As small business owners, we all wear multiple hats during the day, and time flies, leaving little room for proper management.

We always wonder how to manage and grow our business while decreasing costs.

Having the right tools for your business can be a game changer and save time and money.

To help you better manage your business, let’s discuss the most important areas you should concentrate on growing your business and the FREE tools to make your life easier.

Remember, it’s the 21st century, and working smart is our greatest asset.

#1 – Let’s make sure you ORGANIZE things first

Most of the time, failure comes when there is a lack of management, especially when the day goes by, and we don’t catch where things are daily to be strategic and make decisions on time.

Times are gone when you would call your employees to be updated. And plus, it’s just taking time that should have been spent differently and wisely.

Yes! Even for small businesses.

You should PLAN, ORGANIZE, CONTROL, COMMUNICATE, and be CONSISTENT.

How do you manage all these for FREE and effectively?

Our favorite tools for small businesses are Notion and Trello.

Let’s see which one is best for your business.

Notion vs Trello for small businesses

Both tools have FREE plans to manage your tasks and track your progress easily.

Notion is like a company resource center with a personnel directory, mission page, and company goals. It’s like having your digital office.

With Notion, you will forget about messy folders and different versions of the same doc. You can keep and edit everything in one place. With all their wikis and guides, you can even learn how to manage your business correctly.

On the other hand, Trello simplifies projects by breaking tasks into manageable units, allowing you to assign and organize work.

Where Trello keeps everyone on a team organized, Notion crosses teams to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Why you might prefer Trello over Notion:

  • Trello is fully optimized for project management and doesn’t try to do too many things simultaneously.
  • The initial setup requires minimal configuration and can be completed in minutes.
  • Trello offers fewer features and options than Notion, making it easier for the entire team to get the hang of it. Why you might prefer Notion over Trello:
  • Notion is more flexible and customizable than Trello, with a more extensive feature set.
  • Notion can be used not only as a project management tool but also as a wiki and a database, allowing you to replace multiple collaboration tools.

If you own a small business with 5-10 employees, consider Trello, setting up a board with tasks and assigning them to your employees so you will keep track of where things are.

If you have already reached bigger teams and have a few departments, you better use Notion to set up your digital office and let your teams collaborate, keeping all the needed resources in one place.

#2 – Let them find you

By not being present in the digital world, you are just leaving cash on the table.

Consider your behavior when you want to find the best bakery near you.

What do you do?

Probably, searching on Google to find the best bakery. Right?

Here comes Google My Business.

Stand out on Google and direct new customers with a free business profile by claiming your business on Google.

  • Simply, navigate to Google My Business
  • Click the “Claim Your Profile” button and follow the instructions.

Ensure you highlight all the essential info:

  • Address,
  • Directions,
  • Brand description,
  • Working hours, etc. Show what makes your business unique by adding images, products/services, menu/pricing, directing customers to leave reviews, and special offers to bring traffic.

See how nicely the below page is set up. It gives all the information that a customer is looking for.

You want your customers to be aware of you and easily find and learn about you. Make sure you cover all these for them.

#3 – Let them know you

We always wish our customers would know our values as a company and the key benefits of our products, right?

And most of the time, that’s what your business is missing – delivering the right message to customers.

Nowadays, one of the FREE and easy ways to engage with customers and create a community around your brand is Social Media.

Channels like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are primarily for B2C companies, and Linkedin and Twitter are for more like B2B businesses.

Each has a different audience, so choose a platform considering your target audience’s age and preferences to find them in the right spot.

  • For the young and lively, think TikTok. A teenage audience finds their groove there.
  • Instagram is your jam if your target is the trendy 20-35 group.
  • For a more mature, professional crowd, consider LinkedIn or Twitter.

So far, we know what concerns you the most.

How can you make content for Social Media if all these visuals and videos are not what you can afford?

No worries!

Consider this FREE Instories app that allows you to make videos and pics without any required expertise.

If you own a restaurant, take a pic of your unique dishes with your phone, go to Instories app, select a template, and download the pic from your phone

Voila, it turned your phone pic into a designer image ready to post in your social media feed.

Want to boost your engagement with videos?

It is an excellent idea because videos result in better engagement and views.

  • Go to the Instories app again and select a video size based on each platform’s requirements,
  • Check out FREE and trendy templates, and after selecting your favorite one,
  • Take some short videos at your restaurant showing how people enjoy their meal or backstage shots of your chef making dinner.
  • And again, download it to Instories and enjoy it, creating videos for you in a few minutes.

Feel free to add texts, headlines, and other info again on a template if needed.

Just be real while posting on any social media channel.

Remember that’s a place to create emotions and engage with your customers.

Try to push followings, comments, and mentions once people purchase a product or enjoy your service at a physical location, offering some small gifts or discounts.

Lastly, if you have a budget for paid advertisement, every once in a while, if you have something new, turn the ad on and reach bigger audiences.

#4 – Show that you care

You are enjoying the coffee you just purchased and thinking about how great it is and that you should share it next time with your friend……

Or you just got a ring from a boutique jewelry store but didn’t purchase the earrings and can’t stop thinking about getting them?

Blam… your email notification from that coffee place/jewelry store, thanking you for visiting them and offering you 10% off for your next order.

Excitement is leveled up, and the chances of going back are clear.

That’s the power of email marketing…keeping customers engaged.

Email Marketing

Customers love the feeling of being appreciated and valued.

When people visit your business or purchase something:

  • Thank them for their purchase and offer something new to bring them back
  • Do it again and again so they will reach habitual purchase
  • If you know their birthday, try to surprise them with a small gift or discount
  • If you have a new collection, let them know about it
  • Share your values and hard work, and educate them about your product
  • Show them how your product can benefit them
  • Ask for feedback and make them feel their opinion matters

You keep adding more ideas to the list above but don’t have time to craft all these emails, right?

We feel you, and that’s the life of small business owners: many ideas are left on memories.

Not anymore with Mailberry: an AI-powered Email Platform that writes emails for you

Not anymore with Mailberry: an AI-powered Email Platform that writes emails for you.

Considering the hassle of crafting emails for small businesses, Mailberry is designed to help you write emails and subject lines.

All you need is an idea that Mailberry takes and crafts emails specific to your brand.

Let Mailberry write and send emails so you can concentrate on your business.

Mailberry Forms

What we have discussed above clarifies that having people’s emails is crucial.

But how should you collect emails?

Whether you have a website or not, Mailberry is here to help with FREE forms with a forever FREE account.

Go to Mailberry and navigate to Audience from the left menu.

You will see forms there; click and design them with your brand colors and the info needed.

We recommend having the first name and email on the fill-in section, like the below form.

Click Next to edit the default text that Mailberry suggests.

Then, feel free to customize it according to your brand colors and fonts.

Finally, once you go ahead and Click Next, you will see the options to distribute the form.

If you have a website, copy the form code on the right and paste it into your website.

If you don’t have a website, or even if you have one, create a QR code, print it, and place it at your store/restaurant so people can scan and submit their info.

How to make a QR code for Mailberry forms?

Simply copy the link that Mailberry provides and paste it here.

Download the QR image and scan it.

Voila! Your page is ready to use.

Where are all these contacts getting stored?

It is safely stored in your Mailberry account, which you can download whenever needed.

You can create a specific segment and name it so you know where these customers are coming from.

Final Thoughts

Considering the real life of a small business owner, it is clear that leveraging the right tools and managing things effectively can be your secret sauce for success.

By prioritizing organization, establishing a strong online presence, utilizing the power of social media, and embracing email marketing, you’ll streamline your operations and create lasting connections with your customers.

Remember, in the 21st century, working smart is the key to your business growth.

So, equip yourself with these free and effective tools, and watch your business flourish while saving time and money.