I know how overwhelming it can be to manage all the moving parts of daily business life. To help with this, I’m sharing a list of top tools for running a smarter business. Ones that I personally use along with others I recommend. These tools and resources have made a real difference for me. They could make a difference for you, too.
Below is a list of tools I personally use along with others I recommend. Just to be clear: I’m not getting paid or compensated for recommending any of these (except for Kit). I’ve also included links and general notes and costs — though exact pricing changes often, most of these tools offer a free version or affordable entry-level plan for small businesses.
If you would like this list in a downloadable PDF, click here.
Productivity & Project Management Tools
These tools help me stay organized, manage projects, and manage research efficiently.
Tools I use:
- Gemini Deep Research — An AI-powered research assistant from Google to explore complex topics and gather insights.
Cost: Free, experimental access. - Microsoft 365 — A suite offering email (Outlook), cloud storage (OneDrive), document tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and team collaboration (Teams).
Cost: Paid subscription; $6–$12/month per user. - Notebook LM — An experimental AI note-taking tool summarizing and organizing your documents and ideas.
Cost: Free, experimental access. For an indepth article on how you can use NotebookLM, click here
Other strong tools:
- Asana — Project management platform to assign tasks, set deadlines, and track team progress.
Cost: Free tier; paid plans $10–$25/month per user. - Notion — All-in-one workspace combining notes, tasks, wikis, and databases.
Cost: Free personal use; team plans $8/month per user. - Slack — Team communication platform organizing chats and files into channels.
Cost: Free for small teams; paid $7.25/month per user. - Trello — Visual boards, lists, and cards for simple project and task management.
Cost: Free tier; premium $5–$10/month per user.
Marketing & Social Media Tools
These tools help design content, automate outreach, and strengthen customer communication.
Tools I use:
- Awesome Screenshot — Captures and annotates screenshots for social posts, tutorials, or design feedback.
Cost: Free plan; pro $5–$10/month. - Buffer — Schedules and automates social media posts across platforms.
Cost: Free limited plan; paid plans $6/month per channel. - Canva — Easy design tool for social media graphics, flyers, and marketing visuals.
Cost: Free plan; Canva Pro $12.99/month. - Kit (formerly ConvertKit) — Email marketing platform for automating subscriber management and campaigns.
Cost: Free up to 1,000 subscribers; paid starts $15–$29/month.
Other strong tools:
- Later — Social media scheduling tool with a visual calendar.
Cost: Free limited plan; paid tiers $18+/month. - Mailchimp — Email marketing with automation and audience management.
Cost: Free for up to 500 contacts; paid $13–$20+/month.
Finance & Accounting Tools
These tools track income, expenses, invoicing, and overall business finances.
Tools I use:
- QuickBooks — Manages bookkeeping, tracks expenses, sends invoices, and provides financial insights.
Cost: Paid plans start at $25/month, often discounted for new users.
Other strong tools:
- Expensify — Scans receipts, tracks expenses, and manages reimbursements.
Cost: Free individual use; paid business plans $5+/month per user. - FreshBooks — Simplified invoicing and time tracking, especially for freelancers and service providers.
Cost: Paid plans $19–$33/month. - Wave — Free accounting and invoicing; charges extra for payments and payroll.
Cost: Core tools free; extra fees for payment processing.
E-commerce & Automation Tools
These tools process payments, manage online sales, and automate workflows.
Tools I use:
- Make (formerly Integromat) — Automates workflows by connecting apps and reducing manual tasks.
Cost: Free plan; paid from $9/month. - Stripe — Online payment processor with flexible, secure transaction handling.
Cost: No monthly fee; 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction.
Other strong tools:
- Shopify — All-in-one platform to set up and manage an online store.
Cost: Starts at $39/month + transaction fees. - Square — Point-of-sale and online payment processing solution.
Cost: Free POS; 2.6% + 10¢ per swipe or tap.
Operations & Customer Management Tools
These tools help manage customer relationships, team collaboration, and internal workflows.
Tools I use:
- Make (formerly Integromat) — Automates key internal processes by linking tools and apps.
Cost: Free plan; paid starts $9/month. - Microsoft 365 — Supports daily operations with email, cloud storage, and collaboration tools.
Cost: Paid subscription; $6–$12/month per user.
Other strong tools:
- Airtable — Combines spreadsheet flexibility with database power for project and customer tracking.
Cost: Free plan; paid starts $10/month per user. - Google Workspace — Cloud-based email, documents, and collaboration suite.
Cost: $6–$12/month per user. - HubSpot CRM — Free CRM to manage leads, contacts, and sales pipelines; upgrade for marketing and sales features.
Cost: Core CRM free; advanced tools extra.
Cybersecurity & Password Management Tools
These tools protect sensitive data, secure accounts, and ensure safe remote work.
Tools I use:
- Microsoft 365 Security Features — Includes multi-factor authentication, encryption, and account protections.
Cost: Included in Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
Other strong tools:
- 1Password — Password manager for secure storage and sharing.
Cost: $2.99–$7.99/month per user. - LastPass — Another top password manager with free and paid options.
Cost: Free tier; premium $3–$4/month. - ExpressVPN — VPN for secure internet use, especially on public Wi-Fi.
Cost: $8–$12/month. - NordVPN — Another trusted VPN to protect online activity.
Cost: $4–$8/month depending on plan.
Running a small business can be challenging, but having the right small business software makes it much easier. My advice? Start by picking one or two tools that solve your biggest current challenges and then build up your toolkit over time. Let me know if you have any questions or have had any different experiences with any of these platforms. I’d love to hear about it. You can reach out to me at susan@thestressfreeceo.com.