Authored by Phil Cohen
Running a small business is no easy task. Luckily, it can be made a bit simpler by using free online business tools. These resources can help small business owners manage legal documents, schedule meetings, design fliers and create an online marketing plan – just to name a few.
These 15 websites are some of the best free online small business tools to help run and grow your company with little to no money.
15 Free Tools Your Small Business Should Be Using
Tools for Organization:
Google’s G Suite: Google is way more than a search engine. It’s one of the best tools for small business owners to use. With a Gmail address, your business can share documents, video chat, create spreadsheets and monitor your website’s analytics and more. If you’re not sure of what Google’s G Suite can do or how to work it, don’t fret. Google provides free online courses that show you the ins and outs of all their resources.
Evernote: Evernote is the holy grail of small business tools. Using just the free version of this application, your business can clip web pages, search for text inside images, share notes with colleagues and store up to 60 MB of new content a month. Evernote is the perfect tool for storing important documents and resources. Instead of keeping all your receipts and paperwork in a file folder, upload them to Evernote!
If your company decides to opt for the business profile, retailing at $14.99 per person per month, your company can sync all your notes and documents to your devices, forward emails into the system, scan and digitize business cards and password protect particular documents. Organization is huge when it comes to managing a successful small business—a huge reason why many startups vote Evernote as one of the best online business tools.
HelloSign: Legal documents. They’re one of the most difficult things to get right as a small business. That’s where HelloSign comes in. Using HelloSign, your small business can easily sign or request digitally signed documents from employees, customers or business partners. HelloSign takes the weight of legal documentation off your shoulders, a great free tool for small business owners.
Tools for Time Management:
Doodle: Doodle is one of the best free online business tools for those who work closely with their colleagues. If you need to schedule a meeting, an important luncheon or something of the like, Doodle makes it easy to pick the perfect time. All you have to do is just send out an email to the people in your workplace. In the email will be a link to Doodle. They’ll pick what days and times they’re available for whatever it is you’re trying to schedule. Then, boom! Doodle sends you back the best time to have your event. Pretty convenient, huh?
E.ggtimer: Greatness doesn’t have to be complicated. E.ggtimer proves that tenfold. Want to do a quick brainstorming session? Set aside a certain amount of time for a task? That’s easy with this website. Just specify how much time you want E.ggtimer to count and it will do it for you. it’s one of the most underrated and useful small business tools available online.
MailChimp: One of the best free tools to help grow your small business is MailChimp. It saves your company time on marketing tactics and analytics. The website works by helping your business build your brand, find your audience and engage your customers. Using MailChimp sounds a lot easier than doing all of that work yourself.
Coffitivity: Do you find yourself getting distracted when doing paperwork? Filing your taxes? Give Coffitivity a try. This free online tool plays the sounds of a variety of different coffee shops through your speakers. It plays just enough sound to keep your mind from wandering to other things, but is also not distracting enough to keep you away from your work. It’s perfect for those used to working in a community environment.
Tools for Design:
Canva: If your small business has a blog or uses social media, it needs to use Canva. Canva is a great free tool for small business owners because it walks you through creating a variety of online infographics, headers and images that can be used to market your company. Make sure to also take advantage of their free photo and icon libraries!
Paletton: Need to find a color palette for your next business card, website or flyer? Try Paletton. This free online tool assists you in choosing complementary or adjacent colors that work well with one or two shades of your choice. Use Paletton when you’re trying to add color to your office or landing page!
Tools for Teamwork:
Slack: Slack is hands down one of the best free tools for small business owners. It’s a website (and app) that lets you connect everyone in your workplace via an online chat room. Slack is particularly great for online-only businesses. It lets colleagues share documents, collaborate on projects and set reminders for meetings or deadlines.
Trello: If you think your business could be a fan of slack, make sure you also sign up for Trello. Trello is basically an online to-do list. It lets you track what you’re doing, what your workers are doing and when everything needs to be done. If your company has workers that do projects independently, Trello is the perfect way to organize what has been done and what still needs to be accomplished.
You can have a personal Trello board listing what you need to do for an upcoming event. At the same time, there can be a shared company Trello board that lists every time someone posts on social media, what they said and when they said it. Talk about organization and teamwork! There’s a reason why Trello is considered one of the best online business tools.
Tools for Social Media/Marketing:
HootSuite: If your small business is planning on using social media to market, you need HootSuite. It’s difficult enough managing personal accounts, let alone business ones.HootSuitee is a great online tool for small businesses because allows them to monitor and post from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and more—all on one website! You can schedule content, manage accounts and view post reach.
If your company is social media-centric, you need to be using HootSuite. Don’t worry if it sounds overwhelming, Hootsuite offers a free online certification program so that anybody can understand how to operate its various features.
Kickstarter: If you have a small business that is in the market of creating, consider using Kickstarter. Kickstarter is a free online tool that allows businesses and people to crowdfund different projects and ideas. If you have a big idea but can’t seem to get enough money to make it a reality, put it on Kickstarter. You’ll have to set up different incentives so people will want to back your project, but it’s worth it to see something you’ve dreamed about come to life.
Tools for Money Management:
TurboTax: A great financial tool for small businesses is TurboTax. Doing taxes can be expensive and difficult to do with an accountant. Small business owners can get the help they need using TurboTax without having to make an appointment and do it all in one sitting with another person. Plus, TurboTax shows you how much money you’ll be getting from your return.
Expensify: Money management is hard. Make it easier by using Expensify, a great online tool for small businesses and large companies alike. Use it to keep track of money spent dining out, purchasing items for projects or paying employees. You can also reimburse employees for expenses they log into Expensify. It’s a great way to electronically keep track of money coming in and money going out.
It’s difficult running a small business and keeping track of expenses. If your business runs into some unexpected seasonal highs and lows, consider invoice factoring for small business.
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