If there's one thing that running your own business will teach you girlfriend, it's how to stretch a dollar (and stretch it far). And to get that dollar stretching even further, there are a ton of free online tools that’ll help you get the job done.
What are you waiting for? Get started with our 6 favourite free resources, with everything from marketing and graphic design through to day-to-day task management.
The day-to-day stuff
1. Monday.com
Monday.com is a project management tool that enables organisations and individuals to manage tasks, projects, and team work. You can invite anyone to your boards (staff, contractors, clients... the list goes on) and thanks to its mobile app, can access it from anywhere.
The graphic design stuff
2. Unsplash
Needing an urgent stock photo that isn't... gross? Unsplash is here to save the day! The online platform is filled with beautiful, free images and photos that you can download and use for any project. Better than any royalty free or stock photos, guaranteed.
3. Canva
Not a graphic designer? Us either. Canva is an online platform that makes designing anything easy. With thousands of professionally made, drag-and-drop templates to get you started, you can create and customise social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents and literally anything else you need.
And the marketing stuff
4. Social Media
It goes without saying, free or not social media is one of the greatest marketing tools at our disposal. Take advantage of platforms like Facebook and Instagram to connect and engage with your customers, and even find new ones.
5. Google My Business
Did you know the world’s most used search engine offers businesses a free profile to help you connect with your customers? A Google My Business profile allows you to post hours, location, and pricing information, and share pictures and even a virtual tour—all of which will then show up for your audience in Google’s search results.
6. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is arguably the most popular email management tool available. You can add and store email lists, create marketing emails, automate email sends and track activity on your various campaigns. Bonus: it's super easy to use and can integrate into just about any website platform.
