The typical SMB software stack
Let's look at what a typical 15-person professional services firm pays monthly for their "essential" tools:
And this doesn't include Google Workspace, accounting add-ons, industry-specific tools, or the Zapier tasks that break every time one tool updates their API.
The hidden costs beyond subscriptions
⏱️ Context Switching
Workers lose 23 minutes every time they switch between applications. With 10+ daily tool switches, that's 4+ hours/day of lost productivity.
🔗 Integration Maintenance
Someone has to fix Zapier when it breaks, update API keys, troubleshoot sync errors. This "invisible IT work" costs 5-10 hours/week at many companies.
📊 Data Silos
Customer info in CRM doesn't match QuickBooks. Time tracked in Toggl doesn't connect to invoices. You're paying for data that doesn't work together.
🎓 Training & Onboarding
New hires need to learn 10+ tools. That's weeks of training and months before they're proficient across your entire stack.
The consolidation strategy
Step 1: Audit Your Current Stack
List every SaaS tool you pay for. For each, note:
- • Monthly cost
- • Who uses it and how often
- • What it integrates with
- • What problem it solves
Step 2: Identify Overlapping Features
You'll often find 3 tools that all do task management, 2 that handle file sharing, and multiple places storing customer information.
Step 3: Find a Unifying Platform
Look for platforms that handle multiple functions natively—not through integrations that can break, but with built-in features that share data seamlessly.
Step 4: Migrate Gradually
Don't switch everything at once. Start with the tools that cause the most friction or cost the most. Run parallel systems during transition.
Before & after: real cost comparison
Before: 10 Separate Tools
- CRM: $450/mo
- Accounting: $90/mo
- Payroll: $130/mo
- Project Management: $240/mo
- Time Tracking: $135/mo
- E-signatures: $375/mo
- Password Manager: $120/mo
- Chat: $131/mo
- Scheduling: $240/mo
- Integrations: $49/mo
- Total: $1,960/mo ($23,520/yr)
After: BBos All-in-One
- ✓ CRM & Clients - Included
- ✓ Full Accounting - Included
- ✓ HR & Payroll - Included
- ✓ Project Management - Included
- ✓ Time Tracking - Included
- ✓ E-Signatures - Included
- ✓ Password Vault - Included
- ✓ Team Chat - Included
- ✓ Calendar/Scheduling - Included
- ✓ Zero integrations needed
- Total: $735/mo ($8,820/yr)
62% cost reduction with unified platform approach