What software does a small business need?

Most small businesses need five things: email and file storage, accounting, a website, a place to keep customers and enquiries, and a way to take bookings or payments. Add marketing, team chat and automation once those work. Start small, choose tools that connect to each other, and avoid paying for features you will not use.

The core five

Whatever you sell, the same few jobs come up from day one: talking to people, getting paid, being found, remembering customers and organising the work. Cover those properly before adding anything else.

What to add as you grow

• Email marketing, once you have past customers worth staying in touch with.
• A social media scheduler, once you post more than a few times a week.
• Team chat and a task board, once more than two or three people share the work.
• Job management or rostering, if you send people out to sites or work in shifts.
• Automation that links your tools, once you notice yourself copying data between them.

Keep the stack small

Every extra tool adds a login, a monthly fee and another place where information can hide. Before you add one, check whether something you already pay for does the job. Prefer tools that connect to each other, so a new enquiry, a booking and an invoice all point to the same customer.

Where Kahu fitsKahu AssistKahu Assist is an AI agent that runs your website, marketing, bookings and follow-ups from one chat, and asks before anything goes live. You keep the yes; it does the typing.Connects to your site, WhatsApp, calendar and emailAsks before anything goes liveSet up from one 15-minute chatSee Kahu Assist →Fill Thursday’s empty slots and let the cafe know the new brunch hours.Kahu · 3 actions readyTwo Thursday gaps at 11:00 and 14:30. Drafted messages to 6 waitlisted customers.Updated the hours on your site and Google profile to Sat–Sun 8–2.One post about the new hours, using your Sunday counter photo.ChangeApprove all

The order to set things up

1. 1Business email and two-factor authenticationYour email is the key to every other account, so secure it first.
2. 2AccountingConnect your bank account before your first invoice goes out.
3. 3Website and Google listingMake it easy to find you and get in touch.
4. 4Customer recordsPick one home for enquiries and conversations, and stop keeping lists elsewhere.
5. 5Then everything elseAdd one tool at a time, and only when a real problem needs it.

Frequently asked questions