INTRODUCTION
The Best Software for Entrepreneurs is our flagship software that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Featuring time-tested, step-by-step guidance, worksheets and templates, videos, calculators and more, this simple-to-use tool show you what actions to take, who to reach out to and how to make your business work.
Do you want to run your dream business, but don’t know where to start? That’s why we created The Best Software for Entrepreneurs . Our comprehensive eBook covers everything from setting up a company bank account to tax and insurance issues.
How Does the Type of Business Affect What Software is Needed?
It is important first to identify what kinds of software will be most suited to your particular business needs. The operation of a small business works has vastly different needs to that of a larger corporation. Furthermore, each industry holds its own unique and essential requirements to ensure smooth business operation. A business with a large employee base will need a more comprehensive payroll software than a smaller business operating on the efforts of only a few individuals, while a business with a large base of clientele will need an accurate time tracking application to keep detailed documentation of which work is being done for which clients. Identifying and understanding what kind of business software is going to be most effective in adding value to your business practices is essential in making smart executive decisions.
Specific industry needs are also important to consider. The goods and services offered by your business will have a huge impact on your software requirements. Keeping a comprehensive track of client interactions or stock rotation can be more or less important depending on specifically what it is that your business is selling, and the market in which you are operating.
20 Free Business Software to Get Started
1. Google Docs
Despite what you’ve been told, you do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on fancy office suite software. Google gives you everything for FREE. I’m talking documents, spreadsheets, slide presentations, and forms. Which means you can run almost every area of your business using just the Google suite. The best part is you can access all your files from anywhere and on any device. So you’ll never be without your important documents.
2. Trello
It’s time to get organized. Once you start a business, you learn that your head, napkins, and random scraps of notebook paper no longer cut it for keeping track of projects and to-do lists. This is why I love Trello. Trello is a project management tool that allows you to set up all your tasks and to-do lists in one neatly organized website, accessible from any device. With Trello’s free plan, you get unlimited boards, lists, cards, members, checklists, and attachments.
3. Zapier
Now that you’ve got Google Docs and Trello set up, let me introduce you to my productivity-boosting friend, Zapier. Zapier is an online tool that allows you to connect two separate apps. For example, you could set up a ‘zap’ that would create a new Trello card each time you created a new Google Doc. Or you could do something more advanced like send an automated response email anytime someone signed up for a webinar on your site. (Psst..if you need more ideas, check out this blog post.)With Zapier’s free plan, you can set up to 5 zaps.
4. Mailchimp
If you are just starting to build out your email list, then you absolutely want to check out Mailchimp. Not only is this one of the most popular email service providers on the internet, but they give you a free account until you get 2,000 subscribers. Now you won’t have to pay to send emails until you actually have a decent-sized list. Mailchimp has dozens of pre-designed templates that make creating your very first newsletter or prospect email a breeze. Not a huge Mailchimp fan? We put together this list of Mailchimp alternatives for you to consider — many of them with free options as well!
5. Pexels
Whether you are writing an email, creating Facebook ads, or brochures for your business, you’re going to need stock photos. Just in case you didn’t know this already, you cannot take an image you found on Google search and use it for your business. Yea, apparently it’s “illegal” and called “copyright infringement.” Because we don’t want you to end up behind bars, we are going to share our favorite free stock photo resource: Pexels. Pexels has thousands of beautiful, royalty-free images that you can use for all aspects of your business.
6. Canva
Once you have the images, you’re going to want to make edits to them. There are a ton of graphic design tools available, but you may want to check out Canva, a free online photo editing tool that let you create branded and personalized graphics for your newsletters, brochures, and social media posts. Edit your own images or choose from Canva’s library of images (some of which you have to pay for, but a good portion are free). Quickly download all your masterpieces to your computer and use them for your print and digital marketing campaigns. For a complete list of Canva alternatives, check out this post.
7. Buffer
Seeing that you now have some sweet looking social media graphics, you’ll want to use a tool like Buffer to schedule them across your various accounts. When running a business, you don’t have time to actually sit down and post to your social media accounts (or to sit down at all), which is why it’s a good idea to automate those tasks with Buffer.
On the free plan, Buffer will allow you to schedule up to 10 posts to 3 different social media accounts. You’ll be able to schedule all your social media posts for the week in just a few minutes! Some notable Buffer alternatives with free plans include Hootsuite, Later, and Publer.
8. Bit.ly
Not to length shame, but long URLs are ugly. Yeah, I said it. Increase clickability by using personalized, shortened links from Bit.ly. These conversion-inducing links will also give you stats on your link, like, the number of clicks. It takes the guesswork out of marketing.
9. Wave
Ready to send out your first invoice and want to look like a true professional? Then head on over to Wave, an online invoicing software program. Wave lets you create and send professional-looking invoices to your clients’ inbox. You can even keep track of who’s paid and who hasn’t so you can send “reminders” if you need to.
10. UberConference
If you run an online business, you’re going to need to set up virtual meetings with your clients (unless you have the cash to fly around the country for coffee dates). UberConference allows you to set up online meetings anytime. Their free plan allows you to set up 45-minute calls with up to 10 people at a time. During that meeting, you can share your screen and record with HD quality sound and video.
11. Health & Wellness
Improve your happiness.
Science says people who keep a daily gratitude journal are happier than those who don’t, so why wouldn’t you? It takes just a couple minutes a day, and this Happy Tapper app costs just $0.99.
12. Marketing
Suite of online marketing tools & content.
Moz (formerly SEOmoz) offers an array of products, services, and content for the online marketing professional. Find out how to rank your site better in the search results & beat your competition.
A Moz Pro subscription is $99 per month.
13. Networking
Local events matching your interests.
Use Meetup.com to find local gatherings & networking events in your niche.
Meetup is always free for attendees, and if you want to host a group it’s just $5 per month.
14. News
Curated news app.
Flipboard (which acquired Zite) is a free news app for tablets & smartphones.
It has a beautiful user interface & will pull in stories from your social media connections as well. You can easily flip through the stories & read in more detail those that interest you.
15. Outsourcing
Marketplace for goods & services starting at $5.
Fiverr is a tremendous resource for small business owners – no it’s not just for prank calls & silly dances. You’ll be surprised at the variety & depth of truly useful $5 services.
I’ve gotten WordPress help, articles written, graphics created, ebook covers made, and more.
16. Productivity
Powerful, free cross-device note-taking app.
Create an “external brain” with Evernote & share & sync notes & files in the cloud.
Any flash of inspiration can be saved in Evernote. Just create a notebook & save the notes in there. The tool has numerous features, including sharing, file attachments, reminders, and voice memos.
Evernote Premium is $5 per month or $45 per year.
17. Social Media
Professional social network.
I was surprised to see LinkedIn as the most recommended social media resource, a strong indicator that LinkedIn is an overlooked tool for entrepreneurs.
Use LinkedIn to highlight your accomplishments, share your content, and connect with other professionals.
You can also use LinkedIn groups to make connections with like-minded people & to share content.
Premium accounts start at $24 per month.
18. Team & Project Management
Teamwork without email.
Asana is a web-based project management system. Asana has become an integral part of life for many entrepreneurs.
Users can create & assign tasks to themselves or other team members, and all members can have access to the tasks & comment & update their progress.
Asana is free for teams of up to 15 people. After that, premium plans start at $50 per month.
19. Travel (tie)
Peer-to-peer lodging network.
Airbnb is the high-flying startup that’s making waves in the hotel industry by giving individual homeowners the chance to rent out their spare bedrooms & couches.
Prices vary by location & amenities, but generally range from $50 to $200 per night.
Find out what’s nearby.
The free AroundMe smartphone app helps you discover nearby restaurants, cafes, ATMs, parks, and other attractions.
You can also search by keyword or store name for more specific results.
Travel organization tool.
Forward your travel confirmation emails to TripIt & the free service will build a personalized itinerary that you can access from any device.
A pro version is $49 per year, which unlocks mobile alerts & the ability to automatically share your itinerary with the people you choose.
20. Websites, Blogs & Podcasts
Your daily dose of inspiration.
Entrepreneur on Fire is a daily interview podcast hosted by John Lee Dumas. Seven days a week he talks through an entrepreneurial journey with a new guest, including their successes & failures, favorite tactics & resources, and more.
CONCLUSION
Starting a business is expensive. You’ve got to build a website, hire a branding pro, and buy a bunch of really sweet software to get your operation running smoothly. You might also need office space, supplies, and definitely a bean bag chair. And if you are like most new entrepreneurs, you’re probably panicking just reading this? Well, don’t despair, my fellow entrepreneurial friend because, in this blog post, we’re going to give you a list of business tools that won’t cost you a dime.
You want your business to succeed. And we can help. We make a tool, called Quosal, that is all about providing you with new opportunities in sales and marketing — helping you find more customers and make more sales. We are proudly named a Best Software for Entrepreneurs by Inc Magazine, Webby Award Nominee for Best Marketing Tool, Top 20 in the world of B2B SaaS (Software-as-a-service) according to Coveo and recognized as Canada’s Best Young Company by Forbes Magazine.
We’ve developed the simplest, most effective software for entrepreneurs. Here’s why thousands of people are making it the cornerstone of their daily work routine: • Impress everyone with your thought leadership by expertly curating and customizing the latest news relevant to your niche • Strategically grow your list by offering value and collecting leads on autopilot • Profitably scale your business as your list grows by using our lead intelligence platform and multi-step followup sequences