Starting a Business – Cheaper Than You Think
Posted by virante 85 days ago (http://www.entrepreneurship.org)For many, the biggest problem with getting a good business idea off the ground is the cost. From administrative and legal costs, to product development and marketing, office space and employees, starting a business can be incredibly expensive. However, with the right set of resources, many of these costs can be pinched down without risking your venture. Of course, sometimes quality trumps price, but there are a few gems below that might just meet your start-up's needs without busting the bank. And if you know of some others not on this list - let me know! That is what the comment button is for.
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Free Phone, Fax, Internet & Email Services
Free Logos and Websites
Free Marketing
Free Business & Legal Forms
Free Business Advice & Training
Free Financial Services
Inexpensive Labor & Contracting
Free Business Management Tools
Free Software Solutions
Phone, Fax, & Internet
Get Free Voicemail from Google Voice. (You will need to sign up for an invite).
Send Free Faxes from Here or Here
Voice-to-text for note taking from Jott
Web conferencing from DimDim
Pay for your phone 1 time, never again, with Ooma (requires broadband internet)
Find free internet access (dial up only)
Corporate Logo & Website
Set up your blog at WordPress.com for free
Free webhosting via DotEasy or a more comprehensive list at Free-Webhosts
Get free website templates here, their Terms of Service allow you to modify the template as you like, and don't require you to link back.
Find free logo templates here or here.
Stock images for your site are free here and here.
Marketing
Free press release services from here, here, or those on this list.
Get free business cards from VistaPrint
Get free Google Adwords budget by hosting your site with a company that offers Adwords credits (normally up to $75 in free clicks).
Register your start up at sites like Cool New Startups and Microsoft BizSpark.
Use a free blog, your twitter account, and Craigslist to get the word out about your products or services.
Make sure your business is listed locally via sites like Google Local and Yahoo Local
Business & Legal Forms
From OfficeDepot
From FreeBusinessForms.com
From Entrepreneur.com
General Business Advice
The US Small Business Administration offers free publications on small business or take online courses
A well known source for business advice SCORE
Find business advice and partners at PartnerUp
Contact your local Chamber of Commerce
Financial Services
Completely Free Small Business Checking Account from Capital One
Manage finance, budgeting, and more with Mint
Free Simple-Start QuickBooks software or use the fully featured open source PostBooks
Good community advice on money management from Wesabe
Since so many entrepreneurs have their personal finances tied up with their business, you may want one of these free personal finance managers: jGnash, gnuCash, Grisbi, and GFP
Look out for a Valentines Day Free Tax Prep gift from IAC-EZ if you sign up on February 14th.
Labor & Contracting
Interns: Locate your business near a college campus if possible. If not, look to local high schools.
Use the Mechanical Turk from Amazon to have hundreds of people crunch through your monotonous tasks for pennies on the dollar.
Hire at your price with eLance, GetAFreelancer or RentACoder
Business Management Tools
Manage online projects with iTeamWork, CentralDesktop, or Huddle
Keep up with your todo lists via TaDa List or ToDoIst
Store your contacts online with Keepm or Zexer
Manage your team with Open Teams
General Software
Use web apps whenever possible such as...
Word Processing: AjaxWrite or Google Docs
Spread Sheets: EditGrid, Google Docs, or ZoHo
Photo Editing: Photoshop Express, Pixlr, or Phoenix
Or go Free Open Source Software (FOSS)...
Office Applications: Open Office
Photo Editing: GIMP or CinePaint
Web Development: Quanta Plus
Find More at Open Source Alternatives
Who Voted for this Story
Pligg is an open source content management system that lets you easily create your own social network.
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