When it comes to starting a business, one decision entrepreneurs will have to make is what software they should use. Ideally, they want to choose software that allows their business to grow, excel, and meet goals.
Entrepreneurs that are just starting out, however, may be on a limited budget and may not be able to afford some of the software used by larger companies. And with limited funds, they may have to make challenging decisions — should they invest their money into website software in order to improve their marketing strategies or should they purchase a VoIP phone system to improve customer relations?
If you’re in the process of starting a business but have limited funds, finding free software to help with your startup needs is necessary. The good news is, however, that there is plenty of free software out there that can help your businesses grow.
Communicating with Your Team
Finding ways to communicate with your team members should be high on your list of prioritizing. Communication is vital when it comes to managing a business; good communication leads to efficient and accurate work. Available software makes it easy to chat with your team, even when members are working remotely.
There are several free telecommunication resources to consider. Skype is an application that allows for chatting and online calls. Slack is another application that many businesses are starting to use because it allows for organized communication channels as well as private direct messages amongst team members.
When trying to schedule meetings with a team, a tool such as Doodle can help make the scheduling processing easier. Each team member can enter their availability, allowing you to find a time that works for everybody.
Communicating with Customers
At some point, you will likely find yourself needing to communicate with customers for marketing purposes. Social media can help keep you connected, but it is only effective if your customers are currently following you.
Email marketing is an effective way to reach customers where they’re at by sending content directly to their inbox. One popular free email marketing software is MailChimp. MailChimp allows you to generate an email list that you can send newsletters to. Something to keep in mind, however, is that MailChimp does start charging once your email list reaches 2,000 subscribers.
Another way to communicate with customers is by using bots on your website to respond to user inquiries. AI chatbot platforms such as SnatchBot can answer common customer questions, allowing you to focus on other areas of your business.
Task Management
When it comes to running a productive business, you’re going to need to find a way to successfully organize a task management list. Task management lists help make sure all tasks are completed in a timely manner; they’re helpful no matter if you’re a team of one or a team of many.
Some teams utilize resources such as Google Sheets to create task lists, which allows various team members to contribute to the task list in real-time. Others might use a website such as Taskque to assign tasks and collaborate; some online task management websites also come with analytic features to measure team efficiency.
Of course, early on in your startup, you might find yourself faced with multiple tasks that all seem to need to be done first. An online List Randomizer can help you start organizing your task list.
Social Media Assistance
You likely already know the value of social media for marketing purposes, but you might not know that there is free software that can help you utilize your social media more effectively.
Using software such as Buffer, TweetDeck, and Later can help you schedule social media posts and link your various social media platforms. This can make managing your social media easier. Instead of having to remember to update it daily, you can schedule posts to go out throughout the week.
As social media continues to evolve, different marketing techniques need to be used. Currently, images and graphics are playing a huge role in social media. Software such as Canva can be utilized to create appealing social media posts. Canva has a free plan, though some images and layouts require a paid plan.
Final thoughts
When it comes to effectively managing your startup, utilizing free software is a way to minimize costs while staying productive. As your startup continues to grow, however, you will likely need to start looking into paid software options. Many of the free options mentioned above come with both free and paid versions.
