Entrepreneurs literally have to shoulder the world. Starting a new business is daunting, all-consuming, and depending on your niche, extremely expensive. There’s an endless list of to-do’s, huge decisions to make every day, and a herculean list of needs to get the vision launched and thriving.
Thank goodness for the myriad of free tips and tools available all across the web. If you’re in the starting stages of launching a brand new business, feast your eyes on this invaluable list of completely free tools to make the process easier.
1) Business Startup Kits from Entrepreneur.com
For business owners still contemplating the type of business they’d like to launch, these startup kits from Entrepreneur are fantastic. They divulge the ins and outs of many major business categories, and give complete overviews of what it takes to achieve success.
2) Get a Reality Check
Before you invest loads of time and money, visit BizFilings’ Startup section to see if you really have what it takes to be an online business owner. BizFilings offers a host of resources for the aspiring entrepreneur, including a valuable guide listing all the steps to take on before you start your business.
3) Free Online Business eBook
Author Jennifer Laycock has been involved in launching online businesses since 1995, virtually since the practice debuted. She generously penned this comprehensive startup ebook and offers it for free by download to budding entrepreneurs. Titled “Zero Dollars, a Little Talent, and Thirty Days“, the book explores all kinds of successful tactics, including affiliate marketing, SEO, viral marketing campaigns, and savvy networking.
4) Solidify Your Vision, Visually
The Startup Toolkit is a unique and terrific free tool that aids entrepreneurs in the process of visually defining their business idea. As your hypothesis evolves, the Startup Toolkit helps you to make sense of all the complexities in a very pictorial fashion, which can help you see gaps and special areas of focus more clearly.
5) Impressive Suite of Free Business Tools
Looking for the most comprehensive collection of must-have business tools, like email, chat, bug tracking, instant messaging, collaboration tools, and customer retention management (CRM), all free of charge? Zoho to the rescue. Zoho offers free versions of dozens of applications to individuals just starting out, including calendar tools, project management, meeting software, and all kinds of reports. Subscription fees apply as your business grows, but you can get what you need without spending a dime through your entire launch phase.
6) Best Free Destination to Get Educated
This is one heck of a competitive world, so once you focus on your niche, it’s crucial to be educated about all the nuances of your business realm. The BizInfoLibrary is an outstanding resource loaded with free information for any entrepreneur. You’ll learn everything you need to know about topics like governance, legalities, marketing tactics, risk management, HR, and financial management.
7) Build the Perfect Business Plan
Communicating your vision to would-be investors and partners is an integral part of launching a new company. If you’re ready to take the plunge into penning a business plan, check out the wonderful free resources at Bplans. You’ll find an endless array of valuable tips and templates, outlines, sample content, and related advice.
8) Guide to a Magnificent Visual Presentation
Once you have a well-crafted business plan, visit PlanCruncher for the finishing touches and a step-by-step guide to the ideal visual presentation. Words alone won’t sway the investors and partners you need to make your business a success, and this free, no-registration tool can help you take your plan to the next eye-popping level.
9) Startup SEO Tools
If you’re launching an online business, setting up stellar organic SEO strategies on day one is essential to success. SEOBook has created an awesome suite of free SEO tools for business owners that are must-haves at launch. Offerings include SEO toolbars, a rank checker to keep tabs on your search placement, keyword suggestion tools, and a meta tag generator.
10) List of Free Press Release Distribution Sites
Once you are ready to alert the world that your company is live, visit Mashable’s list of free press release distribution sites. You’ll be able to submit press releases to a myriad of services and start sounding the alarm that you are open for business.
11) Learn the Ropes from the Pros
If online courses are more your style, MyOwnBusiness will make you cheer. They offer a completely free and very robust online course that covers nearly everything you need to know about launching a new business. Additionally, the site has courses for folks looking to expand an existing business too.
12) Manage Your Finances for Free
Once you are tracking sales and expenses, queue the very necessary assistance of FreshBooks. The tool is free to business startups with three or less clients. FreshBooks lets you track online invoicing and payment processing, and will even assign a free business consultant to assist you in making the most out of every feature.
What business tools would you recommend? Share your favorites in the Comments section.
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