Coming up with an original and viable business idea isn’t always easy, and although there are some who are lucky enough to do it, you don’t need to have a completely unique business idea in order to start a business of your own. In fact, some of the most successful businesses are those that build off of an existing business, present a solution to fill the holes of an existing business, or even use another business entirely. No matter what type of business you’re looking to start, though, it can be difficult to get started if you have no money.
The average cost of starting a small business is between $2,000 and $5,000, but depending on the type of business you want to start, the costs could be much higher. Startup costs aren’t just limited to getting a business license, stocking product, and renting office space—they include much more. The cost to start a business includes things like marketing and advertising, borrowing costs, payroll, utilities, insurance, and so on.
Luckily, there are ways that you can save money and start a business for as little as possible. One way is to start a business that inherently has low startup costs. For example, you could start a business by reselling products—it’s easy to find products to sell from home with no startup cost and make a sizeable profit. There are plenty of other ways you can save too, though, and one of those is by using tools and resources that function as you need, but that cost you nothing.
Whether you have only a little capital or simply want to save money, here are some of the top free business tools that will help you get started in the modern age:
7 Best Free Business Tools
1. Bplans.com
Thinking about skipping the business plan? Think again. Research has shown that formal plans make you at least 16 percent more likely to achieve viability in your business. Writing a business plan isn’t always easy, though.
That’s what makes Bplans.com one of the top free business tools. Bplans.com is a business planning resource that offers everything from templates and calculators to how-to articles and industry reports for entrepreneurs of all sorts, whether they’re just getting started or have done the entrepreneur thing a few times already.
2. WordPress
WordPress is a free platform that makes it fast and easy to set up your own blog or website. While purchasing a domain and connecting it to your WordPress based site will cost money, you can build a basic website and blog page for nothing. WordPress is one of the top free business tools, specifically because of the ease of creating a blog—blogging is an important part of running a business and WordPress makes it simple and user-friendly.
3. Hootsuite
Did you know that Facebook once influenced 52 percent of consumers’ on- and offline purchases? That statistic alone tells you how important social media is when it comes to running a business. It’s not always easy to keep track of and post to all of the different social media platforms out there, but that’s where Hootsuite comes in. Hootsuite is a free tool that lets you manage all of your accounts in one place, schedule posts in advance, track how they’re doing, etc.
4. Google My Business
When you run a local business, it’s important that you get on the map. Google Maps that is. Google My Business is your Google Maps listing that will help consumers find you when they look up your type of business in their area. That makes GMB an extremely important but free tool that you need to take advantage of this year.
5. Google Analytics
Another Google tool that you should be using is Google Analytics. Google Analytics provides you with a tracking code that you paste onto your website; then, it will monitor your traffic and analyze your audience’s behavior, then give you valuable data that you can use to make the necessary adjustments. Without Google Analytics, you will likely be playing the hit or miss game more often.
6. Wave
Wave is a free financial software that can do everything from accounting and invoicing to payroll and tracking receipts. Finances are an extremely important part of a business, so having financial software that can help you keep it all organized is important. And it’s one less thing you’ll have to keep track of paying for since it’s free.
7. Square
Although Square does require a percentage as payment, it costs you nothing to get. Whether you sell at the local farmers market or have a brick and mortar store, Square makes it simple and easy to accept payments. And, if you want to spend some money, they offer a POS system now too, helping to manage your store all in one place.
Final Thoughts On The Top Business Tools
Starting a business can be expensive, but the tools you use to run it don’t have to be. With top business tools like those mentioned above, you can run your business efficiently without having to spend a fortune. What other free tools are you using to get your business started? Tweet us @MikeSchiemer #BootstrapBusiness with your favorite free business tools online.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post about the top free business tools for this year and beyond for your business.
Interested in more articles about the best business tools and apps?
Read Related Resources:
• How To Pick The Best Tech Stack
• Top Types Of SEO Tools
1. Bplans.com
Thinking about skipping the business plan? Think again. Research has shown that formal plans make you at least 16 percent more likely to achieve viability in your business. Writing a business plan isn’t always easy, though.
That’s what makes Bplans.com one of the top free business tools. Bplans.com is a business planning resource that offers everything from templates and calculators to how-to articles and industry reports for entrepreneurs of all sorts, whether they’re just getting started or have done the entrepreneur thing a few times already.
2. WordPress
WordPress is a free platform that makes it fast and easy to set up your own blog or website. While purchasing a domain and connecting it to your WordPress based site will cost money, you can build a basic website and blog page for nothing. WordPress is one of the top free business tools, specifically because of the ease of creating a blog—blogging is an important part of running a business and WordPress makes it simple and user-friendly.
3. Hootsuite
Did you know that Facebook once influenced 52 percent of consumers’ on- and offline purchases? That statistic alone tells you how important social media is when it comes to running a business. It’s not always easy to keep track of and post to all of the different social media platforms out there, but that’s where Hootsuite comes in. Hootsuite is a free tool that lets you manage all of your accounts in one place, schedule posts in advance, track how they’re doing, etc.
4. Google My Business
When you run a local business, it’s important that you get on the map. Google Maps that is. Google My Business is your Google Maps listing that will help consumers find you when they look up your type of business in their area. That makes GMB an extremely important but free tool that you need to take advantage of this year.
5. Google Analytics
Another Google tool that you should be using is Google Analytics. Google Analytics provides you with a tracking code that you paste onto your website; then, it will monitor your traffic and analyze your audience’s behavior, then give you valuable data that you can use to make the necessary adjustments. Without Google Analytics, you will likely be playing the hit or miss game more often.
6. Wave
Wave is a free financial software that can do everything from accounting and invoicing to payroll and tracking receipts. Finances are an extremely important part of a business, so having financial software that can help you keep it all organized is important. And it’s one less thing you’ll have to keep track of paying for since it’s free.
7. Square
Although Square does require a percentage as payment, it costs you nothing to get. Whether you sell at the local farmers market or have a brick and mortar store, Square makes it simple and easy to accept payments. And, if you want to spend some money, they offer a POS system now too, helping to manage your store all in one place.
Final Thoughts On The Top Business Tools
Starting a business can be expensive, but the tools you use to run it don’t have to be. With top business tools like those mentioned above, you can run your business efficiently without having to spend a fortune. What other free tools are you using to get your business started? Tweet us @MikeSchiemer #BootstrapBusiness with your favorite free business tools online.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post about the top free business tools for this year and beyond for your business.
Interested in more articles about the best business tools and apps?
Read Related Resources:
• How To Pick The Best Tech Stack
• Top Types Of SEO Tools
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