The 5 Tech Tools Every Small Business Actually Needs (Most Are Cheap or Free)

Most small businesses pay for software they barely use while missing the basics that actually help. Here are five tool categories worth getting right: business email, passwords, scheduling, backup, and bookkeeping. I walk through practical options, the traps to avoid, and an illustrative $20–75/month budget for a solo business. Your total depends on users, computers, plan choices, and billing terms. TOOLS MENTIONED 1. Email on your own domain Google Workspace: https://workspace.google.com/pricing.... Microsoft 365 Business Basic: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/micro... 2. A password manager Bitwarden: https://bitwarden.com/pricing/ 3. A scheduling link Calendly: https://calendly.com/pricing Google Calendar appointment schedules: https://support.google.com/calendar/a... Microsoft Bookings: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/micro... 4. Backup and cloud file storage Backblaze Computer Backup: https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-backu... Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/plans Google Drive: https://workspace.google.com/products... Microsoft OneDrive: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/micro... 5. Bookkeeping Wave: https://www.waveapps.com/pricing QuickBooks: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/ No affiliate links. I’m not paid to recommend these tools. A FEW PLAN DETAILS • Pricing and features vary by plan and billing term; check the official links above. • Bitwarden’s free individual plan differs from its business sharing plans. When someone leaves, revoke their access and change shared credentials they could retain. • Cloud sync is useful, but verify backup coverage and test recovery. Backblaze does not back up operating systems or applications and excludes some cloud-managed files. • Wave Starter is free; automatic bank imports require Pro. WORK WITH ME Book a free discovery call: https://calendly.com/switchbackguide/... Website: https://switchbackguide.com LinkedIn:   / jeremiah-blasi