Hubspot is a platform that provides a range of tools for content management, sales and marketing, and social media advertising. Hubspot goes way beyond simply setting up a website and editing its content, as much as delivering a wide-ranging toolkit to help improve conversions, and ranks as our top pick for best content marketing tools (opens in new tab) as well as features in our best CRM software (opens in new tab) .
Best small business software of 2022
Google Workspace : Collaboration + productivity apps (opens in new tab)
There are many different office software suites but Google Workspace formerly known as G Suite remains the original cloud one and one of the best business office suites, offering a huge range of features and functionality that rivals can’t match.
Try it free for 14 days (opens in new tab) .
While there are obvious basics, such as productivity suites (opens in new tab) and accounting software (opens in new tab) , it’s always possible that something can take you by surprise. That’s why it’s good to have a general idea of what different types of software are out there, so that the moment you identify a need, you can also identify a solution.
Luckily, there is a lot of competition online in the software market, and while there are big name products priced for big name clients, there are always smaller and cheaper packages which can be just as good. The challenge is to find not just the type you need, but the one that comes in at the right price for you.
However, even some of the more seemingly expensive software suites sometimes have a free tier, so you can try it out and see if it works for you – and if it does, you can grow into the software as your business cashflow improves.
We’ll therefore look to list a wide range of software types that it’s good to be familiar with, and feature the best on the market, so that should you develop a need for anything in particular, you already have an idea of what to look for.
Microsoft 365
Reasons to buy
The first thing going for Microsoft 365 is its familiarity – if you’ve used Microsoft Office before you’ll easily find your way around this platform. Even if you haven’t and have used rivals instead the same still applies because Microsoft Office is the market leader that others attempt to copy.
The second is that Microsoft 365 works in the cloud, which offers several advantages, the first being that you can use it on the go with your smartphone or tablet, but the second being that all your documents are saved online in the cloud with OneDrive. This means you don’t have to worry about losing important files to a hard drive crash, and also that you can switch between devices without losing your work.
Pricing can seem a little more expensive than it used to be for buying a standalone license for Microsoft 365 Personal, which provides you with Word (opens in new tab) , Excel (opens in new tab) , Powerpoint (opens in new tab) , Publisher, and Access, with online emails served by Outlook (opens in new tab) , and OneDrive (opens in new tab) for cloud storage of documents.
There’s also Microsoft 365 Home which offers up to six licenses which could be ideal and cost-efficient for distributing around employees if you have five or less. Microsoft 365 Business Premium is targeted at larger businesses and includes Sharepoint, Microsoft Exchange, and Microsoft Teams (opens in new tab) .
Altogether, Microsoft 365 delivers what you need in terms of an office software and admin platform, and remains superior in terms of functionality than rivals. Additionally, expect to find many suppliers and contractors also using it, making it easy to share, swap, or send send files between your both without any problems.
Quick Guide
Small Business Management Apps
Connecteam
Connecteam is the business app that connects everything a business needs from field to office, all in one place. With the click of a button, you can connect your staff, manage day-to-day operations, improve employee experience and engagement, and drive your business forward. Connecteam really is the full package .
From the minute an employee begins onboarding to daily communication, time tracking, job scheduling, and operational procedures, Connecteam has it all. This way, your employees are more productive and easily kept in the loop. And you have full visibility of what is going on at all times.
The best thing about it is that you can truly have an all-in-one business app to manage your employees, instead of integrating multiple solutions which will be far more complicated, time-consuming, and expensive.
The #1 Small Business App for Your Team
SAP SuccessFactors
SAP SuccessFactors is a business app that makes it simple to engage your entire workforce and complete HR tasks. A main feature of SAP is to boost productivity – connect all your employees so they receive key information and processes no matter where they are. It includes self-service tools for managers, employees, and HR, this way everyone stays on top of critical tasks.
With its HCM feature, “you can automate your people processes, improve visibility and efficiency, and transform your business turning strategy into execution every day.” If you’re interested, this small business app costs $84.53/year/user.
Chanty
Chanty is both a business app and a team chat app that lets you communicate and collaborate with your team with ease. Get in touch with them using text and voice messages or make audio and video calls. Share your screen and communicate one-on-one or through public channels.
Besides communication, you can manage your projects by turning messages into tasks. Assign those tasks to your team and set deadlines so you can manage your work from Chanty. Finally, you can see everything in one place: your Teambook. This is your central communication hub that stores all of your contacts, messages, tasks, files, and much more.
Workday
Through their Workday Human Capital Management (HCM), as a manager, you hold all the cards to efficiently and effectively plan, recruit, and develop talent in just a click. This easy to use small business app seamlessly takes your employees from day one to their last day. Chat with a representative to get a price quote.
This New Zealand company allows you to monitor your cash flow in real-time. Send invoices (and see when they’ve been opened), create expense claims, and import and categorize all your latest bank transactions. There are dozens and dozens of more features that Xero offers and it also integrates with over 700 small business apps, like PayPal.
Users can start a 30-day free trial and then choose from 3 plans: Early $9/month, Growing $30/month, or Established $60/month. Carefully review what each pricing plan includes as each one suits different business sizes and needs.
EmailAnalytics
EmailAnalytics is a business app that visualizes a team’s email activity, enabling users to see essential productivity KPIs at a glance, such as emails sent, emails received, and average email response time. The app automatically integrates and performs all the calculations for managers, and delivers a convenient daily or weekly email report so they can effortlessly keep tabs on their team’s workload and efficiency.
Payment Apps For Small Businesses
Melio
Melio is a web-based account payable platform that lets users conveniently pay bills via bank transfer and debit card for free, even for vendors who only accept check payments. Currently only available to small businesses in the U.S.
Melio is a free solution managers can use immediately on any internet-enabled device such as laptop or smartphone. This works perfectly for busy entrepreneurs and professionals who are looking for a way to pay bills and manage cash flow on the go without spending a huge portion of their budgets on expensive accounts payable software.
The Bottom Line On Small Business Apps
Handling any aspect of your small business with pen and paper is clearly not the efficient way to get things done. Virtually everything, from job scheduling and communication to training and time tracking, is easier to maintain with the right digital solution.
This comprehensive list demonstrates that there are plenty of business apps out there to meet your specific business needs – from project management to finance and accounting – and everything in between.
Scale your business with Connecteam for FREE
Easily communicate with all your employees, manage payroll, schedule shifts, track time, move all checklists and forms to digital, build professional skills, and so much more. Everything you need to grow your business is at your fingertips.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an app and an application?
An app is a small piece of software developed for a specific single function. In contrast, an application is a complete software that is developed to perform a variety of functions. In comparison to an app, application software has higher values.
Why is application software important?
Application Software or a Software Application helps users to perform multiple tasks. They are assigned to perform well-maintained functions and activities. Application software interacts with the real world and helps to solve real-life problems. They are also helpful in carrying out the business processes with ease and give it a competitive edge.
What is the difference between system software and application software?
A system software’s work is to manage the system resources. It manages OS, BIOS, Drivers, and all the system functions. It gives a platform for other software to run and acts as a medium to connect the system and application software. They are pre-installed with the operating system and do not interact directly with the users.
On the other hand, App Software helps to perform the specific function for which they are designed. They instruct computers to carry out specific business tasks. They are installed as per the requirements and interact directly with the users.
How do I choose the right application software?
You can select the right app software for your business by conducting a need assessment. In addition, you can take feedback from your managers, colleague, partners, and software providers for selecting software.
You can also contact us as we are the best software development company to give you proper guidance and build a custom-made solution for you. Our experienced project managers and developers would be happy to guide you along the process and can build high-quality and reliable software for you.
Sources:
https://www.techradar.com/best/best-small-business-software
https://connecteam.com/30-best-small-business-apps/
https://www.openxcell.com/blog/application-software/