I am a huge fan of systems, processes and organisational tools. And there is a tool for everything under the online business sun, you just have to find it.
The most important thing you want to prioritise when running your online business is streamlining your systems, because once these are in place, you have far less to worry about on a daily basis and can focus on the core elements of your business which really matter.
Of course there are more than 30 out there but here are some of the best tools (in my opinion) to help your organise, automate and facilitate the various tasks that come with having an online business, no matter what niche or industry you’re in.
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30 Online Small Business Tools To Streamline Your Systems
Time & Task management tools
When working with clients, you’ll need to clock your hours so that you can accurately bill for the work you’ve done.
You might also want to time how long it takes to complete a non-billable task in order to improve your own time management. Either way, these apps are free and very user friendly.
Storage
I thrive with having folders for various elements of my work. Whether it’s a folder for each client (and all the subfolders within that) or folders to allow you to share content and documents with clients or team members, the most popular tools are:
- Google Drive / GSuite
- Dropbox
Graphics
It is deceptively easy to create beautiful and functional graphics for your online business.
Some of the most complicated looking workbooks, documents, opt ins, and social media templates have been created on an app as simple to use as:
While Canva has both paid and free options, the Adobe Cloud packages (below) have to be purchased and are for more advanced users and tasks.
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe XD
Most people stick to Canva because it’s so user friendly and has template options for everything you could need: IG posts, Pinterest, email newsletters, Facebook banners and covers and more.
Communication
Aside from emails and sometimes WhatsApp (optional for some people), the most popular form of communication with clients and teammates for your online business could be:
- Slack
- Skype
- Zoom
To create pre-recorded videos for training purposes for your team or to create a pre-recorded lead generator or opt in, you could use:
Social Media Schedulers
It is so much more efficient to automate and schedule your social media posts by batches so that your day to day are freed up for more important tasks. Some of the best social media schedulers, which have both free and paid options are:
Appointment Scheduling
Whether it’s to schedule recurring meetings with your international team or to set discovery calls or ongoing calls with clients, here are the most reliable tools that allow you to send reminders and link to emails and just smooth out your appointment system.
Landing page building & email collection
Forms, Questionnaires & Surveys
These tools are perfect for setting up various questionnaires for clients, feedback surveys, quizzes, polls and other forms of lead generation.
Payment
Before you settle on one tool for online payment, you’ll want to compare the various exchange and transfer rates to make sure that you get the best deal out of your transfer. But aside from a standard bank transfer you can also look into:
Secure Password Sharing
Of course you always have to be very careful where, how and with whom you share your passwords, but Lastpass was designed to facilitate the world of online business teams.
It’s trusted by over 25.6 million people as the #1 password storage and sharing tool. Save your passwords for your own use but also share them with your team members or clients anonymously (they can login to the relevant page without actually seeing the passwords)
Having an online business can be so rewarding, but without making use of the incredible tools out there to streamline your processes, it can be easy to get lost in overwhelm.
And if even with all these tools you find you still can’t do it all – maybe it’s time to look for a virtual assistant!
