Selecting the best business management tools for your small business becomes super-complex when you add in one factor: integration. You see, management tools are supposed to automate tasks and save you time however, making your mix of solutions work together can suck that time right back up and turn all your effort into a wash.
Fortunately, there’s an answer to this problem: all-in-one business management tools. These solutions come loaded with everything you need in one neat package, removing integration worries from the equation entirely.
Even better, these tools live online so you can use them from anywhere and never need to worry about upgrades, hardware or backups because the vendor manages all that.
If you’re looking for a solution that’ll help you manage your back office, and often your front as well, then here are our picks of the best business management tools for small business.
General Solutions
These solutions cover everything from customer relationship management (CRM) to invoicing, collaboration and support. If you’re looking for a solid solution that you can customize, this is the list for you.
That said, before you dive in, check the third section because that one deals with specific types of businesses and those solutions might suite your needs better.
WORKetc
Founded in 2009, WORKetc was one of the pioneers in the all-in-one business management tools. Over the years, this solution has grown and matured until it can handle your back office, and even some customer-facing activities such as a help desk, with ease.
Zoho
Zoho‘s lineage is even older than that of WORKetc’s. Originally built as stand-alone online solutions, today Zoho’s suite of apps are tightly integrated into a system that can help you, “boost sales, step up productivity and manage all day-to-day activities.”
BlueCamroo
The fully featured Blue Camroo is chock full of all the functionality your small business will need. One outstanding feature is its ability to integrate social media both for tracking as well as for your help desk.
Sellsy
As you might expect from the name, Sellsy focuses on sales, but that’s not all it does. Unlike many of the other solutions in this list, you can use Sellsy to build and manage a website that’s fully integrated with your back end. They even have a “Rental” management feature that enables you to track availability and returns of rented items.
Bitrix
At first glance, Bitrix may seem to be a simple CRM, but they’ve included a lot of business management features such as invoicing, human resources, sales and even online meetings. The best part? Their basic level of service is free!
ADIOS
ADIOS offers an all-in-one business suite that offers just about everything you need. One nice feature is their “buy-only-what-you-need” pricing tool.
1CRM
1CRM is another online business management tool that calls itself a CRM but offers so much more. They offer marketing automation, a feature that’s not present in most all-in-one solutions.
ExxpertApps
ExxpertApps shows its European roots in its ability to handle multi everything (country, language, time zone and currency). If you have an international customer base, you should take a look at their solution.
kpi.com
Last but not least, kpi.com is a full-featured online business management solution that offers tons of functionality to the small and medium sized business.
General Service or Trade Business Solutions
If you run a service or trade business, then the solutions in this section were created to make your life easier. There are a lot of top-tier tools in this selection so take your time to find the one that fits your business best.
Before you dive in however, check the next section because that one deals with specific types of businesses and those solutions might suite your needs better.
YourTradeBase
No matter what your trade, YourTradeBase has you covered from A to Z. This is a robust but easy-to-use solution and one that many types of trade businesses can use.
mHelpDesk
Don’t let the name fool you because mHelpDesk offers much more then help desk functionality to service businesses. This is a robust and highly-rated tool so take some time to check it out.
Jobber
Jobber is perfect for service businesses. One standout feature is GPS tracking which enables you to keep an eye on your staff in the field.
Wintac
If you’re looking for the most popular service business management solution, then Wintac is the one. Their robust solution contains everything you need to run your service business smoothly.
Booker
Booker helps your service business manage the end-to-end relationship with your customers. They do this by focusing on, and offering functionality to manage, each part of your customer lifecycle:
Specific Business Type Solutions
While all the tools on this list enable you to manage your small business, this section lists solutions that are already tailored to specific types of businesses.
If your business matches one of the types listed below, then you can use one of these tools to hit the ground running.
Automotive Shop: Boss Shop Pro
Running an auto shop can be complex which is why you should check out Boss Shop Pro. Not only does this solution help you keep track of the hundreds of parts and details you deal with everyday, it also integrates seamlessly with solutions such as Carfax, Epicor and Edmunds.
Salon: Phorest
Manage your salon like a pro with Phorest, a solution built for salon owners. Aside from point-of-sale processing and stock management, this solution offers a number of features you can use to market your salon while building, and retaining, your clientele.
Residential Builder and Remodeler: Co-construct
Managing all the details from before a building project begins to after it’s done is hard. Co-construct simplifies the process by tracking all the details from beginning to end. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find inside:
Technology Service: ConnectWise
If you run an IT consulting firm, then you’re going to want to check out ConnectWise. This solution has everything you need to stay on top of your client’s needs while running your back-office successfully.
Technology Company: HarmonyPSA
If your business develops, sells and maintains hardware and software, then you need to take a look at HarmonyPSA. Designed from the top down for companies that deal in technology products and services, their robust offering has everything you might need.
Law Firm: CosmoLex
If you want an all-in-one solution for managing your law firm, then CosmoLex might fit the bill. Here’s a peek at what they offer:
Distributors and Manufacturers: OfficeBooks
OfficeBooks is the tool you need when you’re managing the many parts of distribution and manufacturing. From inventory control to sales/quotes, purchase orders, contact management and reports, you’ll find a lot to like in this solution.
Conclusion
In the end, an all-in-one business management tool will help you spend more time working in your business rather than working on your business and that’s a good thing.
Business Tablet User Photo via Shutterstock
[“source-smallbiztrends”]
