Best Small Business Tools You Don't Want to Miss

CoSchedule offers an all-in-one AI marketing calendar to organize content, social media, and other marketing efforts. It provides various tools for different aspects of marketing, including: * **Calendars:** Social Calendar, Content Calendar, and Agency Calendar, designed to centralize tasks, projects, and campaigns for individuals, teams, and agencies. * **Generative AI:** Hire Mia, a collaborative AI editor, to boost marketing output. * **Content Optimization:** Headline Studio, an AI-powered headline writing tool, to create engaging and SEO-friendly headlines, captions, and titles. * **Marketing Education:** The Actionable Marketing Institute, a library of on-demand marketing courses. * **Tools:** A wide range of free AI writing tools, including idea generators for various content types (holidays, online stores, sales pitches, etc.), compliance generators (HIPAA, GDPR, etc.), and tools for analyzing headlines and optimizing social messages. CoSchedule aims to streamline the marketing process, helping teams and individuals stay organized and maximize their efforts. The platform's comprehensive suite of tools and AI capabilities are designed to improve efficiency and effectiveness in marketing. The platform also provides resources like customer stories, popular use cases, and a marketing blog to help users understand and utilize the tools effectively.

BuzzSumo is a media database that understands journalists, enabling better connections. It offers a suite of features for content discovery, research, influencer identification, monitoring, and more. Users can find and connect with 700,000 journalists, pitch to active journalists with monthly profile updates, and identify high-impact journalists based on social engagement data. BuzzSumo provides 2x more niche topic results than other databases, allowing for faster and more relevant outreach. The platform's AI pitching tool streamlines the process, enabling users to discover, pitch, outreach, and report in one place. BuzzSumo also allows users to be inspired by engaging topics and real-time trends, tap into viral stories, generate content ideas and briefs, analyze data from 15 minutes to five years, and access an archive of 8 billion articles worldwide. It helps discover popular content in any niche, investigate content across various platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, YouTube), filter content based on audience resonance, uncover competitor content ideas, and study shares, links, and trends. Users can accurately track mentions, trends, and updates, create alerts for topics, brands, and keywords, monitor competitor mentions and content, and see new links from around the web. The platform also offers a Chrome extension for on-the-go content research, allowing analysis of social engagement while browsing, examination of competitor metrics, saving content ideas, and accessing the archive of 8 billion articles. Users can shortlist tastemakers and trendbreakers, research influential voices, track their content, and select the best for partnerships and promotions. BuzzSumo integrates and automates with powerful APIs, enabling the creation of insightful internal reporting tools, enhancement of public web applications, and the creation of dashboards and visualizations to prove impact. The platform tracks the performance of published content. BuzzSumo offers various pricing plans catering to different needs and budgets, including Content Creation, PR & Comms, Suite, and Enterprise plans. Each plan includes different features, user limits, and search/alert capabilities. The platform also provides resources like a blog, research, webinars, case studies, and testimonials to showcase its value and customer success stories.

Hootsuite is a social media management platform that helps businesses manage their social media presence across multiple platforms. It offers a range of features, including publishing and scheduling posts, social media analytics, social listening, AI content creation, tools for identifying the best times to post, engagement tools, an inbox and messaging system, employee advocacy tools, and social advertising. Hootsuite also provides integrations with various other platforms and tools. The platform caters to various industries, including small businesses, financial services, government, healthcare, education, real estate, professional services, legal, and agencies, as well as nonprofits. Hootsuite offers resources such as social media trends reports, case studies, webinars, a blog, courses, free tools, templates, tutorials, and demos, as well as a FAQ section. The platform boasts significant improvements in reach (+636%), growth across social channels (+500%), and sourced revenue (+250%) year-over-year. Hootsuite helps businesses prove their social ROI by providing detailed analytics, identifying high-performing content, benchmarking against competitors, and scheduling posts at optimal times. It streamlines social media management by allowing users to schedule posts across multiple networks from a single dashboard, using Canva templates, AI-powered caption and hashtag generation, and seamless workflows. Hootsuite also simplifies communication by providing a unified inbox for managing comments and messages across platforms, with automated routing, auto-responders, and chatbot integrations. The platform automates caption writing and messaging, freeing up time and reducing burnout. Hootsuite also offers social listening tools to monitor keywords, mentions, and hashtags, enabling brands to stay informed about public perception. The platform is demonstrated through examples like DaVita, which increased web traffic from LinkedIn by 136% using employee advocacy, generating roughly $1.5M in equivalent ad spend and a 27% year-over-year increase in job applications from social media.

Buffer helps you build an audience organically on social media. It's a values-driven company offering affordable and intuitive marketing tools for ambitious individuals and teams. Buffer streamlines the social media management process by providing tools to create, publish, analyze, and engage with your audience across various platforms. Key features include: <em> <strong>Content Creation:</strong> Building a library of content ideas and turning them into captivating posts for different platforms. </em> <strong>Audience Growth:</strong> Sharing content on the right channels with suggested hashtags to help grow your following. <em> <strong>Time Savings:</strong> Automating content publishing to save time and showcasing work with automated reports. </em> <strong>Collaboration:</strong> Facilitating team collaboration with permissions levels and approval flows for seamless workflow. Buffer's tools allow for efficient and intentional social media management, saving time and resources while strengthening audience engagement. The company boasts a strong customer support system with 24/7 email and social media support, as well as a comprehensive help center. Buffer has a proven track record of helping businesses and individuals grow their social media presence, as evidenced by customer testimonials and growth statistics.

GetResponse is an email marketing and automation platform that helps businesses grow their lists, communicate with customers, promote products, and monetize content. It offers a suite of tools including signup forms, landing pages, website builders, conversion funnels, email marketing, autoresponders, marketing automation, web push notifications, SMS marketing, ecommerce integrations, popup creators, AI recommendations, paid ads, course creators, premium newsletters, and webinars. The platform allows for seamless data synchronization and integration with other tools through 170+ integrations. It provides various plans for different needs, from affordable plans for marketers to enterprise-grade solutions for mid and large companies, and specialized plans for creators. GetResponse also offers a free trial and a 24/7 support team. The platform boasts high deliverability rates and average list growth for paid plans within the first 30 days. It also provides resources like a blog, webinars, and a help center to assist users in their journey. The platform is designed to help businesses grow their audience, save time, boost engagement, create and monetize content, and scale their online stores. It offers various features to help businesses achieve these goals, including email marketing tools, landing pages, marketing automation tools, online course creators, AI recommendations, and high-volume solutions with dedicated support.

ActiveCampaign is an all-in-one marketing automation platform designed to help businesses create and automate personalized customer experiences. It offers a suite of tools for marketing automation, omnichannel marketing, content creation, audience management, analytics, and reporting, all integrated with AI capabilities. Key features include email marketing, dynamic content personalization, contact segmentation, CRM for sales tracking, landing pages, and forms for lead generation. ActiveCampaign provides solutions for various industries, including agencies, online education, ecommerce, multi-location businesses, SaaS, healthcare, creators, travel, and non-profits. It caters to solopreneurs, small and medium businesses, and enterprises, offering tools to streamline customer engagement and optimize business operations. The platform boasts integrations with over 900 popular marketing tools, allowing for seamless automation across the entire marketing stack. ActiveCampaign's automation features help save users significant time, with customers reporting average monthly time savings of 20 hours. The platform also provides email templates, automation recipes, and free marketing tools to enhance user experience and efficiency. ActiveCampaign offers a free 14-day trial, with no credit card required, and supports over 180,000 customers globally.

HubSpot is an AI-powered customer platform that provides all the software, integrations, and resources needed to connect marketing, sales, and customer service. Its connected platform helps businesses grow faster by focusing on customer needs. HubSpot's platform brings marketing, sales, and service teams together on a single AI-powered platform. It's user-friendly, delivers quick value, and offers a unified customer view throughout their journey. While each product within the platform is powerful individually, the true value lies in using them together. HubSpot offers various products, including: * **Marketing Hub:** AI-powered marketing software for lead generation and automation, with features like social media management, marketing automation, and analytics. * **Sales Hub:** Easy-to-use sales software leveraging AI for pipeline building and deal closing, including sales workspace, deal management, and prospecting tools. * **Service Hub:** Customer service software powered by AI to scale support and drive retention, with features like an omni-channel help desk, customer success workspace, and customer agent tools. * **Content Hub:** An all-in-one, AI-powered content marketing platform for content creation and management, including a scalable CMS, brand voice tools, and content agent features. * **Operations Hub:** Operations software using AI to activate and manage data, with features like data sync, programmable automation, and AI-powered data quality automation. * **Commerce Hub:** B2B commerce software for collecting payments and automating billing, including invoice and subscription management, quotes, and payment links. * **Small Business Bundle:** A discounted bundle of the Starter edition of each product, designed for startups and small businesses, offering a unified platform for finding and reaching customers, growing sales, and organizing customer data. HubSpot also features Breeze, its AI tools that assist with tasks, automate work, enrich data, and improve overall efficiency. HubSpot's solutions address various business challenges, including lead generation, sales acceleration, and content creation for the entire customer journey. HubSpot customers have reported significant improvements, such as increased web traffic, deals closed, and tickets resolved, after one year of using the platform.

Brevo is a powerful email marketing platform designed to help businesses of all sizes send professional, engaging emails. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools and features to manage every aspect of your email marketing campaigns, from creating and designing emails to sending and tracking them. Brevo's intuitive interface makes it easy to create beautiful and responsive emails that look great on any device. You can segment your audience, personalize your messages, and track key metrics like open rates and click-through rates to optimize your campaigns for maximum impact. Key features include: <em> <strong>Email creation and design:</strong> Brevo provides a user-friendly drag-and-drop email editor, allowing you to create visually appealing emails without needing extensive design skills. Templates are also available to speed up the process. </em> <strong>Email sending and management:</strong> Brevo handles the technical aspects of sending emails, ensuring they reach your recipients' inboxes reliably. You can schedule emails, track delivery, and manage your email list. <em> <strong>Automation:</strong> Automate your email marketing workflows with Brevo's powerful automation features. Set up automated email sequences for welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, or post-purchase follow-ups. </em> <strong>Segmentation and personalization:</strong> Target specific segments of your audience with personalized email content. Brevo allows you to segment your contacts based on various criteria and tailor your messages to each segment. * <strong>Reporting and analytics:</strong> Track the performance of your email campaigns with detailed reporting and analytics. Monitor key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to understand what's working and what needs improvement. Brevo's platform is scalable, meaning it can grow with your business. Whether you're sending a few emails a day or thousands, Brevo can handle your needs. It also integrates with other popular business tools, making it easy to manage your entire marketing workflow in one place. Overall, Brevo is a robust and user-friendly email marketing platform that empowers businesses to connect with their audience effectively and drive results.

Constant Contact offers a suite of digital marketing tools, including email marketing, email templates, SMS marketing, social media marketing, ecommerce marketing, and event marketing. Their tools also encompass AI-powered writing assistance, automation for timely email delivery, integrations with various apps, list-building tools, and comprehensive campaign reporting. Constant Contact caters to businesses of all sizes, from startups to established enterprises, providing resources for new, experienced, and advanced marketers. They offer various partner programs, including franchise, enterprise, agency, marketing expert, and business partner programs, designed for different needs and business models. Constant Contact also provides resources like a blog, podcast, customer stories, webinars, and an on-demand library to help users learn and grow their marketing skills. They offer a community forum for users to connect and share experiences, a knowledge base for troubleshooting and support, and a marketing advisor service for personalized guidance. Constant Contact's customer support is highlighted as award-winning, and their tools are designed to be easy to use, helping businesses drive revenue and boost growth. The platform supports various industries and business types, with customer success stories showcasing the platform's effectiveness.

Mailchimp is a comprehensive email marketing and automation platform designed to help businesses of all sizes grow their revenue. It offers a suite of tools and services to create personalized email campaigns, manage audiences, automate marketing tasks, and track campaign performance. Mailchimp's platform integrates with various other marketing tools, such as Shopify, Wix, Salesforce, Canva, and WooCommerce, to streamline workflows and provide a holistic marketing experience. The platform also includes AI-powered tools to assist with content creation and campaign optimization. Mailchimp provides various plans, including a free trial, to cater to different needs and budgets. The platform offers detailed analytics and reporting features to track campaign performance and identify areas for improvement. It also provides resources, including tutorials, case studies, and support, to help users maximize their use of the platform. Mailchimp's services extend to various industries, including e-commerce, service-based businesses, mobile and web apps, startups, agencies, and freelancers. Professional services, such as personalized onboarding and customer success management, are also available to help users get started and stay successful. Mailchimp boasts a large user base, high email deliverability rates, and a reputation for helping businesses achieve significant ROI.

Thomson Reuters offers a suite of products and services for legal, tax, accounting, and trade professionals. Their offerings span various areas, including: **Legal:** * Business development tools like billing management, court management, legal calendaring, practice management, project & knowledge management, and workflow automation software. * Corporate & business organization tools, including business practice & procedure. * Legal forms, including legal form-building software. * Legal data & document management, encompassing data management, data-driven insights, document management, and document storage & retrieval. * Drafting software, services, and guidance, including contract services and drafting software. * Evidence management, including electronic evidence. * Financial management, including outside counsel spend. * Law firm marketing, including attracting & retaining clients and custom legal marketing services. * Legal research & guidance, including anywhere access to reference books, due diligence, and legal research technology. * Trial readiness, process & case guidance, including case management software and matter management. **Tax & Accounting:** * Audit & accounting tools, including accounting & financial management, audit workflow, disclosure, engagement compilation & review, guidance & standards, internal audit & controls, and quality control. * Data & document management, including certificate management, data management & mining, document management, and document storage & organization. * Estate planning, including estate planning & taxation and wealth management. * Financial planning & analysis, including financial reporting. * Payroll, compensation, pension & benefits, including payroll & workforce management services and healthcare plans. * Practice management & growth, including billing management, client management, cost management, practice management, and workflow management. * Professional development & education, including product training & education and professional development. * Tax planning & preparation, including financial close, income tax compliance, tax automation, tax compliance, tax planning, tax preparation, tax tools, sales & use tax, transfer pricing, and fixed asset depreciation. * Tax research & guidance, including federal tax, state & local tax, international tax, tax laws & regulations, partnership taxation, research powered by AI, specialized industry taxation, credits & incentives, and uncertain tax positions. **Trade & Supply:** * Customs & duties management, including customs law compliance & administration. * Global trade compliance & management, including global export compliance & management, global trade analysis, and denied party screening. * Product & service classification, including Harmonized Tariff System classification. * Supply chain & procurement technology, including foreign-trade zone (FTZ) management and supply chain compliance. **Risk & Fraud:** * Risk & compliance management, including regulatory compliance management. * Fraud prevention, detection & investigations, including fraud prevention technology. * Risk management & investigations, including investigation technology and document retrieval & due diligence services. **News & Media:** * Reuters provides news and media services to various sectors, including broadcasters, publishers, governments, marketers, professionals, sports media, corporate communications, health & pharma, and machine learning & AI. * Offers various content types, including video, pictures, newswires, graphics, audio, live video, events, and all content types. * Provides services like Reuters Plus - Content Studio, advertising solutions, sponsorship, and verification services. * Offers platforms like Reuters Connect, World News Express, Reuters Pictures Platform, API & Feeds, and Reuters.com Platform. * Provides media solutions like user-generated content, Reuters Ready, ready-to-publish, and archive. **Books:** * Thomson Reuters offers legal and tax books. **Developers:** * Provides APIs by industry, including legal, risk & fraud, tax & accounting, and trade & supply. * Offers use case libraries for each industry. This is a broad overview of the extensive range of products and services offered by Thomson Reuters. Specific details and pricing are available on the product pages.

Intuit offers a suite of products for accountants, including professional tax software (Lacerte, ProConnect, ProSeries), workflow add-ons (Tax Advisor, Hosting, eSignature, Protection Plus, Pay-by-Refund, Intuit Select Pro Staffing), and accounting solutions (QuickBooks Online Accountant, QuickBooks Accountant Desktop, EasyACCT). <strong>Professional Tax Software:</strong> These software options cater to different needs, from complex returns and multiple preparers (Lacerte) to cloud-based flexibility (ProConnect) and simple forms-based screens (ProSeries). <strong>Workflow Add-ons:</strong> Intuit Tax Advisor automatically creates tax plans for clients using data from ProConnect or Lacerte software. Hosting options for Lacerte and ProSeries provide cloud-based security and backups. eSignature allows secure document signing. Protection Plus safeguards clients from audits and identity theft. Pay-by-Refund offers clients the option of no upfront costs. Intuit Select Pro Staffing helps accountants build capacity and increase productivity. <strong>Accounting Solutions:</strong> QuickBooks Online Accountant and Desktop provide access to client data and tools from anywhere. EasyACCT offers a comprehensive solution for write-up, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, bank reconciliation, asset depreciation, and financial reporting. <strong>Training & Education:</strong> Intuit provides a resource center with training and education materials, articles on tax and accounting trends (Tax Pro Center), and resources for starting a tax practice. A featured webinar, "Unlocking the Value of ProConnect Tax," is also available. **Support:** Intuit offers online resources and support, including forums for Lacerte, ProConnect, and ProSeries. Contact information is available for each software. QuickBooks support resources are also linked. **Important Disclosures:** Intuit Tax Advisor has optional service terms and conditions, and pricing/access may change after January 1, 2025. QuickBooks Online Accountant is a separate product. Hosting for Lacerte and ProSeries is powered by Rightworks, with specific terms and conditions regarding backups, security, and availability. **Pricing:** None

QuickBooks offers a suite of business management tools designed to simplify work and help businesses thrive. It provides powerful tools for accounting, payroll, time tracking, and more. Users can get recommendations for their business, access free expert setup help and guidance for 30 days. QuickBooks Online offers various plans, including Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, and Advanced, catering to different business needs and sizes. These plans provide features like securely importing transactions, automating bookkeeping, accepting credit cards and bank transfers, generating reports (profit & loss, expenses, balance sheets), and capturing receipts. Advanced plans offer more comprehensive reports, inventory management, project profitability tracking, financial planning, and more. QuickBooks also integrates with various other apps to ensure seamless workflow. Live expert assistance is available for setup and bookkeeping guidance, with a free 30-day trial. Expert tax help is also available, powered by TurboTax, allowing users to seamlessly move from books to taxes and prepare their current tax year return. The service offers various features like banking with a 5% APY, invoice and payment management, tax deductions, and more. Different plans offer varying levels of user access, sales channel connections, and report customization options. QuickBooks also provides resources like tutorials, articles, and a support hub for assistance. The company offers a range of products and services, including accounting software, QuickBooks Capital, checks and supplies, QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Enterprise, QuickBooks Essentials, Bookkeeper services, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Online Advanced, Online Payments, Payroll, Contractor Payments, Point of Sale, QuickBooks Solopreneur, Time Tracking, QuickBooks Money, and more. The company also provides various features like mobile apps, financial reporting, bill management, bookkeeping, cash flow management, direct deposit, employee timesheets, estimates, tracking expenses, inventory management, invoicing, mileage tracking, business checking accounts, QuickBooks Integrations, sales tax software, tax deductions, multiple users, and Mailchimp Integration. Intuit is a technology company, not a bank, and banking services are provided by a partner, Green Dot Bank. Money movement services are provided by Intuit Payments Inc. Detailed pricing information and terms are available on the pricing page.

TaxAct offers comprehensive tax filing services for individuals and businesses. Their platform provides various options, including online DIY filing, downloadable software, and expert assistance through Xpert Assist. For individuals, they offer different online editions: Free, Deluxe, Premier, and Self-Employed, each with increasing levels of features and functionalities. The Free edition is available to qualifying taxpayers based on income and deductions. The Deluxe edition includes additional features like homeowner deductions and childcare expenses. The Premier edition adds features for investment sales, home sales, and rental properties. The Self-Employed edition includes features for freelance, side gig, and sole proprietor income. TaxAct also provides business tax filing options, including online DIY filing and bundles for both individual and business taxes. They offer a variety of tax tools, such as calculators for income tax, self-employment tax, tax brackets, W-4, loans, and savings. Tax resources include a tax resource center, tax guides, and checklists. TaxAct provides support through various channels, including a support center, blog, and live tax advice. They also offer a refund tracking service and tools to check e-file status. TaxAct is backed by a $100,000 accuracy guarantee and a maximum refund guarantee. They offer Xpert Assist for one-on-one advice from tax experts and a quick review before filing. Live tax advice is available for an additional fee. TaxAct prioritizes data privacy and security. They provide a variety of resources and tools to help users navigate the tax process.

Drake Tax® is a feature-rich tax preparation and e-file software designed for professional tax preparers. It serves as the central hub for your practice, streamlining tax return preparation and enabling you to provide excellent service to your clients. The software offers various platforms to suit your needs, including desktop and cloud-hosted options. Drake on Desktop provides Drake Tax, Drake Accounting, and Drake Documents. Drake in the Cloud offers the same powerful features in a secure, cloud-based environment. The software also includes tools to complement your tax workflow, such as Drake Accounting (a ground-up rebuild of Drake Software's Accounting/Payroll application), Drake Portals (SecureFilePro) for secure file exchange, Drake Pay for a hassle-free payment solution, and Bank Products for optimized payment acceptance. Drake Software offers free demonstrations and webinars to introduce you to the software's features and help increase productivity, streamline workflows, and improve your business' bottom line. The company is known for its top-notch customer service and support, which is considered a key factor in their success. Drake Software is part of the Taxwell company.

TurboTax offers various services for preparing personal and business taxes, ranging from do-it-yourself options with varying levels of support to full-service expert preparation. For personal taxes, users can choose from a free edition for simple returns (W-2 income, standard deductions, etc.), a deluxe edition for more complex returns (itemized deductions), and a premium edition for investors and the self-employed. TurboTax Live Assisted and Full Service options provide expert assistance throughout the tax preparation process, guiding users through the entire return. Business taxes are also supported, with options for both DIY and expert-assisted preparation. TurboTax provides a range of tax tools and resources, including calculators for tax refunds, tax brackets, withholding, self-employment expenses, and more. They also offer information on the latest tax law changes, tips, and reviews. Support is available through various channels, including help articles, community forums, refund tracking, extension filing, e-file status checking, and amending returns. TurboTax offers guarantees for accuracy, maximum refunds, and audit support, backed for the lifetime of the return. They also provide a checklist for tax preparation and highlight the ease of use and expert assistance available through their platform. The platform is available online and via mobile apps, allowing for anytime, anywhere access. E-filing and direct deposit options are available for faster refund processing. Additional features include import options for financial data from participating companies, and the ability to pay for TurboTax using your federal or state refund. TurboTax Live Full Service offers expert preparation, with the expert signing the return and providing support throughout the process. TurboTax Live Assisted provides assistance with specific tax topics or situations, and may require the expert to sign the return if the complexity warrants it. TurboTax Desktop software is also available for those who prefer a traditional software experience. Overall, TurboTax aims to simplify the tax preparation process with various options to suit different needs and levels of complexity.