When I launched my small business (a slightly ramshackle operation born out of one part ambition, two parts sleep deprivation, and a leftover domain name from 2017) I thought, how hard could it be? I had a laptop, a good Wi-Fi signal, and an unhealthy relationship with color-coded Google Calendar blocks.
Cut to: me in week four, sitting at the kitchen table, buried in a growing tower of sticky notes, trying to figure out if I had invoiced the woman who wanted “a quick consult” or if I’d just dreamt that conversation during a particularly vivid 3 a.m. insomnia spiral. I had 27 browser tabs open, none of them helpful. My inbox was an archaeological dig site. My son asked me if QuickBooks was a Pokémon.
That’s when I realized: I needed help. Not the human kind (I mean, yes, obviously) but in this case, software help. The kind that doesn’t judge you for your overflowing inbox or the fact that you named a folder “MISC_TRASH.”
Here’s what I’ve found actually works—not what productivity influencers on Instagram claim they use while filming TikToks from their infinity pools, but the stuff that has kept my business upright and my cortisol levels manageable.
1. Accounting: Because Receipts in a Shoebox Are Not a System
Look, I went to school for writing, not for reconciling financial statements. And yet, if you’re running any kind of business, you have to deal with money. That means knowing how much is coming in, what’s going out, and whether your bank balance can survive another splurge on branded stickers.
If you’re still tracking finances with a messy spreadsheet—or worse, the mental tally system where you “just kind of remember” how much you spent at Staples last week—please stop. I’ve been there. It ends in tears and a panicked call to your accountant.
QuickBooks is the default because it works. It’s not sexy, but it’s solid. If you want something equally competent but a little less like filing taxes with your dad, Xero is great. For those of us bootstrapping from our living rooms, Wave is the best free option out there. It’s perfect if you’re managing a smaller operation and need to track invoices, categorize expenses, and pull basic reports.
Do not wait until tax season to fix your accounting setup. Your accountant will thank you. Your therapist will thank you. You will thank you.
2. Payroll: Yes, It’s a Nightmare, But No, You Shouldn’t DIY It
If you have employees (whether it’s a full-time assistant or your cousin who helps with shipping on weekends) you need payroll software. Full stop.
I tried running payroll manually once. Once. There were spreadsheets. There were headaches. There was an unfortunate moment involving the IRS and a 10-99 I forgot to send. Don’t be like me.
Software like Gusto or Patriot handles everything: taxes, direct deposit, year-end forms, compliance. It’s one of those expenses that feels like a luxury at first but quickly reveals itself to be a necessity. People want to get paid on time, and they don’t want to hear your life story about how the bank holiday messed up your math.
And if you’re a solo operator? You still need a system for paying yourself and tracking those payments. You deserve a paycheck, even if it’s from you.
3. Payment Processing: Make It Easy or They’ll Ghost You
Imagine this: a potential customer is ready to pay. They love your handmade dog sweaters or your consulting services or your artisanal email templates. And then… they get to your checkout process, which requires a wire transfer, a fax machine, and a blood oath.
They bounce. Obviously.
Stripe and Square make accepting payments borderline delightful. They handle all the terrifying stuff—security, PCI compliance, fraud protection—so you can focus on not panicking every time someone clicks “Buy Now.” Square is especially great if you do in-person sales (shout out to my fellow farmers’ market vendors with portable card readers).
If you’re invoicing, PayPal and FreshBooks are your friends. They let you send clean, professional invoices that don’t look like they were made in MS Paint. And they make it easy for clients to pay you without ten back-and-forth emails asking where to send the check.
In 2025, making customers jump through hoops to give you money should be a crime. Don’t make your customers jump through hoops!
4. Email Marketing: The Uncool Tool That Actually Works
Email marketing is the kale of the digital world. Nobody gets excited about it, but it’s quietly keeping us alive.
I was skeptical at first. I didn’t want to be one of those people. The ones who send three promotional emails a week with subject lines like “LAST CHANCE!!!!” in all caps. But I’ve learned that done right, email marketing is personal, effective, and—dare I say it—kinda fun.
Mailchimp is the obvious choice. It’s free to start, the templates are decent, and it’s not intimidating. If you’re a little more advanced—or selling courses, digital products, or subscriptions—ConvertKit is more elegant and creator-friendly.
Whatever you use, remember the golden rule: Don’t spam. Send content you’d want to read yourself. Share stories. Show personality. Pretend you’re emailing a friend who also might want to buy your thing. It works.
5. CRM: Remembering Customers’ Names Is Not Enough
If your “customer management system” is a tangle of sticky notes, starred emails, and an old spreadsheet labeled “PEOPLE???”, it’s time to get a CRM solution.
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, and if that phrase alone makes you yawn, stay with me. A CRM helps you remember who you talked to, what you talked about, and when to follow up. You know—like a functioning adult.
HubSpot’s free version is surprisingly robust and not too scary to set up. If you need something more powerful, Zoho CRM and Pipedrive are affordable and play nicely with other tools. Even if you’re not technically “a sales operation,” the minute you start trying to remember if you sent that quote to Janet or if you ever followed up with that PR contact, you’re doing CRM.
Future You will be so grateful you started using one now. You’ll feel like a wizard when someone emails you and you can say, “Yes! We spoke last November about your website redesign,” without scrambling through your inbox like a raccoon in a recycling bin.
6. Cloud Storage: Because Your Laptop Will Betray You
Let me paint a picture: You’re working on a proposal. It’s brilliant. It’s going to land you your biggest client yet. And then your laptop dies. Not metaphorically. Literally. One minute it’s fine, the next it’s emitting sounds you haven’t heard since dial-up internet and refusing to boot.
This is why cloud storage is non-negotiable. Your computer will betray you. Not “if,” but “when.”
Google Drive is free and works for most people. You’re probably already using it to share soccer snack schedules or PTA meeting notes. It works just as well for contracts and pitch decks. If you deal with large files—photos, videos, design files—Dropbox is a classic, and OneDrive integrates beautifully with Microsoft if that’s your jam.
Back. Everything. Up. I promise this will be the most boring but most life-saving thing you do for your business this year.
So, What’s the Real Secret Here?
I wish I could tell you that downloading six apps and linking them together with a shiny dashboard is going to make your small business run like a dream. It won’t. You’ll still have to chase clients, write emails while eating over the sink, and wonder why your printer only jams when something is due.
But these tools? They make the hard parts less hard. They keep you organized, professional, and slightly less overwhelmed. They let you spend more time doing the thing you actually love about your business—and a little less time trying to remember if you paid your quarterly taxes.
Running a small business is kind of like parenting: messy, unpredictable, occasionally magical. You’ll never be completely “on top of it,” but with the right tools—and maybe an extra-large coffee—you’ll stay in the game.
And that’s really the goal, right?
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