Starting a business software. Here’s our top 10 list of the best business software that can help you with each step of the business planning, development and sustenance process by providing helpful applications especially designed for small business owners.
In this post, you shall be learning what works well with starting a small business.
Pipedrive
Pipedrive is specifically made for SMBs. Some reviewers describe the tool as a good “beginner” CRM platform.
“Pipedrive is [a] functional CRM platform and a viable/cheaper alternative to Salesforce and other counterparts. It is easy to use and has a wonderful graphical interface.” —Capterra review
“Our team is satisfied with Pipedrive so far because it is the only tool we could find that does what we need. We would love for more features to be added, but at present, it is working for us.” —Capterra review
Most criticisms of Pipedrive focus on the relative lack of features. Users often call out specific functions they wish the CRM offered (or offered at a lower price).
“The software could be more robust and add more multichannel marketing features. We prefer CRMs that have all of the communication features included, such as email, chat, text, call, etc. Recently, Pipedrive added a phone system, but you are required to upgrade to a ‘Pro’ account. We would prefer to just pay for the feature per agent, versus increasing the price for all of our agents for a simple feature like adding a phone.” —Capterra review
Additionally, Pipedrive’s 3.5-star PCMag review is tied with Nutshell for the lowest-rated CRM on this list.
Pipedrive user ratings:
- 4.5 out of 5 on Capterra
- 3.5 out of 5 (“Good”) on PCMag
- 4.3 stars out of 5 on G2
Zendesk Sell
Zendesk’s sales CRM is a simple-to-use software tool designed with SMBs in mind.
“That’s where our roots are,” Bean says. “We are built with the usability expectations of a consumer product. So, we have 50-plus apps out of the box that you can just click and install. And that means you have really strong extendability.”
Zendesk users seem to appreciate the sales management software’s simplicity.
“They have created a super easy-to-use interface that makes keeping track of and interacting with clients both simple and easy. Being able to read whole past interactions as well as see relevant sales data makes it a perfect choice for a small business.” —Capterra review
“Zendesk has allowed us to keep track of who is doing what on the team, so that we can avoid double booking or stepping on toes. … Zendesk Sell is easy to use, pushes notifications where needed, and is great for small teams.” —Capterra review
The sales CRM is also exceedingly easy to customize.
“You don’t need to write code, and you don’t have to do special implementation in workflow structures,” Bean says. “You just go in and point and click and do whatever you need.”
“Zendesk Sell was well-rounded and flexible [enough] to cater to our needs. It has various features that we are able to utilize and smoothen up the sales process, such as customization of sales deals, automation of tasks and roles, forecasting sales, deal customization, the organization of smart lists, and yielding reports.” —Capterra review
Calling Zendesk Sell an “excellent” sales management software option, PCMag noted the CRM is also integrated with Zendesk’s “popular suite of self-service support, analytics, chat, and messaging solutions. This can make Zendesk an end-to-end customer experience platform for many SMBs.”
However, PCMag also pointed out that “SMBs seeking a standalone CRM solution might find [Zendesk’s] feature set overwhelming.”
Zendesk Sell user ratings:
- 4.3 out of 5 on Capterra
- 4 out of 5 (“Excellent”) on PCMag
- 4.3 stars out of 5 on G2
HubSpot
“This is a good starter CRM. It has a lot of great integrations but not a lot of built-in features that justify the price.” —Capterra review
Thanks to the free version of its sales management software, HubSpot has become a popular CRM choice for many startups. In fact, most of the positive reviews for HubSpot’s product position it as a solid “beginner” model.
“HubSpot is absolutely great as a CRM, so long as you plan to use another tool for actual deal flow—if your goal is to track names, contact info, notes, and docs, along with email traffic, HubSpot is perfect.” —Capterra review
But users are quick to criticize HubSpot’s pricing structure. One reviewer compared the sales software to “freemium” games because expanding small businesses are forced to pay for various upgrades, so the expenses balloon quickly. Sometimes, those costs become more than what a small business can bear.
“This is a good starter CRM. It has a lot of great integrations but not a lot of built-in features that justify the price.” —Capterra review
“Most businesses must [eventually] make the painful decision to abandon HubSpot and find new CRM suites [with] much more reasonable cost escalations. By then, you lost one to two months migrating, learning the new tools, and onboarding your team. In all, a great tool for enterprises. Small businesses and startups, just stay [a]way. You will end up regretting it just as your business begins to take off.” —Capterra review
The HubSpot CRM pricing structure includes a $50 per month “Starter” level for two paid users, a $500 per month “Professional” level for five paid users, and a $12,000 per month “Enterprise” level for 10 paid users.
HubSpot user ratings:
- 4.5 out of 5 on Capterra
- 4 out of 5 (“Excellent”) on PCMag
- 4.3 stars out of 5 on G2
Salesforce
Salesforce is another CRM with strong name recognition. Many users have praised it as a solid software solution—albeit one that can be quite expensive and time-consuming to configure.
“Salesforce is the best CRM if money is no issue and you customize it to your needs.” —Capterra review
“[Salesforce is] great. It does everything I need it to; it’s just hard to get going on your own. … The back end is a pain to use and takes a lot of getting used to.” —Capterra review
Aside from cost and complexity, the most common customer complaint focuses on Salesforce’s lackluster customer service.
“My overall experience was frustrating, and the lack of support only clouded the quality of the product. When we asked for support, we were told we had to go to a third party to get any help on our implementation. This was not clearly communicated when we were sold the software.” —Capterra review
Salesforce’s complex nature can be a double-edged sword. SMBs should consider whether the full range of customizability is really what they need—will be a benefit or a pain point—especially considering Salesforce’s pricing is competitive and its software is used by large multinational companies with different needs.
Salesforce user ratings:
- 4.4 out of 5 on Capterra
- 4.5 out of 5 (“Excellent”) on PCMag
- 4.2 stars out of 5 on G2
Copper
A CRM built specifically for G Suite, Copper is fully integrated with popular tools like Gmail and Google Calendar.
According to PCMag, “the product does a great job of taking the ease of a typical Google application and applying it to a customer relationship management (CRM) app that may be slightly feature-poor compared to some of the competition.”
In some cases, though, a very basic CRM is all a small business needs. Many Copper users mentioned switching from Salesforce or HubSpot, specifically to save money with a more stripped-down solution.
“Overall, a very good CRM. It has all the functionality and tools I need to manage the sales process.” —Capterra review
“Overall, it has been helpful to keep track of my contacts. I wish that there were more features for the lower price point, like marketing and email features.” —Capterra review
While some users appreciate the G Suite integration, others find it problematic.
“It sits on Google’s G Suite, so you have to buy that also. It has extensions to things you have to pay for (versus free ones). … [and] has a lot of sales stuff we do not need.” —Capterra review
The CRM’s close connection to G Suite also makes it difficult to integrate with some other software tools.
Copper user ratings:
- 4.3 out of 5 on Capterra
- 4 out of 5 (“Excellent”) on PCMag
- 4.6 stars out of 5 on G2
Intuit QuickBooks Online
Who it is for:
Intuit QuickBooks Online has cornered the small business market for accounting software, rising to the top of our list. QuickBooks Online is ideal for small businesses and their bookkeeping professionals due to their easy access main dashboard. This main dashboard is a one-stop shop for inventory management, time tracking, budgeting, and more.
Small businesses turn to QuickBooks Online for the reliability of the cloud-based software, which individuals can access through a web browser or a mobile app. This flexibility, paired with the countless online tutorial videos, allows small business owners to bask in the ease of accounting.
What it does:
QuickBooks Online equips small business owners with everything they may need to get up and running. For many first-time owners, QuickBooks Online offers necessary guidance on creating and sending invoices, tracking expenses, and managing inventories.
QuickBooks Online has features that help businesses create a calendar to track payments while offering owners pre-made templates to create custom invoices. Other essential features include managing and tracking expenses, monitoring inventory, and providing reports to ensure businesses stay on track.
International selling is easy with multi-currency options to help owners reach their desired customer base. In addition, you can track recurring transactions and manage budgets to help you grow and develop your brand.
Features:
- Create/Send Invoices
- Manage/ Track Expenses
- Reporting/Insights
- Connects to your bank
- Multi-currency
- Inventory Tracking
Pricing:
Offering a free 30-day trial along with monthly and annual pricing packages, QuickBooks Online makes it easy for small business owners to test out if this accounting software platform fits with their business.
QuickBooks Online’s packages allow businesses to upgrade as they grow by offering Simple Start, Essentials, and Plus options. These three options range from basic features perfect for starting a small business, to more advanced features targeted at a company looking to grow.
All pricing can be found → here.
FreshBooks
Who it is for:
FreshBooks targets small service-based businesses that are constantly sending proposals and invoices. Think freelancers, self-employed professionals, and companies with contractors and employees.
Primarily a platform for creating, sending, and receiving invoices, the cloud-based software has grown since its creation in 2003 to offer features including expense, inventory, and time tracking paired with seamless project management. Owners can access the platform via the app or online.
Service-based small businesses flock to FreshBooks for their accounting software due to the simplification of invoicing. FreshBooks offers features that help schedule and track payments, as well as create and send invoices in multiple languages and currencies. This is a great feature for owners who have no accounting background and little time to learn new products.
What it does:
FreshBooks is known among small business owners as go-to accounting software for its multiple accounting features, helping first-time owners gain their footing and expertise. These features include automated bank reconciliation, double-entry accounting, and transaction tracking on an easy-to-use platform.
Along with accounting assistance, business owners never need to worry about losing track of project spending or receipts with FreshBooks’ expense tracking feature. In addition, business owners and freelancers alike can easily set up seamless online payments for invoices, allowing their clients multiple ways to pay, including FreshBooks Payments, Stripe, and PayPal.
Organize your freelance or small business’s accounting, and get ahead of the game with FreshBooks.
Features
- Tracking expenses
- Managing payments
- Time tracking
- Project management
- Creating/sending invoices
- Mileage Tracking
- Estimates
- Reports/Insights
Pricing:
FreshBooks offers newcomers to try the accounting software for free for a limited amount of time. Then, when satisfied with the software, you can choose from three different monthly or yearly packages.
The Lite, Plus, Premium, and Select packages simplify the process for individuals and businesses, depending on the number of clients they have. Furthermore, once you commit to the software, you can save by purchasing FreshBooks yearly plans.
All pricing can be found → here.
Wave
Who it is for:
Freelancers, independent contractors, entrepreneurs, and small business owners are attracted to Wave mainly because it is the top free accounting website. That is, unless users sign up for payroll and customer payments. Individuals appreciate Wave not only for its price tag; offering top-of-the-line software, Wave also works with individuals to help run a smooth business.
Individuals looking for a platform to help manage income and track expenses while creating and sending invoices, look no further than Wave. This double-entry accounting software is especially inviting for those just starting their freelance or independent contracting careers by helping them build the skills to empower them for success.
What it does:
Wave accounting software offers essential features for freelancers and small business owners to feel secure in their software choice. With cash flow reporting, income and expense tracking, and features that help make invoicing a breeze, Wave is priced right for small businesses and independent individuals.
Freelancers all the way up to large business owners want to ensure their invoices look professional and are sent on time. Wave makes it easy to send invoices and receive payments with the option to switch between automatic and manual billing whenever you wish. In addition, wave offers free apps for the ability to pay invoices and accept payments on the go.
Features:
- Automated bookkeeping
- Unlimited bank and credit card connections
- Expense tracking
- Creating/sending invoices
- Payroll software
- Payment tracking
Pricing:
This Toronto-based accounting software company offers users free accounting and invoicing.
Individuals who appreciate Wave’s software can sign up for their monthly payroll feature as well, offered at a monthly base fee of $35 for tax service states and $20 for self-service states.
All pricing can be found → here.
Conclusion
Do you want to start a small business? Whether it is an online business, brick and mortar store or both, there are a number of software programs you will need to run your new business. In today’s tech savvy society more and more people are starting their own business from home. Finding the right software that actually does what you want is hard to do. When searching for the right tools there are a lot of options out there making it a daunting task. This guide has been created to give you some insight on what apps you should be using for your small business!