Tech navigator: Tools for small business success

Written By James Kisielew

4 February 2025
Advice
Finance
Marketing
Techonology

As a small business owner, managing everything from finances to marketing and customer relationships can feel like a juggling act. Fortunately, the right tools can make all the difference. Here are some of the top tools in three key areas to help your business grow.

Financial management & accounting

Managing your business finances efficiently is crucial to staying on top of your cash flow and ensuring long-term success. These tools can help you simplify bookkeeping, track expenses, and stay compliant with tax regulations:

  • QuickBooks Online: QuickBooks offers simple invoicing, expense tracking, and financial reporting, with local tax options for small businesses.
  • Wave: Wave offers free accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning features. It’s ideal for small businesses looking for a budget-friendly solution with basic financial management features.
  • FreshBooks: This platform is perfect for service-based businesses. FreshBooks offers time tracking, invoicing, and client management, tailored to Canadian tax laws and business needs.

Marketing & social media

Marketing your business effectively requires the right tools to reach your audience, build your brand, and measure your success:

  • Hootsuite: Based in Vancouver, Hootsuite allows you to manage multiple social media accounts, schedule posts, track performance, and engage with your audience, all from one platform.
  • Mailchimp: Mailchimp offers email marketing automation, audience segmentation, and detailed analytics to help you create and manage impactful campaigns.
  • Mailmodo: A unique email marketing platform, Mailmodo lets you create interactive email campaigns with no coding required. It enables small businesses to send app-like experiences within emails, driving higher engagement and conversions. It’s especially useful for businesses looking to enhance email marketing with more dynamic content.
  • Canva: This popular design tool allows you to create professional-looking marketing materials—from social media posts to business cards—without the need for advanced design skills.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Building and maintaining strong relationships with your customers is key to growing your business. These CRM tools can help you manage contacts, improve communication, and deliver a more personalized experience to your customers:

  • HubSpot CRM: HubSpot offers a free version of its CRM, which can help you organize contacts, track sales activities, and automate marketing tasks—all in one platform.
  • Zoho CRM: Zoho CRM helps automate sales and marketing workflows, manage customer data, and integrate with other apps for a seamless experience.
  • Pipedrive: Pipedrive’s easy-to-use interface helps you streamline your sales processes, track leads, and manage customer relationships effectively with its customizable pipeline.