The small business tech stack: What you actually need (and what's overkill)

You've got 23 software subscriptions. Or maybe it's 47. You're not actually sure because they're spread across credit cards, invoices, and that one employee who signed up for something six months ago.

Each tool seemed like a good idea at the time. This one for email marketing. That one for project management. Another for customer support. One more for social media scheduling. And somehow you've got three different systems that all claim to be your "single source of truth."

The result: You're paying for redundancy, drowning in logins, and your data lives in silos that don't talk to each other.

Let's fix that.

The "too many tools" trap

Here's how it usually happens:

Someone on the team has a problem. They find a shiny tool that solves it. Sign up takes 30 seconds. Credit card goes on file. Problem solved — sort of.

Multiply by every problem across every team member across several years, and you end up with a sprawling mess of point solutions. Each one works reasonably well on its own. Together, they're chaos.

The symptoms:

• You're paying for features that overlap across multiple tools
• Data doesn't flow between systems automatically
• Nobody knows which tool has the "real" numbers
• Onboarding new employees takes forever because there are so many systems to learn
• You're spending more on software subscriptions than you realize

The root cause: Solving problems one at a time without thinking about the whole system.

The layers of a small business tech stack

Every small business needs roughly the same categories of software. The trick is knowing which layer you need to invest in — and which you can ignore (for now).

Layer 1: The foundation (You need this)

These are non-negotiable. Every business needs them, regardless of industry or size.

Accounting/Finance

• What it does: Invoicing, expenses, payroll, financial reporting
• Common options: QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks
• What to look for: Bank integration, automation features, good reporting

Communication

• What it does: Email, team messaging, video calls
• Common options: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, Zoom
• What to look for: Integration with other tools, mobile apps, reliability

File storage

• What it does: Document storage, sharing, collaboration
• Common options: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive
• What to look for: Version history, sharing permissions, search

Basic security

• What it does: Password management, two-factor authentication
• Common options: 1Password, LastPass, Bitwarden
• What to look for: Team features, easy adoption, secure sharing

Layer 2: Operations (You probably need this)

Once you're past survival mode and actually running operations, you'll likely need these.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

• What it does: Track customers, sales pipeline, interactions
• Common options: HubSpot (free tier available), Salesforce, Pipedrive
• What to look for: Integration with your email and accounting
• When you need it: When you have more than a handful of customers and can't track relationships in your head

Project/Task Management

• What it does: Track work, assign tasks, manage deadlines
• Common options: Asana, Monday, ClickUp, Basecamp
• What to look for: Simplicity (complex tools don't get used), mobile access
• When you need it: When "who's doing what" gets confusing, usually around 5+ people

Scheduling (if applicable)

• What it does: Calendar booking, appointments, resource scheduling
• Common options: Calendly, Acuity, Square Appointments
• What to look for: Integration with your calendar and payment processing
• When you need it: If appointments or bookings are part of your business

Layer 3: Growth (You might need this)

These become important when you're actively trying to grow and need to scale your reach.

Marketing Automation

• What it does: Email campaigns, lead nurturing, marketing workflows
• Common options: Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot Marketing
• What to look for: Integration with your CRM, ease of use
• When you need it: When you have a list worth nurturing and campaigns to run

Analytics

• What it does: Website analytics, conversion tracking, performance data
• Common options: Google Analytics (free), Mixpanel, Amplitude
• What to look for: Insights you'll actually act on
• When you need it: When you're spending money on marketing and need to know what's working

Customer Support

• What it does: Help desk, ticketing, knowledge base
• Common options: Zendesk, Intercom, Freshdesk
• What to look for: Integration with your CRM, self-service features
• When you need it: When email can't handle support volume, usually 50+ tickets/month

Social Media Management

• What it does: Scheduling, publishing, monitoring across platforms
• Common options: Buffer, Hootsuite, Later
• What to look for: The platforms you actually use
• When you need it: When social media is a real channel for your business, not a checkbox

Layer 4: Scale (You probably don't need this yet)

These are enterprise-grade tools that make sense at scale. Most small businesses don't need them — and the complexity can actually hurt.

Enterprise ERP systems — Overkill until you're managing complex multi-location operations

Advanced BI/analytics platforms — Overkill until you have data teams who need them

Enterprise security suites — Overkill unless you have compliance requirements that demand them

AI/ML platforms — Overkill unless you have data scientists on staff

The golden rule: Integration matters more than features

Here's what we've learned from working with dozens of small businesses: The best tech stack isn't the one with the most features. It's the one where everything talks to each other.

A modest CRM that syncs with your accounting software and email is worth more than a powerful CRM that sits in isolation.

When evaluating any new tool, ask:

1. Does it integrate with my existing systems? (Native integrations are best)
2. Does it have an API or Zapier/Make connection? (If not, data will be trapped)
3. Will it become the source of truth for something, or just another place data lives?

The integration test: Before adding a new tool, draw how data will flow in and out. If you can't draw it, you'll create another silo.

The consolidation opportunity

If you've already accumulated too many tools, the path forward is consolidation.

Step 1: Audit what you have

List every software subscription. Include:

• Tool name
• Monthly/annual cost
• What it's used for
• Who uses it
• What it integrates with

You'll likely find:

• Tools you're paying for but nobody uses
• Multiple tools doing the same thing
• Tools that should integrate but don't

Step 2: Identify overlaps

Look for tools covering similar territory:

• Multiple project management tools
• CRM plus spreadsheets plus email for customer tracking
• Marketing tools with overlapping features

Pick the winner. Migrate the others.

Step 3: Close the gaps

Now look at where integration is missing:

• CRM doesn't sync with accounting
• Website leads don't flow into CRM
• Reports require manual data compilation

These gaps are costing you time. Either find tools that integrate or invest in connecting what you have.

Step 4: Right-size

For each tool, ask: Are you using more than 50% of what you're paying for?

If you're on the enterprise plan but using basic features, downgrade. If you're on a tool designed for 100 users but have 10, find something simpler.

What most small businesses don't need (yet)

Resist the temptation to buy tools for problems you don't have yet.

You probably don't need:

• A full-featured ERP — until you're managing inventory, manufacturing, or complex multi-entity operations
• Enterprise-grade security tools — until you have compliance requirements or dedicated IT staff
• Advanced marketing automation — until you have campaigns sophisticated enough to use it
• BI/data warehouse platforms — until you have enough data and the skills to analyze it
• Custom-built software — until off-the-shelf tools genuinely can't solve your problem

Each of these can be the right choice at the right time. But "the right time" is usually later than vendors want you to think.

Red flags when evaluating software

Watch out for these warning signs when considering new tools:

"We're the all-in-one solution"

Tools that try to do everything usually do nothing well. If a single tool claims to handle your CRM, project management, marketing, support, and accounting — be skeptical.

No export option

If you can't get your data out, you're locked in. Always check that there's a way to export if you need to switch later.

Pricing that scales faster than value

Some tools are cheap to start but expensive as you grow. Check what pricing looks like at 2x and 5x your current usage.

Integration requires expensive add-ons

If connecting to other tools costs extra, that's a sign the vendor sees integration as a profit center rather than a core feature.

Features you'll "grow into"

Paying for features you don't use yet is waste. Choose tools that fit now. Upgrade later.

The practical tech stack for a 10-50 person company

Here's a realistic stack that works for most growing businesses:

Foundation:

• Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 (email, calendar, files, video)
• QuickBooks Online or Xero (accounting)
• 1Password or similar (security)

Operations:

• HubSpot CRM (free tier) or Pipedrive (customer management)
• Asana or Monday (project/task management)
• Slack (team communication — if email isn't enough)

Growth (as needed):

• Mailchimp or HubSpot Marketing (email campaigns)
• Google Analytics (website analytics)
• Calendly (scheduling — if applicable)

Integration glue:

• Zapier or Make (connect tools that don't natively integrate)

Total cost: $500-1,500/month for a 20-person company, depending on tiers and usage.

That's it. You don't need 47 tools. You need 8-10 that work well together.

Making the switch

If your current stack is a mess, don't try to fix everything at once.

1. Start with accounting. Get financial data clean and in one place.
2. Fix customer data next. Consolidate into a single CRM.
3. Address the biggest time waste. What manual process costs you the most hours? Fix that.
4. Consolidate slowly. One tool migration per quarter is sustainable. Three at once is chaos.

Each consolidation will feel painful in the short term and obvious in hindsight. That's normal.

The goal

A good tech stack should be:

• Simple enough that new employees can learn it quickly
• Connected enough that data flows without manual entry
• Right-sized for your actual needs, not hypothetical future needs
• Affordable relative to the value it provides

You're not trying to build the most sophisticated tech stack. You're trying to build one that serves your business without becoming a business unto itself.

That usually means fewer tools, better connected, appropriately sized. The opposite of what most small businesses end up with.

Entvas Editorial Team

Helping businesses make informed decisions