Five digital tools to help Kiwi small business owners reduce their stress

Digital tools can automate admin tasks, improving efficiency and saving valuable time for businesses.

Chris Small is the managing director of ABC Business Sales. Bridget Snelling is the country manager of Xero in New Zealand.

OPINION

As a small or medium-sized business owner in New Zealand, managing your business can sometimes feel like a juggling act.

There’s always something demanding your attention – whether it’s scheduling, handling customer inquiries, or keeping the finances in check.

The good news is digital tools can help make these tasks easier and save you valuable time and money. And you don’t need to be a tech expert to get started.

Here’s a practical look at how some simple digital tools can streamline your business and help you achieve success in a way that is meaningful to you.

1. Automating admin tasks

Running a business often means spending a lot of time on admin tasks – such as booking appointments, sending invoices, paying bills, or responding to customers.

These can often be repetitive jobs that eat into your day, but digital tools can help lighten the load.

Take a small boutique hotel in Tauranga. Before switching to Calendly, they spent a lot of time manually booking guests and handling cancellations. Now, customers book online through Calendly, which syncs with the hotel’s schedule and even sends automatic reminders to guests. This simple change reduced the hotel’s no-show rate and saved hours of admin time each week.

Alternatively, consider a plumbing business with a handful of employees. Instead of manually sending invoices and chasing overdue payments, an accounting software platform such as Xero can automate a large portion of the process, including chasing unpaid invoices to ensure you get paid on time, without the hassle.

These tools don’t just save you time – they free you up to focus on the bigger picture of running your business.

2. Improving customer relationships

Building strong relationships with customers is crucial for any business. But staying on top of every interaction can be tough. That’s where a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool can help.

Let’s say you own a landscaping business in Hamilton. You’ve served dozens of clients, but keeping track of when to follow up or offer seasonal services can get tricky.

Tools such as HubSpot or Zoho CRM can help you organise all your customer details in one place.

You can set reminders for follow-ups and even automate personalised emails, ensuring no customer slips through the cracks.

This helps you build stronger relationships with your customers while also saving time by letting the system handle much of the work for you.

Xero New Zealand country manager Bridget Snelling. Photo / Supplied

3. Staying on top of your finances

Finances can be a major source of stress for SME owners. When asked about the emotional and physical impacts of cash flow management, business owners report the biggest challenges for them included feeling stress (80%), anxiety (70%), trouble sleeping (60%) and losing time with friends/family (47%).

Managing invoices, tracking expenses and making sure the books are balanced can feel overwhelming.

But with the right digital tools and trusted partners, you can simplify the entire process.

A good accounting platform will give you real-time information and insights. It will allow a small business owner to see all invoices, contacts, balances, financial information and accounts online in a comprehensive, easy-to-view manner. It will also connect to other tools that you may need for your business.

For example, if you run a service-based business, tools such as Hubdoc can make tracking financial documents easier. You might be a Christchurch-based electrician or caterer handling dozens of receipts for materials each week. With Hubdoc, you can simply snap a photo of each receipt, upload it from your desktop or forward it from your email and it will automatically translate the data to your accounting software.

With these tools in place, managing your finances becomes less of a chore, allowing you to make smarter business decisions with less stress.

4. Streamlining team communication

If you work with a team, keeping everyone on the same page can be challenging – especially when there are multiple projects on the go.

Digital tools like Slack and Zoom help you streamline communication and keep things organised.

A small marketing agency in Auckland could use Slack to communicate and set up separate channels for each client project. This way, everyone knows exactly what’s happening at any given time and instead of drowning in endless email threads, they can quickly share updates and ask questions in one place.

Similarly, a law firm in Dunedin could use Zoom for remote meetings with clients. Instead of spending time and money on travel, they meet virtually, allowing them to take on more clients and work more efficiently.

These communication tools not only make things easier for your team but also improve your ability to serve your clients effectively.

Chris Small of ABC.

5. Managing tasks and projects

For businesses that manage multiple projects, staying organised can be a challenge. Tools like Trello and Asana help you keep track of tasks, assign responsibilities, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

For example, a small construction company in Queenstown might use Trello to manage multiple building projects at once. The owner can assign tasks to different team members, set deadlines and track progress – all from one central place. This keeps the team organised and ensures everyone knows what they’re responsible for.

Similarly, a digital marketing agency in Wellington might employ Asana to manage client campaigns, making sure deadlines are met and projects stay on track. It’s a simple but effective way to keep the team productive without constant oversight.

It needn’t be hard

For New Zealand SMEs, digital tools aren’t just nice-to-haves – they’re essential for staying competitive and running a more efficient business.

From automating admin tasks to managing customer relationships and improving team communication, these tools can make a significant impact on your day-to-day operations.

The best part? You don’t need to be a tech whiz to get started. Pick one or two digital tools that address your biggest challenges and give them a try.

You’ll find these small changes can save you time, reduce stress and help you focus on what matters most to you.