The Top 8 Must-Have Tools for Small Business Owners

1. Canva 

Canva is a graphic design platform that allows users to create professional-looking designs for various purposes, from social media posts to business cards. Canva, an Australian company, has a super easy-to-use interface and pre-made templates, making it a popular choice for small business owners who want to create visually appealing marketing materials without hiring a graphic designer. 

With Canva, you can easily personalise your designs by adding your own images, text, and branding. Canva offers free and paid plans, with the paid plans offering additional features such as team collaboration and access to premium images and templates. 

One of the benefits of using Canva for small businesses is the ability to create consistent branding across all marketing materials. By using the same colours, fonts, and graphics in all of your designs, you can create a cohesive and recognisable brand identity that will help your business stand out. 

Additionally, Canva's templates can save small business owners time and money by providing ready-made designs that can be quickly customised to fit your needs. 

You can sign up for Canva here to start creating professional-looking designs for your small business. 

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2. Workable 

Workable is an all-in-one recruiting software designed to simplify the hiring process for small businesses. With Workable, you can post job openings on multiple job boards, track applicants, schedule interviews, and collaborate with team members all in one place. Workable's user-friendly interface and customisable workflows allow small business owners to streamline their recruiting process and make better hiring decisions. 

Workable is perfect for small businesses that have challenges attracting top talent. With Workable's job board integration; you can post your job openings to multiple job boards with just one click, reaching a wider pool of qualified candidates. Additionally, Workable's candidate management features make it easy to keep track of applicant information, communicate with candidates, and move them through the hiring process efficiently.

Workable has pricing that can scale as your business grows, and unlike most recruiting software built overseas, it works very well for the Australian hiring market.‍

Sign up for Workable to simplify your recruiting process and attract top talent to your small business. 

3. Shopify 

Shopify is an e-commerce platform allowing small business owners to set up and manage their online store. With Shopify, you can easily create a professional-looking website, track your products and inventory, process payments, and track your sales and customer data. Shopify offers a wide range of customisable templates and integrations, making it easy for small business owners to create a unique and functional online store.

Shopify is renowned for helping small businesses reach a wider audience. With e-commerce on the rise, having an online store is essential for small businesses looking to compete in today's market. Shopify's built-in SEO features and integrations with social media platforms make it easy for small business owners to promote their products and reach new customers.

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"With e-commerce on the rise, having an online store is essential for small businesses looking to compete in today's market."

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On top of this, Shopify's robust analytics and reporting tools make tracking your sales and customer data easy, giving you valuable insights into your business's performance. 

Shopify is streets ahead of other e-commerce platforms, and it continues to improve each year. Sign up for Shopify to set up and manage your online store and reach a wider audience for your small business. 

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4. Microsoft Teams 

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform designed to streamline team communication and collaboration. With Microsoft Teams, you can chat with team members, schedule meetings, share files, and collaborate on documents in one place. Microsoft Teams integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft applications such as Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive, making it easy for small business owners to access and manage their work in one centralised location.

Microsoft Teams can really help small businesses improve communication and collaboration among team members. With Microsoft Teams' chat and video conferencing features, team members can easily communicate and collaborate on projects, regardless of their physical location. Additionally, Microsoft Teams' integration with other Microsoft applications streamlines workflow and reduces the need for multiple tools and applications.

More recently, Microsoft has announced plans to incorporate ChatGPT to take meeting notes and assign actions to team members using artificial intelligence. This exciting development promises to make Microsoft Teams even better.

‍Sign up for Microsoft Teams to improve communication and collaboration within your small business team and streamline your workflow. 

5. ChatGPT 

ChatGPT is an AI-based chatbot that offers a range of services to small businesses, including copywriting, customer support, and marketing. ChatGPT is designed to help small businesses automate their routine tasks, freeing up time and resources for more critical business activities.

What sets ChatGPT apart for small businesses is the ability to access high-quality services without incurring the costs of hiring additional staff. ChatGPT is like having a team of ten people behind you. It can write great content, help you compare your product with competitors, or develop a marketing strategy - in fact, there is little the product can't do.

ChatGPT is a once-in-a-lifetime product that needs to be seen to be believed. If you are not already using it, it's time to jump on board as your competitors will. ChatGPT is available for free, and there is also a premium version with more advanced features that costs $28 (USD$20).

‍Sign up for ChatGPT to automate routine tasks and access high-quality accounting and financial services, customer support, and marketing. 

6. Google Analytics 

Google Analytics is a free web analytics service offered by Google that allows small businesses to track and analyse website traffic, user behaviour, and other vital metrics. With Google Analytics, small businesses can gain insight into how users interact with their websites and make data-driven decisions to improve user experience and increase conversions.

Google Analytics is perfect for small businesses what want the ability to track website performance and identify areas for improvement. Google Analytics offers a range of metrics, including bounce rate, time on site, and page views, which can help small business owners understand how users interact with their website.

In addition, Google Analytics offers a range of reports and visualisations that can help small businesses gain insights into user behaviour and make data-driven decisions. Google Analytics is incredibly easy to set up, you just need to add a code to your website, and everything happens automatically.‍

Sign up for Google Analytics to gain insights into how users interact with your website and make data-driven decisions to improve user experience and increase conversions. 

7. Docusign 

DocuSign is an electronic signature software that enables small businesses to sign, send, and manage documents online. With Docusign, small businesses can eliminate the need for physical signatures and streamline their document management process.

One of the benefits of using Docusign for small businesses is the ability to save time and increase efficiency. DocuSign enables small businesses to send and sign documents online, eliminating the need for printing, signing, and scanning physical documents.

Additionally, Docusign offers a range of features, such as automatic reminders and document tracking, that can help small businesses streamline their document management process and ensure that all parties are on the same page.

‍Sign up for Docusign to streamline your document management process, save time, and increase efficiency.

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8. Thriday 

Thriday is an all-in-one financial management platform that offers a range of tools and features to help small businesses eliminate the time they waste on financial admin. Thriday uses artificial intelligence to do bookkeeping, accounting, invoicing, cash flow and tax estimates, and more, all in one platform.

One of the benefits of using Thriday for small businesses is the ability to set up separate bank accounts* for personal and business. With Thriday, you only need to earn money and spend money, and Thriday takes care of the rest.

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"With Thriday, you only need to earn money and spend money, and Thriday takes care of the rest."

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Thriday is available for a free one-month trial and is significantly cheaper than other accounting software at $29.95 a month. Thriday can also save you a huge amount of time, to find out, take this time saver quiz.

‍Sign up for Thriday to automate your banking, accounting and tax. Thriday offers a range of features to help small businesses save time and increase efficiency. 

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Managing all aspects of your business can be challenging as a small business owner. Fortunately, many tools and software are available to help you streamline your operations and increase efficiency.

Whether you need tools for graphic design, recruitment, e-commerce, communication, analytics, document management, or accounting, a tool is available to meet your needs. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for these top 8 small business tools and improve your business operations today.