5 Time-Saving Tools Every Small Business Owner Should Use

bossyroc
May 30
3 min read

Running a small business means wearing a lot of hats. Tell me something we DON'T know. Time and energy are your most valuable assets—but between marketing, accounting, inventory, customer service, and everything else we do, it’s easy to feel like there’s never enough of it. The good news? There are tools out there designed specifically to help small business owners work smarter, not harder. Do we use them all? No, but we should.

Here are five essential time-saving tools that BOSSYs have shared that can help streamline your workflow and give you back more time to grow your business—or just breathe a little. Ahhhhhhh…

Ahhhhhhhh

1. Task Management Made Easy: Apps Like Trello or Asana

Juggling multiple projects? A visual task manager like Trello or Asana helps you organize your to-do list, delegate tasks, and track progress.

Create boards for marketing, operations, or customer service
Assign deadlines and team members
Get a high-level view of what’s moving—and what’s not

Why it saves time: No more searching through emails or sticky notes to determine what needs to be done.

I need to just rip the bandaid off on this one, but I never have the time! Ironic? No.

2. Hassle-Free Accounting: Programs Like QuickBooks or Wave:

Staying on top of your finances is non-negotiable, but it doesn’t have to eat up your weekends. I often wonder how business owners got ANYTHING done before technology. SOO MUCH MATH...

Link your business accounts for automatic transaction tracking
Generate invoices, accept payments, and manage payroll
Prepare for tax season with less stress

Why it saves time: Automates repetitive accounting tasks and cuts down on errors.

And even more importantly? You can see where your business is gaining- and losing- money and momentum. Depending on how you set it up, it can be real time, or even just a monthly snapshot.

3. Design Like a Pro Without Being One: Sites like Canva

Whether you’re creating a social media post or a new flyer, these make design fast and foolproof. You can also use AI, either in the app or on its own to create docs, images, flyers...

Use drag-and-drop templates for any graphic
Customize your brand colors and fonts
Collaborate with team members in real time

Why it saves time: No need to hire a designer for everyday graphics, or wait on one.

Plus, you can reuse and resize ones you love for new markets! Work smarter, not harder.

4. Social Media Scheduling in One Place: Sites like Hootsuite or Buffer

Managing social media accounts can be a full-time job. These tools let you plan, schedule, and analyze posts across all your platforms.

Batch your content creation
Auto-publish at peak times
Monitor engagement and messages from one dashboard

Why it saves time: You only need to log in once a week instead of daily. I like to think about Henry Ford and the assembly line- there is so much to be said for leaning in and focusing on ONE TASK for a set amount of time. Smarter- not harder.

5. Eliminate the “Back-and-Forth” Emails: Scheduling apps like Calendly

If you book meetings, consultations, or sales calls, these automate scheduling based on your availability.

Share a booking link with customers or clients
Automatically syncs with your calendar
Sends reminders to reduce no-shows

Why it saves time: Avoids endless emails like “Does 3 pm work for you?”

I am the worst with this. And I have an app. Reminder to get on myself to be organized!

Final Thoughts

Time is money—and small business owners don’t have either to waste. With the right tools in place, you can get more done in less time and focus on what really matters: growing your business.