Small Business Project Management Software Buyers Guide
Last updated: October 03, 2023
Recent years seem to have birthed an interesting triad/trend:
A seeming relationship between rising inflation levels, an increase in small business numbers, and large-scale small business project management software adoption.
(The last two come as a no-brainer)
Consider these numbers
| Global inflation levels, as recorded by Statista in its Jan-2023-updated review, stood at a whopping 8.75 percent in 2022. A reality that has forced the vast majority of the world’s skilled labor to take up sidelong employment. Small businesses, as a result, have cropped up everywhere – defined by Gartner and others as commercial enterprises hosting between 15 to 100 employees. |
Why a solid project management tool is vital to small business success?
Now, the modern workplace is a cutthroat undertaking; unlike anything conceived by popular culture even a few decades ago. Everything, more or less, requires digital automation: pretty much the only way for companies to remain even borderline competitive.
So, for small businesses, constant reliance on project management tools comes as a given. Not subscribing to one, and only working with old-school spreadsheets and notes to get by on increasingly complex projects/workflow arrangements, can spell certain doom (read: suicide!) for the enterprises concerned.
But then…how does a newbie (or even old-timing) small business owner find the best project management software for their workplace?
Well - consider this guide your no-nonsense, straightforward, primer on this quest.
Let’s begin with some disclosure from our end:
As neutral surveyors of the B2B software space, we’re quite probing about what’s good and not about our reviewed software assignments. We receive no tithes for publicizing their wares or spewing foam on their competitors; our only allegiance – for truth – is to our readers.
And with that being said (because we had to!), let’s begin.
We’ll be covering the following topics in this piece:
Understanding project management software for small businesses
One thing, even more so than the headcount figures mentioned, is quite standout-ish about small businesses:
They all operate on tight budgets.
Cost-cutting, making every budget cent count, is at the heart of their operations. Especially for the companies that operate on the agile, MVP, model (which pivot not long after a product/service or strategy repeatedly fails at customer validation).
So, for these organizations, any project management tool considered necessarily has to be cost-effective – both in pricing and its offered features.
Free plan versions (and particularly free trial offers) are significantly more attractive than the more expensive project management system offers commonplace in the market (for obvious reasons).
Another important issue for small business setups:
Their PM software needs to be easy to work with.
Startups, oftentimes, don’t have either the financial or operational wherewithal to engage their employees in extensive, technical training. They need project management software that is quick to set up and incredibly intuitive/user-friendly (with a low learning curve) to deal with. Any complicated design runs amount to a big ‘no’ – and a major reason for such businesses deciding to unsubscribe from difficult PM tools altogether (there isn’t much time to waste).
Outliers, of course, exist; notably in the case of companies that deliver proprietary goods and services of a specialist nature, or which manage projects that require a lot of mind-boggling, custom, functionality. These settings practically demand a tortuous user interface.
Lastly, the best project management tool contender for small business operations needs to be:
Readily scalable
Growing businesses, particularly the ones that are only a few years past their inception, can function under extreme expansion volatility.
They may experiment, for instance, with newer product/service lines under multiple projects to ensure their field/niche viability. What this looks like in practice is a company that is continually evolving with both increasing and decreasing floor numbers; refining and optimizing its tactical/strategic approach for greater efficacy.
All this is pretty normal – even expected.
These growth spurts (pains!), however, require serious project planning.
Also, project management software tools are both easy to customize and inherently scalable.
For project managers, it’s no fun working with PM suites that are rigid and limiting. The best task management app for them needs to be highly collaboration-oriented and integrations-rich (at the very least).
The necessity of project management software for small businesses
We’ve already made a (solid – it really should be!) case for why small businesses absolutely need dedicated project management software programs to do well on their workflow concerns.
But there’s another PM tool advantage that’s worth mentioning because it is, or can be, consequential:
The best project management software enables workflow automation
Think about it – leaving aside the debate around workplace unemployment caused by departmental mechanization (for which a good solution is rigorous upskilling).
There aren’t many companies around, for understandable reasons, who wouldn’t want to cut down on their salary overheads and divert resources to less-expensive machine costs. In some organizations, at any rate, the argument for going tech-heavy/-first is so strongly compelling that it isn’t financially wise for them from any angle to continue on the traditional, labor-intensive, route.
So, a small business or a larger enterprise cannot, rationally, be blamed for choosing to go along with good project management software to reap these cost-saving benefits.
Common features of small business project management tools
For small business setups, the project management features desired from subscribed PM tools can be broadly lumped into two categories:
- Basic Features (available in most free version offers)
- Advanced Features (typically served via paid plans)
A concerned project manager, further, may judge between considered project management apps/other tools by how well their provided features rate, overall, in terms of affordable pricing, user-friendliness, and scalability (the factors already discussed).
Key Features of Most Project Management Software for Small BusinessesTask Management Features Track Project Progress (through setting project milestones) Resource Management Functions Resource Allocation (for project members) Financial Management Tools Project Budget/Financial Planning |
The following integrations also tend to come as part of the core features of several notable project management tools for small businesses:
- Google Workspace (with Google Drive, Google Sheets, & Google Calendar – for project scheduling)
- Microsoft Office (with Microsoft Teams support)
- Zoho Projects
How to find project management software suited to your small business
Our five-point criteria framework for gauging the best project management software options available cuts through the noise, quickly, to get you subscribed to a perfect subscription fit in no time.
All you need to do:
Just weigh/put a mental (or not) tick for your chosen tool against each of these basic small business project manager software design benchmarks.
And it’s best if you shortlist your top five subscription contenders; put each of them either individually or collectively to this test. We’ve compiled a list of our own favorites for the top-five small business project management apps ranking a few sections down; they’ll make a really good point for you to start your analyses.
The software with the most checks is your clear winner (our recommendation for you to go ahead with to the next stage; with the steps listed below the following list).
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Small Business Project Management Software Evaluation List
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Next, you need to narrow your choice to one project management app from the lot. Head on over to its product profile page – use our search bar above – to book a demo or get pricing (accurate, updated, custom plan figures for your workplace) so you can get subscribed quickly.
What is pricing like for the best project management software options for small businesses?
Securing great project management software (or even simple project management software) choices isn’t much of a challenge nowadays. There are pricing plans available for just about any corporate budget available – with a large variety of them listed on this platform.
For beginners, there are always the free version/free plan offers provided by a number of vendors in the space, such as ClickUp, Teamwork, and Monday.com.
If you’re looking to up your small business project management process a little, however (make use of some advanced features), a paid subscription from each of these brands or others would be better.
Here, you can expect to spend anywhere from:
| Paid plans start at $4/month per member to upward of $299/month (for unlimited users) |
These are only ballpark figures, however.
To get accurate, custom, plan pricing details and recommendations based on your exact company size and requirements, check out our Project Management Software Pricing Guide for 2023.
Project Management for Small Businesses: Our Top 5 Software Picks!
Now, the best project management software for small businesses shouldn’t just offer such staple features as project document management, resource planning, time tracking, resource management, and customer invoicing/billing.
It should go ahead of the curve and provide solid customizations.
An overarching option to configure the system in line with the deploying firm’s existing and expected workflows; allowing project managers to efficiently manage their work process loops.
In our assessment, the following five small business project management tools do a grand job on all these counts – and more.
As such, we strongly recommend that you consider each of them for your firm; since they come with the lowest levels of setting-up pain as well as great customer service.
And without any further ado…starting with our favorite project management software for small businesses, and onward – the list:
- ClickUp
- Monograph
- BQE Core
- Monday
- Aha!
Let’s explore their basics.
ClickUp Software
For small teams, ClickUp is probably one of the best market options for organizing a firm’s document management, time-tracking, and another team, resource, and workflow-related concerns in one place.
Pricing
- Free Plan (for beginners)
- Unlimited: $5*/mo.
- Business: $12*/mo.
- Business Plus: $19*/mo.
- Enterprise: Contact Our Helpline to Confirm Pricing (number above)
Ballpark figures; go to our ClickUp Software profile page and click ‘Get Pricing’ to obtain updated, custom pricing figures narrowly suited to your small business.
Features
This web-/cloud-based SaaS powerhouse provides –
- Customizable templates (with editable fields for budget, dollars spent, remaining budget, and more)
- State-of-the-art Gantt Charts (allowing project managers to track time and monitor their project progress with a bird’s eye view of each process)
- Task management functions (equipped with automatic data population and real-time updates; enable users to create quick to-do lists to ensure their on top of the game!)
and more to fire up any small enterprise’s workflow.
Pros/Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Highly customizable project management templates (perfect for busy professionals) | Limited integration options with third-party services |
| Intuitive, user-friendly interface (suited for non-techie workers) | |
| One-page, centralized document storage & collaboration (for uniform, concurrent firm workflows) |
Monograph Software
Monograph is a cloud-based project management software designed specifically for busy organizational administrators in the small-scal construction industry. It offers a complete solution for managing tasks, tracking time, and invoicing clients - all the while ensuring that the implementing firm's profitability and service quality comes assured in the process.
Pricing
- Starting offer of $40*/mo.
Ballpark figure; go to our Monograph Software profile page and click ‘Get Pricing’ to obtain updated, custom pricing figures narrowly suited to your small business.
Features
This web-based subscription essential for project management comes with –
- The proprietary MoneyGantt integration (for time-tracking and expense monitoring)
- A dedicated project planner (a must-have for project managers looking for an all-in-one budgeting, resource planning, and worker/task scheduling portal)
- Budget calculator (eases planning for contingencies in numbers)
Pros/Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Built by Construction Specialists for their small-business field peers | Project visualizations/dashboards are limited |
| Stellar Team Collaboration Tools | |
| Staying-within-budget Protection |
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BQE Core Software
With BQE Core, a holistic project management solution, organizational overseers can easily track time, assign tasks, and generate an 'Earned Value Report' which accurately compares budgeted versus completed billable work. As a result, they are able to strategize their projects with greater efficiency while amplifying their goal achievement rates.
Pricing
- Starting at $7.95* per user per month
Ballpark figure; go to our BQE Core Software profile page and click ‘Get Pricing’ to obtain updated, custom pricing figures narrowly suited to your small business.
Features
BQE Core is designed to automate every repetitive workflow process – with a view to ensuring higher rates of deliverable turnovers and less time wasted on managing software entries. The platform’s-
- Agile Dashboards (equipped for one-page task/process/workflow appraisals; ideal for labored managers looking for a quick overview of their ongoing work concerns)
- Project Profitability Checks (train project managers into thinking like business owners; ensuring efficient and timely resource allocations, via an accounting software plug-in, for the best budgetary utilization)
- Interactive Gantt Chart & Kanban Boards (enable instant course corrections/pivots through real-time monitoring of vital project metrics)
features, among other functions, virtually guarantee project success for critically intensive undertakings.
Pros/Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Deemed ‘very user-friendly’ by using managers | A bit expensive compared to alternative subscriptions; onboarding difficulties. |
| Real-time, cloud-based, collaborations – glitch-free! | |
| Real-time Data-Tracking |
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Monday Software
Monday project management software pretty much checks all – or, at least, most of – the workflow planning/execution boxes for practically every industry vertical. The platform’s user interface, for one, coupled with extreme ‘performing power’, makes it a force to reckon with in just about any workspace.
Pricing
- Free (starter-friendly)
- Basic: $8*/seat/mo.
- Standard: $10*/seat/mo.
- Pro: $16*/seat/mo.
- Enterprise: Contact Our Helpline to Confirm Pricing (number above)
Ballpark figures; go to our Monday.com Software Profile Page and click ‘Get Pricing’ to obtain updated, custom pricing figures narrowly suited to your small business.
Features
Monday.com project management software for small businesses comes with an enviable range of workflow streamlining perks including –
- Uniform Projects/Tasks Management (enables project managers to oversee workflows from one dashboard view)
- Client Collaborations (ensure that team workers and project workflows are all aligned with changing client expectations)
- Worker/Client Requests Management (allows managers to receive and resolve their teams’/clients’ requisitions in record time!)
Pros/Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy, crisp, interface; excellent for non-techies/busy managers to hit the ground running | Customer Service Lags |
| Calendar integrations – ensure timely workflow processing | |
| Cost-Competitive; Affordable |
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Aha Software
Aha! makes for a lightweight, cloud-based, project management software offer for small businesses of all backgrounds. It continues to rank well in ‘best in class PM tool lists on various review platforms – including this one; a recommended, welcome addition to the workflow processing arsenal of any startup enterprise.
Pricing
Premium: $59*/user/mo.
Enterprise: $99*/user/mo.
Enterprise+: $149*/user/mo.
Ballpark figures; go to our Aha! Software Profile Page and click ‘Get Pricing’ to obtain updated, custom pricing figures narrowly suited to your smal business.
Features
Aha! Project management software features suited for small business settings include –
Start-to-Finish Project Tracking (allows senior managers to monitor their complete firm workflows and budget spending; for addressing any weak links)
Real-Time Team/Stakeholder Collaborations (to address team and client feedback/reviews instantly – proceed accordingly)
Powerful Reporting (for constant KPIs/metrics monitoring)
Pros/Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Engaging/Interactive Project Roadmap Views | May be a little expensive |
| Stellar Customizations | |
| Easy Onboarding |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is project management in small businesses?
Typically, project management in small business settings entails the use of suitable project management software to streamline organizational workflows. Through robust project planning and oversight, business owners can realize process efficiencies that can shore up their corporate/commercial profits.
Can project management software be used in small projects?
Project management software implementation comes as a highly recommended (regular) practice/workplace standardization for just about any new-age organizational setup; with many options currently available on the internet to service small business/project interests.
Why is project management important for small businesses?
Proper, proactive, project management is vital to small business success for the simple reason that such setups normally operate on limited capital budgets – because of this they need to make every cent (any applicable local currency unit) count.
What is the simplest project management software?
The choice of ‘simplest’ project management software – by way of ease of use and deployment – varies from case to case and with the technical proficiency levels of individual users.
Which is the best project management software for any business?
There is no one-size-fits-all project management software; although there certainly are some notable programs (like Monday.com and ClickUp) that come close to being outstanding generalist PM suites.
Further Advice
As a newbie project manager (or even as a field old-timer), we know that sifting through all the software options available in the online marketplace can be endlessly challenging and confusing.
we’re here to help.
Just get in touch with our friendly helpline executives for quick, free, and painless project management software recommendations for your practice at (661) 384-7070.
We’ll take care of everything – get you subscribed to your perfect software fit in no time.
