The cost of running a small business professionally can be miniscule 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, inexpensive place for business cards and other promotional items. Don’t skimp on your free offers that include your brand (not unless you like that kind of thing). Pay a little more to make it look really professional. I bought cards from them in 2011 and did it during a big promotion, so I still have postcards and mailing labels even today!
FreshBooks – If you’re just getting started and don’t have many clients, you can use FreshBooks, the leading online accounting and billing 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 paid package. This Sprout package, which costs $ 9.99 per month, allows you to have up to 10 clients (if requested) and provides some additional features. I used the free account for a long time, then I upgraded, downgraded, and just upgraded again. One way to get the most out of your free account is to use one of the client spaces as your “general client”. This works well if you do unique work for someone. Plus, even if you update later, it’s easy to reassign your invoice to the newly created customer status. There is also an application for iPhone and iPad in addition to its web interface. I’ve been using them since 2011, and while Zoho’s billing software also comes with a wealth of details (including its basic $ 9-per-month payment plan and 50 clients), I stick with FreshBooks.
QuickBooks Self-Employed – A newcomer in the catering industry specifically for the self-employed, it has now become as invaluable to me as FreshBooks. I use them by the hand because what one program lacks, the other has in abundance. The key to know is that billing is not yet available through QuickBooks Self-Employed, but it is yet to come. Plus, they offer a monthly tax package price for your subscription, which means that when it’s tax time, you don’t have to pay to file your taxes if you use Turbo Tax. Plus, it exports all of the 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. The most notable of these is the mileage tracker that is now standard with your phone app. At a cost that’s easy on the bottom, 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 does not 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 fee, 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 fine with Google Apps. Its sister product, HelloSign, is also great for getting signatures online. It’s quick and easy, and like HelloFax, it has a free plan.
HootSuite: I can’t say enough about this software. It’s convenient and feature-packed, from scheduling posts to being able to view and post to a nearly unlimited number of accounts. I also did the free and unpaid exchange 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. I currently use if for 1 Facebook and 4 Twitter accounts. The current free plan offers you 3. Your professional 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 that I use is EveryPost. It does not allow you to view your broadcasts, but it is best 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 my personal domain mail. I liked 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 additional tools and resources that you can’t refuse. So if you are 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 a management guru or a great programmer, speaker, the list goes on, I definitely suggest you sign up for Upwork. The combination of oDesk and Elance, Upwork is free and who doesn’t like free? However, for $ 10 per month, you get additional features like being able to view competitor offers and a custom profile URL. Regardless, it’s a great place to get some extra work done. Basically clients post your 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 so. Then they choose from among all the freelancers who apply. I have used it as an integral part of my business. It means that you don’t necessarily have to do the traditional “hitting the pavement” to find work. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get something or if you don’t pay a lot, the point is to cultivate relationships and hone your craft.
Owning and operating a business from home is not easy, but with tools like the ones mentioned above, it makes it so much easier.