If you're an entrepreneur, you're no stranger to the risks and challenges associated with starting and running your own business. You have to fulfill different roles, manage a variety of tasks, coordinate all business operations etc. All while trying to develop strategies that will help you reach your objectives and grow your business further. It's more than obvious that if you want your small business to thrive, you need a bit of help from the outside.
But help usually comes at a cost and unless you have unlimited budget resources - which is highly unlikely for small businesses - you can't afford to waste money or make rash decisions that will leave a dent in your budget. Luckily, the online provides entrepreneurs with a wide variety of online tools that can help streamline business operations and increase productivity. The biggest advantage is that many of these tools are completely free and you don't have to be a tech whiz to use them.
So, let's take a look at some of the best free online tools you should consider using to take your business to the next level.
Website builder
Are you still on the fence about building a website for your small business? Stop pondering and start acting, because nowadays having a website is an absolute must for all businesses, big and small. But what if web design is a completely foreign language to you and hiring a team of web developers might not be an option? Free website builders can come to the rescue.
Website builders can help you create fully functional and highly appealing websites with minimum effort and, most importantly, with zero money required. Wix and WordPress are both great options if you're looking for a free and effective solution to build your website.
Virtual Private Network
The online gives you plenty of tools and resources to keep your small business moving forwards, but you can't turn a blind eye to all the risks it comes with. Nowadays, most businesses run their operations partly or entirely over the internet, and that exposes them to any number of threats. In this context, it would be reckless not to take precautions to keep your business data and activity safe.
The simplest and easiest way to protect your business from cyber threats is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). While you have to pay for most VPNs, you'll also find free VPN services that can ensure privacy and safety for your business.
Project and time management software
When you have one or more projects underway, it can be difficult to monitor everyone's activity, plan and delegate tasks, keep track of completed work, make sure you don't miss any deadlines, and stay on top of all other project-related aspects. Using a project and time management tool can make your life infinitely easier and help you be more productive.
Fortunately, you won't have to search high and low for free project management tools, as there are plenty of options available to suit all business needs. And if you're not sure which one to choose, we suggest you give Trello or Toggl a try and see how it goes.
Scheduling tools
It's not just managing projects and keeping track of your employees' activity that require good organizational skills. You also have to be smart about planning your own time and scheduling your daily activities. By doing that, you'll avoid being overwhelmed by the workload or wasting precious time when you could be doing something productive.
This is where scheduling tools come into play to help you take control of your calendar and make the most of your time. A tool like Airtable that you can customize as you see fit can make a huge difference in your professional life.
Document management tools
What happens when your day-to-day activity involves handling tons of documents and taking care of all the tedious and tasks related to document management? You can fall into a time-consuming and irritating routine that can lead to countless mistakes and low productivity levels.
If you want to avoid the hassle and repetitiveness of managing PDF documents, you should consider using a tool like PDFChef Online. You'll no longer have to spend ages editing, converting, or rearranging PDF files as you'll be able to do all that and more with just a few simple clicks.
Video conferencing tools
If your work involves constantly connecting with clients or remote workers, you need a reliable video conferencing tool to help you keep in touch with everyone. There are plenty of reasons to replace face-to-face meetings with video conferences. For starters, going back and forth to meet up with clients can make you waste a lot of time that you could be spending on doing something more important.
Also, traveling requires money and as a small business owner, you should do everything you can to reduce costs. Ultimately, video conferencing tools are convenient and provide other benefits such as the possibility to record meeting sessions that can prove useful for any business.
Accounting software
Not great at math? Don't worry, you don't have to be and you don't have to seek the help of a professional for every single accounting task you have to handle. It's as simple as choosing the right accounting software and you'll be able to manage invoices, keep track of bills and receipts, and stay on top of your budget. While an accounting tool won't cover all your bookkeeping needs and won't be able to do everything a qualified accountant can do, it can still handle basic tasks and make things a bit easier for you.
Email marketing tools
Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies out there and can set your business on the path to success. However, perfecting your email marketing strategy requires skills and time. But you can become an email marketing pro much faster by choosing an email marketing platform to help you out. MailerLite is a good example of an effective tool that can handle all sorts of tasks for you and improve your email marketing game.
