Best Small Business Software and Services of 2023

From bookkeeping apps to document-sharing software, there are a wide variety of tools that can help small business owners stay organized and manage their daily operations with ease. With so many types of software out there, how can you possibly choose which options you want for your business? Here’s a brief overview of the best software, apps, and services for startups in 2023. Use this information to help guide your decision.


ADP

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Automatic Data Processing is one of the largest human resources software providers in the world. As a small business owner, you can rely on ADP payroll software to help you pay your employees. Currently, up to one out of every six employees working in the United States gets paychecks through the ADP system.

In addition to basic payroll processing, ADP also offers the following services to small businesses:

  • Tax filing
  • Direct deposit capabilities
  • Time and attendance tracking
  • Check mailing
  • Applicant tracking
  • Cloud-based document management
  • Background checks
  • Prepaid, reloadable debit cards
  • Wage garnishments and unemployment insurance

The amount of services you receive depends on the ADP package you choose. It offers essential, enhanced and complete packages.


Gusto

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Looking for human resource management, cloud-based payroll and time-tracking tools all in one affordable resource? Gusto may be the ideal option for your startup. Originally known as ZenPayroll, Gusto was launched in 2012 and has since gained more than 100,000 clients throughout the nation. The platform makes it easier for businesses to take good care of their employees by automating and simplifying everyday processes like HR, payroll and benefits.

The company prides itself in its all-in-one service platform, which includes

  • Expert HR
  • Benefits
  • Team management tools
  • Payroll
  • 401(k) plans
  • Time-tracking tools

Prices start as low as $45 per month and go higher from there, based on your level of customization.


Invoicer

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Invoicer.ai is your o solution for seamless invoicing, integrated payment processing, and real-time financial reporting – all tailored for the modern freelancer and small business. Since its inception, Invoicer.ai has been dedicated to simplifying financial management, offering a suite of tools that fuse efficiency with user-friendliness. The service boasts:

  • Unlimited Invoicing and Clients
  • Automated Payment Reminders
  • Advanced Reporting Features
  • Invoice Tracking * Multiple Currencies
  • Attach Pictures and Documents

Prices start as low as $7 per month and go higher from there, based on your level of customization.


Sprout Social

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Need a little help optimizing and managing your social media content? Sprout Social can help. It can handle all your social media profiles within a single platform. Managing all your profiles in one place can improve engagement, streamline your workflow and minimize virtual clutter. Social media publishing, improved engagement and in-depth analytics are a few of the services Sprout Social offers.

Sprout Social analytics provide both contextual and quantitative data on all profiles linked to the service. Instead of managing your LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts separately, Sprout Social allows you to manage them all from one central location.


Wix

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Building a website for your business can be pricey, unless you go with a free website builder such as Wix. The cloud-based web development platform gives you the opportunity to create mobile sites and HTML5 websites with simple-to-use tools. You can choose from existing templates or create completely customized templates for your web page. Wix offers top security, free web hosting and SEO tools.

If you don’t know how to code and don’t want to spend a lot of money hiring someone else to build a website for you, Wix is a great option. It’s very user friendly and has relatively fast site loading times.


Weebly

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Do you need to build a website that’s specifically designed to help you sell products to customers? You may want to consider Weebly. The free website builder removes the need to understand coding and provides you with a convenient drag-and-drop interface. Like Wix, Weebly makes it easy for users to add, arrange and edit everything from videos to text on their websites. Additional Weebly features include

  • Free sub-domain
  • 24/7 support
  • App integration capabilities
  • Easy publishing features
  • Full-width page editor

Although the basic version of the app is free, it’s important to note that Weebly also offers paid upgrade options.


GoDaddy

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If you plan to build a website, you need to come up with a domain name. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with a generic, senseless name that won’t help customers find your site. GoDaddy Inc. is an internet domain registrar company that also offers web hosting. The company is publicly traded and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Over 18 million customers rely on GoDaddy to build professional websites and register domain names. A few features the website builder offers include security (SSL), mobile-friendly website designs and fast page loading. To give buyers peace of mind, GoDaddy offers a 30-day risk-free guarantee on its services.


Paychex

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One of the biggest challenges new business owners face is setting up an HR system. If you aren’t ready to hire an HR professional full time, you can use Paychex to handle all your HR and payroll needs in one platform. Paychex offers the following solutions for small businesses with only a few employees:

  • Time and attendance tracker
  • Health insurance
  • Applicant and recruiting tracker
  • Hiring assistance
  • HR record-keeping
  • Payroll services
  • Retirement/separation support

All packages come with the option to work with a dedicated HR professional or payroll specialist. They also come with 24/7 support.


BaseCamp

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Are your documents a jumbled mess? If you’re looking for ways to stay organized and keep projects on track, consider BaseCamp. This helpful tool allows you to create, manage and track to-do lists for yourself and other members of your team. Here are a few of the top feature the software offers:

  • Add notes and attach files
  • Create and assign tasks to multiple people
  • Track work with exclusive charts
  • Comment directly on lists and individual tasks
  • Manage schedules
  • Add specific events
  • Store and share documents, images and files

With BaseCamp, every member of your team will see exactly what tasks and deadlines need to be completed.


LastPass

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As a business owner, you probably have many different accounts and many different passwords. Instead of having your computer save your password keystrokes (which isn’t recommended for security purposes), why not keep your passwords protected in a type of virtual vault? LastPass is a user-friendly password protection tool that keeps all your passwords in one place. The password manager can also do the following:

  • Share passwords with others as you give permission
  • Create new, strong passwords for you
  • Show you if your current passwords are strong or weak
  • Store everything from membership IDs to PIN codes

You can save time and keep your passwords secure by using a password manager such as LastPass.


Confluence 2

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Collaborating with others is one of the most difficult parts of owning a business. Fortunately, software such as Confluence 2 can make the task easier. The software is easily accessible and can help your team cooperate more efficiently. The program can benefit you in planning projects, posting blogs, tracking meeting notes and developing marketing plans. The software can help you keep all your group-related pages and projects organized and clean.


In addition to these leading tools, there are many other services and programs available for small business owners. Browse through Business Pro’s informational posts to learn more.