5 Essential Notion Updates Every Small Business Owner Should Explore in 2025
Running a small business often means juggling a million tasks at once and feeling like you have 100+ tabs open on your mind! Managing client interactions, tracking projects, and staying organized can quickly become overwhelming.
Thankfully, Notion continually rolls out updates designed specifically to streamline your workflows, enhance productivity, and simplify daily operations.
In 2025, there are five essential Notion updates that every small business owner should take advantage of. Let's dive deep into each one, exploring how they can practically enhance your business processes!
1. Visual Charts: Instantly Turn Data into Actionable Insights
Small business owners know that data drives decisions — but who has time to interpret endless spreadsheets?
Notion's new visual charts are here and take the visualization to a new level!
These charts convert raw data into clear, intuitive visuals such as bar charts, pie charts, and line graphs, all updating in real-time. You can quickly grasp key insights without getting bogged down in data overload.
In my workspace, I like to use a Blog Planner to manage my blog posts. I use two databases - one for tracking my content and a second one that pulls in info from the blog content and ties in the Analytics. I like having seperate databases so it's not too much information in one. I then use click through rate's, engagement rate averages, and the number of blogs I'm publishing.
How to Leverage Visual Charts:
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Revenue Trends: Use line charts to clearly see monthly revenue fluctuations.
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Customer Acquisition: Bar charts provide an easy way to compare customer acquisition costs across various marketing channels.
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Project Management: Progress charts visually track project completion, allowing you to spot bottlenecks early.
Visual charts simplify complex data analysis, making it accessible even if you're not naturally a "numbers person." Plus, you can now click on the graph, and open the pages to the data that it connects to. Charts now reduce the friction of exporting data to external apps, keeping everything centralized in your Notion workspace.
2. Custom Page Layouts: Organize Your Workspace Exactly How You Think
Every entrepreneur works differently, and Notion’s customizable page layouts embrace this individuality. With options for multi-column setups, grouped content blocks, and dedicated sidebars, your workspace can finally match your workflow intuitively.
Practical Applications of Custom Layouts:
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Client Dashboards: Create dashboards with key client information, project statuses, and recent communications visible at a glance.
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Project Hubs: Organize resources, tasks, and timelines in columns or sidebars, eliminating the need to scroll through endless content.
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Sales Pipelines: Visualize your sales process step-by-step, providing clarity and ease of use for your entire team.
A customized layout means less time searching for information and more time actually using it effectively. If you're unsure how best to set up your layouts, consider scheduling a quick workspace audit session to tailor your Notion experience perfectly to your needs.
3. Automations & Webhooks: Seamless Integrations and Time Savings
Automations are essential for freeing up your valuable time, and Notion’s new automations now include frequencies + webhooks! Connecting seamlessly with apps like Zapier and Make, you can automate routine tasks effortlessly, dramatically reducing manual workloads.
Effective Ways to Automate:
- Client Intake: Auto-fill databases with client details as soon as they book an appointment, removing repetitive data entry.
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Follow-ups: Automatically trigger personalized emails based on database status changes, improving your client experience without lifting a finger or set it up with a confirmation.
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Task Management: Sync tasks due dates within projects automatically with one button automations with due dates calculated with formulas, ensuring accuracy without manual assigning.
By automating routine tasks, you significantly reduce errors, save hours weekly, and gain more time to focus on strategic, growth-oriented activities. This powerful feature alone can transform the efficiency and accuracy of your business operations.
4. Apple Shortcuts: Connect Your Digital Life with Notion
Apple Shortcuts integration takes productivity beyond the Notion app! This update is ideal for small business owners who are constantly on the go and don't have time to open up Notion. Apple Shortcuts enable quick and easy access to your Notion workspace directly from your iPhone or Mac without having to create long sequences with the Notion API!
Top Apple Shortcuts for Notion:
- Instant Daily Planner: Create a shortcut that opens your daily planner in Notion with just one tap.
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Quick Client Notes: Automatically add notes to a client database from your mobile device, making sure no insights are ever lost.
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Rapid Task Entry: Quickly jot down new tasks directly into your Notion task list while on the move.
Apple Shortcuts not only save time but also ensure critical information and ideas are always captured immediately, no matter where you are without opening the Notion app!
Looking to up your Apple Shortcuts game? Learn how to add in Notion tasks with other properities filled in!
5. Notion Forms: Streamline Client Intake and Boost Internal Collaboration
Client onboarding and internal team collaboration can be cumbersome without proper systems. Notion Forms revolutionize this by streamlining how you collect and organize information. Forms created in Notion automatically populate your databases, reducing manual data entry errors and administrative overhead.
Powerful Uses for Notion Forms:
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Client Intake: Create professional, branded intake forms that clients can easily fill out, instantly populating their information into your workspace.
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Project Requests: Quickly collect and organize new project requests or feedback without sorting through emails.
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Internal Surveys: Keep your team aligned and informed by using forms to gather team feedback, preferences, or updates.
Forms simplify your workflows significantly. They ensure data accuracy, reduce back-and-forth communication, and centralize critical information, enhancing productivity and organization. Forms have also been upgraded, enabling business and enterprise plans to utilize conditional logic.
Ready to Transform Your Business Systems?
The power of these Notion updates lies not just in their capabilities but in how effectively they integrate with and enhance your existing workflows. Leveraging these tools strategically can transform how you manage your business, freeing up valuable time, reducing stress, and boosting productivity.
If you're ready to start leveraging these features for maximum impact with a Notion ambassador, I’m here to guide you through the process!
Book Your 1:1 Notion Consultation Session →
About Jen – Your Notion Expert
Hi, I'm Jen! I help entrepreneurs and small business owners harness the full potential of Notion to simplify and automate their workflows. My mission is to break down complex business processes into straightforward, actionable strategies that genuinely improve your daily operations and productivity.
Through customized solutions tailored specifically to your business, we can create an intuitive workspace that perfectly aligns with how you naturally work. From streamlined client onboarding to integrated automation, I'm here to ensure Notion becomes a powerful asset in your business toolkit.
Follow along for practical Notion advice and guidance designed to support your growth and success!