Just so you know, we may earn a commission when you click on a link on TuffYeti at no additional cost to you.

Best Tools to Manage a Business Online (Free & Paid)

Updated February 17, 2025

To manage a business efficiently, you will need to move away from filling out spreadsheets and keeping paper records to using some sort of cloud-based software.

Whether CRM, Project Management, or Accounting, the right types of management tools have many features that all businesses could benefit from.

These tools come with many benefits that can help you keep track of every aspect of your business, centralize your data, make it easier to access from wherever you are, and let teams collaborate on projects.

This helps your business improve its efficiency, save time, and save money.

Online Tools to Manage A Business

But what types of business management tools are there? And which ones are worthy of your attention?

We’ve put together a list of some popular small business tools that will help you manage your business the right way, making your life and your employees’ lives easier now and in the future.

Best Tools to Manage a Business

All in One CRM Tools – manage your customers & clients

Keeping track of your customers can be a headache for many businesses. Thankfully there are plenty of customer relationship management tools that can aid you to keep full records of your customers, from basic contact details to orders to tracking how they interact with your business.

No matter which type of business you run, keeping records of your clients, customers, or partnering websites can be a time-consuming process. If you don’t capture data correctly or make it easily accessible, it could cost you more time, money, and your business’s reputation.

The best CRM for small business combines many features that give freelancers, sales, and marketing teams the ability to access data easily, quickly, and collaborate, as well as log activity for auditing.

Key CRM Features to Improve Customer Relationships & Sales

Best CRM software

Pipedrive
Pipedrive
  • User friendly interface online & mobile with visual pipelines
  • Sales assistant offers areas where you can improve and where you could focus more
  • Automations to help save time and collect data from sources with a click

View DealsPipedrive Features

Monday.com Review: A Powerful Yet Flexible Work Management Platform
Monday.com Review: A Powerful Yet Flexible Work Management Platform
  • Customize Workflows Effortlessly – Use ready-made templates to streamline project management.
  • Stay Organized – Tag contacts, projects, and team members for better collaboration.
  • Automate Marketing Tasks – Save time with powerful automation features.

View DealsMonday.com Review: A Powerful Yet Flexible Work Management Platform Features

Flowlu Review 2025: The Ultimate Business Management & Project Tool?
Flowlu Review 2025: The Ultimate Business Management & Project Tool?
  • Easily manage your projects and tasks with workflows, gantt charts and automations
  • Cloud-based CRM software helps manage contacts, sales funnels, and automate processes
  • Buil-in financial management tools let you create invoices, track expenses and accept online payments

View DealsFlowlu Review 2025: The Ultimate Business Management & Project Tool? Features

All in One CRM Software

Project Management Tools – easily manage projects online

As a business, it’s not only customers and clients that you need to manage.

Depending on what type of business you’re in, whether it’s creating websites, running an ecommerce store, or developing a new product, project management software can help you schedule your time and resources.

Built to help keep track of every aspect of a project, the best project management software offers a variety of features. These can help you keep track of how your projects are performing, budgetary requirements, resources (people and items), and individual tasks on a detailed level.

Project management features that will keep any project manager happy

Best project management tools

Monday.com Review: A Powerful Yet Flexible Work Management Platform
Monday.com Review: A Powerful Yet Flexible Work Management Platform
  • Customize Workflows Effortlessly – Use ready-made templates to streamline project management.
  • Stay Organized – Tag contacts, projects, and team members for better collaboration.
  • Automate Marketing Tasks – Save time with powerful automation features.

View DealsMonday.com Review: A Powerful Yet Flexible Work Management Platform Features

ClickUp
ClickUp
  • Manage and track all types of projects from start to finish
  • Collaborate with team members via chat in real-time
  • In-built reporting dashboard with real-time data

View DealsClickUp Features

Trello
Trello
  • See team tasks and statuses at a glance with visual cards
  • Organize and manage your tasks through cards and boards
  • Comment, collaborate, & add files to tasks for better feedback

View DealsTrello Features

Project Management Software

Related:
How to choose the right Project Management Software for teams.

Accounting Software – manage your business finances

Managing a business the right way isn’t all about keeping track of projects and customers. It also pays to manage your finances, which is where accounting software can help.

Whether you’re a freelancer looking to create quotes and send invoices or a small business looking to keep track of payments and payroll, accounting systems offer you the tools to do that and more.

Accounting software isn’t just for accountants and finance managers, with many of the best online accounting platforms offering a variety of features that make it easy for anyone to keep an eye on their finances. It’ll help you save time each day and when it comes to calculating your taxes.

Common online accounting software features

Best accounting software

FreshBooks
FreshBooks
  • Create and send unlimited invoices
  • Track unlimited expenses
  • Automate and setup recurring billing

View DealsFreshBooks Features

Quickbooks
Quickbooks
  • Track sales tax, VAT, Self Assessment & CIS
  • Manage expenses, store receipts and track mileage
  • Send invoices & accept payments

View DealsQuickbooks Features

Wave
Wave
  • Unlimited income and expense tracking
  • Connect bank and credit card details
  • Create estimates and generate invoices

View DealsWave Features

Compare Accounting Software

Video Conferencing Software – manage face to face meetings online

Keeping in touch with clients and colleagues no matter where they are in the world has been made easier thanks to the growth of online video conferencing software.

Whether it’s an hour-long online meeting with a client, an interview for a new employee, weekly catchup with your colleagues, or working from home; video conferencing solutions are a great tool to have in your business management tool kit.

Many have free versions available, are secure and let you talk with multiple people simultaneously. It’s been a tool that many small businesses have managed to find new ways to use, from teaching online classes remotely to adding face-to-face customer support to their services.

Video conferencing features

Best video conferencing software

Zoom Meetings
Zoom Meetings
  • HD video and audio for up to 1000 participants
  • Record meetings & live transcriptions
  • Screen sharing and chat tools
  • 1GB cloud storage per license

View Deals

GoTo Meeting
GoTo Meeting
  • No time limits on meetings
  • Screen sharing & in-session chat
  • Unlimited cloud recording
  • Encrypted sessions with noise suppression

View Deals

Livestorm
Livestorm
  • Screen and file sharing
  • Ability to record meetings
  • Built-in Chat, CTAs, Polling
  • Up to 3,000 attendees

View Deals

Check out more of our best video conferencing software.

Time Tracking & Productivity Tools – boost efficiency and accountability

Whether managing employees or freelancers, time tracking software helps businesses monitor how time is spent across projects. These tools provide insights into productivity, helping businesses optimize workflows and resource allocation.

With built-in analytics, time tracking tools reveal bottlenecks and help businesses make data-driven decisions about work schedules, deadlines, and team performance.

Time tracking features that enhance productivity

Popular Time Tracking Tools

Marketing Automation Tools – streamline lead generation and customer engagement

Marketing is essential for growth, but it can be time-consuming. Marketing automation tools help businesses save time by automating repetitive tasks such as email campaigns, social media posting, and lead nurturing.

These platforms improve engagement, allowing businesses to send personalized content at the right time to potential customers.

Key features of marketing automation tools:

Popular Marketing Automation Tools

Customer Support & Helpdesk Solutions – enhance customer satisfaction

Providing excellent customer service is a key factor in business success. Helpdesk solutions streamline customer inquiries, making it easier to track, manage, and respond to support tickets efficiently.

These tools ensure customers receive timely assistance while reducing the workload for support teams through automation and self-service options.

Customer support features to improve service quality:

Popular Customer Support Tools

E-commerce Platforms – power your online store with the right tools

For businesses selling products online, choosing the right e-commerce platform is crucial. These tools provide everything needed to set up an online store, manage inventory, process payments, and track customer orders.

The best e-commerce solutions offer customization, security, and scalability, allowing businesses to grow without limitations.

Essential e-commerce platform features:

Popular Ecommerce Platforms

Inventory Management Software – track stock levels effortlessly

For businesses that sell physical products, keeping inventory in check is crucial. Whether you run a retail store, an eCommerce business, or a warehouse, inventory management software helps you track stock levels, process orders, and prevent overstocking or shortages.

These tools offer automation that reduces human error and enhances efficiency. They provide real-time inventory tracking, making it easier to manage supply chains and fulfill customer orders.

Essential inventory management features:

Popular Inventory Software

Document Management Systems – keep business files organized and accessible

Managing documents efficiently can save businesses time and reduce errors. Document management systems help businesses store, organize, and retrieve files securely while enabling seamless collaboration.

With cloud-based access, these tools allow employees to work on documents from anywhere, ensuring business continuity and streamlined workflows.

Must-have document management features:

Popular Document Storage Systems

Time to manage your business the right way

These business management tools don’t make your business more efficient magically or save you time or money by themselves.

You’ll have to put in some time and effort to learn how to use them the best way and figure out what works for you. Do you research, read software reviews and find the best tools for you.

If you can be sure to take free trials to get a feel for how easy it is to use them and how big the learning curve is.

When you’re ready to buy be sure to look around for deals and remember that yearly plans are nearly always cheaper than monthly plans.

TuffYeti Mascot
Simon (Mr Yeti)

Simon, founder of Tuff Yeti, has over a decade of experience running successful small businesses. Having launched multiple websites across various industries, he’s gained extensive expertise in selecting and testing the best software and tools. Simon’s mission is to share his insights and provide trusted, free resources to help small business owners succeed, regardless of their industry.

Learn more about TuffYeti

Recent Posts To Help Boost Your Success

Unlock Your Business's Full Potential Online!

Sign up for exclusive updates on the latest software, tools, and expert business guides. Stay ahead of the curve and get actionable insights delivered straight to your inbox. Join our community today and start growing smarter!

Subscribe. It's Free!
Boost Your Business Online with TuffYeti
© 2025 TUFFYETI.com | All Rights Reserved