Free Online Business Tools

   

Build Home Business

    There’s no shortage of free online tools designed to help streamline and simplify day-to-day tasks. By taking advantage of these resources and improving your workflow, you’ll get more done, and spend less.

Below is a list of our favorite free tools and smoe Home Business Ideas for new business owners.

1. Google Docs, Sheets and Slides

Your business has gone mobile, so why shouldn’t your office?

With Google’s suite of cloud-based office software, you can create and edit professional-looking documents, spreadsheets and presentations from your computer, phone, or tablet.

Why new business owners need it:

·        Create and store documents, reports and presentations in the cloud for easy access

·        Files saved for offline use can be edited with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint

·        Collaborate in real time with simple, yet powerful sharing and editing capabilities

Alternatives: Microsoft Office 365

2. Buffer

Social media is important. Really important. But for new business owners who are short on time and resources, tweeting just isn’t a priority.

With Buffer, you can schedule posts and interact with your audience across different accounts, plus get valuable analytics on how your social media campaigns are performing.

Why new business owners need it:

·        Connect and streamline your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts 

·        Create and schedule a day, week or month’s worth of tweets, posts and updates

·        Track the performance of your social media campaigns and gain valuable insights

Alternatives: HootSuite, Sprout, TweetDeck

3. Zoho

Though the age of the Rolodex has long passed, the need for a comprehensive, annotated database of customers and leads remains. In 2015, many businesses use Customer Relationship Management tools — CRM for short — to do just that.

Zoho is just one of many CRM tools available online, but it comes with the added benefit of being free for up to ten users — forever.

Why new business owners need it:

·        Store and manage customer data, contact info, sales progress and social interactions

·        Capture customer info on your site and automatically add them to your list of leads

·        Automatically sorts high-priority activities and leads to help organize your day

Alternatives: Insightly, Act

4. Pixlr Editor

Professional design software can cost thousands of dollars, but for many entrepreneurs, free online software can offer more than enough functionality to support their business.

Pixlr Editor provides free editing, cropping, and design tools for digital photos and imagery. Web-based and lightweight, it’s an easily accessible and cost-free way to make great looking images.

Why new business owners need it:

·        Crop, resize, color correct, and retouch images for your online store

·        Enhance product photography by removing backgrounds and artifacts

·        Create professional-looking logos, artwork and even product mockups

Alternatives: GIMP, Sumopaint, Canva  

5. Mint

Small business owners need to-the-minute updates on their budgets and finances, so it’s important to have that data on the go.

After giving Mint permission to view your financial data via your online banking account, the software will begin to learn your spending habits, categorize your expenditures and even manage budgets for you.

Totally automated, it’s one of the easiest ways to keep track of spending and stay on top of your finances.

Why new business owners need it:

·        Set a budget for any expenditure and get notified when you’re near your limit

·        Keep an eye on incoming and outgoing funds via simple graphs and report

·        Take advantage of a simple, all-in-one view of your incoming and outgoing funds

Alternatives: Shoeboxed, Quicken, YNAB (You Need a Budget), Wave

6. Evernote

For daily reminders and shopping lists, physical sticky notes are more than up to the task. But when it comes to your business, cloud-based software is a must.

Evernote calls itself “the workspace for your life’s work,” and for new business owners, it really can be.

The service allows users to keep track of notes, links, lists and photos, and acts as a shareable, cross-device hub of thoughts and ideas. If you’ve been struggling with organization, Evernote can help.

Why new business owners need it:

·        Photograph and categorize inspiring or thought-provoking marketing ideas

·        Clip and save interesting articles at home or on the go and organize your reading list

·        Keep your ideas synced between mobile and desktop and refer to them anywhere

Alternatives: OneNote, Google Drive, Wunderlist, Todoist

Did we miss something? Share your favorite online tools with us in the comments section below.

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Home Business Ideas.