8 super-easy ways to run your small business better in 2022

Compared to pre-pandemic numbers, 40% of Americans were still making it a priority to shop small and local this year. The US Census Bureau also reported more than 4.6 million applications for new businesses were filed through October 2021. 

Looking forward to 2022, experts predict the next year will be all about working smarter, not harder. Tools and apps that can help small business owners overcome hiring shortages, adapt quickly to changing lockdown restrictions, and continually serve customers across multiple channels will be critical in 2022. With these trends in mind, here are some apps that can make it super easy to run your business better in the coming year. 

Automate your bookkeeping

QuickBooks by Commerce Sync empowers users to save an average of 300 hours per year on manual bookkeeping tasks. Commerce Sync can be set up to automatically transfer your sales from your POS into QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, and Xero on a nightly basis. Not only does this save time, but it can also improve accuracy by transferring data directly–removing the risk of making a mistake each time you do so manually. 

Show your products on Google

Pointy from Google makes it easy to display your products on Google Business Profile, Maps, and Search in just a few clicks. More often than not, shoppers are using Google to see if a product they need is available “nearby.” Pointy surfaces your products when a shopper near you is looking for something you have in stock. This app brings more visibility to your store and increases the chance that your products will show up in related searches on Google. Pointy also lets you run product ads on Google in just two clicks. 

Get customized COVID financing advice

Business credit app Nav has partnered with Clover to give merchants access to the FREE Nav app on Clover. If you’re looking to start the year off with financing to help you expand, bring on more help, or just stay afloat, Nav should be your first port of call. The Nav app provides access to your business credit scores and summary reports from Dun & Bradstreet and Experian. For a limited time, merchants can also use the Nav app on Clover to understand COVID-19 financing options and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. See what credit and financing insights your business may be able to take advantage of. 

Manage all things hourly-employees 

Time Clock by Homebase is consistently one of the most popular apps in the Clover App Market. Homebase offers a full suite of tools to manage and pay hourly teams, with time clocks, employee scheduling, payroll, messaging, and HR all in one app. Homebase can help you ditch spreadsheets and take away the frustration of manual errors and potential time theft, among other benefits. With Time Clock, you can automatically calculate hours, paid/unpaid breaks, overtime, and even track salaried employees. Time Clock integrates with your schedule, so you can monitor labor costs, keep track of budgets, and view real-time sales in one place.

Easily calculate sales tax

Hate keeping track of taxes? DAVO Sales Tax automatically sets your sales tax aside daily using sales data from Clover. DAVO will also file and pay your sales tax to the state, on-time and in-full. DAVO boasts an easy five-minute setup through Clover, with live support. It’s a no-brainer easy way to keep your business running smoothly. 

Hire better and faster

The JazzHR app can help you source new employees–fast–to mitigate any increased turnover you may be experiencing during the Great Resignation. On average, Clover customers get 23 candidates per job post using JazzHR in the first nine days. JazzHR syncs with free job boards, paid job boards, and popular social media channels to help you solicit applications. It streamlines every part of the hiring process to help you save on recruitment costs and easily identify the best new employees for your team. 

Manage your inventory

Many businesses have shifted to offer online shopping as well as in-store options. Omnichannel sales can make it difficult to manage inventory, which is where Real-Time Inventory Sync by SKU IQ can help. SKU IQ helps retailers with one or more locations keep their inventory and orders synced between their POS and eCommerce platform. Selling via WooCommerce or Shopify? SKU IQ’s flexible technology automatically syncs all of your Clover transactions, so you can measure sales activity from both offline and online channels.

Engage with your customers 

Clover Customer Engagement Suite includes these invaluable apps: Feedback, Rewards, Promos, and Customers, all pre-loaded into your Clover dashboard and available free of charge. With Feedback, customers can share their input with you directly; you can intercept bad feedback and make things right with the customers before that feedback shows up as a negative review on Yelp or social media. Using Feedback also gives you a way to start building out your Customers database, which becomes the basis of a customer list for marketing purposes, like sending Promos or rolling out a Rewards loyalty program. 

Have questions about managing your business better in 2022? Contact a Clover Business Consultant today!