Running a small business is no small feat, especially in South Africa’s competitive landscape. There are a number of factors essential to success, chief among them is the role of staying organised. Staying on top of things is the powerhouse behind efficiently managing operations, communicating with clients, and maintaining financial health. Fortunately, a range of tools is available to help small business owners streamline their workflows.
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From project management apps to accounting software, these tools are designed to save time, reduce errors, and increase efficiency.
Here are some of the best options to consider in 2025.
Tackle Your Project Management
It can be challenging to manage tasks, deadlines, budgets, and team responsibilities. As a small business owner, all of this tends to sit on your shoulders, which is why you should take advantage of tools like Trello and Asana. For example, Trello uses a visual board system so you can stay on top of deadlines and tasks, while Asana offers more detailed project tracking features. Explore both to see which suits your business’s budget and requirements.
Let’s Talk Communication
If your business has grown to include hiring more team members or has opted to engage regular freelancers on a project-by-project basis, then good communication is paramount. It used to be about following up on emails, but thankfully there are platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams which enable real-time communication with your team. With these platforms it doesn’t matter what your team looks like or if they’re in the same office or working remotely, everyone will be on the same page and working towards the same goal.
Track The Money
One of the major stumbling blocks for businesses of all sizes, but small businesses in particular, is the accounting side of things. Without the presence of a firm hand on the tiller, it’s easy to lose track of your expenses, under quote, or mismanage your payments to suppliers. Check out tools like QuickBooks or Xero, which can simplify invoicing, expense tracking, and tax preparation, and generally make financial management less daunting.
Automate Your Marketing
With everything else that you are managing, it might seem like scheduling social media posts and sending out email campaigns is the least of your concerns. Truthfully, staying on top of a project is far more important than posting on Facebook. That said, the power of marketing is fundamental to creating awareness, engaging with customers and potential customers, growing your business’ presence, and pushing your business to the next level.
Consider apps like Mailchimp and Hootsuite, which can help you to automate your marketing goals.
Feeling informed?
Arguably, staying organised is key to the success of any small business, and our hope is that by adopting these tools or those that make more sense for your line of work and budget, you can improve productivity, reduce stress, and focus on growing your business.
Don’t forget that AA Inform is home to a range of useful financial tools and resources that can assist you along the way, including access to our Personal Loan Calculator.
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