If you’re a small business owner or a decision-maker for an organisation that’s on the lookout for ways of optimising efficiency and reducing costs, you’ve probably read plenty of bleak economic headlines lately.
So, let’s lead this article with a more upbeat statistic. According to a January 2025 survey from cloud accounting software specialists Xero, nearly three quarters (74%) of the small business owners in the UK quizzed indicated they were either still positive, more positive, or much more positive about their business than they were in the previous month.
However, the same source also stated that some respondents felt relatively negative about their business. These less optimistic business owners cited such factors as difficulties in their search for new customers, a tendency for existing customers to purchase less, and price rises that were impacting sales.
There’s no doubt about it, then; ensuring your business accomplishes more, with less, will almost certainly be a top priority during 2025. Here, then, are some of the practical tools that might assist you in making this a reality.
Accounting and finance software
We mentioned Xero above, so it makes sense to include them here. If you have been considering switching your business to a cloud-based accounting or finance platform, this could be the moment to do it. There are many accounting software options available out there, including Xero and QuickBooks – which is another popular option.
After all, if there is any information about your business that you will appreciate being accessible from anywhere with an internet connection, it is surely its financial data.
The leading cloud accounting packages are also renowned for their robust data security measures, such as encryption and regular backups. The data contained in such platforms can be updated in real-time as transactions are entered, which can also help make collaboration with accountants and other stakeholders easier.
Online calculators and conversion tools
The days may be long gone when the staff of a corner shop would have kept a clunky calculator on the counter next to the till. However, that doesn’t mean calculation and conversion tools have become irrelevant.
Instead, such tools have moved online, and they continue to help small businesses work faster and reduce costs. There are automated calculators, for example, that can create accurate quotes almost instantaneously. This helps to ensure a potential sale is clinched rapidly, rather than lost.
Online calculators and converters can also be integral in the work of designers and engineers. They can quickly perform calculations that would be time-consuming and difficult to perform manually, at the same time as minimising the likelihood of errors.
There is an exceedingly broad range of often very specialised tools and calculators available. So, whether your business’ latest project requires a cable cross-sectional area calculator for electrical installations, or perhaps something like a temperature unit conversion calculator for the monitoring of industrial processes, it shouldn’t take you long to find a great one.
Artificial Intelligence tools including generative AI
It might seem in some ways as if the boom in easily accessible AI tools is “old news”. After all, it was late 2022 when the launch of the first iteration of ChatGPT effectively ushered in the ongoing “AI revolution”.
However, you only need to do a bit of reading on the GPT-4 AI large language model system, to appreciate how far the game has advanced since then. This particular system is capable of mimicking human-like speech and reasoning. That, in turn, can help make GPT-4 invaluable for enhancing customer service and learning experiences.
The most relevant AI tools for small businesses in 2025 also encompass the likes of Jasper – which can help with the crafting of blog posts and marketing copy – and Grammarly, which can provide real-time grammar and spelling suggestions if you prefer to take on the writing yourself. From content creation and the personalisation of customer experiences, right through to the automation of repetitive tasks like data entry and email responses, there are so many ways the top AI tools can help boost efficiency and drive down costs at your small business.
Copyright 2025. Article was made possible by site supporter Charlie Clayton of RS Online.