by Bobbi Dempsey
For small businesses, money — or lack thereof — is a big concern. Every dollar spent or, better yet, saved is important. Fortunately, technology has made it possible for budget-conscious small business owners to find many helpful resources online. Even better, many of these resources are available for free. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look.
Your first stop? Try the Small Business Administration web site. Muna Deriane, a Los Angeles-based business consultant, says, “To learn the basics of starting a business and understand how to write a business plan, sba.gov is a great resource. I often send clients there to help them begin formulating their ideas. Additionally, the site takes you step by step through the process of writing a business plan. And, I like that you’re not inundated with ads.�
Heather Boerner, a writer and editor from San Francisco, relies heavily on Google Analytics (a free web stats service), which she heard about via word of mouth from other writers. She uses the services to monitor her professional site as well as her blog.
“I use it every day, first thing in the morning. Some of it is just fascinating: My professional web site has been viewed by editors in New York, as well as someone in Trinidad and Tobago who was so fascinated with my work that he/she spent 15 minutes on my site. It’s useful for me because it tells me, for instance, what keywords draw readers to my professional site and which topics draw the most hits. And since people rarely comment on my blog, it shows me that several people actually do read it, which is good motivation to continue with it.�
Deborah Shadovitz of Los Angeles is a Macintosh consultant to individuals and businesses of all sizes. Her first suggestion: visit StartUpNation. “I highly recommend that people serious about starting a business or building their small business join this site. This is a community, and it’s free. You can ask and learn and share. Sometimes articles include video. There’s also a podcast you can subscribe to and even ask a question ‘on the air.’ �
They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and this sometimes applies to sites that provide free content or resources. The “price� is often in the form of ads, promotional offers, spam, and other relatively minor intrusions. Shadovitz notes that the ads on StartUpNation are “not terribly bothersome; they’re not smack in the middle of articles, and if they have movement they stop moving after the initial play, so you can focus on what you’ve come to learn on the page. The ads all seem to be rightly relevant and worth exploring.�
Shadovitz also recommends Work.com, which is based in Santa Monica. “It’s a how-to for running your business. For the most part, people contribute to share their expertise. It’s an opportunity for them to become known by others. This site covers all topics. Aside from some on-the-side, non-disruptive text ads by Google, there is no advertising here. It’s easy to read. There are no distractions.�
Shadovitz has a final tip: “Check out Meetup.com. There are tons of meet-ups, which provide face-to-face, in-person support. For example, I found one in my area for entrepreneurs. Search for terms like ‘entrepreneur,’ ‘consultant,’ or ‘business’ here. Or ‘marketing.’ �
Counseling and Mentoring
Small business owners may wish they had someone to help guide them through all the challenges (and red tape) involved with being the boss. Fortunately, there are many free services that provide counseling and mentoring to business owners and entrepreneurs.
Small Business Administration: offers free counseling and mentoring for new business owners; also well-known for overseeing several popular small business loan programs. Offers in-person seminars and events through retailers such as OfficeMax.
SCORE: free counseling, advice, and mentoring provided by retired business professionals and experts.
Web Hosting and Management
These days, it’s imperative for every business (regardless of size) to have an online presence. With the help of these free resources, it’s easy to present a professional online image, while keeping track of email and web site details.
Microsoft Office Live Small Business: create a professional looking site for free. Includes free web site and email hosting, plus online storage. In addition, you can share documents internally or externally, keep track of your contacts, and send e-newsletters.
StatCounter: free, invisible, and easy-to-configure hit counter that provides detailed web stats.
Weebly: free web site creation and hosting, plus blog creation. No tech skills or HTML knowledge is necessary, thanks to the site’s simple drag-and-drop system — you select something that you want on your site, and use your mouse to “dropâ€? it into the desired spot.
Communications
Business owners are constantly communicating with clients, colleagues, employees, vendors and countless other contacts. These resources can help keep communication costs under control.
Skype: a software program that has really skyrocketed in popularity and that allows you to make free calls over the Internet to other Skype users worldwide. You will need a microphone and sound system (i.e., headphones) on your computer, as will the person on the other end of the call. You can even do a “video call� if you both have webcams. There is a charge to call someone who doesn’t have Skype, but it is generally much cheaper than rates charged by regular long-distance providers.
FreeConferenceCall.com: free phone conferencing that even provides recording.
FreeConference: another free conference call service.
Bidding and Buying
There are a few sites that help you keep money coming in and find bargains on supplies so less of that hard-earned money goes out.
Wholesale Discoveries: calls itself the “Costco� of the Internet business world. Membership is free and provides access to thousands of products at low prices.
FedBizOpps: the one-stop comprehensive portal for all federal government bidding opportunities over $25,000. No need to use sites that charge you a fee for searches or listings when you can find the information here for free.
Finances and Taxes
Money and taxes are two of the most important small business issues. Check out these sites for free help with those concerns.
IRS: many small (and large) businesses are intimidated by and perhaps even fearful of the IRS, but the agency’s site has lots of tax-related resources including how-to articles, tip sheets, a guide to obtaining an employer ID number (EIN) and, of course, a long list of tax forms and worksheets.
Office and Paperwork
Paperwork and other office tasks can be time-consuming and tiring. These sites can help with some office-related duties.
EchoSign: an e-signature service that allows you to sign contracts electronically.
MyHours.com: free online time tracking and management program.
Comprehensive Sites
These sites are like a one-stop-shop of free resources for small businesses, offering a variety of valuable tools.
Business.gov: managed by the SBA in conjunction with other government agencies, this is the official business link to the U.S. government. Designed to be a single entry point to all government services and resources for small businesses. Includes guides to government regulations and programs covering everything from franchises to business law. Also features an array of interactive tools, a comprehensive contact list for a variety of government offices and agencies, and resources specifically geared toward home-based businesses and those owned by women, minorities, and veterans.
Google: Offers several great resources for small business (and anyone else):
- Google Docs: online program consisting of word processor, spreadsheets, and presentation tools. It is web-based, so you can access your info from any computer. Also offers great sharing capability (documents can be opened, edited, and exchanged between multiple users at the same time).
- Google Analytics: track web site stats to find out who is visiting your site and what they do when they get there; track and compare stats for your various ads, email campaigns and keywords to see which are most effective.
- Google Calendars: business owners, employees, and colleagues (along with friends and relatives) can create and store calendars and agendas, store and share them easily, and access them from anywhere. Great for synchronizing schedules to coordinate meetings and appointments.
- Google Maps/Local Business Center: displays your business info when people do local searches. You can also upload images and coupons.
Yahoo! Small Business Resource Center: a comprehensive online information center for entrepreneurs and small business owners, with information on numerous important topics, such as hiring, finance, marketing, and legal issues. (Yahoo also has many other small business products available at a low cost.)
StartupNation: the big attraction of this site is its emphasis on networking tools for entrepreneurs. You can get advice, tips, and plenty of moral support from other small business owners.
Business Owner’s Toolkit: free tax forms, asset management tools, and a huge library of sample documents ranging from articles of organization to privacy policies. Everything you need to know (and complete, sign and file) about hiring, firing, financing and keeping your business profitable. Also features downloads, webinars, and a radio show.
CNET: CNET has a large site on best practices for small businesses. It covers communication, sales, marketing, security, management, and more.
Download.com: Even if you've heard of download.com, you may not know that the site has free software downloads geared toward small business. Categories include taxes and accounting, spreadsheets, and presentation tools.
MoreBusiness: business articles, template and how-to guides, plus sections specifically devoted to marketing, financing, legal and accounting issues, and technology.
Inc.com: more than 100 free tools, including sample policies, worksheets, and checklists. It’s available to members, but you can sign up for free.
Some Free Technology Help Is Offline
In today’s high-tech environment, many free small business resources are available online, where you can easily access them 24/7. However, that doesn’t mean you should rely solely on web-based help. There are still several valuable resources out there in the offline world.
Your local Chamber of Commerce probably has lots of helpful resources. They also present lectures and seminars, and host networking events.
Local colleges, universities and even high schools or vocational training centers can be a great source of interns. Not to mention, colleges often have counseling and other resources for entrepreneurs.
Many libraries now offer free access to numerous online databases and resources (magazine archives, newspaper records, etc.). You can often search these online, from your own home or office, simply by entering your library card number.
Read the Fine Print
There are many ethical and well-regarded free resources for small businesses, but there are also quite a few sites that aren’t really free after all. Keep alert and watch out for any red flags indicating you may be asked to shell out money at some point.
Beware the upsell. More and more sites today are operating with a “freemium� model, where they lure visitors in with a small amount of free content/resources, and then force you to pay a membership/subscription fee to access most of the really good content.
Watch out for introductory periods. Another common trick: giving you a “free� subscription for a certain period of time (usually 30 days) after which point you are automatically charged a monthly fee unless you cancel. Most people never remember to cancel before the intro period expires.
Don’t pay for something you can get for free. Need help putting together a business plan? There are lots of free online resources for that. Interested in bidding on government projects? Again, you can get that information yourself for free, so don’t pay hefty fees to firms or sites that claim they can find “hidden opportunities� for you.
About the Author
Bobbi Dempsey is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Wealth Manager, Family Circle and many other major publications. She is also the author of nine non-fiction books. Her web site is at www.magazine-writer.com.
