Small business owners have a lot on their plates, having everything working as efficiently as possible. When reducing costs while increasing sales is a priority, you need all the help you can get. This is why a small business inventory management software is a necessity. Here are the top 8:

What is a Small Business Inventory Management Software?

Have you ever found it frustrating to track items or parts throughout your supply chain? Handling the storage, inventory, and sales from manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer can be a Herculean task. This is where small business inventory management software comes in.

This is a tool that automatically tracks how many products or items a business has in stock. It also records and helps monitor how many were sold, returned, or when you should reorder. The most basic software may include accounting tools and point-of-sale systems suitable for small businesses. 

The Best Small Business Inventory Management Software

1. Zoho Inventory

A popular choice for small business owners, Zoho Inventory is great value for your money. It allows you to handle multiple ecommerce stores and warehouses. You can check stock levels, manage warehouse items, and fulfill orders.

It features order management, analytics, reporting, and barcode scanning capabilities. It has a free plan with limited features, so if you want to make the most out of the software, the paid plans are highly recommended. 

Pros

• Can handle multiple warehouses, currencies, and channels
• Comes with bundling, kitting, and composite tools
• One of the least expensive options

Cons

• No return management feature
• Limited POS integrations

2. FreshBooks

Primarily an accounting software, FreshBooks also has the capabilities of an inventory management software. This is an excellent option for small businesses with fundamental inventory needs. Not only does it enable you to track your items, but it’ll also make accounting easier.

It integrates with many assets and transportation management software, such as 2ship and Barcloud. If you sell in different channels, FreshBooks will come in handy. It automatically gathers data from Shopify or Squarespace for effortless management of your inventories.

Pros

• Easy to navigate user interface
• It comes with excellent invoicing features
• Superb customer support

Cons

• Limited users and clients
• Tier-based pricing is confusing to some users

3. Agiliron

This small business inventory management software is truly cost-effective. Agiliron lets you manage multiple channels with e-commerce, social media, retail, and wholesale features. It will also provide you with comprehensive B2B and B2C inventory, kitting, and many other unique features.

It integrates with QuickBooks, Amazon, Shopify, PayPal, and many other e-commerce-related software and platforms. All its subscription plans offer unlimited orders and 24/7 customer support.

Pros

• Has customer-specific price settings
• International capabilities
• Wide ecommerce applications

Cons

• High learning curve
• Only one user per plan

4. Veeqo

Built explicitly for ecommerce businesses, Veeqo has many features that make inventory and shipping a breeze. It has purchasing, reporting, shipping, and order management tools, whether you have one warehouse or more. Its straightforward platform is centralized to make tracking and management simple and uncomplicated.

One notable feature of Veeqo is its shipping integrations. This includes major shipping couriers such as FedEx and UPS. It has a limited-time, 14-day free trial that lets you try out its service without making a huge commitment.

Pros

• Shipping discounts
• User-friendly interface
• Multi-channel inventory management

Cons

• Some reports of software bugs
• So-so customer support

5. Lightspeed Retail

Most popularly known as a point-of-sale software, Lightspeed Rail also has impressive inventory management features. It allows you to conduct sales online or in-store while tracking your inventory levels in real time. This is a very helpful software to have if you’re in the retail industry.

This small business inventory management software lets you select from a wide array of business types, such as apparel, home and gift shops, and many others. Lightspeed will then show you how it can work in your precise retail niche. 

Pros

• Offers seamless integration with ecommerce and in-store POS
• Provides advanced reporting on CRM, vendor, and granular inventory
• Unlimited entries across all plans

Cons

• Has no free plan
• No options for managing perishable products

6. Sortly

Small non-retail businesses will find Sortly an excellent inventory management software, thanks to its free plan. Well, it’s not only that, this software has many more amazing features to its name. Its intuitive functionality helps new business owners get the hang of tracking inventory and other minute details about their products. 

Sortly can help you with warehouse management, inventory control and reports, and barcode scanning, among others. It also enables you to keep track of stock levels and returns through its alerting feature.

Pros

• Reasonably priced premium plans
• Ideal for those starting a new inventory
• Easy-to-use interface

Cons

• Integrating with other apps is for paid plans only
• Customer service may be hard to contact

7. CIN7

With its robust inventory and multi-warehouse features, CIN7 has become small business owners’ favorite. Among all the small business inventory management software on this list, CIN7 offers the most integrations. It has a return management feature that is essential for ecommerce business owners.

This software offers advanced options for purchase orders, which include duplication, custom fields, and importing and exporting features.

Pros

• Multi-channel, centralized inventory system
• Great workflow automation
• Gives detailed real-time data

Cons

• No free plan
• Android-only mobile app

8. Katana

Specifically created for manufacturers, Katana will help you track all your products and supplies at every level of the manufacturing process. Its automatic workflow lets you concentrate on manufacturing. Aside from inventory features, this software will help you with scheduling, production planning and control, and many other tasks.

It has a very low learning curve; you’ll quickly know how to keep track of sales and purchase orders, production receipts, warehouse statuses, productions, and many others.

Pros

• Has inventory control and optimization tools
• Has comprehensive manufacturing shop floor control
• Allows tracking by the expiration date

Cons

• Only has email support
• No mobile app

Honorable Mention

The eight small business inventory management software listed above are our top choices. But there is one outstanding brand that we can’t ignore, so we added it to our honorable mention list:

Megaventory

Suitable for small and medium-sized businesses, Megaventory is a cloud-based order and inventory management solution. Its key features include order fulfillment, invoicing, reporting, and manufacturing management. It also offers comprehensive customer support that will help you provide better customer experiences.

Pros

• Alerts you when you are running low on stocks
• Provides automatic calculation of the inventory’s value
•  Handles customer and vendor returns without human intervention

Cons

• The dashboard can be hard to navigate on small screens
• The item editor has a high learning curve

Final Thoughts

To find out which small business inventory management software is the best for you, you need to know your inventory tracking needs quite well. After doing so, you can choose from the list above and get the most suitable one for your brand.

TL;DR: San Francisco is a hub for design innovation, but finding the right partner can be tough. We’ve reviewed the top contenders to help you find a logo design services that blends creativity, strategy, and results.

San Francisco’s not just a hotbed of technological innovation, it’s a hub of creativity where how you design your brand’s engagement with the world matters. From early stage startups in SoMa to established corporations in the Financial District, finding the perfect logo designer is essential for making a great first impression and with a high intensity of competition, you need to make sure your logo counts.   

A logo is paramount. 75% of consumers associate a brand with its logo, which makes it the most vital brand image. Your logo is your brand, your promise, your possibility. Finding a logo designer isn’t just an art test. The best logo design agency San Francisco has to offer will get your business the logo it needs for a stellar first impression. 

1. Penji

Looking for graphic design services that are not your typical agency? Penji delivers. Penji is a subscription-based graphic design service that offers an agency-level experience without the high price tags or lengthy turnaround times. It’s design as a service, reimagined for the speed of modern business.

What makes Penji the best logo design agency in San Francisco for many businesses is their unique “guided by designers, fueled by AI” approach. You get access to the top 2% of talent who use advanced tools to deliver variations and concepts at lightning speed. You aren’t just getting a logo; you’re getting a scalable creative team that can handle everything from branding to motion graphics.

2. DD.NYC

DD.NYC may have NYC in the name, but they provide global-caliber branding for the San Francisco market. They are an award-winning design studio focused on “unforgettable brands” through strategy and design.

If you want an agency that considers logo design part art, part business, this is a strong choice. They have a diverse portfolio ranging from luxury real estate to innovative technology, proving their adaptability in the branding space. This agency goes beyond logo creation to provide a full visual ecosystem, helping firms win awards and dominate their markets.

3. Ramotion

Ramotion is focused on product and brand. They are the ideal agency for “tech-powered” firms, so they fit right in with San Francisco. Their logo designs feature a contemporary aesthetic with a digital, user-focused element.

With Ramotion, you get more than a logo; you get screen-optimized brand identity design. They target marketing and product leaders who want to create memorable brands. Their clients include Firefox and Stripe, so they are a strong contender in the branding space.

4. Small Projects Bureau

Don’t let the name fool you—Small Projects Bureau brings “Big Brand Experience” to small businesses, nonprofits, and startups. Their team is composed of specialists with Fortune 500 backgrounds who leverage high-level skills to help smaller organizations look like industry giants.

They are an excellent choice if you need logo design services that feel personal yet professional. They focus on creating “attractors”—compelling brands that pull customers in. Whether you are a nonprofit trying to change the world or a niche startup, they apply the same rigorous branding principles used by massive corporations to help you punch above your weight class.

Credit for cover image: Photo by Marek Levak on pexels

Software-as -a-Service (SaaS) is no longer just a convenient way to access software through the cloud. In 2026, the software-as-a-service business model is now the very backbone of how modern businesses operate and scale. In fact, data tells us that SaaS and enterprise software companies have raised about $4.7 billion in investments in 2024.

In this guide, let’s break down how the SaaS business model works, why it continues to dominate the software industry, and what has changed leading into 2026.

What Is SaaS?

SaaS is a delivery model of centrally hosted software that is licensed to customers via a subscription plan. If a company leases its software through a central, cloud-based system is technically a SaaS company. 

These companies maintain responsibility and oversight of servers, databases, and any relevant software that allows people to access and use their products.

Some of the most popular SaaS giants in 2026 include:

• Adobe
• Google Workspace
• Salesforce
• Microsoft 365
• Notion
• Canva
• OpenAI
• Grammarly

In 2026, SaaS applications are often enhanced by built-in AI capabilities, such as in the cases of OpenAI, Grammarly, and many others.

The way that SaaS companies lease their product is through subscription plans. These plans can vary greatly from company to company. SaaS business models offer different services and different applications within their systems. Different subscription plans give different access to different services. Many offer a regular plan with one or two other plans that offer more access and increased services. 

What Is The Software As A Service Business Model?

The software as a service business model includes a number of factors that are unique to it. There are three in particular that are important to take note of. 

Recurring Payments

In SaaS, clients do not buy hardware. The software as a service business model involves providing a subscription service for software. Recurring payments typically take the form of Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR), though many SaaS companies now track additional metrics like Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), Net Revenue Retention (NRR), and expansion revenue.

When your customer signs up and subscribes, you will get some money upfront. It is imperative that this initial cash not be counted as revenue until it’s been properly earned. It is a liability until the terms of service have been completed. A customer can ask for that money back at any point if the service isn’t delivered.

Revenue recognition is one of the most fundamental aspects of running a successful SaaS company. Alongside subscriptions, SaaS companies also monetize through usage-based pricing, AI consumption pricing, or hybrid billing models that combine multiple approaches.

Heightened Customer Retention

All businesses care about customer retention. In SaaS business models, however, it is ten times more important. Customer retention is what keeps SaaS companies afloat. Because you cannot lay claim to all of your customers’ subscription money until the term of service has been completed. 

If you sign a customer for one year or twelve months and they leave after two, then you’re without ten months of recurring revenue. As a result, it is critical to put a significant value on cultivating customer relationships and upselling. 

An existing SaaS customer spends more money on average than a new one. It is in a SaaS company’s best interest to upkeep and maintain higher-quality customer service. If you don’t, or if the quality of customer service is poor, your customer is very likely to jump to a competitor. 

No matter how great the product, poor customer service can break a company. 

Consistent Updates

SaaS companies must continuously release updates, security patches, AI model improvements, and new automation capabilities to stay competitive and retain customers. Plenty of companies provide “next-gen” product versions, but SaaS has to continuously update and patch to stay above water. 

This is now standard across modern cloud software, where continuous deployment and rapid feature iteration are expected by customers. Software vulnerabilities can put customer information at risk from hackers. Nobody wants that. That’s why continuously assessing and updating security fixes is a top priority in the software as a service business model. 

Since SaaS companies host their own products, they can push updates as needed. They can release new features or enhance prior versions whenever they want. Between consistent updates and quality customer service, SaaS companies have the potential to be highly responsive to customer base feedback. 

This is a real-time luxury that most other industries do not have. 

How Are SaaS Companies Built?

Generally speaking, there are three critical stages as to how to build and develop a SaaS company: Setup, Growth, Stabilization. 

Setup

This is the early stage where the company establishes its foundation. These are fairly typical processes. Founders discover the need for the products they intend to develop, identify their target market, and create the product. 

This is also the opportunity to create an effective marketing campaign and sales strategy, consider various customer support plans, and organize finances. 

Growth

Once the product has hit the market, it’s time to expand. This is arguably the fun part. Because there is seemingly no limit to how far a SaaS company can expand in its market, it’s possible for a SaaS company to expect new customers. This creates a sudden demand for marketing, sales, and customer service teams. 

This is when a company has to act quickly in order to capitalize and secure a loyal customer base. Ideally, this growth will be accompanied by additional revenue. Companies then reinvest the capital back into their products and services. That way, they have the resources necessary to meet their customers’ needs. 

Stabilization

Now that the business is beginning to acclimate with a steady incoming stream of customers, that means the company does not have to invest in more overhead. If the SaaS company has wisely invested in customer service software, marketing automation, and consistent product updates, it is on the right track to stabilization. 

Why This Business Model Works

The SaaS business model is now a mature and dominant software delivery standard across nearly every industry. You can find the evidence of this in the vast investments in SaaS. How many office spaces use Slack to communicate? How many designers use Adobe? As our technology advances, so does the SaaS industry. 

While the SaaS market remains full of opportunity, success in 2026 requires strong differentiation, AI integration, and clear customer value.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels