The right tools save a small business real time and money, but the tools worth using change over the years. Here’s a current, verified set covering planning, funding, accounting, insurance and field operations.
1. Plan and structure your business
Entreprenerdy, previously known as the Lean Business Platform, remains a free entrepreneurship support platform helping business owners set growth objectives, manage tasks and forecast finances. Cost: free.
2. Assess your funding readiness
Finfind matches South African SMEs to appropriate funders from a large national database, and has kept expanding its government and provincial partnerships in 2026. Cost: free for SMEs.
3. Access free accounting software
Wave remains a genuinely free option for invoicing, payment tracking and basic financial management, a solid starting point before a growing business needs a paid accounting package. Cost: free.
4. Insure your business assets properly
Pineapple, a South African digital insurer, lets you photograph an item like a laptop or phone and get an instant quote to insure it, removing the usual friction around insuring smaller business assets. Cost: from a low monthly premium depending on the item.
5. Keep track of field staff and freelancers
GeoRep has grown into a well-established field sales and service management platform, tracking your team’s location, call logs and productivity for businesses with staff working outside the office. Cost: tiered packages depending on team size and features.
6. Make your business easy to find online
A free Google Business Profile remains one of the simplest ways to help customers find your business, contact details and reviews on Search and Maps. Cost: free.
7. Talk to your customers directly
Google Forms is still a genuinely useful, free way to run a customer survey or collect newsletter sign-ups, with responses collected automatically in real time. Cost: free.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need paid software to run a small business properly, or are free tools enough?
Several genuinely capable free tools exist, particularly for accounting, surveys and business profiles, though most businesses eventually need a paid tier as they scale.
Is it worth using a funder-matching tool before I approach investors?
Yes, particularly if you’re unsure which of the hundreds of funders in the country actually fit your business. A matching platform narrows that list down before you spend time on the wrong applications.
How do I know which accounting software fits my business?
Start with a free tier to test the basics, and move to a paid package once transaction volume or reporting needs outgrow it.
Are digital insurers like Pineapple as reliable as traditional insurers?
Pineapple is underwritten by a licensed South African insurer and has built a strong customer rating track record, making it a credible option for smaller, specific-item cover.
Keeping your toolkit current
Tools that were essential a few years ago sometimes disappear entirely, or get absorbed into something else. Revisit your business’s tech stack periodically rather than assuming a tool that worked once still exists.
Further reading: Is My Business Funding Ready? | Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (Sedfa) for free official SME business support
Originally published in March 2019. Updated September 2026 to remove several tools that no longer exist and confirm the current status and pricing of those that remain, including Lean Business Platform’s rebrand to Entreprenerdy. Tool pricing and features change, so confirm current details directly before adopting one.
