Small business owners have too much on their plates: juggling limited budgets, marketing their brands, and developing their products/services, among other tasks. The good thing is that there is help that can minimize stress, such as CRMs, invoicing, and project management apps. However, even these can eat up a huge chunk of your time, energy, and profits. Then you wonder, wouldn't it be good if there were one app that could do all these? Luckily for us, there is! Here are the 10 best all-in-one platforms that help small businesses work smarter, scale faster, and cut through the app overload.
What Exactly is an All-in-One Service Platform?
A software solution that combines multiple business tools into a single unified system, an all-in-one service platform offers a place for businesses to handle their CRM, invoicing, project management, and marketing tasks without switching apps. It also offers a single hub for operations, workflows, communication, and many other functionalities.
For small businesses, this means they can manage clients, projects, and finances with ease. It can help simplify workflows by automating repetitive tasks, such as sending invoices, scheduling meetings, and following up with your leads. It is also a cost-effective option as one subscription replaces several specialized tools, saving you money.
As your small business grows, these apps allow you to expand their use without having to migrate to new systems. In addition, these offer integrated reporting to give you a holistic view of your business's performance, profitability, and customer relationships.
1. HoneyBook
Going beyond a CRM, Honeybook is a full client flow platform designed to simplify your relationships and project management tasks. Its key features include client management tools to help you track leads, automate follow-ups, and keep your communications in one place. It also has smart proposal, contracts, invoicing, payment, scheduling, and automation features. Pricing starts at $36 per month.
2. Scoro
Positioning themselves as a professional services automation (PSA) platform, Scoro gives users control and visibility over projects, finances, and resources. It is built for agencies, architecture firms, IT firms, consultancies, and other industries. It lets you manage your resources and projects, billing, and invoicing, and has tools for collaboration, analytics, and reporting. Pricing starts at $23.90 per user, per month.
3. Zoho One
With over 40 integrated apps covering CRM, accounting, marketing, HR, and project management, Zoho One is an excellent platform for your small business. It offers a comprehensive suite that can help you scale your business. Its core features include sales, CRM, marketing, finance, accounting, HR, and collaboration and productivity tools. Pricing starts at $90 per user, per month.
4. Odoo
A comprehensive all-in-one service platform, Odoo has a wide range of functions for businesses of all sizes. Its core capabilities include CRM, sales management, accounting, finance, HR, inventory, supply chain, ecommerce, point of sale, and marketing automation. It lets you start with the basic tools you need, then add more modules as you grow. Pricing starts at $9.10 per user, per month.
5. Bitrix24
An all-in-one online workspace, Bitrix24 offers efficient collaboration tools, CRM and sales, project and task management, HR, workflow automation, and even a website and store builder. It has free entry-level access and a wide range of functionalities. Its flat-rate pricing makes it the ideal option for startups and small businesses, although its features are some that larger brands can appreciate. Pricing starts at $61 per organization, per month.
6. Keap
Built specifically to help small businesses, Keap is a CRM and marketing automation software designed to streamline sales, automate follow-ups, and manage customer interactions. Its key features include ecommerce tools for invoicing, payment processing, and quotes. It integrates with top platforms QuickBooks, Gmail, Outlook, and Zapier. It also offers done-for-you services, ready-to-use automation templates, and 24/7 support, among many others. Pricing starts at $299 per month.
7. Thryv
Another excellent option for all-in-one service platforms for small businesses is Thryv. It is business management and marketing automation software that helps users manage and track client contact and communication, scheduling, appointments, payments, invoicing, marketing, and online presence, among other things. It also has a built-in social media and reputation management tool, AI-powered features for visibility, and more. Pricing starts at $244 per month.
8. Podio
Primarily a collaboration and workflow automation tool, Podio is another excellent platform for small businesses. It can help you structure projects, streamline communication, and build custom digital workspaces. It offers a no-code environment to customize your workflows to unique processes. Its core features include real-time messaging and file sharing tools, a drag-and-drop builder, personalized dashboards, integration with external tools, custom reports, and analytics. Pricing starts at $14 per user, per month.
9. Plutio
An all-in-one app to help you run, grow, and automate your business, Plutio is the ideal option for small businesses, startups, and freelancers. Its key features include CRM, contacts, proposals, contracts, project and task management, invoicing, payments, time tracking, client portals, scheduling, forms, and workflow automation. It also offers AI assistance in drafting proposals, contracts, messages, and project plans. Pricing starts at $19 per month for 9 active clients.
10. SuiteDash
If you're an agency that needs client-facing tools, SuiteDash is the service platform for you. It is an all-in-one business management software that helps small businesses get a centralized communication, project, and billing platform. What makes it stand out is its customizable client portal, which gives your customers a professional, branded space to interact with you. Aside from this, it also offers CRM, sales tools, a learning management system (LMS), and automation. Pricing starts at $19 per month.
Conclusion
More often than not, small business owners wear several hats: product development, marketing, sales, HR, and finance. Getting an app for each of these can leave you dry, thus, an all-in-one service platform is essential. This list of the ten best can help you find the right platform for your small business, growing agency, or if you're a freelancer looking to transform the way you work.
Cover photo credit: Kampus Production on Pexels
