The cost of running a small business professionally can be minimal if you are careful. What I mean is that you can use the following providers for some basic and much-needed services:
VistaPrint – A great and very affordable place for business cards and other promotional items. Don’t skimp on your free offers that feature your brand (not unless you’re into that sort of thing). Pay a little more to make it look truly professional. I bought cards from them in 2011 and did so during a huge promotion so I still have cards and postage labels even today!
FreshBooks – If you’re just starting out and don’t have many clients, you can use FreshBooks, the leading online accounting and invoicing software. You can get a free account that gives you the ability to add up to 3 clients. You do not have to pay a premium for the first package paid. This Sprout package, which costs $9.99 per month, allows you to have up to 10 clients (if requested) and provides a few additional features. I used the free account for a long time, then upgraded, downgraded, and upgraded again. One way to get the most out of the free account is to use one of the client spaces as your “general client”. This works well if you do a one-time job for someone. Plus, even if you upgrade later, it’s easy to reassign your invoice to your newly created customer status. There is also an iPhone and iPad app in addition to its web interface. I’ve been using them since 2011, and while Zoho’s billing software also comes with a host of add-ons (including their basic $9/month, 50-customer paid plan), I’m sticking with FreshBooks.
QuickBooks Self-Employed – A newcomer in catering specifically for the self-employed, it has now become just as valuable to me as FreshBooks. I use them hand in hand because what one program lacks, the other more than has. The most important thing to know is that billing isn’t available through QuickBooks Self-Employed yet, but it’s coming. Plus, they offer a monthly tax package price for their subscription, which means that when it comes tax time, you don’t have to pay to file your taxes if you use Turbo Tax. Plus, it exports all of your Schedule C information to Turbo Tax for you and allows you to pay your estimated quarterly federal taxes through the site. I started using the software in February 2015 and since then there have been many improvements. Most notable among them is the mileage tracker that is now standard with your phone app. At an affordable cost, QuickBooks Self-Employed is a must.
HelloFax – I have also been using this service for some time. Their free service, which I used briefly, allows you to send and receive faxes but doesn’t provide you with a fax number. At the time, I purchased the service and my monthly fee was only $4.99 per month. I still have that rate, but a quick look at their site now shows that their lowest plan is $9.99 per month. There is only one web interface and it works well with Google Apps. Its sister product, HelloSign, is also great for getting signatures online. It’s quick and easy, and like HelloFax, it comes with a free plan.
HootSuite – I can’t say enough good things about this software. It’s extremely convenient and packed with features, from scheduling posts to being able to view and post to an almost unlimited number of accounts. I also did the round trip for free and not paid for a while, but now I’m just using the free account. I have an old account that allows me to connect up to 5 social media accounts. Currently I use if for 1 Facebook and 4 Twitter accounts. The current free plan gives you 3. Their pro plan currently costs $9.99 per month and allows you to have up to 50 different social profiles. HootSuite is available through its web interface and applications on mobile devices. Another client I use is EveryPost. It doesn’t let you watch your streams, but it’s better for posting to multiple accounts.
Zoho Mail – Although I was lucky enough to have created my Google Apps account for my business before they started charging for it, I use Zoho Mail to host mail for my personal domain. I loved it so much that I set it up for other members of my family. The cost is free (although there are paid plans) and they give you so many extra tools and resources that you can’t turn them down. So if you’re looking for a great email client for your business, definitely check it out! Plus, the free account allows you to have 25 users so any small business owner can save on this necessary tool.
Upwork – If you have services that you would like to offer, for example, you are also an admin guru or you are a great programmer, speaker, the list goes on, I definitely suggest signing up for Upwork. The combination of oDesk and Elance, Upwork is free and who doesn’t love free? However, for $10 per month, you get additional features like being able to see competing offers and a custom profile URL. Regardless, it’s a great place to land some side jobs. Basically, clients post their work (you can have both a freelancer and a client account), what they are looking for, and you submit proposals on how much you would charge them to do it. They then choose from among all the freelancers who apply. I have used it as an integral part of my business. It means you don’t necessarily have to do the traditional “pounding the pavement” to find a job. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get something or don’t pay much, the point is to cultivate relationships and hone your craft.
Owning and operating a home-based business isn’t easy, but with tools like the ones mentioned above, it makes it so much easier.