Whether you’re starting a blog or a business, it gets very pricey building a brand. What I don’t want is for any of you to wait to begin your business venture because you think you’re not financially capable of getting it off the ground. Yes, you will need money for a lot of things, but there are tons of free resources for you to utilize and help keep your expenses manageable. Here are my favorite tools that benefit start-ups for little to no money.
Websites
Depending on your business venture, websites like SquareSpace, andĀ WixĀ should not be overlooked. They’re user friendly, customizable, and allow you to have your website up and running in just a few hours. My best friend created a beautiful site with Wix all for $Free.99. View it here.
Business Cards
Vista Print has business cards that start at $5.99 + shipping and always has coupons that are readily accessible after a quick Google search.
HootSuite
Not all businesses may necessarily need social media, but I guarantee that having social media for your brand would only help, never hurt. The most time consuming thing that I struggle with is posting content across all platforms, on top of having a blog. Hootsuite helps you schedule your posts all at once so you’re not posting on app, after app.
Canva
Design is incredibly important to branding your company. Canva easily allows you to create graphics for your blog, Pinterest or other social media platforms. You can play around with backgrounds and text as well as pick theĀ type of graphic you’ll need. They have templates specifically for recipes, resumes, social media posts and dozens of others.
Presentations
Visme is perfect for small businesses wanting to explain more about what they do, or for entrepreneurs who teach. Not school, but literally provide some sort of knowledge to your audience. You’re able to create visually appealing presentations that help explain your business, your app, or your next course launch.
Square
I don’t sell anything, so the only time I’ve needed to use a Square was for my corporate job. Technically, your Square reader is free but there will be a 2.75% taken out per transactionĀ which isn’tĀ so bad considering it allows you to do business anytime, any place. If you don’t order one online, you can also find them at retail stores like Best Buy, Target, and Walgreens.
Paypal
I’m sure you’ve all used this at one point or another, even if you were on the consumer end. Paypal takes out .30 cents per dollar but I’ve found a loophole. Instead of requesting money from someone, have that person send you money by using your Paypal email and you will avoid the fees.
Venmo
Venmo allows you to transfer money back and forth, up to $3000 at a time all through an app without taking any percentage. I use this consistently with my friends but have heard great reviews about it from people who sell products online.
Google Analytics
If at any point, you are wanting to collaborate with anyone for sponsorship’s or business ventures you’ll likely need a media kit. Media kits require stats. Google Analytics charts how many views you’re getting, from what demographics in what areas of the world. Once you’re aware of who your audience really is, it allows you to tailor your content to fit them better.
What free tools do you use to better your business? ShareĀ below!
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Nice & easy to apply!
I always wonder if I will dilute my “intention” by selling something on my website. I haven’t had a good idea of what to sell yet, but I don’t want to just do it for traffic sake- like t-shirts.
I will have a book to sell on my site soon, but I wanted to test out another product before..what are your thoughts there?
As long as what you’re selling is going to be beneficial to your readers and audience, I say go for it! That’s the purpose of having a platform. These jobs we created are a LOT of work and you don’t want to be unfair to yourself by working yourself overtime and not requiring a fee in some way. Plus it’s optional. Those who think it’s worth paying for will. The others can just get the free info that you provide on your blog. You can do it girl. Use that influence! š
Very helpful… wish I knew about squarespace before i set up a wordpress page… Not that I don’t enjoy wp…
I LOVE WordPress, but I also had a little bit of money to put into this LOL. My best friend created a BEAUTIFUL site with Wix for $free.99 http://thenewcollateral.com and it looks really amazing. I’m glad you found this useful!
This was very helpful! I work a 9-5, I’m a single full time mother to a 7 month old, and starting a mom blog (not your average mom blog!)… These resources will definitely help me out managing my time and pockets! Thank you very much CB!
No problem hun. You can do it, just stay diligent! I’m routing for you š
Hi!
I’m looking to start an online boutique and wanted to know if you knew of any website designers and individuals that could help with designing a font for my signage. I’ve used Wix & Squarespace and realized it’s a little too over my head lol. I’m even willing using one of those, just with some guidance and help being that I don’t have a lot of money to spend on the preparation stage, but still want it to look appealing and professional.