{"id":3486,"date":"2018-11-07T15:00:17","date_gmt":"2018-11-07T13:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lending-express.com\/blog\/?p=3486"},"modified":"2021-07-22T11:30:06","modified_gmt":"2021-07-22T08:30:06","slug":"free-tools-every-small-business-should-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/free-tools-every-small-business-should-use\/","title":{"rendered":"17 Best Free Marketing Tools for Small Business Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Being your own boss can make it feel like you have no one to rely on. Business tools are there to help you relieve that burden – you are not alone. On top of that, it\u2019s super important to manage your business cash flow, especially in those early days. We\u2019ve put together a list of our best marketing tools for small business that are free. Yes, you read that right, they\u2019re FREE.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

These are our best free business tools for small businesses (most of these recommendations are actually based on our personal experience and used here at <\/b>Become<\/b><\/a>).<\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

18 best free marketing tools for small business growth:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Hubspot<\/li>\n
  2. MailChimp Free<\/li>\n
  3. Google’s G Suite<\/li>\n
  4. Google My Business<\/li>\n
  5. Google Analytics<\/li>\n
  6. TSheets<\/li>\n
  7. WordPress<\/li>\n
  8. Canva<\/li>\n
  9. Slack<\/li>\n
  10. Trello<\/li>\n
  11. Youcanbook.me<\/li>\n
  12. HootSuite<\/li>\n
  13. Pixabay<\/li>\n
  14. Wix<\/li>\n
  15. LendingScore\u2122<\/li>\n
  16. Square<\/li>\n
  17. Connecteam<\/li>\n
  18. Become<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    1. Hubspot<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Market leader\u00a0<\/span>Hubspot<\/b><\/a>\u00a0is an inbound marketing and sales software providing a huge range of business tools including customer relationship management, marketing<\/a> and sales tools to increase your web traffic and lead conversion. Small businesses can start out with their free plan and upgrade as they grow to access extra features.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    2. MailChimp Free<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

    MailChimp<\/b><\/a>\u00a0is one of the top email marketing and management tools out there and is so easy to use even a monkey could do it. Best of all, they offer a free plan that is perfect for small businesses. You can create a free account that you can use for up to 2,000 subscribers and send 12,000 emails per month. <\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s really important to keep in touch via email with customers and subscribers. MailChimp offers an excellent way of building and managing your email list and sending out top-quality emails. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    3. Google\u2019s G Suite<\/span><\/h3>\n

    While you can get a personal Gmail account for free, with access to multiple Google apps, it\u2019s not very professional to have an @Gmail.com domain for your business. <\/span>G Suite<\/b><\/a>\u00a0is Google\u2019s cloud solution for businesses. You can create a G Suite new business account which will give you access to your Gmail account ending with @YOURDOMAIN.com. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    You will also get access to Google apps such as Google Drive, Google Docs, and Calendar and cloud storage. There\u2019s the option to start off with their free 14-day trial and then start paying only $5 per user per month. So even though it isn\u2019t completely free once your trial is up, you get a whole lot of features for a minimal fee.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    4. Google My Business<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

    Google My Business<\/b><\/a> is one of many free marketing tools for small business owners enabling small businesses to manage their online presence on Google, particularly on Google Search and Maps. This helps relevant customers find you online when searching for businesses online and also tells them your story.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    5. Google Analytics<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

    If you have a business website (which you definitely should have even if you don\u2019t sell online), you can set up a free <\/span>Google analytics<\/b><\/a> account. With Google Analytics data analysis software you can analyze how your website visitors navigate and engage with your website. It\u2019s an easy tool to use and will help you see what\u2019s working and not working on your site.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    6. TSheets<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Tracking employees’ work hours is essential to operating your small business. Overpaying can place a heavy toll on your cash flow, and underpaying can lead to disgruntled employees. Use TSheets<\/a>, an Excel timesheet template, “to track employee hours, overtime, vacation days, and more.” Not only is it easy to use, but it can also result in saving up to 11% on your business’s gross payroll costs!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    7. WordPress<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

    You can set up a free <\/span>WordPress<\/b><\/a> site with easy to use features, which should be more than sufficient for your business, especially in its early stages. In WordPress, you can and should create a blog and start blogging right away, creating relevant, engaging content for your target audience which you can then share on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n

    WordPress is the backbone to your SEO and website, and you can continue building as much ‘meat’ as it takes to get your website to where it needs to be. This could be through product pages, landing pages as well as your blog. As your business grows, you can upgrade to the right WordPress plan to unlock more useful features.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    8. Canva<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

    Not a creative bone in your body? Fear not, with <\/span>Canva<\/b><\/a>\u00a0you can create professional designs for your business, which you can use in your social media, blog posts and on your website.<\/span><\/p>\n

    You’ll be able to create posters, leaflets, graphics for your email marketing and so much more. This is the tool you need to keep your designs looking professional without the need for hiring a graphic designer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    9. Slack<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

    Slack<\/b><\/a> is a personal favorite of ours and we Becomeers use it to communicate with our colleagues, teams and partners every day. Think of it as the WhatsApp for business. It\u2019s a great alternative to email allowing for more casual discussion. Unlike email, you can put your settings to ‘sleep mode’ so that your colleagues know not to disturb you. And when you need something that moment, just ‘slack it’ – send a quick ping and your colleague should get back to you right away. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Groupchats are another handy feature (like WhatsApp): at Become for example, we have one group for ‘design’ where we can brainstorm new graphic ideas and get quick feedback on new vidoes and creatives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Slack offers a free plan that allows up to 10,000 messages, 10 apps and integrations, and provides 1-to-1 video calls. All this is perfect for a new business. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    10. Trello<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Trello<\/b><\/a> is a project management tool ideal for small businesses who want to get a taste of Teamwork Projects for an unlimited amount of time. The free package includes 100MB file space, 2 active projects, limited task boards, and basic project management. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    11. Youcanbook.me<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

    Youcanbook.me<\/b><\/a>\u00a0is an online scheduling software, making it easy for your customers to book appointments with you. They offer a free plan, however, you\u2019re required to show their \u2018powered for free\u2019 branding on your emails and booking page. Nevertheless, it\u2019s a great tool for small businesses that rely on customer bookings.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    12. HootSuite<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

    Social media is a must-have for every business, no matter the size. The more quality content you post more frequently, the more followers you\u2019ll get on your social media accounts. Social media is not only the ‘face’ of your business, but will help you to generate customers, hire new employees and even help generate good PR as you connect with influencers in your industry.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    Sounds simple but daily posting can be a headache and busy business owners simply don\u2019t have the time or resources to do this. <\/span>Hootsuite <\/b><\/a>simplifies the process by allowing you to schedule all your posts in advance on all your social media channels including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. \u00a0It also provides analysis of posts so you can see what\u2019s working and what\u2019s not. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    You can create a free account that will enable you to manage 3 social profiles at no cost, and as a small business that\u2019s all you\u2019ll really need for now.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    13. Pixabay<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

    Pixabay<\/b><\/a> is the king of free stock images with the largest collection of image media – over a million images, illustrations, vector graphs and even some video stock. You can simply select your desired resolution and download the file, easy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    14. Wix<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

    Wix<\/b><\/a>\u00a0is synonymous with beautiful no-cost websites including free hosting. While you can absolutely create and set up your initial website for free, it is worth upgrading to a premium plan at some point, with the main benefits being a custom domain and the blockage of Wix ads. The most popular Wix premium plan for entrepreneurs and freelancers costs $12.50 per month.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

    15. LendingScore\u2122<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

    Did you know a platform exists to help businesses get <\/b>better <\/i><\/b>business loan<\/a> options?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

    It’s called LendingScore\u2122 – and yes, it’s free.
    \n<\/b>
    \n<\/span>Whether it\u2019s your first time seeking business funding or you\u2019re coming back for another round of capital, you can use     LendingScore\u2122<\/a> to make sure you get the most optimal deals for your business and increase your funding odds. By seeing a detailed board of your company’s financials, you’ll be able to learn the areas that need improving.<\/span>
    \n<\/span>
    \n<\/span>Become’s     online lending marketplace<\/a> allows you to compare all of your funding options in one place. It specializes in matching businesses with tailored funding solutions including unsecured business loans<\/a>,<\/span>\u00a0lines of credit, SBA loans and more<\/span>. Once a business owner fills out an application (obligation free) the company uses technology to analyze your business and:<\/span><\/p>\n