As an entrepreneur, one of your key goals is to launch and grow your business while keeping costs as low as possible, and working as efficiently as possible. There's a lot of work to be done in the early stages of launching your startup. You need all the help you can get in order to complete these tasks, and work towards growth.
Fortunately, technology is on your side. There are several free tools and resources to help you keep your business on track. our team spent a significant amount of time reviewing some of the most popular of these tools, and a few that aren't so well-known. Out of these, we have selected our top 15.
Survey Monkey
A startup that stays connected with its customers stands a much better chance of succeeding. One of the best ways to do this is to reach out to your audience directly to learn exactly what they are thinking. Survey Monkey is a free tool that allows you to create polls and surveys to share on your website and social media pages, or sent via email.
Asana
Asana is an online project management tool with several pricing tiers available. However, if you are just getting started, the basic package is free. To get started, you simply sign up, create your team, and add your first project. From there, you can create tasks, assign them to your team members, and engage in other project management tasks.
HootSuite
HootSuite is a comprehensive, social media management platform. While there is a monthly subscription fee, you can use the tool for the first 30 days for free. For a startup, 30 days of free social media management is absolutely heavenly. This will allow you to focus on other launch-related tasks while enjoying the benefits of social media automation.
G Suite
You may already be using g suite. If you use Google docs, sheets, calendar, or any of the other tools provided by Google oh, you are using g suite. This free set of tools and resources are perfect for collaboration, word processing oh, and other tasks.
MailChimp
MailChimp is a free utility that you can use for building and managing email campaigns. its features include email automation, CRM, landing pages, postcards, and more. Start with the basic free package, then see if you want to upgrade.
Canva
Canva is a free tool that allows users to enhance their websites, social media, and other content. Best of all, you don’t need any graphic design or similar experience. Use the tool for infographics, photo editing, or take advantage of the many free templates for brochures, presentations, and more.
Google Keep
If you decide to use G Suite, you might opt to become an all Google shop. In that case, consider adding Google Keep to your toolbox. This is a note-taking app developed by Google. Every note you take can be categorized using one of the labels provided for you, or you can create your own labels. Keep works on desktop, or as a mobile app.
Trello
Trello is a highly rated app for team collaboration. It uses a Kanban-style board system to create projects, to-do lists, then create cards. Each card can then be associated with a checklist of tasks to be completed. Once you’ve created a board, you can invite others to participate by sending them an email directly from that board.
Wave
As a startup, it is imperative that you are able to invoice your customers with as little friction as possible. Even better, you should have a free solution that allows you to track invoices, and keep them organized. Wave provides free invoicing for small business. The free version also includes accounting and invoicing.
Skitch
Skitch is a Mac-based app that allows you to create and share visuals with coworkers and clients. Simply use the tool to take a snapshot of an image, document, or presentation slide. Then, you can use skitch to edit the snap or add your own annotations.
QuickSprout
If you want to commit to making the best digital marketing efforts, but are working with a shoestring budget, give QuickSprout a try. You simply enter the URL of your website, and you’ll receive plenty of suggestions regarding SEO and other important factors.
Yoast SEO
If you’ve opted to use WordPress for your business website, Yoast is a comprehensive plugin for all things SEO. The free version allows you to pick a focus keyword for each page, assists Google in indexing your page, helps you to avoid duplicate content, checks your content for readability, and much more.
Compressor.IO
Images that are too large degrade the performance of your website. This also has a negative impact on mobile users. Compressor.IO is a free utility that allows you to compress images of varying types while maintaining image quality.
Google Primer
Primer is a free educational tool created by Google. It consists of short lessons that are indexed on the Primer website. These include creating a business plan, finding the right business idea, finding new distribution channels, product pricing, and more. You can view the entire course catalogue online, then download the app to start learning.
1001 Free Fonts
Typography is enjoying its place in the sun. This is good news. The right font can truly give your business website, business cards, apps, and other visual content. With 1001 Free Fonts, you can choose various fonts to use, and download them for free. You’ll find classic fonts here along with several stylized choices.
Final Thoughts
Take some time to check out any or all of these free tools. Use them to improve your website, better understand your customers, stay organized, or simply execute important tasks more efficiently.