We asked industry experts to share their insights on leveraging project management software to bring order to the beautiful madness of running a small business.
Small business owners are notorious multitaskers, juggling everything from client relationships to inventory management, often with nothing more than sticky notes and good intentions. But as businesses grow and complexity increases, the old-school approach of “keeping it all in your head” becomes a recipe for missed deadlines, confused team members, and sleepless nights.
Enter project management software, the digital solution that’s helping SMEs transform chaos into clarity. But with countless options available and limited time to learn new systems, how do small business owners choose the right tools and actually make them work?
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Helen Masters, Managing Director, APJ, Smartsheet
“For growing businesses, staying organised isn’t just about task management, it’s about building systems that scale with ambition. SMEs often juggle limited resources, shifting priorities, and fast-paced decision-making. Without the right tools, it’s easy for visibility and accountability to fall through the cracks.
“Project management software, especially work management platforms, can serve as a central nervous system, bringing structure to chaos, clarity to collaboration, and momentum to execution. But to truly support growth, these tools must go beyond tracking timelines. They should adapt to the way teams work, not force rigid processes that stifle agility.
“SMEs benefit most when software enables real-time visibility across teams, streamlines workflows, and reduces manual handovers. That operational clarity empowers employees to move faster, make better decisions, and stay focused on outcomes and not admin.
“At Smartsheet, we see this every day. When work is connected across people, platforms, and processes, organisations can respond to change without losing direction. With features like automated workflows, shared dashboards, and flexible templates, we help teams replace scattered efforts with a shared sense of progress.
“Organising work isn’t about adding control—it’s about creating confidence, transparency, and the headspace teams need to do their best work, together.”
Andrew McCarthy, GM of ANZ, SEA, and India at Notion
“When it comes to project management, SMEs should resist the temptation of accumulating too many tools. Instead, they should focus on their core objectives and select flexible software that can grow and evolve with them over time.
“SMEs should seek to consolidate information onto a single and connected workspace for effective project management, reducing context switching – the mental gymnastics involved in jumping between disparate tools. When everyone, regardless of role or location, has access to the same real-time information, it fosters greater alignment, transparency, and collaboration.
“The key is finding a flexible solution that adapts to unique workflows, rather than forcing the business into a rigid system. With the proliferation of AI tools, businesses should also lean towards adopting tools that have AI smarts built into them. For example, searching for information, taking meeting notes and conducting research can all be aided by AI – making project management a slicker experience for all.
“When all these elements – from daily updates to long-term plans – are interconnected, businesses will see a significant uplift in efficiency, accountability, and their capacity to scale. Looking for a connected workspace, rather than a typical project management platform not only brings efficiency, but also allows SMEs to focus more on growth and less on the friction of disorganisation.”
Lauren Clemett, CEO, The Audacious Agency
“If you’re operating in a deadline-driven environment, efficient project management is paramount. Effective organisation often means combining complementary systems. For example, we’ve integrated the popular platform ClickUp to work seamlessly with Google Workspace to create a robust operational backbone. This is particularly vital for marketing agencies managing complex processes.
“A well-designed system should utilise templates and automated updates; we coupled ours with AI prompts for Gemini. This approach can remove significant grunt work – in our experience, freeing up to 50% of our writers’ time for creative refinement. This level of efficiency not only enhances quality but enables remarkable output; we’ve been able to submit over 1750 entries with a 97% finalist success rate.
“A strong system should also identify opportunities for continuous improvement, transforming project results into valuable outcomes. For example, we use ClickUp to manage the repurposing of award entries into content for articles, blogs, and podcasts.
“Ultimately, while an expert production manager is invaluable, no business can truly scale complex operations and deliver consistent quality without an orchestrated management framework that delivers measurable results and usable outcomes.”
Elise Balsillie, Head of Thryv Australia and New Zealand
“Project management software gives SMEs structure. It brings clarity to the chaos by mapping out what needs to be done, who is responsible and when it is due. With visibility across every task, team members stay focused and accountable, without chasing updates or relying on memory.
“Project management software also helps keep the wheels turning. Instead of jumping between tools, inboxes and sticky notes, everything lives in one place. That means less time wasted and more time spent getting things done. Everyone, whether it is the business owner or someone starting on day one, can swiftly see what is happening and where things stand.
“Your customers benefit too. When projects run smoothly, nothing falls through the cracks and creates trust. Customers remember how easy it was to work with your business and are more likely to return.
“For business owners, it takes the pressure off having to hold everything in their head. With the right system, you can spot delays, shift priorities and support your team, without hovering or micromanaging.
“Strong systems also give your business breathing room. In the day-to-day running of your business, that space is invaluable, and often, the key to growth and long-term success.”
Greg Wilkes, CEO of Develop Coaching
“For construction SMEs battling tight margins and stretched teams, project management software is no longer a luxury it’s essential. Tools like Buildertrend, Trello, or Asana help transform chaotic operations into streamlined, system-driven machines.
“The biggest win? Clarity. With software, every job has a central hub for schedules, variations, communications, and cost tracking. No more digging through email threads or paper folders – updates happen in real time, visible to all. This reduces errors, avoids delays, and keeps the entire team accountable.
“But it’s not just about task lists. These platforms enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) across teams, so jobs run consistently, even when leadership is off-site. That consistency creates capacity, freeing owners from micromanagement and letting staff step up.
“Financially, project management software sharpens commercial control. You can spot cost overruns early, track job profitability mid-project, and link payments to milestone completions. Combined with a 90-day cash flow forecast, it creates a proactive financial rhythm, not reactive firefighting.
“Most importantly, it supports growth. Whether you’re turning over $1M or scaling beyond $5M, these tools help businesses run on systems, not the owner’s memory. And when systems run the business, the owner can finally lead it.”
Alexandra Egan, CEO/Founder, The Domino Effect Consulting & Facilitating
“It’s just me; I’ll get a project management system when I grow.”
“That thinking IS the bottleneck.
If it’s just you, then every delay, every missed detail, and every inefficiency directly hits your time, energy, and bottom line. You’re not “too small” for structure; in fact, you’re too exposed to go without it.
“A project management system isn’t about teams; it’s about architecture. It helps you:
- Design your business as a system, not just a list of tasks
- Work in phases, not in overwhelm
- Track capacity and cost in real time
- See hidden friction before it erodes your profit
- Create repeatable processes before you hire so delegation is seamless
“This is the foundation for growth. Waiting until you’re bigger is like refusing to build walls until your roof gets heavy.
“Organise now to scale later. Systemise now to breathe later. Don’t just do business. Architect it.”
Seamus Phan, CTO, McGallen & Bolden Pte Ltd
“Emerging and large businesses alike need to have visibility into progress and projects, and a project management platform is necessary. There are many competing offerings, such as Basecamp, ClickUp, Monday.com, Trello, Wrike, and Zoho Projects. Many of these platforms are heavy on project management and are all capable in helping businesses manage tasks, progress, milestones, and resource allocation (including human capital).
“However, having evaluated various platforms over the past 2 decades, I find Basecamp to be both a capable project management platform and a provider of heavy-duty file storage for our documents, images, and even videos. This means that we can confidently store associated files and documents into each of the projects we manage without worrying about running out of storage space. Additionally, I find Basecamp’s document editor very user-friendly and undistracting, allowing us to focus on writing, with essential text formatting features.
“As with most such platforms, collaboration is key, and Basecamp is great for internal stakeholders to collaborate on projects and chat within the platform. The platform also allows external stakeholders to collaborate as guests or clients. Best of all, Basecamp, as with many of these platforms, has cost-effective pricing for small teams.”
Renee Gorrie, COO, TBS Digital Labs
“For SMEs, where everyone’s usually juggling a million things, it doesn’t take much for things to get messy. Project management software helps bring some order to the chaos. It gives you one place to track what needs doing, who’s doing it, and when it’s due.
“We use Asana for everything; client projects, internal work, the lot. It keeps us aligned across time zones and teams, especially when people are pulled in a few different directions. The biggest win for us has been visibility. We don’t need constant check-ins, and we’re not digging through email chains or chat threads just to see what’s going on.
“Automation in Asana has been a big time-saver too, but only if you put in the effort to set it up properly. Once it’s running, things like recurring tasks and reminders tick along in the background. We’ve also built out templates so we’re not starting from scratch every time.
“One of the biggest things to keep in mind is the tool only works if the team actually uses it. If it fits into how people already work and doesn’t feel like extra admin, it makes a huge difference in helping everyone stay focused and avoid things falling through the cracks.”
Colin Silver, Director, Reconnect PR
“Small and medium-sized enterprises frequently manage multiple priorities simultaneously, making project management software an invaluable asset for maintaining organizational efficiency. These platforms consolidate essential business functions—including task management, deadline tracking, team collaboration, and document sharing—into a unified workspace. This centralization provides clear visibility into project progress and team responsibilities, ensuring accountability and preventing oversight gaps.
“The integration of artificial intelligence is significantly enhancing these capabilities. AI project management tools can automate tasks like scheduling reminders, tracking time, and creating progress reports.
“Leading platforms like ClickUp, Asana, and Monday.com have integrated advanced AI features to help organizations streamline their workflows. For SMEs with limited resources, these enhanced capabilities offer strategic advantages that are essential for sustainable growth and competitive positioning in changing markets.”
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