7 Best Software for Small Businesses in 2023

The 7 Best Software for Small Businesss of 2023

1. Connecteam — Best all-in-one software for small business owners and managers

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   Connecteam is a do-it-all business software for small business owners and managers. Our platform includes everything you need to run your day-to-day operations and help your business grow.

   Here are some of the outstanding features that Connecteam offers for small businesses.

   Shift scheduling

   To help your business hit the ground running, Connecteam offers a drag-and-drop shift scheduling tool. Managers have visibility into employees’ vacation days, availability, and certifications. So it’s easy to assign workers to shifts in seconds. Our platform also alerts managers if an employee is scheduled for overtime, helping your business save on labor costs.

   Employees can view their work schedule on the go from the Connecteam app. They can even trade shifts among themselves to better match their work preferences.

   GPS time clock

   Connecteam also includes a mobile time clock app that employees can use to accurately track their work hours. If you have employees working in the field, you can set up geofences around your project sites. Employees receive a reminder to clock in when they enter the project site and a reminder to clock out when they leave.

   Managers always know where their employees are thanks to GPS employee tracking through the Connecteam app. That’s a major advantage when work comes up at the last minute and you need to redeploy your team in real time. Managers can also receive alerts if an employee travels outside your business’s usual zone of work.

   Team collaboration

   In addition, Connecteam offers one-on-one and team messaging features so employees and managers can keep in touch. Our platform also has a unique announcement feed. This feed makes it easy for business owners and managers to share updates with your entire team.

   Another helpful tool Connecteam includes is task management software. Managers can set up custom digital forms and checklists. Employees can claim ownership over individual tasks for collaborative projects.

   Connecteam automatically sends out reminders for tasks that are approaching deadlines. This ensures that no work is ever missed.

   HR tools

   Connecteam also serves as a document management platform for your company’s HR team. HR managers can store employee files securely in the cloud and control who has access to them.

   Connecteam’s document management system also makes it easy to see when certifications and tax forms expire. So, you can ensure your business is always in compliance.

   Surveys and quizzes make it easy for HR to check in on your company culture and learn more about the employee experience your business offers. That in turn leads to higher morale and better employee retention. Surveys can be anonymous or programmed to display live results. Quizzes are completely customizable to match your business’s training needs.

   Try Connecteam today

   There’s so much more to explore in Connecteam. Our software is completely free for small businesses with 10 or fewer employees. It starts at just $29 per month for small businesses with up to 30 employees, then just $0.50 for each additional employee.

   Connecteam also offers a free for life plan – Get Started Now!

   Key Features

   • Drag-and-drop shift scheduling

   • GPS-enabled time clock

   • One-to-one and team messaging

   • Task management tools

   • HR document management system

   • Employee surveys and quizzes

   Pros

   • All-in-one app for operations, communications, and HR

   • Customizable permissions for managers and HR employees

   • Customizable automated workflows

   • Free for businesses with 10 or fewer employees

   Cons

   • Does not include accounting software

   Pricing

   Free-for-life plan availablePremium plans start at $29/month for 30 users

   14-day free trial, no credit card required

   Start your free trial
2. 

   Freshbooks — Good for: Invoicing and expense tracking

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android
   • Windows
   • Mac

   

   Freshbooks is a modern accounting software for small businesses. It includes a wide range of tools that can help your business invoice clients, track expenses, run financial reports, and much more. You can even accept payments from clients directly through Freshbooks. So, this software makes it easier to get paid and simplifies the accounting process.

   This small business accounting software is easy to use and offers a mobile app so that business owners can view their balance sheets on the go. It also integrates with a wide variety of other business platforms. That’s a big plus if your business also uses fleet tracking software or customer management software.

   There are other accounting solutions like Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online. However, we think Freshbooks offers a wider range of tools at a lower price. Freshbooks starts at $15 per month.

   Learn more about Freshbooks

   Key Features

   • Invoice clients and send estimates
   • Accept payments online
   • Double-entry accounting for expenses
   • Mileage tracking for business vehicles

   Pros

   • Wide range of business software integrations
   • Highly customizable expense reporting

   Cons

   • Cannot run payroll
   • Limited collaboration features for accounting teams

   Pricing

   Contact vendor for price Trial: No Free Plan: Yes

3. 

   Salesforce — Good for: Landing new customers

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android
   • Windows
   • Mac

   

   Salesforce Sales Cloud is a comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) software. It’s designed specifically for businesses that want to grow fast. This platform is designed to help you find new business leads and turn them into customers.

   With this platform, your sales team can easily reach out to potential or existing customers and drum up new business. Sales employees can see all of the interactions your company has had with a potential customer in the past. They can then set up potential deals and track them through to closing.

   Salesforce Sales Cloud is also useful for forecasting your business’s future work. The software can estimate the likelihood that a deal will close. This enables you to see how much revenue your company will generate in the months ahead.

   Learn more about Salesforce

   Key Features

   • View all past interactions with a customer
   • Deal pipeline shows the status of all contracts in progress
   • Generate leads with online advertising
   • Document management system for collaboration

   Pros

   • Highly customizable workflows
   • Tons of reporting options

   Cons

   • Expensive for many small businesses
   • Steep learning curve

   Pricing

   Starts at $25/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

4. 

   Asana — Good for: Project management

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   Asana is a project management software designed to facilitate collaboration. Everyone on your team can view the tasks necessary to bring a project to completion. Each task can be assigned to an employee. Employees and managers can leave comments on tasks, link to resources, and more.

   Asana offers multiple ways to view work, including lists, kanban boards, Gantt charts, and calendars. The visualizations are a major benefit for managers who are overseeing multiple projects. Managers can use Asana to see how much work is assigned to each employee and balance workloads across a team.

   This small business software also offers automated workflows and task reminders. It also includes integrations with popular business communication apps.

   Learn more about Asana

   Key Features

   • Multiple task views including Gantt charts and kanban boards
   • Custom workflow automations
   • Reporting to help managers balance tasks across employees
   • Integrated file storage

   Pros

   • Free for teams of up to 15 people
   • Integrates with popular business communication apps

   Cons

   • Automation tools are expensive to unlock
   • Limited user permissions management

   Pricing

   Starts at $14.99/user/month Trial: No Free Plan: Yes — Up to 15 users

5. 

   Google Workspace — Good for: Collaborating on documents

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   Google Workspace is a productivity suite that offers an essential set of software tools for small businesses. The platform includes email, a calendar app, cloud storage, and video conferencing. It also offers a word processor, spreadsheet software, and presentation software.

   Google Workspace facilitates smooth collaboration among your team members. Employees can quickly share calendar invites or access shared files in the cloud. Google Workspace’s word processor enables multiple people to edit a document simultaneously. You’re also able to leave comments for one another while doing so.

   Not all of the tools in Google Workspace are best-in-class. For example, the chat feature could offer far more ways to organize and search messages. However, as an overall business software suite, there’s a lot to like about Google Workspace.

   Learn more about Google Workspace

   Key Features

   • Word processor and spreadsheet software
   • Customizable email accounts at your domain
   • Shared calendars
   • Voice and video conferencing

   Pros

   • Plenty of cloud storage for most businesses
   • Supports simultaneous editing tools on documents

   Cons

   • Difficult to organize chat messages
   • Limited customer support

   Pricing

   Starts at $6/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

6. 

   Pipedrive — Good for: Growing your business’s sales

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   Pipedrive is a CRM platform built to help small businesses grow their sales. With this platform, you can build a custom sales pipeline and then start funneling potential customers through it. Pipedrive makes it easy to keep track of where each lead is in the sales process and what the next steps are to keep your deals moving forward.

   Pipedrive offers a range of tools for shepherding deals. These include automated emails and custom workflows. Sales team members can also collaborate by assigning each other tasks and handing off leads as they move through your sales pipeline. You can also create and e-sign documents right in Pipedrive.

   This CRM is much easier to get started with than comparable platforms. It’s also significantly more affordable than many competing sales software packages.

   Learn more about Pipedrive

   Key Features

   • Create custom sales pipelines
   • Automated marketing emails
   • Supports chatbots and web forms
   • Assign tasks to employees

   Pros

   • 300+ business software integrations
   • 24/7 customer service

   Cons

   • Doesn’t separate new leads and contacts
   • No project management tools

   Pricing

   Starts at $19.90/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

7. 

   Forecast — Good for: Forecasting demand across multiple large projects

   Available on

   • Web

   

   Forecast is a unique operations management platform. It can help your business be more productive and keep your customers satisfied. It handles task management, employee scheduling, and resource optimization. Forecast even includes inventory management and financial reporting tools.

   Forecast enables you to break a project down into milestones, tasks, and goals. This makes it easier to keep track of progress. It also offers AI-powered demand-forecasting tools that help you balance work across your employees. It also enables you to hire more workers before your business is overwhelmed.

   This software is pricey and has a steep learning curve. It’s best for small business owners that are taking on bigger projects and need ways to stay organized as their business grows.

   Learn more about Forecast

   Key Features

   • Forecast demand and balance loads across teams
   • Project-accounting tools
   • Customer-satisfaction surveys
   • Custom analytics dashboards

   Pros

   • Integrates with project management and communications software
   • Highly customizable reports

   Cons

   • Very expensive
   • No free trial available

   Pricing

   Starts at $29/user/month, minimum 10 users Trial: No Free Plan: No