Best Small Business Tools You Don't Want to Miss

Harvest is a time-tracking software designed to help teams spend their time wisely. It offers a simple and user-friendly interface for tracking time across projects, generating reports, and automating invoicing and payments. Harvest's core features include: <em> <strong>Time Tracking:</strong> Effortless time tracking with one-click functionality, available across desktop (Mac and PC), mobile (iOS and Android), and web browsers. Includes subtle reminders to track time daily. </em> <strong>Invoicing & Payments:</strong> Seamless invoicing and payment processing. Generate and send invoices in two clicks, allowing clients to pay directly from the invoice. Automated follow-up and reminders are included. Integrates with Xero and QuickBooks. <em> <strong>Reporting:</strong> Generate instant reports across projects, providing insights into budgets, time spent on tasks and projects, team capacity, expenses, and more. Detailed reports allow for in-depth analysis. </em> <strong>Budget Monitoring:</strong> Set hourly or fixed-fee budgets for each project and track progress. Instant alerts are triggered when budgets are reached. * <strong>Cost Tracking:</strong> Track expenses for every client and project, including billable and non-billable hours, materials, supplies, travel costs, and more. Easily upload receipts and attach them to invoices. Harvest integrates with a wide range of popular project management and accounting tools, including Asana, Slack, Notion, Jira, GitHub, Basecamp, Xero, QuickBooks Online, Monday.com, and Linear. This seamless integration allows users to track time without switching between applications. Harvest is trusted by over 70,000 companies and has tracked over 2 billion hours. It's designed for teams of all sizes and industries, offering a user-friendly experience for efficient time management and project tracking.

Invoice Ninja is a comprehensive invoicing and expense management software designed for freelancers and small businesses. It offers a suite of tools to streamline the invoicing process, from creating and sending invoices and quotes to managing payments, expenses, vendors, and projects. Key features include automated bank and financial account connection and transaction syncing, allowing for automatic import of transactions from various sources like banks, credit cards, and PayPal. The platform also provides robust project and task management capabilities, enabling users to track billable work hours and easily generate invoices from completed projects. Invoice Ninja supports various payment gateways, allowing clients to pay invoices with a single click. The software offers customizable invoice templates, enabling businesses to maintain a consistent brand identity across all their invoices. Integrations with popular platforms like Zapier, Make, and Integrately allow for seamless automation of workflows and processes. Invoice Ninja provides a user-friendly interface, making it accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise. The platform is available as a web application, desktop applications for macOS, Windows, and Linux, and mobile apps for iOS and Android. Invoice Ninja also offers self-hosting options, allowing users to install and manage the software on their own servers. The platform prioritizes security, employing advanced data protection and cybersecurity measures to safeguard user information and client data. It offers a free plan with limitations on the number of clients, and paid plans with additional features and unlimited clients. The software is designed to help businesses improve cash flow by automating invoice creation and payment collection, reducing the time spent on administrative tasks and improving efficiency.

Wave is a suite of online money management tools designed for small business owners and freelancers. It offers a comprehensive platform encompassing invoicing, payments, accounting, payroll, and advisory services. Wave streamlines these crucial business functions into a single, user-friendly dashboard, aiming to simplify financial tasks and reduce the burden on business owners. The platform allows for the creation of professional-looking invoices, enabling businesses to automate overdue reminders and recurring billing. Wave facilitates online payments through various methods, including credit cards, bank transfers, and Apple Pay, significantly accelerating payment processing. The accounting features provide tools for tracking income and expenses, monitoring cash flow, and organizing financial data, ultimately easing tax season preparation. Wave's payroll tool simplifies staff and owner compensation, offering an easy-to-use interface even for those unfamiliar with payroll processes. The advisory services component connects users with a team of bookkeeping, accounting, and payroll experts, offering coaching and support to help businesses navigate financial complexities. Wave's core value proposition is to empower small businesses by providing a complete financial management solution that is both user-friendly and comprehensive. The platform is designed to be accessible and intuitive, minimizing the need for extensive training or specialized knowledge. Wave's focus on ease of use and efficiency is evident in its features, which are designed to work seamlessly together, reducing the time and effort required for managing various financial aspects of a business. The platform's emphasis on organization and automation is intended to help businesses stay on top of their finances, ultimately contributing to their overall success.

FreshBooks is accounting software designed to simplify the complexities of bookkeeping for various business types, from freelancers and solopreneurs to businesses with employees and contractors. It streamlines invoicing, expense tracking, time management, and payment processing. The software allows for the creation of professional invoices in minutes, automatically tracking time and expenses, calculating taxes, and customizing payment options. FreshBooks aims to help users keep their books organized, clients happy, and work on track. It's designed to respect users' time, allowing them to focus on business growth rather than tedious number crunching. The platform facilitates collaboration within teams, handling accounting, billing, and payroll efficiently. FreshBooks also provides tools for staying organized and informed about daily operations, ensuring everyone involved is on the same page. Key features include invoicing, time tracking, expense management, and payment processing. The software is praised for its efficiency, reducing stress during tax time. FreshBooks boasts a user-friendly interface, allowing for easy navigation and management of financial data. It offers integrations with over 100+ apps, providing flexibility and expanding functionality. The platform also provides support for various business needs, including construction, consulting, IT, legal, marketing, creative, and professional services. FreshBooks offers a 30-day free trial, allowing users to experience the software before committing to a subscription. The company emphasizes its support team's expertise and responsiveness, with a 4.8/5.0 star rating based on over 120,000+ reviews. FreshBooks serves businesses in over 160 countries, and its user base includes millions of small businesses. The platform provides various resources, including a help center, FAQs, and support webinars, to assist users with any questions or issues. FreshBooks also offers a partner program for accounting professionals, allowing for growth opportunities and integrations.

Truckbase is a comprehensive trucking management software designed for asset-based carriers of all sizes. It streamlines various aspects of trucking operations, from dispatch and tracking to invoicing and driver settlements. The software is built to handle the complexities of modern trucking, offering a centralized platform for all essential data, eliminating the need for multiple disconnected tools and systems. Truckbase's intuitive interface and user-friendly design allow dispatchers to quickly onboard and efficiently manage loads, significantly reducing manual data entry and improving overall operational efficiency. Key features include automated load creation, real-time tracking, text-based driver communication, mobile scanning of bills of lading (BOLs), and a centralized calendar for load management. The software integrates with various Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) and accounting systems like QuickBooks, ensuring seamless data flow and eliminating double entry. Truckbase also offers a customer portal for enhanced communication and satisfaction. The platform is designed to be scalable, supporting fleets from small operations to larger organizations. Truckbase prioritizes the needs of carriers, offering a user-friendly experience and dedicated support, setting it apart from competitors. The software's ease of use and comprehensive features allow carriers to improve operational visibility, build trust with drivers, optimize fleet performance, and ultimately double their revenue. It addresses the pain points of traditional methods like spreadsheets, WhatsApp, and outdated software, providing a modern, clean, and centralized solution for all trucking needs.

LoadPilot is a freight broker software designed to help transportation professionals manage their businesses more easily, faster, and efficiently. Developed in 2005, it's the first online freight broker software and continues to evolve based on user feedback. LoadPilot is ideal for new, small, or mid-sized brokerages. Its features are robust and speedy, with no unnecessary complexity. The software guides users through the process with short video tutorials and an error-prevention and alert system, making it easy to learn and use, even for new owners and agents. LoadPilot aims to be the most affordable transportation management software (TMS) on the market, prioritizing the success of small brokerages and startups. Key features include online quoting, booking, organization, invoicing, load board posting, and complete business management, all online. It also includes a database of 150,000 carriers and tools for sending documents like invoices, bills of lading, and rate confirmations via email or fax. LoadPilot offers a full accounting system with exports for QuickBooks™ and other accounting software. The software is accessible from any computer, smartphone, tablet, or mobile device. LoadPilot is suitable for businesses with multiple agents, allowing for unlimited agent additions and management controls, including the ability to add "Super Agents" for enhanced business management.