For small businesses, efficiency is the name of the game. If small operators can’t perform their essential functions with as little wasted time, effort, or money as possible, their larger competitors will knock them out of the game.

To keep efficiency at a maximum and costs at a minimum, small businesses need to have the right tools at their disposal. Investing in the right applications now can promote your company’s success far down the line by giving you a strong digital infrastructure on which to build your business. 

If you know it’s time to beef up your business’s portfolio of tech, but you don’t know where to start, check out these tools first:

1. Trello

Trello functions as a kind of project management software, but with a different spin. Whereas platforms like Teamwork incorporate everything a business could need into their framework, Trello has stripped down its interface to the bare essentials, allowing you to manage your team’s projects with as little fuss as possible. 

Trello’s main attraction is its boards feature, simple designs that make it easy to track and take note of different projects, plans, or comments. Businesses that are built on quick, uncomplicated tasks should look at Trello, while companies that often engage in longer, more complex projects will likely need a beefier option like Teamwork.

2. Teamwork

Teamwork is project management software that makes it easy to oversee operations for businesses. Teamwork’s platform offers a bevy of different tools for managing, promoting, and analyzing your company, giving you a powerful way to keep all aspects running smoothly.

Teamwork is also fully equipped to integrate with businesses working remotely, either temporarily or indefinitely. By embedding powerful data security functions within their software, Teamwork ensures that your business’s key information is protected — no matter where you’re working from. 

3. Zapier

For businesses with lots of different platforms in tools regularly in use, it can be a pain to keep them all connected. Zapier functions as a kind of toolbox for your apps, connecting them in different ways and enabling you to make your software as powerful as possible. 

For example, you might want everything that gets shared with you through Dropbox to get added directly to your Google Drive — Zapier has an automation function for that. By using automation taking care of mundane tasks, you can boost efficiency and even prevent burnout along the way.

4. Evernote

In times like these, businesses can’t afford to let anything fall through the cracks. Every single detail needs to be identified and tracked to keep everything airtight, and one of the best ways to ensure that you’re staying on top of everything is through note-taking.

Evernote is one of the leading note-taking apps out today, and it’s not hard to see why. By including a number of different templates for different purposes, Evernote can be fully customized to suit the needs of your team. 

5. Slack 

Phone calls are draining, email is slow, and the office is closed — companies need an effective way to communicate now more than ever. Slack is the perfect instant messaging platform for small businesses, allowing you to consolidate all communications into one easily accessible location. 

While plenty of businesses are already using Slack, few are taking full advantage of its features. Slack is a must-have for companies new to remote work. Its multichannel structure can facilitate all types of communication, from the casual to the formal. While videoconferencing may sometimes be necessary, Slack is an easy go-to for getting work done across distance. 

6. GoodHire

A large number of businesses are currently in crisis mode, needing to cut costs or hire highly skilled workers at rates never seen before. For companies that need to expand their team quickly, onboarding and background checks can prove to be a cumbersome part of the process.

GoodHire helps alleviate these problems by streamlining the final portion of the hiring process for you. GoodHire’s in-depth process picks up on things you may have missed, saving you money and headaches far down the line. 

7. Hootsuite

A brand’s presence on social media is more important than ever, and businesses of all sizes need to have the tools to manage that. Hootsuite’s social media management platform is a must-have for small businesses looking to centralize their presence online.

Hootsuite’s biggest asset is its sheer breadth — whatever method your business is using to promote itself, Hootsuite can help you. By allowing integrations for every social network out there, Hootsuite allows you to turn its platform into exactly what your business needs to thrive. 

Running a small business is one of the most difficult jobs you can ask for, but you don’t have to do it alone. By getting the right tech tools to help you out, you can make your business thrive without breaking your back in the process.