
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) know how to stretch a dollar to make it go as far as possible. Whether you’re bootstrapping your business on your own or gearing up to seek venture capital backing, it’s important to strategically maximize your budget without sacrificing the quality of your goods or services.
Here’s a roundup of 10 free online tools and resources to help you grow and manage your small to medium-sized business.
US Small Business Administration
Some of the best free resources for small business owners in the United States are actually offered by the government–the US Small Business Administration (SBA) has tips, articles, studies, and even granting opportunities. The agency’s business plan worksheets are fantastic for those just starting up or those seeking another round of funding. For those with more experience, the administration offers free business counseling for entrepreneurs at any stage. The granting and loans feature of the SBA should merit special consideration–it is likely your business is eligible for some sort of funding offered by the SBA.
Coursera and Other Free Online Courses
Any entrepreneur will tell you that education never stops, even after you receive an MBA. We live in the age of the MOOC–that is, “massive open online course.” Institutions from MIT to Stanford offer free courses online, and they’re open to anyone. Of course, the classes aren’t typically credited, but the information is often from real professors. Thousands of business courses are available at Coursera, Udacity, edX, and other MOOC platforms. Most courses consist of video lectures and worksheets. Because of the online community aspect of the digital classrooms, you may also find yourself networking with other entrepreneurs across the globe.
Networking and Meetup
No matter what your business, networking is critical. You should seek out gatherings of entrepreneurs–the SBA and your local Chamber of Commerce can be great resources to find out about small business owner happy hours and other get-togethers. An easy online resource for finding ways to meet other entrepreneurs in real life is Meetup–there is likely a whole group dedicated to entrepreneurship in your city. You can even set up your own gatherings through Meetup, Eventbrite, or Facebook.
Google My Business
Similar to updating your information on Google Maps, you should complete a page on Google My Business. This page ensures that anyone searching for your company receives accurate information. Beyond addresses and phone numbers, you can input your hours and add information like menus. Having a complete Google My Business page can give you an SEO (search engine optimization) advantage–Google ranks websites with complete Google My Business profiles higher in web searches.
WordPress for Websites and Blogs
Even if you don’t consider your business to be a web-based company, it is required to have an online presence. If you don’t have the budget for a web designer right now, a great option is WordPress. It is intuitive to use and the free templates are handsome–it is also a great way to nab a cheap domain name. You can build a simple website for free, and if you want to go a step further, e-commerce and other small business resources are available from WordPress for inexpensive annual fees.
Google Drive for Sharing with a Team
Once your Gmail account is set up, you should take a deep dive into Google’s G Suite options. Google’s Calendar is legendary for its ability to be shared, and Google Hangouts allow you to set up video calls easily. It may seem basic, but Google’s Docs, Sheets, and Slides features are some of the most powerful free business tools out there–they allow you to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations and then share them with anyone you want. Again, it all comes with 15 gigabytes of free storage.
Your State’s Small Business Agency
Along with the SBA, your state government likely has a massive number of free resources for small business owners–your tax dollars at work. Each state has a small business development center, sort of like a miniature SBA. Along with letting business owners figure out what sort of permits or registrations are required, these departments often have educational information or funding opportunities. The SBA has links to these agencies in every state.
Smartsheet.com for Business Plan Templates
Business planning documents are necessary for several reasons. Any bank or grant opportunity will want to see this paperwork. On a more fundamental level, business planning documents are good for you to see and work through what your company’s future looks like. Smartsheet.com has a server full of business plan templates, all for free, that span dozens of industries.
Canva for Graphic Design
Especially in this age of websites, graphic design is in high demand. If you don’t have much in your budget, Canva is a free option that is easy-to-use even for the technology-impaired. The service offers templates for digital graphics like Facebook cover images or email graphics, as well as printable options like flyers or posters. Other free graphic design programs include Spaces, which makes creating logos a snap, and Piktochart, fantastic software for creating fetching infographics or flowcharts.
Slack
Slack is now the gold standard for inter-team communications at firms big and small. It is far less unwieldy than group text messaging and allows you to create different channels with different users. You can easily send around pictures, links, and files. Slack is also a secure way to direct message individuals in the team.
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