2022 brought artificial intelligence into the mainstream and digital tools and AI are not going anywhere. As a Virtual Assistant Service, we have supported more than 30 small businesses and we have drawn on all of this experience to compile a comprehensive list of the top 23 digital tools your small business needs in 2023. From AI programes to digital tools for organisation and marketing, if you are looking to embrace digital tools to grow your business in 2023, we have got you covered…
AI Tools your Small Business Needs in 2023
With artificial intelligence at the forefront of the digital landscape, it seems only right to begin the article with the AI tools that can enhance your business this year.
- Chat GPT – this content creation AI platform can do everything from copywriting long-form content to giving you social media post ideas and even writing poems and raps (oh, and it’s free)!
- Otter – an AI personal assistant that can record audio, write summaries and generate meeting notes.
- Adobe podcast – record and edit audio with this AI powered digital tool, perfect for editing and transcribing podcasts.
- Khroma – create seamless colour palettes and discover new colour combinations with this AI design tool.
- Dalle2 – provide a description and this AI tool will generate realistic images and artwork for your small business (like the image below)
Creative Tools your Small Business Needs in 2023
With more than one new business forming every minute in the UK, getting creative is what sets our small businesses apart from the competition. These are the creative tools that your small business needs to do just that in 2023.
- Descript – create videos and podcasts with this must-have tool for small businesses who are embracing video and audio as part of their 2023 strategy.
- Capcut – a free video editing tool which is particularly popular among small businesses and creatives for editing trending TikTok and Instagram videos.
- Canva – create professional graphics and videos with this user-friendly graphic design tool (Canva isn’t new for 2023 but it remains one of the best and most accessible design tools for small businesses).
Marketing Tools your Small Business Needs in 2023
As a Virtual Assistant Service specialising in providing digital marketing services, we have tried our fair share of marketing tools, these are our favourite tools that your small business needs in 2023.
- Publer – the best free social media tool we have found on the market at the moment, which allows you to schedule and analyse social media posts across 3 platforms (upgrade to a paid account to schedule across additional platforms).
- Mailerlite – our favourite email marketing platform allows you to create beautiful email newsletters and landing pages using an intuitive and user-friendly system. As big fans of Mailerlite (we use Mailerlite for our Planner Bee VA Services email marketing), we have an affiliate link – sign up now.
- AHREFS broken link checker – identify any broken links on your website with this free digital tool.
- Unsplash – find the perfect stock image and photography for your website or social media on this digital image directory.
Organisational Tools your Small Business Needs in 2023
When it comes to planning and organisation, sometimes you can’t beat a physical planner or pen and paper. But there is also a place for digital tools that can help to improve your business efficiency and organisation, particularly if you have a team or work with a VA.
- ClickUp – manage tasks, delegate your workload, enhance your productivity and collaborate with your team through this project management tool for small businesses. This is the project management tool we use to organise and track our Virtual Assistant client work and projects.
- Trello – a slightly more basic project management tool than ClickUp, Trello is perfect for organising your workload as a solopreneur and has a great free plan. Trello can be used to organise tasks/ projects, create to-do-lists and plan your marketing content.
- Notion – another project management tool that can be utilised both by small businesses and solopreneurs to improve your organisation. At Planner Bee VA Services we use Notion to track progress towards our goals.
- Dubsado – Manage client relationships with this all-in-one platform to streamline your business processes, including invoicing, email automation, appointment scheduling and client portals.
Admin Tools your Small Business Needs in 2023
Admin tools might not be the most exciting digital tools that your small business needs in 2023 and generally, admin tasks tend not to be the most enjoyable. So, I am always on the lookout for digital tools that can help to streamline our admin processes, so that we can spend more of our time doing the tasks we enjoy in our businesses, and less time on admin.
- Grammerly – a digital writing tool that you add to your desktop or install an app and it will do enhanced checks on your spelling, grammar and tone, helping you to write mistake-free. Plus with new AI integrations for 2023, Grammerly can now also help you to generate content.
- Google Alerts – set up Google Alerts for your business/ product/ founder names and get notified when you are mentioned online or your business is in the press.
- Dropbox – store, send and collaborate on files with clients and your team with this secure cloud storage tool.
- DropboxSign (previously HelloSign) – send, sign and track signatures with this digital tool which includes a free plan with 3 signatures per month.
- Adobe Acrobat – convert, compress and edit PDF’s with this handy admin tool for your small business.
- Quickbooks – stay on top of your business accounts with this digital accountin software.
- Loom – record videos (including screen recording) to update your team/ clients and streamline your delegating work processes.
Utilising Digital Tools as a Small Business in 2023
There are thousands of digital tools out there for small businesses. We have chosen to omit some of the most obvious tools like Google Search Console and Analytics from our list and have instead compiled the 23 most innovative digital tools for small businesses in 2023 – enjoy!