Online Tools to Help Run Your Business Cheaply

One of the biggest challenges facing any new business is controlling start-up costs.  Depending on your business's needs you might have to shell out a ton of cash on things like facilities, equipment, labor, materials, etc.  Why not save a few bucks wherever you can?  Here are a handful of ideas to help keep those costs to a minimum.

Google Apps

I'm a huge fan of all things Google, and I use many of their free applications (obviously Blogger is one of them.  Some of their other great free applications include Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and Google Sites.  As your business grows you can expand your capabilities with their business package for $50 per year, per user.


QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online offers free usage for 1 user, provided you have 5 customers or less.  It's a great way to get started, and once your business grows beyond 5 customers (congrats!) you can upgrade to the Online Basic version for $9.95 per month.

Skype

You can use the basic version of Skype with unlimited calls for just a few bucks a month.  Once your business grows you can upgrade to their small business platform and get additional features like the Business Control Panel, which is relatively inexpensive when compared with other business phone networks.