or have complicated automation skills… you just need a message worth sending and you’re good to go.
The templates are clean and modern, emails are incredibly easy to build, and to top it off, the pricing is refreshingly straightforward.
For small businesses wanting professional-looking email marketing without getting overwhelmed by the set-up, Flodesk is a dream.
In fact, there are so many features, we’ve written a whole blog about it, which you can find here.
If you’d like to give this incredible tool a go, you’re in luck! As official Flodesk affiliates, we have the best Flodesk discount code just for you – click here to sign up now and get a whopping 25% off your entire first year.
The best small business tools
It’s important to remember that the very best small business tools are the ones you use.
As a small business owner, it’s easy to get over-excited by tools that promise to transform your work life, and sign up to everything you see. But having been in the game for over 10 years, we can promise you that sticking with the tried-and-tested basics is often the better option.
We’re big believers that tools should make your business simpler – not more complicated. The five that we’ve shared have genuinely supported us as we’ve grown, by helping us:
- Save time
- Stay organised
- Improve client experience
- And made scaling feel possible.
If you’re looking to streamline your small business operations, we’d recommend taking it step-by-step; there’s no need to implement everything overnight.And if you do decide to try any of the tools directly through our links – thank you. Supporting our partners helps us keep creating helpful content like this.