Free or Low-Cost Business Services To Save You Money

Whether you are just starting your new business or looking to cut expenses because your revenue is getting squeezed, you should decide whether some low-cost or free business services out there will help your bottom line. Do your research to evaluate whether these services will deliver what you need and are reliable.

Although most of us are familiar with Microsoft Office that provides Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, did you know there are free versions of word processing, spreadsheet applications, and presentation programs? Check the internet for different versions of these programs and test them out on your computer. Some of these programs are available as mobile applications as well.

Although many business owners buy a combined scanner, copier, and fax machine, if you don’t need that kind of machine, you can get low-cost fax services that will allow you to send and receive faxes through the internet. That way, you aren’t tied to your office when a fax comes through.

You can really save money if you don’t need an office. Many businesses don’t have walk-in traffic or see their customers. They keep in touch by email, telephone, text, and fax. A virtual office saves a ton of money for the business owner. If you and your employees can work from home, you don’t need to pay for rent, utilities, office equipment and supplies.

Perhaps you don’t need employees. If you hire freelancers and outsource some functions outside your core business, you don’t need the extra office space, computers, or telephone equipment that employees in your office would require. You also won’t be paying health insurance premiums, vacation pay, sick days, or FICA taxes for independent contractors. Just make sure that you are treating your independent contractors as independents and not as employees. The mistake of classifying and/or treating employees as independent contractors will cost you thousands of dollars in back wages and penalties.

Marketing can be low-cost or free. Use Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace to create business buzz.  Start a blog to give your potential customers information that will show how you are an expert in your field or how your products will enhance your customers’ lives.  Those forms of marketing are totally free right now. You can get a website and maintain it very cheaply, just so that potential customers can find you and investigate you when they are looking for your service or product. Most new customers start their search for a product or service provider by using the internet. You don’t need to pay for expensive print or television advertising these days.

You can get free business advice on almost any subject by using the resources of SCORE (Senior Corps of Retired Executives). They are a non-profit organization that partners with the Small Business Administration to provide counselors that will help you with dozens of business skills. Or you can email them a question, if you cannot find a SCORE chapter near you.

You can get free videocalling, free web conferences, free accounting software, just by checking the internet for each type of service or product that you need. There are so many free and low-cost services for businesses that you will be able to bootstrap yourself into profitability very easily.

Contact Robin Gronsky at Rgronsky@Gronskylaw.com to set up a consultation. I’ll keep what you tell me a secret but I cannot give you any specific legal advice until you become a client of the firm. This is done by written agreement only.