1.Email Marketing

With digital email marketing systems, it’s quick and easy to keep your email subscribers up to date on the latest happenings in your business and any special offers or promotions you’re running.

Many of these tools also let you auto-generate a regular email newsletter to your social networks, so you don’t need to make them on your own.

Brevo is one of the market leaders in the email marketing space.

Brevo consolidates marketing and sales tools into one platform. Formerly Sendinblue, Brevo now features a full-fledged CRM, meeting organization, call and chat functions, and streamlined deal tracking.

Additionally, Brevo still provides automation flows suited for various goals like engagement boosting, revenue growth, and relationship building.

Getting started is quick - from account creation to editing emails takes just clicks. Despite supporting email, SMS, WhatsApp, web push, and Facebook campaigns, Brevo simplifies workflow with pre-made templates and a drag-and-drop builder. Send immediately or utilize automation.

Advantages

1. Brevo can automate repetitive tasks, freeing up your time for more strategic work.
2. Centralise and organise your data for better accessibility and analysis.
3. Optimise processes and communication for faster project completion.
4. Brevo can adapt to your growing business needs.

Disadvantages

1. Users may need training to become proficient in the software.
2. Brevo may not seamlessly integrate with all existing systems.

2. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

CRM software is an essential business tool for small enterprises. It provides you with a central repository from which you can track, manage, and measure all touchpoints of your customer relationships and outreach. It can tell you who is receiving, opening, and reading your emails or visiting your website. It can also let you know that it’s been a while since you contacted a high-value client.

CRM tools analyse the data they gather to offer you regular relationship “temperature checks” and can recommend the next steps for engagement.

Hubspot is a useful tool to help keep you top-of-mind with your customers.

HubSpot CRM stores all necessary contact information in one centralized location and enables real-time tracking and analysis of sales activity. Together with HubSpot's marketing suite, full marketing campaigns can be executed from the software, including email, social media, advertising, custom landing pages, and forms for capturing leads.

HubSpot CRM provides clear visibility into the sales pipeline and effectively enables running complete marketing operations from the platform, creating a tailored user journey. By centralizing data and powering multi-channel campaigns from one solution, HubSpot CRM delivers an end-to-end system for marketers to orchestrate cohesive messaging and interactions while sales teams leverage actionable insights.

Advantages

1. Ability to closely monitor customers and then analyse their demands.
2. Excellent customer support.

Disadvantages

1. Video capabilities on email are somewhat limited.
2. Dull interface and limited colour choices.

3. HR Management

Few small businesses can afford to hire a dedicated or even a part-time human resources administrator. HR management software tools take care of everything from payroll and shift scheduling to distributing important company announcements.

Breathe hris a recognized leader in this space.

If you are looking for the ideal solution to keep on top of the day-to-day runnings of HR data, then this system is for you. It’s not only easy to use, you will also be able to pick up analysis to check how well your business is running correctly.

Advantages

1. Ideal for small businesses that need payroll software with basic HR support.
2. Breathe HR is a cloud-based software, so you can access it from anywhere with an internet connection.
3. Breathe HR integrates with a variety of other business software, such as accounting software, CRM software, and marketing automation software.
4. Breathe HR offers excellent customer support. They have a team of experts who can help you with any questions you have about the software.

Disadvantages

1. Breathe HR is not as customizable as some other HRIS systems. This means that you may not be able to tailor the software to your specific needs as easily.

4. Accounting Software

Online accounting software essentially performs much of the work that an accountant or bookkeeper would do. This includes keeping track of your income and expenses, invoicing, expense claims, and generating the documentation required for your tax returns.

Quickbooks is favoured by many small business owners.

QuickBooks is an accounting software package created and sold by Intuit. First introduced in 1992, QuickBooks provides products aimed primarily at small and medium-sized businesses. It offers both on-premises accounting applications as well as cloud-based versions. Functions of QuickBooks include accepting business payments, managing and paying bills, and handling payroll.

Advantages

1. User friendly and intuitive
2. Integrates easily with other apps

Disadvantages

1. Limited inventory management capabilities
2. When compared to the desktop version, QuickBooks Online’s report builder lacks some functionalities.

5. Communication and Collaboration

As your business grows, reliance on email and old-fashioned telephone calls can slow you down. Modern digital communication and collaboration tools allow for instant chatting and file sharing.

Microsoft Office 365 is a popular option for many small business owners.

Advantages

1. Straightforward management of identities and simple software installation and management.
2. It’s easy for people to see their colleagues’ calendars and set up meetings; the email function is clean and well organised.

Disadvantages

1. Microsoft does not back up Office 365 user data, so it recommends using third-party solutions to protect data against common issues like file corruption and everyday human error.
2. If you don’t invest in a third-party backup solution, you could face unwelcome downtime, productivity dips, and even compliance issues.

6. Password Management Tools

Password management tools allow you to manage all your accounts securely.

They avoid the risk of people reusing easy-to-guess passwords and writing them down.

Here, 01 password is a popular choice.

1Password offers user-friendly and polished applications across Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and major web browsers. Its Watchtower capability detects weak, reused, or exposed passwords and provides straightforward guidance to resolve these risks. Implementing robust encryption and security principles, 1Password prioritizes safeguarding your information. Although the most secure configuration demands frequent master password reentry or biometric authentication, convenience settings are available to adjust this to your preferences.

Advantages

1. 01 Password uses the latest encryption technologies and security practices to protect your passwords.
2. Generate, store, and easily access all your passwords from one secure platform. 
3. Use 01 Password on all your devices, including desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets, with dedicated apps and browser extensions.

Disadvantages

1. Your entire vault is protected by a single master password. If that password is compromised, all your data is at risk.