Key Takeaways: 

• Small business owners face a unique set of circumstances. By necessity, they wear a lot of hats and have to juggle several unrelated tasks. The old browsers simply aren’t built to streamline this process - but Shift is. 
• Shift allows users to build custom workspaces. This means business owners can create workspaces for marketing, accounting–anything! Plus they can have separate workspaces for their personal lives or even other business ventures (we all know entrepreneurs who have several irons in the fire). Workspaces have the tabs, apps, and accounts related to that particular role, and open in the same window every time, so you always have exactly what you need for the task at hand. 
• People take a huge hit on productivity due to push notifications - some estimates are as high as 40%. It’s essential that small business owners don’t lose focus, even when their attention is being pulled from every direction. Shift’s notification management tools help with that. You can customize quiet hours or even mute notifications, or just use it as an aggregator tool to view all notifications in one place–but only when you’re ready. 
• Shift integrates seamlessly with over 1500 apps. From CRM to communication, from social media to scheduling, from design to discord…well, you get the idea. All of the small business tools that you rely on every day can be found in a single, customized window. Browse the latest list of apps and extensions here.  
• Try new productivity browsers designed for the way you work. Shift was created specifically for business owners and small teams who need to be nimble, quick, and focused at every online moment. Shift offers a free trial that is quick and easy to sign up for, so that you can give it a try worry-free. 

We get the struggles of small business owners because we’ve been there. Shift started out as a tiny team with a few big ideas, trying to do it all while building something new. Shift started small and scaled big (we’ve grown our team by 10x in eight years!), so we know the challenges small businesses face in building a future. And trust us,  it wasn’t easy.

There were times that our founders were the department for marketing, customer service, accounting, and creative. Picture a person sitting in front of their laptop managing tabs for social media posts, email analytics, accounting software, and recruiting platforms. Are you seeing a circus performer juggling multiple plates in the air while trying to keep everything balanced? That’s about right. 

The reality of constant app-switching and multiple accounts turns the excitement of running a new company into frustration or even costly mistakes for many business leaders. Tabs piling up, notifications blaring from every direction, and finding the right login for every site takes focus away from the work that really matters. There has to be a solution to streamline digital life for small business owners - and there is. 

The Challenge of Wearing Multiple Hats Online

For small business owners with busy lives, the digital landscape can often feel overwhelming. Each role they take on demands attention, but the endless cycle of switching between apps leads to tab overload, distractions, and disorganization. Small businesses tend to have low headcount, with employees wearing several hats. Often, the same person is in charge of both marketing and customer service, or accounting and HR. Being able to shift between different tasks for optimal productivity at work is a key trait of start-up founders. 

However, that doesn’t mean it's easy. The very productivity tools meant to help can become the biggest hurdles. More technology means more information to manage. That’s why we developed Shift, an innovative app-integrated browser meant to transform the way business leaders manage online tasks.

Separate Spaces for Different Parts of the Business

One of the standout features of Shift is its ability to create separate workspaces tailored to different areas of a business. Owners can easily build distinct online environments for client work, internal operations, and even personal tasks. Each workspace has its own set of apps, tabs, and bookmarks, which significantly reduces mental clutter. 

When switching from one workspace to another, you can do so seamlessly, without losing focus or context. This can be a game-changer for productivity, allowing small business owners to compartmentalize work and approach each task with clarity. For example, you might start your day with an accounting hat on. Use your accounting workspace to send invoices, do your banking tasks, and manage payroll - all without the distractions from email, social media, or unrelated websites. The workspace you’ve customized will have only the specific accounting-related tabs that you want to use, and they’ll be ready to go without endless logging in and out. 

When you’ve finished your accounting work and want to move to marketing, pull up a marketing workspace that has apps like Canva, your email provider, and social media analytics. You can create as many workspaces as you need to streamline your work and stay organized. Small business owners can switch between their many roles without losing critical context or focus. 

Finished with the workday? Just click into your personal workspace to focus on daily-life things like Instagram, Instacart - and all the other “insta” apps that you use for fun. 

Related Post: How to Manage Multiple Google Accounts

A Single Window with All Your Tools + Apps Integrated

With Shift, users have access to over 1,500 integrated apps, which means they can connect everything from communication tools and CRMs to file storage and social media platforms—all from a single window. 

Gone are the days of jumping between tabs, devices, or incognito sessions. For instance, you can respond to customer inquiries on your chat app while monitoring your sales dashboard and updating social media—all without losing any momentum. This level of integration has streamlined workflows makes daily operations far more efficient for many small business owners. 

Did we mention that Shift integrates with over 1,500 different apps? And each app can support multiple logins. This makes the platform highly customizable for users, so everyone can get exactly what they need out of their online experience.  

Related Post: Why Everyone Needs an App Integrated Browser

Control Over Notifications Helps Protect Focus

Do you know how much time is wasted due to digital “noise”? According to Harvard Business Review, the tiny interruptions that come with constant notifications can add up to a 40% loss of productivity throughout the day. 

One of the most beneficial aspects of Shift is its built-in notification management system. Small business owners–even more than most people–need to protect their focus. Shift allows them to block out digital noise, maintain deep work sessions and prevent burnout from constant pings. This feature has not only improved users’ concentration but has also allowed them to set boundaries with work, ensuring that they remain productive without feeling overwhelmed.

The notification management tools can apply across all the apps you use every day, from Outlook to Facebook to Slack and beyond. With a couple of clicks, you can mute all notifications temporarily or control the sounds that play when a notification comes through. Shift brings together all of the notifications from any of your apps and email accounts and displays them in one place. You don’t have to look in multiple places anymore just to see what new alerts you have. Instead, you can simply  check the number that appears in the little red bubble on the Shift icon in your taskbar, and there you go! 

One Browser for Every Small Business

Shift isn’t just another browser; it’s specifically designed to match the way entrepreneurs and small teams operate. With its flexibility and efficiency, it brings structure to the browsing experience, empowering owners to take control of their digital workspace. The ability to juggle tasks smoothly and keep everything organized makes online work much more intentional. You’ll feel a lot less like that circus performer we mentioned and more like a conductor on a fast-moving train–smooth and streamlined. 

Shift is revolutionizing the way founders manage their small businesses. By providing distinct workspaces, integrating essential organization tools, managing notifications, and adapting to unique workflows, it has become an indispensable ally for entrepreneurs. For anyone navigating the complexities of small business ownership, Shift is not just a browser; it’s a solution that enhances productivity, organization, and focus.

Related Post: What is Shift Browser? One Window for Everything You Do Online