|| For Freelancers & Entrepreneurs |
Getting a business started online is not an easy task. Even with a passion to succeed, highly motivated entrepreneurs still need to contend with the complexities of engaging customers online. In fact, it takes considerable will and time just to set up a decent website and deploy your brand on the Internet. The difficulty of maintaining a business is affirmed by statistics that record a vast number of businesses failing during their first year of operation.
Fortunately for people who intend to establish their own businesses, there are quite a number of free online tools that are designed to help businesses perform different tasks more efficiently. The logic goes that by increasing efficiency, entrepreneurs are enabled to focus more on their core strengths and deliver winning value to their target market. These free online tools are not to be underestimated. The fact is, many successful businesses owe their achievements to free, open source business tools that provide solutions for different aspects of a business.
Some of these tools, like Google Apps and MailChimp are fairly well known and used ubiquitously. In particular, Google Apps is packaged for small enterprises of around ten or so staff and includes Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar. Google Apps is great for close collaboration and document sharing. Meantime, MailChimp provides a clever method of building, managing and leveraging the pivotal email list.
Another useful tool is the DIYSEO suite. It helps entrepreneurs optimize their site for online search. Social networks such as Facebook, LinkeIn, and YouTube are also great channels for building a brand's online presence.