12 Best Business Tools that Every Business Needs in 2024

Business tools are essential for any business, regardless of size or industry. They can help businesses to streamline their operations, improve efficiency, and boost productivity.

In the ever-evolving business landscape, it is more important than ever for businesses to invest in the right tools to stay ahead of the competition.

In 2024, the business landscape is expected to continue to evolve at a rapid pace. New technologies and trends are emerging all the time, and businesses need to be able to adapt quickly in order to remain competitive.

In this article, we will highlight the 12 best business tools with their key features, pros, cons, and pricing that every business needs in 2024. These tools are selected based on their importance and effectiveness in helping businesses to achieve their goals.

 

 

Best business tools in 2024

We have carefully curated a list of tools for businesses after extensive research, taking into account real user reviews from top websites and insights from industry leaders.

To simplify the decision-making process, we have categorized the tools into four categories based on their specific business functions: communication, project management, financial and accounting, and marketing and sales.

 

Top communication tools for businesses

Communication tools can help you to communicate more efficiently and effectively, regardless of whether you are working remotely or in a traditional office setting.

By using the right communication tools, you can stay connected with your team members and customers, and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

 

Microsoft Teams– Best for collaboration

Microsoft Teams is a top chat-based workspace for office use. Subscribers can schedule video conferences for up to 300 people. Teams offer standard video conferencing features such as screen sharing and recording.

Teams offer a free version, but it has fewer features than the paid version. Microsoft gives a one-month trial for paid plans for free.

Key Features

• Seamless Microsoft 365 integration
• Instant chats
• Conversation channels
• Direct access to Email, Skype, OneDrive, and SharePoint
• Quickly integrate third-party applications

Pros

• Designed to increase work focus
• Optimized for maximum productivity
• Easy integration and implementation

Cons

• Complicated and confusing file structures
• Disparity in online meeting experiences
• Not very flexible

Pricing

A free plan is available or upgrade with Teams Essentials, with prices starting from £3.21 per user/month, or you can get a Microsoft 365 subscription which includes Teams.

 

Slack– Best for team communication

Slack is a team communication app that enables efficient collaboration through messaging, audio and video calls, and file sharing. It aims to bring teams together and align them for seamless collaboration.

You can create channels for each project, topic, or team, where you can share files, discuss projects, and assign tasks.

Key Features

• Chat, voice calling, and video calling for interactive communication
• Share files and media in the chat
• Slack Huddles for live calling
• Slack Clips to share audio and video messages
• Workflow automation to automate routine communication

Pros

• Easy-to-navigate and intuitive user interface
• Slack work status messages to know team availability
• Seamless integration with over 2000 apps

Cons

• Expensive compared to other tools
• Audio and video call quality needs improvements
• Poor customer support

Pricing

Slack offers a free plan with limited features and integrations.

The ProPlan gives you access to premium features and costs £5.83 per user per month when billed annually.

 

Zoom– Best for video conferencing

Zoom is a video conferencing platform that is dedicated to providing audio and video calling services to your team and clients.

It is an all-in-one app that can be used for various events, from single-session meetings to online webinars, community events, and group events.

Key features

• HD video and audio calling up to 1,000 participants in a meeting
• Screen sharing, online whiteboarding, and file sharing
• Zoom Chat to communicate with the team
• Zoom VoIP calling
• Email and calendar invitations and appointment scheduler

Pros

• Easy to use and user-friendly interface
• Versatile video conferencing platform
• Integrate seamlessly with most daily-use apps

Cons

• Expensive paid plans
• Bugs in some features

Pricing

Zoom has a vast range of product plans.

Zoom Basic plan is free for everyone.

The Zoom Pro plan costs £120.49 per user/year.

 

Top project management tools

Project management tools are essential for successful project completion.

They help you plan and schedule your projects effectively, track progress and identify risks, collaborate with your team, and improve communication and visibility.

One of the most valuable features of project management tools is the Gantt chart. It provides a visual representation of project timelines and task dependencies.

Gantt charts help ensure that tasks are done in the right order, which can prevent problems or delays in your project.

Similar to Gantt charts, project management tools offer various features that help you improve your efficiency and increase your chances of project success.

 

ProofHub– Best for project management and team collaboration

ProofHub is a comprehensive project management and team collaboration tool suitable for every business. It provides a wide range of scalable capabilities to match your growing business needs.

The main aim of this application is to enable project managers, decision-makers, and teams to communicate more effectively and efficiently manage all aspects of the project.

ProofHub also helps teams keep track of how much time each team member spends on each assignment, who is working on what, and how much money is spent on each task.

Key features

• Task management with Gantt charts and Kanban boards
• In-house group and personalized chat tool
• File proofing for reviews and custom reports
• Integrations with third-party tools
• Announcements and discussion forums to share ideas and celebrate successes

Pros

• A single platform with a wide variety of features eliminates the need for multiple apps
• The user interface is intuitive, and the learning curve is minimal
• Users can be assigned custom permission levels (owner, admin, and normal user)
• Task priorities can be set, and multiple assignees added to each task

Cons

• Notifications can be overwhelming at times
• Integration capabilities are limited but useful, including integrations with QuickBooks, Slack, and Google Calendar.

Pricing

The Essential plan costs £36.17 per month when billed annually.

The Ultimate Control plan costs £71.54 per month, billed annually.

 

Trello– Best for Kanban management

Trello is a popular platform that is best known for its Kanban-based work management system.

It allows for clear and effortless visualization of tasks with cards that are easy to understand and analyze, making it a great option for those short on time.

Trello is highly recommended for teams with short projects or tight deadlines, thanks to its exceptional three-stage workflow functionality and customizable workflows.

Key features

• Drag-and-drop function to add attachments
• Built-in automated system to streamline recurring actions
• Checklists to delegate tasks into subtasks

Pros

• Unlimited cards and per-board
• Simple and easy-to-use user interface
• Custom cards and buttons to perform actions in no time

Cons

• Advanced features of Trello have a steep learning curve
• No in-depth data analysis and reporting
• Built-in time tracking is not available.

Pricing

Trello offers three pricing plans, the Standard Plan starts at £4.02 per user per month for medium-sized teams.

The Premium Plan starts at £8.04 per user per month for additional task visualization features

The Enterprise Plan starts at £14.07 per user per month for added security.

 

Asana– Best for cross-functional team management

Asana is a task management tool that offers numerous features such as multiple project views, process automation, collaboration tools, Agile support, powerful integrations, and smart design.

It excels at breaking down complex projects into manageable tasks, boosts cross-functional work, facilitates collaboration, and ensures real-time progress tracking with its user-friendly interface.

Key features

• Multiple views for managing tasks
• Recurring tasks
• Agile support
• Monitor progress with custom charts
• Set goals and key results for tracking individual or team’s progress

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Customizable dashboards to fit different workflows
• In-built collaboration features

Cons

• Can’t assign multiple team members to a single task
• Can be confusing for new users to adapt to
• Time tracking is only available in top-tiered plans

Pricing

Asana has three pricing tiers, Free, Premium, and Enterprise.

The Premium plan costs £8.03 per member per month.

 

Top financial and accounting tools

Financial and accounting tools are crucial for any business, regardless of its size or industry.

These tools assist you in tracking your income and expenses, managing your cash flow, creating and analyzing financial reports, making informed financial decisions, and complying with tax laws and regulations.

By utilizing these tools, you can gain insights into your business’s financial health and make informed decisions to improve its overall performance.

Get financial advice from Forbes Burton to help you with financial planning, risk management, budgeting, and investment strategies.

 

QuickBooks– Best for bookkeeping

QuickBooks is a cloud-based accounting tool for SMBs. It helps manage financial activities like projects, expenses, and invoices.

The centralized dashboard allows you to track KPIs and gain insights into business performance. QuickBooks also facilitates collaboration on projects and improves financial operations.

Key features

• Accounts receivable and payable
• Project accounting
• Payroll management
• Purchase orders
• Expense tracking

Pros

• Flexible to integrate with 3rd party applications
• Provides good accounting reports
• Easy to access from any device, phone, tablet or computer
• Easy to find and fix errors/mistakes
• Easy to look up customer information

Cons

• Unstable, leading to system crashes
• Limitations on file size and the number of transactions
• Limited number of users
• Risk of data loss as the information is not backed up
• Lacks invoice design tools
• Easy to find and fix errors, which makes it easy for someone to manipulate your books

Pricing

The pricing for QuickBooks starts at £4.02 per user per month.

While there is no free version available, QuickBooks offers a free trial.

 

FreshBooks– Best for invoicing and expense tracking

Freshbooks is an award-winning accounting tool for small to medium-sized businesses. Its comprehensive features streamline time tracking and invoicing processes, making business accounting simpler.

Freshbooks is a reliable, fast, and easy-to-use software that automates client follow-up and tracking processes.

It integrates with third-party applications like PayPal, Shopify, and Stripe, helping you get paid faster and extend your business capabilities.

Key features

• Online invoicing
• Expense tracking
• Time tracking
• Accounting reports and taxes
• Make and collect payments

Pros

• Versatile tool with loads of features under one roof
• Easy to use

Cons

• Paid plans are expensive
• Poor customer support
• Interface issues and bugs in the upgraded version

Pricing

The FreshBooks Lite Plan is priced at £13.66 per month for up to 5 billable clients.

 

Stripe– Best for processing international payments

Stripe Payments is a powerful payment processor that accepts dozens of payment methods and 135 currencies.

It has an open API and advanced developer tools, allowing you to create a customized checkout flow.

Key features

• Accept payments in multiple currencies
• Support different payment methods, including credit and debit cards, digital wallets, and bank transfers
• Fraud prevention tools
• Recurring billing support
• Integration with popular accounting and e-commerce platforms

Pros

• Flat-rate, transparent pricing
• No setup, cancellation or monthly fees
• Supports a wide variety of payment methods and currencies
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Difficult to customize without software development expertise
• Limited functionality for in-person businesses

Pricing

Stripe is a pay-as-you-go model with flat-rate transaction-based fees of 2.9% plus 30 cents for online payments and 2.7% plus 5 cents for in-person payments.

 

Top marketing and sales tools

Marketing and sales tools can help you reach your target audience, create awareness, generate leads, and convert leads into customers.

Invest in the right tools to improve your efforts and increase profits.

 

MailChimp– Best for email marketing

Mailchimp is a top email marketing automation platform that can help you win new customers and provide exceptional customer care.

It uses AI and customer behavioural insights to run effective email campaigns.

You can send personalized emails to the right audience based on buying behaviour, survey responses, chat interactions, and other analytics.

Key features

• Create automated personalized email campaigns
• Insights to deliver personalized emails
• Market automation to trigger emails based on customer behaviour
• Templates and content creation to create emails
• Reporting and analytics for insights

Pros

• Intuitive user interface
• Robust features
• Marketing automation to save time and efforts

Cons

• Needs time to learn to use the software
• Poor customer service

Pricing

Mailchimp Essentials plan costs £1.88 per month when billed annually.

 

Hootsuite– Best for managing social media networks

Hootsuite is a popular social media marketing tool for startups, enabling teams to manage multiple social media networks from a single interface.

The platform’s easy-to-use UI provides a centralized location for all social media content, including comments, DMs, and a content calendar.

Key features

• Analyse user and competitor behaviour
• Content advertisement to target the ideal audience
• One platform for all social media customer engagement

Pros

• Simple to link multiple platforms to Hootsuite
• User-friendly and easy-to-use interface for publishing content
• Overview of all social media networks available in a single interface

Cons

• Posting content sometimes becomes difficult
• Adding accounts can be a bit overwhelming at times

Pricing

Hootsuite offers four pricing plans including a free plan and three paid plans, ranging from £103.69 to £481.48 per month.

 

Google Analytics– Best for website visitor analysis

Google Analytics is a free tool that helps businesses analyse user data on their sites and apps to monitor the performance of their marketing campaign.

It combines insights with advertising to drive better results for your business.

It is user-friendly, even for beginners, and provides real-time data about site visitors.

Key features

• Data insights and reports to see how customers interact with your sites and apps
• Set goals and track conversions
• Modelling and AI to predict user behaviour
• Integration with Google Suite of advertising products
• Data collection and management for better insights

Pros

• Real-time data about site visitors
• User-friendly interface
• Free to use

Cons

• Complex for beginners
• Customer support is not reliable

Pricing

Google Analytics is free of charge.

 

Additional tools

Apart from the business tools that we have already listed, there are a few more tools that can assist in keeping your organization functioning smoothly. Although they may not fit into any of the categories mentioned earlier, they are worth considering if you want to establish a successful business.

 

• Canva- Best for designing graphics

• Dropbox- Best for sharing large files

• WordPress- Best for creating websites or blogs

• Calendly- Best for scheduling meetings

• Semrush- Best for search engine marketing

• Buffer- Best for social media management

• Zapier- Best for automating workflows

• HubSpot- Best for inbound marketing

• Compt – Best for employee reimbursement

 

Conclusion

In the end, it is clear that business tools play a significant role in the success of any organization.

As we look ahead to 2024, it is essential to recognize the importance of these tools as they form the backbone of your operations, enabling efficiency, productivity, and growth.

To remain competitive and stay ahead of the curve, it is crucial to invest in and adopt the best business tools available.

Remember, by embracing technology, harnessing the power of data, and leveraging automation, you are not just streamlining your processes, you are future-proofing your business.

Your willingness to adapt and invest today will determine your success tomorrow.

Therefore, take action, integrate these tools, and position yourself for a prosperous future in the world of business.

 

About the author

Nandini Sharma is the marketing manager at ProofHub, counted amongst the best Smartsheet Alternatives. She is always delighted to talk about SAAS, project management, marketing expertise, and teamwork. Her major interests are reading about new trends in work management and doing arts and crafts. Her artistic nature also shows in her progressive approach.