5 HubSpot Tools Small Businesses Should Use (But Often Don’t)
What are the best HubSpot tools for small businesses?
Many small businesses use HubSpot’s basics—contacts, companies, deals—but leave powerful features untouched. If you’re short on time or lack a dedicated HubSpot expert, these tools can help. From Snippets to Custom Dashboards, this guide shows five must-use HubSpot features that save time, improve follow-up, and turn leads into customers—without overwhelming your team.
When small businesses invest in HubSpot, they’re looking for an all-in-one platform that helps them attract leads, close deals, and grow more efficiently. But HubSpot is a robust tool with so many features that it can feel overwhelming for small teams, especially if you’re setting it up on your own without a dedicated HubSpot specialist to guide you.
Most people start with the basics like creating contacts, companies, and deals. That’s where everyone begins. But what I see over and over again is that many businesses, even those who have used HubSpot for years, leave entire sections of the platform untouched simply because they don’t have the time to dig deeper and learn how to use them well.
If you feel like there’s untapped potential in your HubSpot account, or you suspect you’re paying for tools you’re not fully using, you’re not alone. As a HubSpot Specialist, I help teams just like yours get more out of the platform every day. These are five tools that I recommend using to unlock more of HubSpot’s value, with clear examples of how to use them to save time, boost sales, and keep your team focused on what really matters.
Snippets
One of the simplest HubSpot features for small businesses — and one that gets overlooked constantly — is Snippets. If you find yourself or your team typing out the same information in emails, live chats, or CRM notes over and over again, you’re wasting valuable time that could be spent building relationships or closing deals. Snippets fix that by letting you create short, reusable text blocks (up to 250 characters) that you can drop into your communications with just a quick shortcut code.
For example, imagine you’re a small service business and every discovery call kicks off with a few qualifying questions. Instead of rewriting those questions each time, create a Snippet that lists them all out. Now, every sales rep — no matter how new — asks the same questions and gathers the same critical details. You can also use Snippets for standard information you have to include everywhere, like warranty details, service guarantees, or disclaimers. Even simple things like directions to your office or instructions for scheduling a follow-up call can live in Snippets, making replies consistent and fast.
Where to find it: Sales Hub > Conversations > Snippets
Sequences
If I could choose just one tool that small businesses are underusing the most and missing the biggest opportunities with, it’s Sequences. Sequences are a huge help for any small business using HubSpot because they let you automate personalized outreach and follow-up without losing the human touch. For small businesses with only one or two salespeople — or where the owner acts as the salesperson — keeping track of every lead can be difficult. Sequences help address that.
How To Use A Hubspot Sequence
In HubSpot, a Sequence is a series of actions that can include automated emails, manual email prompts, and tasks like phone call reminders or LinkedIn messages. Let’s say someone downloads a pricing guide on your website. A simple Sequence could automatically send them a follow-up email two days later, prompt you to send a personalized message if they haven’t replied after five days, and add a task to your to-do list to give them a quick call if they’re still quiet after a week. It’s a way to do what bigger sales teams do with consistent, structured follow-up, even if you’re just one person wearing ten hats.
Where to find it: Sales Hub > Automation > Sequences
Lead Scoring (HubSpot Score)
When you’re running a small business, you don’t have time to waste chasing cold leads that never convert. That’s why HubSpot’s built-in Lead Scoring (originally known as HubSpot Score) is so important, yet so many businesses skip setting it up. Lead Scoring helps you automatically rank your contacts based on their actions and level of engagement with your marketing. This means your limited sales time stays focused on the people most likely to buy.
How To Use A Hubspot Lead Scoring
Here’s how I recommend small businesses use Lead Scoring: start simple. Assign points for actions that show interest, like visiting your website (for example, +5 points every time they hit five page views), opening and clicking your emails (maybe +10 points once they’ve opened 10 emails), or interacting with your ads. You can get as detailed as you want over time, but even basic scoring helps you see at a glance who’s warm and who’s ice cold.
Once you have a reliable scoring model in place, you can even use it to trigger next steps automatically. When someone hits a certain score, you can notify a sales rep, enroll them in a Sequence, or mark them as an opportunity. For small teams with limited bandwidth, Lead Scoring is one of the best ways to make sure you spend time where it counts.
Where to find it: Contacts > Properties > HubSpot Score
Workflows for Internal Notifications
Most people know Workflows can automate email marketing, but they’re just as powerful for keeping your team in sync behind the scenes. For small businesses that don’t have huge departments or where not everyone logs into HubSpot every day, Workflows for internal notifications can be a game changer.
How To Use Workflows for Internal Notifications
You can set up Workflows that automatically route updates to the right people, even if they prefer Slack or Microsoft Teams over logging into the CRM. For example, when a deal is marked Closed Won, you can instantly ping your accounting team in Slack so they can generate the invoice right away. Or maybe your sales manager needs to approve special pricing before a deal closes, a Workflow can send them an instant email alert so nothing stalls out. You can even use internal notifications to alert fulfillment or operations teams when a new order comes in, keeping everyone aligned without endless back-and-forth emails.
This kind of automation might sound small, but it adds up to huge time savings for small businesses that can’t afford delays or dropped handoffs.
Where to find it: Automation > Workflows
Custom Reports & Dashboards
Finally, if you’re using HubSpot for your small business but still feel unsure about what’s working and what’s not, it’s time to build Custom Reports & Dashboards. The standard reports are sufficient, but the real value lies in tailoring your dashboards to display the specific numbers that drive your business forward.
How to Use Custom Reports & Dashboards
With HubSpot’s custom dashboards, you can mix and match data from sales, marketing, and service to see exactly what matters most, from your pipeline value this month to how your email campaigns are performing. Small businesses often don’t realize you can embed external content, too, like Google Sheets or presentations, so everything your team needs is right in one place. And don’t overlook the power of customizing the look and feel of your dashboards; changing colors or labels can make complex data clearer for your team to read at a glance.
One more thing: HubSpot gives you access to plenty of pre-built dashboard templates to help you get started fast. If you want to dive even deeper, check out our blog on 5 Creative Ways to Use HubSpot Dashboards for even more practical ways to turn your HubSpot data into action.
Where to find it: Reports > Dashboards > Create Dashboard
Frequently Asked Questions About HubSpot for Small Business
What are the best HubSpot features for small teams?
The top HubSpot features for small teams include Snippets for faster replies, Sequences for automated follow-up, Lead Scoring for prioritizing leads, Internal Notifications via Workflows, and Custom Dashboards for reporting clarity.
How can HubSpot help small businesses save time?
HubSpot saves time by automating repetitive tasks like follow-ups, standard replies, and team notifications—letting small teams focus on closing deals.
Is HubSpot worth it for a small business?
Yes, HubSpot is worth it for small businesses—especially when you use tools like Sequences and Lead Scoring to automate and prioritize sales efforts effectively.
What is the difference between HubSpot Workflows and Sequences?
Workflows are mainly for internal automation and marketing emails, while Sequences focus on personalized sales outreach and follow-up.
How do I know if I’m underusing HubSpot?
If you’re only using HubSpot to store contacts or deals, you’re likely underusing it. Check if features like Snippets, Sequences, and Lead Scoring are set up.
Ready to Get More From HubSpot for Small Business?
If you’re investing in HubSpot for your small business, don’t stop at the basics. Tools like Snippets, Sequences, Lead Scoring, Internal Notifications, and Custom Dashboards can save you hours each week, help you close more deals, and make your sales and marketing teams look like a well-oiled machine — even if they’re just a handful of people.
If you’re not sure where to start, Holland Adhaus can help. We work with small and midsize businesses every day to get more value from HubSpot — whether you’re onboarding for the first time or looking to level up how your team uses the tools you already have.
Let’s talk about how to get your HubSpot doing the work for you.
