Elevate Your Small Business With These 5 SaaS Tools

'SaaS’ may be an intimidating acronym for the less tech-savvy, but you don’t need a deep knowledge of the technology to reap its benefits.

In its simplest terms, SaaS means “software as a service”. It’s a type of software that users can access online through a subscription, opposed to the traditional method of buying and installing the software themselves.

Pretty simple right?

SaaS tools have revolutionized the way small businesses operate in too many ways to count, but here are just a few:

Before SaaS tools became commonplace, expensive software was beyond the budget of small businesses. SaaS has changed the game though.

A subscription model has less upfront costs than a traditional software purchase and since SaaS software is on the cloud, businesses don’t need extensive IT infrastructure to get access to it. This means small businesses have access to top-of-the-line software they could once only dream of.

Technology makes life easier and SaaS is no exception. It can help small businesses manage projects, workflows and tasks more efficiently. Small businesses can gain a competitive advantage by using new technology to simplify tasks and save time.

Before SaaS came into the picture, small businesses lacked the resources and IT infrastructure to implement most CRM software. However, SaaS has made CRM software more accessible.

Small businesses now have the capability to automate sales, manage contacts and leads, and perform large-scale email marketing campaigns. This is just another way SaaS has leveled the playing field.

These are a few of the many benefits SaaS tools can bring to your small business, but there are many more.

If these advantages have you interested in using SaaS to elevate your small business, here are the best tools to help you succeed.

Trello is a self-proclaimed ‘productivity powerhouse’. With Trello, you can create ‘lists’, ‘boards’ and ‘cards’ to effectively organize tasks and monitor their completion. If you have a lot of tasks divided up between employees, this is the perfect tool to help you stay on top of them.

There are plenty of additional features too, such as automated workflows and integration with other apps. Trello is one of the most popular SaaS tools out there, and for good reason.

This is a great tool if you are looking for ways to reward your employees’ performance. Employee retention is especially important in small businesses. Losing a few key employees can result in major setbacks for your company.

This is where Bonusly comes in. This SaaS tool allows you to easily establish and manage incentive programs, and recognize employees when they do great work. Bonusly helps small businesses recognise and incentivize employees, improving morale and increasing employee retention and productivity.

If you are looking for a tool that will help your small business with communication, then look no further than Slack. Slack is built on ‘channels’, through which you can seamlessly connect with other departments, offices and even other companies. Within a channel, you can share ideas and files, and collaborate with team members, no matter their location.

Sales is the lifeline of any business. An effective CRM software can help you manage and optimize all operations related to your customers, boosting sales as a result. For small businesses, one of the best CRM tools out there is EngageBay.

Engagebay’s all-in-one CRM suite gives users access to a plethora of CRM functions in one place. This includes marketing, automation, contact management, landing pages and more. They also offer a free plan, which is perfect for solopreneurs and teams of up to 15 people. Check out their website to see their broad range of services.

Bookkeeping may not be the most glamorous aspect of business, but it’s crucial for the long-term success of any company. Lucky for you, Wave has transformed bookkeeping from a tedious and painful task into a simple one.

Wave helps small businesses manage invoicing, payroll, accounting and payment. Their simplistic design is bound to make you feel like you have everything covered. To make things easier, they offer 1:1 consulting with experienced advisors and a useful blog with an abundance of information on bookkeeping.

To cap it all off, their accounting and invoicing functions are FREE, making it the perfect fit for small businesses that need only the basic functions.

No matter what business you’re in, SaaS tools can help you improve efficiency in your work and remain competitive in your industry. These recommendations are a good place to start, as they cover the key areas of CRM, collaboration, bookkeeping, project management and employee recognition.

It may take some time to implement SaaS tools into your small business, but with some patience, you can successfully integrate them and reap the long-term benefits they bring.

Don’t be intimidated by expensive pricing plans and endless features; more and more SaaS tools are accessible for all types of companies and many are even directly targeted at small businesses.