Top 5 Tools for Small Business Owners and Freelancers

It’s not easy being self-employed, whether you’re running a small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME) or working as a freelancer. While there’s definitely a sense of accomplishment and self-fulfillment that comes with being your own boss, there are also plenty of challenges.

For one, you’ll be responsible for quite literally everything; from contacting clients to making income projections, your calendar will definitely be jam-packed for a good while. You also have to deal with the minutiae of business yourself. For example, if you’re employed, your employer will (usually) handle submitting government forms and contributions. If you’re an SME owner or a freelancer, you have to deal with these matters yourself.

Fortunately, there are plenty of tools you can use to make certain facets of being self-employed much simpler. If you want to improve your day-to-day operations, be more productive as a freelancer, or you’re planning to dip your toes in the gig economy, check out this list:

Communications Tools

Staying in touch with your clients and business partners is crucial to the success of your SME or freelancing career. Thus, you need a suite of communications tools to ensure that you’re able to send and receive messages with ease. With proper communication, you can help ensure client satisfaction and boost customer retention.

Some of the must-have communications tools these days include the following:

Email

Nowadays, most business correspondence—like responses to job ads or requests for product quotations—will be sent through email. As such, it’s imperative that you create one to send and receive such messages. 

Ideally, you should have an email hosted in your own domain. If you don’t have a website yet, then at least create a professional-sounding address that’s tied to your identity. Some freelancers use their first name initials and surname, while some SMEs prefer to use their company name or the name of their product.

Make sure to use a reliable provider as well, so the recipients won’t think it’s a scam or phishing attempt. The most popular option for most users is Gmail, but you can also make use of Outlook, ProtonMail, and Zoho Mail, among many other alternatives.

Real-Time Messaging Tools

One of the best ways to keep up with your clients and customers in real time is through a messaging app. It may be less formal than an email, but it’s definitely effective for quick updates and follow-ups. What’s great about a messaging app is that a lot of people are used to them, so there’s virtually no learning curve to overcome. Many of them are also free to use as well, although some may have more premium features that come with paid versions.

Most messaging apps nowadays also come with built-in video conferencing. This is great for virtual meetings, especially those that need more thorough, back-and-forth discussions that can be tedious to conduct through email.

Some of the options you have for a business-oriented messaging app or tool include:

  • Skype. This is the messaging and VoIP (voice over internet protocol) service/app of Microsoft, delivered by their Skype Technologies division. If you’re already using Outlook for emails, you may want to use this for instant messaging for better integration.
  • Zoom. Zoom is one of the most popular video conferencing apps nowadays, thanks to multi-platform compatibility. This ensures smooth video feeds even when the meeting participants are using different devices and brands.
  • Google Hangouts or Google Chat. Google currently has two chat services available: Hangouts for consumer accounts and Chat for business accounts. Chat contains more features, such as threaded conversations, but Hangouts is more than enough for exchanging messages.
  • Slack. Slack was originally designed as a messaging app for businesses, but it can also be used for personal communications. Some unique features of Slack include pinning messages, commands like /remind, and shared channels. This last one is great for coordinating with clients.
  • Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams is useful for larger audiences (up to 10,000), but it’s also great for collaboration within an organization. What’s more, because it’s part of the Microsoft ecosystem, it seamlessly integrates with OneDrive, Outlook, and more.

Finance-Related Tools and Apps

SME owners and freelancers are almost always on the go, so it can be difficult to visit the bank to make certain transactions. Thankfully, most banks nowadays now have their own apps so you can send money, transfer funds, and check your account balance wherever you are.

You should also make the most use of e-wallets, especially if you’re an entrepreneur. Remember: not all Filipinos are banked. By providing your customers with more convenient ways to pay for their purchases, you show that you care for their convenience and value their patronage.

You should also consider having an easy-to-access app to avail cash loans. These are great solutions for things like acquiring extra funding to try out new products or covering daily operational expenses. For freelancers, cash loans may help tide you over lean periods or when you’re still building up your client base. You can also use cash loans to invest in yourself.  For example, you can enroll in online webinars to learn about social media marketing or how to use a new piece of software.

Finally, for billing your customers in a professional and efficient manner, you can use invoicing apps or software. These let you send a formal request for payment, which also include an itemized list of products and/or services rendered. Depending on the software you choose, you may be able to customize your invoice with your branding elements. This is helpful for establishing your name as a business or service provider. You can also enclose your payment details within the invoice for convenience. 

Accounting Software

Strictly speaking, accounting software is also finance-related software. However, it needs a bit more emphasis. As a business owner or freelancer, you’re usually the only person responsible for managing your finances. If you can’t keep up with your cash flow and other financial concerns, you may end up losing more money than you can afford.

The best practice is, of course, to hire an accountant. For those who can’t afford to just yet, however, you can use accounting software like QuickBooks, FreshBooks, or Wave. Note that many of these samples of accounting software also usually come with their own invoicing systems. However, you can opt not to use them if you have a preferred piece of invoicing software.

Project Management Tools

It can be difficult to keep up with your long to-do list. Unfortunately, you can’t afford to miss out on anything or you’ll risk disappointing your clients. Fortunately, though, there are plenty of project management tools you can use to keep on top of all the things you need to do. Some popular examples include:

  • Trello. Trello is a Kanban-style project management tool, which makes use of “cards” for individual projects. These cards can be updated whenever there are changes or updates.
  • Basecamp. This is an all-in-one project management platform that comes with a variety of features like scheduling, file sharing, and messaging.
  • Todoist. Todoist is another popular task management software. Some of its most useful features include adding subtasks to a project, as well as setting recurring due dates.

Other options include Microsoft ToDo, TickTick, Google Tasks, Infinity, and Habitica. Most of these project management tools have free and premium versions, but the free ones are more than enough to cover basic needs. That said, for SME owners, you may want to consider upgrading to a better service once you start hiring more people. 

Scheduling Tools 

As a small business owner or a freelancer, one of your most valuable resources is your time. With how busy you are, however, it can be difficult to manage all your meetings; these can lead to losses and other negative effects on your business. The good thing is that you can simplify matters with the help of calendar apps or scheduling tools.

Fortunately, you already have one that’s free and easily accessible: the native calendar app that came with your smartphone. However, it may be too basic for your needs. If that’s the case, you can use calendar apps like Calendly, MeetFox, and Acuity. Many email providers, like Microsoft Outlook and Google, also have a built-in calendar. These tools have a variety of features, the most important of which is the capability to share your schedule with others. This way, you don’t have to go back and forth through email or chat just to find a common available time for a meeting.

 

Being an SME owner or a freelancer comes with its own set of challenges compared to being an employee. Fortunately, you have technology on your side to make things more manageable. Consider the tools mentioned above, if you haven’t yet. They can help you optimize the way you work and bolster your career towards greater success.

You also don’t have to go with the examples given in this list. There are many more options to choose from, so pick the one that meets all your needs and preferences. Take advantage of free trial periods so you can judge for yourself which one suits you and your clients best.