Free Tools Every Small Business Should Be Using in 2025

Running a small business often means wearing a dozen different hats — and doing it all with limited time and budget. That’s why having the right tools in your digital toolkit can make all the difference. The best part? Some of the most effective tools out there are completely free.

Here’s our go-to list of free tools every small business should be using in 2025 — plus how we recommend using them as part of your everyday workflow.

Canva – For Design Made Easy

Canva remains one of the most powerful design tools for non-designers. Whether you’re creating social media graphics, presentations, flyers, or business cards, Canva helps you create branded, professional designs without needing to start from scratch.

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💡 Plum Tip: Use Canva to build a brand kit, create custom templates, and schedule content — all in one platform. (And if you want to learn more, check out our Canva classes inside the Plum membership.)

Google Business Profile – To Be Found Locally

If you’re not already on Google Business, it’s time to change that. This free tool helps your business appear in Google Search and Maps, letting customers know where you are, when you’re open, and what you offer.

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💡 Plum Tip: Make sure your profile is optimised with keywords, your logo, and high-quality photos. We also have a step-by-step downloadable to help with this in the Plum membership!

Meta Business Suite – For Social Media Management

If you’re juggling Facebook and Instagram, Meta Business Suite lets you schedule, manage, and analyse your posts — all in one place. It’s perfect for small businesses who want to stay consistent without spending hours online every day.

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💡 Plum Tip: Batch your content and schedule it weekly. Bonus points for repurposing posts across platforms!

ChatGPT – For Smarter, Faster Content Creation

Yes, we’re a little biased — but tools like ChatGPT (that’s us!) can help you brainstorm, write captions, polish emails, or even plan out your monthly marketing content. It’s like having a marketing assistant at your fingertips.

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💡 Plum Tip: Inside your membership, we show you how to create smarter prompts and get the most out of tools like this.

Google Drive – For Storing & Sharing Files

Every small business needs a reliable, easy way to store and share files — and Google Drive is still one of the best. Whether you’re sharing branding assets with a designer or organising your content calendar, it’s a must-have.

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💡 Plum Tip: Create folders for each area of your business (content, invoices, branding, etc.) and keep everything backed up.

AnswerThePublic – For Market Research & Ideas

Need help figuring out what your audience wants? This tool shows you the exact questions people are searching for online around your topic or niche — great for content ideas or website SEO.

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💡 Plum Tip: Use this to help shape blog posts or even brainstorm hooks for social media captions.

To Wrap It All Up

You don’t need a massive budget or fancy software to market your business well in 2025. These free tools are a great starting point — and when used consistently, they can help you streamline, create, and grow.

If you’re a Plum member, you’ll find helpful resources, downloadable guides, and classes that show you how to use many of these tools step by step.

Want to explore more?
👉 Sign up to Plum Membership — your first 30 days are free!

References

Canva. (2025). Free Design Tools. Available at: https://www.canva.com
Google. (2025). Google Business Profile. Available at: https://www.google.com/business
Meta. (2025). Meta Business Suite. Available at: https://business.facebook.com
OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT by OpenAI. Available at: https://chat.openai.com
Google. (2025). Google Drive. Available at: https://drive.google.com
AnswerThePublic. (2025). Content Idea Generator. Available at: https://answerthepublic.com

Free Tools Every Small Business Should Be Using in 2025